THE FARMERS' MONTHLY, MARCH, 1928 



AGROSPECTS 



The Importance of Little Things 



One of the most important things that 

 Massachusetts farmers will do in 1928 

 will be done between now and planting 

 time. Actual time consumed in doing it 

 may not total to many hours but the re- 

 sults will determine a good many things. 



Raising crops takes plant food. This 

 plant food is the raw material of agricul- 

 ture. Too little of it is going to mean a 

 lot of things to the farmer, and generally 

 in terms of what he can't have, because 

 the crops didn't grow as they should. So 

 the time spent in checking-up the plant 

 food supply on the farm is well worth 

 while if it leads to action which will in- 

 sure the necessary .supply. 



The process is something like this. How 

 many acres of this crop and that includ- 

 ing pasture land with good sod? How 

 much manure will be available and where 

 can it be used to produce the most wealth? 

 How much fertilizer should be purchased? 

 Which fields and ci-ops need lime? Can a 

 start be made this year on a liming pro- 

 gram that will eventually I'each all the 

 tilled land? 



Taking the time to .study the .situation 

 thoroughly and methodically can not but 

 produce some questions as to kind and 

 amount of fertilizers for different crops 

 and different soil conditions. Also there 

 will be questions as to the proper use of 

 lime materials and economical sources of 

 supply. 



Experience will answer a lot of these 

 questions. But always there is the pos- 

 sibility that relying on "old experience" 

 is but an easy habit. It may be that 

 some experiments or the experience of 

 some other farmer gives a better an.swer. 

 It may pay to try to get it. 



The an.swers are in a lot of places. The 

 fertilizer salesman can help, if he is more 

 than just on order-taker. The county 

 agent has access to many .sources of in- 

 formation — the agricultural college has 

 too. 



And one can't consider the plant food 

 question without looking over the in- 

 dividual labor proposition. To carry a 

 certain amount of livestock requires a 

 certain amount of crops. These can be 

 grown on an extensive acreage with a 

 liberal use of labor necessai-y and with a 

 limited use of plant food. It seems to be 

 poor economy, however, when labor is .so 

 scarce and relatively high priced. Equal 

 results can be secured on a smaller acre- 

 age with adequate use of plant food, and 

 con.sequently a smaller labor force, which 

 will be better paid. 



I liked very much a remark that 

 Director Hartwell of the Rhode Island 

 Experiment Station recently made. It 

 was to the effect that our interest should 



be, not merely in the proper fertilizer for 

 potatoes, but in the fertilizer require- 

 ments of a 400 or .500 bushel crop. He 

 certainly had in mind the need that con- 

 fronts us today, of using all devices that 

 will make agriculture effective in produc- 

 ing a satisfactory income. Granted that 

 we have not the labor supply which made 

 yesterday's agriculture, we do have its 

 equivalent in labor saving implements 

 and in a knowledge of, as well as a source 

 of commercial plant foods. As a mayor 

 of a certain New England city said, "We 

 seed our duty, and we done it". 



For 1928 

 Wishing you who happen to read this a 

 happy and prosperous New Year is in 

 order. My feeble efforts are intended to 

 make it more prosperous, and I'm sure 

 that all the happiness you will enjoy will 

 come in spite of anything I do or say. But 

 if and when it comes I'll be glad with 

 you. Spec. 



Wire Sun-Porches 



Oontinui'd from page .'{, column 2 

 In this event it would also be necessary 

 to extend the .screening to the ground or 

 use burlap to keep flies from getting into 

 the droppings. 



Suggestions For Construction of 

 Wire Bottom Sun = Porch 



Bottom made in one or two sections. 



Use three-inch furring on edge, spac- 

 ing the furring strips 18" apart for 36" 

 hardware cloth and 15" apart for 30" 

 hardware cloth. These are the most 

 common widths. The wire gives enough 

 rigidity so cross pieces for reenforcement 

 between the strips of furring are not 

 necessary, although they are probably 

 worth while. 



Each side .should be a single frame 2' 

 high if the top is covered with wire. 

 Otherwise four-foot wire may be used to 

 enclose chickens on the platform. 



If feeding is to be done on the outside 

 of wire, a frame for one side should be 

 made of vertical strands of 8 to 10 gauge 

 wire spaced li inches apart. 



Sweet Clover Pastures 



Contiiuir-d I'l-om p.-iK"' 1. rolump 2 

 Lime Necessary 



Practically all of the soil in Hampshire 

 County is acid and generally at least 3 

 tons of lime per acre .should be applied if 

 sweet clover is to be a success. In addi- 

 tion .500 pounds of superphosphate (acid 

 phosphate) should be applied per aci'o 

 and manure or fertilizer is needed to 

 furnish food to the plants. 



All sweet clover seed should be innocu- 

 lated before planting. This innoculant 

 can be obtained through the county agent 

 for $.50 an acre. 



Seeding very early in the spring at the 

 rate of 15 to 20 pounds of .scarified seed 



per acre, seems to give best re.sults. If a 

 permanent pasture is desired White 

 Dutch Clover and grass seed could be ap- 

 plied at the same time .so that at the end 

 of the second year a good jiermanent pas- 

 ture will be established. 



Sweet clover generally is at its best 

 when ordinary pasture is short. Cows 

 should be filled up with either hay or or- 

 dinary pasture grasses before being turn- 

 ed into sweet clover for the fir.st time. 



After the cows are once accu.stomed to 

 it there should be no trouble of any kind. 



Now is the time to prepare for that 

 sweet clover pasture which you are to 

 plant this Spring. The county agent will 

 help you in every way possible. Get in 

 touch with him at once. 



/ / a hook 

 of interest to 

 every farmer 



THE new booklet 

 "Permanent Farm 

 Construction" is a prac- 

 tical working manual on 

 farm concrete. It tells 

 how to use concrete for 

 barns, granaries, silos, 

 septic tanks, and every 

 structure required on 

 the modern farm. De- 

 tailed suggestions for 

 mixing and placing con- 

 crete are given, together 

 with a large number of 

 useful photographs and 

 diagrams. 



With this book as a 

 guide, any farmer can 

 make many profitable 

 improvements on his 

 farm at small cost. A 

 free copy will be mailed 

 to you upon request. 



PORTLAND CEMENT 



ASSOCIATION 



10 High Street 



BOSTON 



Concrete for Permanence 



