HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY 



Vol. VII. 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS., OUTOBEK, 192:2 



No. ]o 



MELLOR FARM 



One of the most interesting field days 

 of the year was held at the Mellor Farm 

 in Cumming'ton on September 15. Over a 

 hundred people were present to inspect 

 the farm and Jersey herd. The morning 

 was spent in looking over the barns and 

 farm. Mr. Mellor explained his plans 

 for development of the farm and showed 

 what has already been accomplished. 

 After the basket lunch, Prof. Salisbury 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege gave a fine talk on Dairying, stress- 

 ing the importance of breeding, feeding 

 and giving animals a chance to make 

 records. Ward and William Harlow, calf 

 club members, gave an interesting demon- 

 stration of producing clean milk on the 

 farm. 



The school children were let out early 

 so as to participate in a stock judging 

 contest. Prof. Salisbury arranged two 

 classes. The first was of four mature 

 cows and the second of heifers. After 

 the boys and girls had judged the classes 

 he stated how he placed them and why. 

 Alfred Morey won first prize, a registered 

 bull calf, given by Mr. Mellor, while the 

 second pi-ize of ten dollars was divided 

 between Fred Deplissey and Robert 

 Thayer. 



While the judging contest was for the 

 boys and girls we believe that the adults 

 got full as much out of it as the young 

 people. 



While the judges were correcting 

 papers, sports were enjoyed by the boys 

 and girls. Mr. Mellor is planning to 

 make this field day an annual affair. 



SAVE NOVEMBER 15 



Extension Service Plans Large 

 Annua! Meeting 



We want every farm family of Hamp- 

 shire County represented at the annual 

 meeting of the Extension Service which 

 will be held in Odd Fellows Hall, Center 

 Street, Northampton, Wednesday, No- 

 vember 1.5, 1922. Consider this a per- 

 ; sonal invitation to attend what we hope 

 I will be the best annual meeting wo have 

 I ever held. The morning session will be- 

 gin promptly at 10. .30 A. M. and will be 

 given over to reports by the County 

 Agent, Home Demonstration Agent, 

 County Club Leader, and reports by pro- 

 ject leaders that are bound to inte.rest 

 you. At noon we are planning a dinner 

 from materials raised or made by Club 

 Members. Plans already in operation 

 indicate that it will be far ahead of last 

 year, which is going some. 



In the afternoon speakers who have a 

 vital message for farm families will be 

 heard. These will be short, snappy and 

 to the point. In fact arrangements are 

 being made so that you and your family 

 will have an enjoyable as well as a 

 profitable time. You can help us too by 

 coming and bringing your neighbors. 



THE FAIR SEASON 



Success Depends on Local Interest 



Everyone believes that the fair has an 

 important place in the life of the com- 

 munity. It gives everyone a chance to 

 meet the others and also to see what 

 others have been doing. In fact, the fair 

 should be representative of the commu- 

 nity it serves. Unfortunately most fairs 

 fall far short of the ideal but let us not 

 say they have no good in them. 



It seems that this year every fair has 

 had too few entries in the hall exhibits. 

 Fruits and vegetables have not as a rule 

 been as numerous as usual, due undoubt- 

 edly to the unfavorable season. But the 

 Continued on page 2, column 'i 



SEPTEMBER FIELD DAYS 



The Massachusetts Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation held a very successful meeting 

 at Wright A. Root's Park Hill Farm 

 early in September. Fi'uit growers from 

 all over the State were present to enjoy 

 the day. In the morning an inspection 

 trip was conducted about the farm, 

 showing a fine set of fruit on the old trees 

 and also looking over the young orchards. 

 At noon a basket lunch was enjoyed by 

 all, followed by talks by leading growers 

 from various .sections of the State. Con- 

 siderable interest was .shown in the ex- 

 port market for Wealthys as explained by 

 Mr. Miller of Boston. After the speaking 

 all adjourned to Mr. Root's Broad Brook 

 Orchard where an apple picking contest 

 was staged. The local team composed of 

 ; W. H. Atkins of Amherst, S. Ellis Clark 

 'of Williamsburg and G. R. Tedford of 

 Cumming'ton took second prize. All felt 

 that the day had been profitably spent. 



VISIT TO AROOSTOOK COUNTY 



Potato Methods Studied 



When one speaks of potatoes he thinks 

 of Aroostook County. Being decidedly 

 interested in potatoes the County Agent's 

 attention was focused on Aroostook early 

 in .July when a notice of a two days po- 

 tato trip, planned for the last of July, was 

 received. The family at once planned a 

 camping trip through New Hampshire 

 and Maine, finishing up with the Farm 

 Bureau tour of Aroostook's potato fields 

 entered for certification. After we 

 started, the potato trip was postponed so 

 we decided to see the county by ourselves. 



Before reaching Aroostook County we 

 passed through a heavily wooded section 

 where abandoned farms seemed to be the 

 rule. Just before reaching Houlton 

 things changed and large open fields were 

 the rule. From there on through Presque 

 Isle and Fort Fairfield the open fields 

 were large and wooded area small. 

 Several things seem to be typical. The 

 main thing seems to be that everyone is 

 growing potatoes, not in small patches, 

 but in quantity. Fields of five acres are 

 uncommon while fields of 25 acres and 

 over the rule. One farm visited had 175 

 acres of potatoes in three adjoining fields. 



The next fact to register was that a 

 common rotation system of only three 

 crops is used. Oats the first year, 

 seeded to grass and clover; second year 

 hay, the rowen crop being turned under 

 for potatoes; third and fourth year po- 

 tatoes. In consequence, the oat and hay 

 crops look far better than those in this 

 county. Run out hay fields are not com- 

 mon under this system. 



The typical set of farm buildings seems 

 to be a very small, plain house; a large 

 well built potato storage and a hay barn. 

 Apparently all possible expense and 

 thought has been cut to the minimum in 

 building the houses. In fact they suf- 

 fer severely in comparison with Hamp- 

 shire County homes. The potato stoi-ages 

 are, as a i-ule, rather attractive. The 

 main part is a cellar. Above ground 

 most of them have Dutch roofs. The 

 barns are large to take care of the large 

 oat and hay crops and to house the horses 

 as cows are not common. In fact the 

 average potato grower would rather do 

 anything than milk cows. 



Another point of interest is the size and 

 Continued on page fi. column I 



