FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



growers of field crops. The perpetrator 

 of this is commonly known as Extension 

 Specialist in Agronomy, and spends a 

 great deal of his time running around 

 with County Agricultural Agents and so 

 comes in contact with quite a number of 

 farmers, their pi-oblems, and some of the 

 ways in which they have met them. He, 

 in common with the County Agents, feels 

 that to peddle such information is all 

 right if we stick fairly close to the truth. 

 Then in addition to local gossip, there's 

 quite a lot of material from other states 

 that has a place under such a heading. 

 Items of interest relative to new experi- 

 ments and new experiences may boost or 

 knock this or that theory or practice. 

 And I see no reason why the column can't 

 be left open for what the readers think, 

 too, providing the main idea isn't in too 

 many words. But this introduction is 

 mainly to say that the seed is planted. 

 What the harvest will be no one can tell. 



COW TEST SUMMARY 



The October reports of the cow testers 

 show that forty-two of the 705 cows in 

 the association produced over forty-five 

 pounds of butter fat during the month. 

 The high cows were as follows: 



POETIC PIFFLE 



Trom time to time we'll write of lime 



And acid phosphate too, 



Of soybeans, corn, and "taters" perhaps, 



And what Alfalfa can do. 



The spirit in which it is written 



May seem to be of fun. 



And folks will want to tell us 



It's the way it can't be done. 



Be that as it may and however. 



We are going to give it a try. 



And if the folks don't like it, 



Then better that it die. 



— Spec. 



Owner Breed 



M. S. Howes, Cum. R.H. 

 E. P. West, Hadlev G.H. 

 Ellis Harlow, Amherst R..J. 

 J. G. Cook, Hadley R.H. 

 T. C. Marrar, GilVille G.G. 

 M. S. Howes, Cum. R.H. 

 H. Bridgman, Wes't'n R.H. 

 R. Adams, Amherst R.H. 

 Peli.ssier Bros., H'ley G.H. 

 Q. A. Bagg, S. Hadlev G.H. 

 C. G. Loud, Wes't'on ' R.H. 

 J. W. Parsons, N'ton R.H. 

 C. E. Clark, Leeds H. 



E. P. West, Hadlev R.H. 

 Pelissier Bros., H'ley R.H. 

 E. P. West, Hadley " R.H. 

 E. P. West, Hadley R.H. 

 E. P. West, Hadley R.H. 

 E. P. We.st, Hadley R.H. 

 E. P. We.st, Hadley R.H. 

 E. P. West, Hadley R.H. 



lbs. 

 Milk Test 



1701 

 1934 

 1.302 

 1764 

 1163 

 1680 

 1398 

 1717 

 1758 

 1320 

 1612 

 1466 

 1171 

 1472 

 1593 

 1934 

 1469 

 1.566 

 1407 

 1401 

 1727 



lbs. 

 fat 



69.9 

 65.9 

 62.5 

 •60.0 

 59.3 

 .59.1 

 58.7 

 58.4 

 58.0 

 55.4 

 54.8 

 .54.2 

 51.5 

 51.5 

 3.2151.0 

 3.8173.5* 

 4.5166.1* 

 4.0162.6* 

 4.21.59.1* 

 4,2158.8* 

 3.2155.3* 



4.1 



3.4 

 4.8 

 3.4 

 5.1 

 3.5 

 4.2 

 3.4 

 3.3 

 4.2 

 3.4 

 3.7 

 4.4 

 3.5 



.show good. production also high feed costs 

 to produce fat and milk. These high 

 feed costs are the result of poor feeding. 

 In the majority of cases it is giving the 

 cow too much protein. By feeding each 

 cow as much hay and silage as you have 

 available and then giving the cow the 

 kind and amount of grain she needs to 

 balance this roughage you will find that 

 feed costs per pound of fat and per hun- 

 dred weight of milk can be materially 

 reduced. 



TO THE QUEEN OF CROPS 



Here's my praise for alfalfa. 

 Of crops it's the Omega and the Alpha. 

 Say! By jing! I had some time 

 Finding a word that's fit to rhyme. 

 But, to return to my theme 

 It looks to me a darn good scheme 

 To put in some of this here stuff 

 That makes milk and ain't all bluff. 

 Our County Agent he says, "To grow it 

 You've got to do more than just sow it." 

 First the land you'll have to pick. 

 Too much water will kill it quick. 

 Then add lime to make the land sweet. 

 With sour soil it never can compete. 

 Plenty of plant food it must be fed 

 And take lots of care fixing the seed bed. 

 For seed, best try to get Grimm 

 It seems to have a lot more vim, 

 And of course you'll have to inoculate 

 Else with failure you want to speculate. 

 Seems like there ain't no end 

 Of things to get, for money to spend. 

 But when you get it going right 

 It sure is a mighty pretty sight. 

 And when it's time to hay it 

 You'll be so happy no words can say it. 

 And old Molly and Bess will never fail. 

 With the Queen of crops, to fill the pail. 



— Spec, j 



* Milked four times a day. 



The high herds in average milk produc- 

 tion per cow were as follows: 



Lbs. Milk 

 Owner Address No. Cows per Cow 



Pelissier Bros., Hadley 6 1226 



E. P. We.st, Hadley 31 1172 

 J. G. Cook, Hadley 11 1123 

 C. G. Loud, Westhampton 16 1089 

 H. Bridgman, Westh'pton 12 1004 

 Burt Bros., Westhampton 6 952 



F. L. Antes, Ware 11 936 



The following are the leading herds in 

 fat production per cow: 



Lbs. Fat 

 per Cow 



40.7 



40.1 



38.2 



37.9 



.3:6.2 



34.7 

 34.0 



Owner Address No. Cows 



E. P. We.st, Hadley 31 

 Pelissier Bros., Hadley 6 

 H. Bridgman, Westhampton 12 

 T. C. Marrar, Gilbertville 11 



F. L. Antes, Ware 11 

 C. G. Loud, Westhampton 16 

 J. G. Cook, Hadley 12 



This report ends the year for most of 

 the men in the Association. The herd 

 books are now being summarized. These 

 records show that there are three kinds 

 of cows in the herds; (1) culls; (2) 

 doubtful; (3) good. The culls are the 

 cows that calved normally, milked nine 

 or more months in the year, and having 

 been properly fed, have failed to pay 

 over $60.00 above feed costs. (Labor, 

 interest on investment, depreciation on 

 the cow and overhead charges amount to 

 about sixty dollars per year on a fair 

 cow.) These culls should be sold. The 

 doubtful cows are those that you think 

 had "hard luck" this year. If when they 

 freshen they continue to have "hard luck" 

 it will be your "hard luck" if you keep 

 them. In other words cull your herd in- 

 telligently. 



There are good cows that are neither 

 being fed wisely nor well. These cows 



ACID PHOSPHATE BRINGS ALFALFA 



For a number of years Mr. John Ellis 

 of South Lee has been trying to get re- 

 sults with alfalfa. He has not been 

 satisfied and this would seem strange 

 were I to tell you that he has a limestone 

 soil and also has been applying lime. I 

 visited the farm a few days ago and we 

 stood looking over the fields where alfalfa 

 was not doing like it ought to, I made the 

 statement that according to my knowl- 

 edge he had ideal conditions for alfalfa. 

 His account of results secured was to the 

 contrary and so was the evidence of the 

 fields. After hearing the story of prep- 

 arations made, there seemed just one 

 item to account for his disappointment. 

 Acid phosphate had been overlooked. 



Then Mr. Ellis took me across the road 

 to see a field of alfafa seeded rather 

 late this summer. Part of it received 

 acid phosphate, part of it did not. The 

 difference in favor of acid phosphate was 

 from four to six inches in growth. Mr. 

 Ellis seems to have found the big limiting 

 factor in success with alfalfa on his 

 farm. With others it may be lime, or 

 inoculation or it may be potash. 



Henry Fienemann, Agricultural Agent 

 in Essex County, has just sent me some 

 pictures that show what acid phosphate 

 has done on Argilla Farm in Ipswich. 

 In short the pictures say that with acid 

 phosphate, after two years of un.success- 

 ful attempts, they have secured a stand 

 that is good to look at. How do they 

 know acid phosphate did it? Just this 

 bit of evidence. One edge of the field 

 didn't receive any acid phosphate because 

 the supply ran out. And right there the 

 alfalfa isn't, at least the picture doesn't 

 show very much, or about what they had 

 on previous trials without acid phos- 

 phate. 



Perhaps some of the readers of this 

 item have started alfalfa without acid 

 phosphate, or without enough of it. If 

 so it is recommended for trial that 300 

 to 500 pounds per acre be applied as a 

 top dressing next spring. Add to this, 

 especially on the lighter soils, 200 pounds 

 per acre of sulfate of potash. Leave 

 some untreated strips for comparison. 



