-4- 



8. Give inexperienced workers clear, complete instructions on how you want 

 the job done. Indicate who is to be responsible for each job and in- 

 struct him in his specific responsibilities, 



— Roy E. Moser 



COST OF FSRTILITY 



Each year thousands of tons of plant nutrients are lost from Massachu- 

 setts soils through erosion. Some of this is by physical erosion, plainly 

 visible to the discerning eye; some by invisible erosion which only the chem- 

 ist can detect. To plug the hole caused by current losses and to restore 

 deficiencies created through years of exploitative farming, farmers in this 

 state each year use thousands of tons of fertilizer, lime, and manure, cost- 

 ing millions of dollars. 



According to a recent bulletin issued by the Massachusetts Experiment 

 Station, another record was made in the use of soil amendments in this state 

 in 1944, 89,837 tons of mixed fertilizers, fertilizer materials and chemi- 

 cals, and commercial pulverized animal manures were used. This amount is 

 slightly higher than that for the preceding year. In addition, Massachusetts 

 farmers annually apply between 50,000 and 60,000 tons of ground limestone 

 and more thaji a million tons of animal manures, and plow under between 30,000 

 and 40,000 acres of green manure crops, all of which have a total money value 

 between |6, 000, 000 and $7,000,000, 



With this great investment in materials and labor for soil improve- 

 ment, it is only common sense to protect the investment by conserving the 

 improved soils. Losses through water erosion, wind erosion and to some ex- 

 tent chemical erosion, can be totally prevented or reduced by following such 

 conservation practices as cover cropping, contour fanning, strip cropping, 

 and terracing. Conservation practices conserve moisture as well as soil 

 and fertilizer. Increase in yields of 10 to 15 percent may be expected from 

 the adoption of conservation methods, 



— A. B. Beaumont 



FROST AND THE PREVENTION OF FROST DAMAGE . This is the title of Farmers' 

 Bulletin No. 1588 which may be obtained from the State College, Midsummer 

 is an unusual time to talk about frost prevention but it is none too early 

 to begin preparing for next spring. Any grower interested in a readable 

 discussion of this important subject should obtain a copy of the above pub- 

 lication, and become familiar with the fundamental principles. 



MAY AND JUNE RAINFALL IN AMHERST . Rainfall in May amounted to 

 6,45 inches and in June (up to the 25th) 7,53 inches. The normal 

 for the two months is 3,6 and 3,75 respectively. Some rain fell 

 on 17 of the first 24 days in June, If one were planning the 

 weather for apple scab infection he couldn't improve on what the 

 weather man has given us in 1945, 



