HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY 



PUBLISHED BY THE 



Hampshire County Trustees for Aid to 

 Agriculture 



STAFF 

 Roland A. Payn*", County Agent 

 Mrs, K<litli I>. Freiu'll, 



H4>nie Demonstration A;f4'iit 

 Bena O. Eriiard, County <-lub Ascnt 

 Mary C O'Leary, Clerk 



OfRoe Tirst National Bank Building 

 Northampton, Mass. 



Entered as second class matter Nov. 9. 1915, at the 

 Post Office at Nortbanipton, Maasacliusetts, under 

 the Act of March 8, 1879. 



"Notice of Entry'* 

 "Acceptance for mailing at special rate of post- 

 age provided for in section 1103, Act of October :i 

 1917. Authorized Octoljer 31, 1917." 

 Price. 50 cents a year 



Officers of the Trustees 



Edwin B. Clapp, President 

 Charles E. Clark, Vice-President 

 Warien M. King, Treasurer 

 Roland A. Payne, Secretary 



Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture 



Edwin B. Clapp, Easthampton 

 Charles E. Clark, Leeds 

 Clarence E. Hodgkins, Northampton 

 William N. Howard, Ware 

 Milton S. Howes, Cummington 

 Mrs. Clifton Johnson, Hadley 

 Warren M. King, Northampton 

 John A. Sullivan, Northampton 

 Charles W. Wade, Hatfield 



Continued from page 1. column 3 

 pullets should gain constantly in weight. 

 The moult can be avoided by the use of 

 artificial lights. When lights are u.sed 

 the pullets consume more scratch feed and 

 in this way will increase in weight till 

 they reach the height of production which 

 usually is in March. 



Even with lights the poultryman should 

 watch the weight of his birds and also the 

 production. Early hatched pullets which 

 reach 50% production the last of Novem- 

 ber are near the danger point. For best 

 results these pullets should reach 357r 

 production by Thanksgiving, 45% in De- 

 cember and .should never get above 50' r. 

 If they do, it is best to increase the 

 amount of scratch feed thus cutting down 

 production. If this is not done there is 

 danger of a heavy spring moult when 

 eggs are needed for hatching. 



Green feed is important when the pul- 

 lets are put into the houses. Epsom salts 

 should be given in small amounts occa- 

 sionally. Milk also should be given in 

 some form. It makes little difi^erence 

 whether it be skim, semi-solid, or 

 powdered. When .3 gallons of sour skim 

 milk is given every day to a flock of 100 

 pullets the beef scraps should be entirely 

 removed from the dry mesh. As a tonic, 

 only small amounts of milk are needed 

 daily. 



Continued on page B, column 2 



ADVERTISING FARM PRODUCTS 



Some Methods of Local Producers 



Adveitising of farm products is 

 nothing new yet many farmers and co- 

 operative associations could increase their 

 buisness by doing more of it. There are 

 varieties of efficient ways of doing this 

 but the following local experience may be 

 helpful to those who have not considered 

 this means of increasing a local market. 



Too often farm products are placed on 

 the market without a distinctive mark. 

 For example, outside of marking on a 

 crate of strawberries there usually is no 

 mark to distinguish one box of berries 

 from another. This year one grower has 

 been marking every quart of strawberries 

 which leaves his farm. A strip of heavy 

 paper about an inch wide is attached to 

 one side of the ba.sket. After the box is 

 filled this strip is folded over the top and 

 is long enough to tuck in the other side. 

 On this strip is printed "Products of Lone 

 Oak Farm, H. I. Bean and Sons, Flor- 

 ence". The purchaser of this box of ber- 

 ries is at once inspired with confidence 

 in the package as the grower has pride 

 enough in it to give it a distinctive mark. 

 When the consumer buys strawberries the 

 next time he is going to asks for Bean's 

 Berries rather than just strawberries. 

 The same principle is used by pro- 

 ducers in marketing asparagus, apples, 

 peaches, pears, eggs and many other 

 products. It can be used on small and 

 large packages and if the goods are as 

 represented it pays. In this way it is 

 possible for either an individual or an as- 

 sociation to build up trade for their 

 products. It is a fact that one sale does 

 not make a success but it is the con- 

 tinued business with a person or firm 

 which counts. 



The farmer or gi"oup of farmers sup- 

 plying the local market could establish a 

 direct trade by using the telephone direc- 

 tory for a list of prospective customers. 

 Then by sending these people a printed 

 or duplicated letter stating that certain 

 products could be obtained in a desired 

 quantity and at a fair price, direct con- 

 tact could be made with the consumer. 

 Other farmers and organizations that sell 

 wholesale, advertise in local papers that a ^ 

 certain product of theirs can be obtained I 

 at certain stores. 



The local paper which reaches your 

 prospective customer should not be over- 

 looked. The experience of the Northamp- 

 ton and the Holyoke Community markets 

 showed that it pays to advertise. Last 

 year a .slogan was adopted of Fresh Farm 

 Produce at Fair Prices. Then a simple 

 statement such as "Can Tomatoes Now" 

 or "Sweet Corn does not improve with 

 age, buy it fresh from the farm" was 

 added, followed by a list of products 

 off'ered for sale on a particular date. 

 While regular customers may come any- 

 Continued on page tt, column 1 



DO YOU NEED A LARGER BARN? 



Let the College Flan it for Vou 



With the gradual reduction in the cost 

 ! of labor and materials during the past 

 two or three years, building activities, 

 both in the towns and in the country, are 

 slowly reviving. Although the need for 

 newer and better farm buildings in 

 Massachusetts, as a result of the intro- 

 duction of newer processes and more 

 modern agricultural practices, has been 

 felt, for some time past only is it be- 

 coming possible to realize them. The 

 number of inquiries received at the Agri- 

 cultural College for information and as- 

 sistance in planning new buildings indi- 

 cates that a revival in the erection of 

 farm buildings is fairly started. The 

 college desires to be of the greatest pos- 

 sible service to Massachusetts farmers 

 who expect to spend money for building 

 improvements. 



To this end the Department of Rural 

 Engineering of the Agricultural College 

 is prepared to furni.sh the services of a 

 farm building expert to farmers having 

 building problems upon which advice is 

 desired. Such service will be made 

 available, either through correspondence 

 or by personal visits, so far as demands 

 can be met. In cases where extensive 

 building opei'ations are under considera- 

 tion, and where adequate service cannot 

 be rendered through correspondence, the 

 college representatives will visit the farm 

 and discuss the problems with the owner 

 for the purpose of working out a reasona- 

 ble and economical plan. 



After a visit of this sort a preliminai-y 

 plan will be drawn up to scale and sent, 

 with suggestions in regard to materials 

 and structural methods, to the owner or 

 builder entirely without cost. If these 

 plans are approved, and the owner de- 

 sires to go further with the pro.ject, com- 

 plete working plans showing all essential 

 details of construction, specifications and 

 bill of materials can be provided at the 

 cost of producing them. This expense 

 will be based on the time necessary for a 

 paid draftsman to complete the drawings 

 plus the materials used in making the 

 blue prints, and in most cases will vary 

 between the limits of .$5 and .$25. Plans 

 of this sort are prepared under the direct 

 supervision of the college specialist, who 

 will keep in touch with the owner at all 

 times during the progress of the work in 

 order that all his wishes may be carried 

 out in detail. These drawings need not 

 be accepted and paid for onlif after com- 

 plete agreement betireen oirner and col- 

 lege specialist on all the details of design, 

 essentialh/ as betireen architect and 

 client. 



Upon acceptance of the drawings the 

 owner will agree to construct the build- 

 ings as designed, and submit to inspec- 

 tion of the work from time to time by 

 the college specialist. This should not 

 Continued on page .'>. column 2 



