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HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY 



' ral 



Vol. VII. 



NORTHAMPT(lN, MASS., DECEMBER, l<.>2-_' 



No. 12 



COUNTY AGENT'S REPORT 



Summary of Extension Activities for |o> > 



One of the problems confronting the 

 County Agent is to inform farmers of the 

 county what he is trying to do, how he 

 does it, and what results are accom- 

 plished. To work intelligently we must 

 know just what the problems confronting 

 farmers are in each community. This 

 information is brought out at community 

 meetings by using sources of farm in- 

 come as a basis. After getting the prob- 

 blems out, the farmers themselves decide 

 which are of enough importance to them 

 to work on. Demonstrators are signed 

 up and pro,ject leaders elected. This 

 constitutes the local program of work. 

 By combining local programs, the county 

 program is made up. 



The following projects were chosen this 

 past year: (1) Organization for Exten- 

 sion Work; (2) Agronomy; (3) Poultry; 

 (4) Animal Husbandry; (5) Fruit Grow- 

 ing; (6) Marketing. 



Organization Project 



Community meetings were held in 14 

 towns. In five other towns extension 

 schools were held regarding projects 

 already under way and part of the pro- 

 gram given up to organization. In 

 March a meeting was held for the recent- 

 ly elected Town Directors, demonstrators 

 and project leaders at which 1.3 towns 

 were represented. As a result of this 

 meeting more detailed information was 

 sent demonstrators regarding demonstra- 

 tions. Every town director had a report 

 of the work carried on by the Extension 

 Service before their town meetings were 

 held. As a result every town appropri- 

 ated money for the Extension Service. 



Agronomy Project 



The main work in this project was with 

 the potato crop. The following program 

 was recommended (1) Certified seed ; (2) 

 Seed Disinfection with corrosive subli- 

 mate; (3) Greening; (4) Blight Control. 

 Project leaders were elected in 14 towns 

 to secure certified seed. As a result over 

 .5000 bushels of certified seed was brought 

 into the county and some was used in 21 

 of the 23 towns of the county. This is 

 an increase of about 1009; over any pre- 

 vious year. Result of 22 demonstrations 

 comparing certified with other seed po- 

 Contiuued on page .i, column 2 



I 



HAMPSHIRE COUNTY PEOPLE! 



The Stall' oF the 



Hampshire County 



Extension Service 



extends to .you their 

 f^iiicere wishes for 



A Merry Christmas 



AND 



Happy and Prosperous 

 New Year 



WAR SAVING STAMPS 



TO BE REDEEMED 



The first of the War Savings Stamps 

 issues will mature on January 1, 1923. 

 Every stamp of this series will be worth 

 its face value either in cash or a refunding 

 security. This refunding .security offered 

 by the U. S. Treasury is known as 

 Treasury Savings Certificates. They are 

 issued in three denoninations of $25, $100 

 and $1000, and sell for $20..50, $82 and 

 $820 respectively. They mature five 

 year.s from date of i.ssue, are registered 

 and are therefore loss proof both as to 

 principal and interest as well as to the 

 dangers of fire and burglary. They are 

 bought at minimum prices, yielding 4 per 

 cent compounded semi-annually if held 

 until maturity, and the value cannot de- 

 preciate because they have no connection 

 with stock market fluctuations. On the 

 other hand, these values increase auto- 

 matically each month that the certificates 

 are held thus establishing a redemption 

 value if it is necessary to redeem them 

 before maturity. This is readily accom- 

 plished whenever the emergency arises. 



It is hoped that many present investors 

 in Savings Stamps will take advantage 



Continued nn patfe 2, column 3 



INTERESTING ANNUAL MEETING 



Reports of Leaders Given 



Over 100 men and women interested in 

 Extension Work attended the annual 

 meeting of the Extension Service held in 

 Odd Fellows Hall, Northampton, Wednes- 

 day, November 1.5. The.se men and 

 women repi'esented fourteen of the towns 

 of the county. President E. B. Clapp 

 opened the meeting with a few words of 

 welcome after which the reports of the 

 Secretary and Treasurer were given. 

 The latter showed that continued sup- 

 port is necessary if the work is not to 

 be curtailed. 



The reports of the County Agent, Home 

 Demonstration Agent and County Club 

 Agent showed that there was an increase 

 in the amount of work carried on over 

 previous years. Miss Mildred Boice, who 

 takes up her work as Home Demonstra- 

 tion Agent in this County December first, 

 was introduced. Then followed reports of 

 demonstrators and project leaders. 



W. A. Munson of Huntington stated 

 that he was faced with a poultry disease 

 control problem four years ago. Prof. 

 Monahan of the Mass. Agricultural Col- 

 lege advised him to rear his chickens 

 on new land each year. The first year's 

 results almost elminated the trouble. By 

 using a rotation of ground his chickens 

 are not reared on the same ground but 

 once in three years with entirely satis- 

 factory results. 



Reinette Bernier, a member of the 

 Worthington Girls Room Club, gave a 

 report of the work this club has been 

 carrying on. The club met once a month 

 and made waste baskets, utility boxes, 

 curtains and refinished the furniture in 

 their own rooms. Each girl adopted and 

 carried out a paticular color .scheme. 

 Miss Reynolds of M. A. C. gave them in- 

 formation regarding pictures and their 

 use. Miss Bernier adopted a buff and 

 black color scheme. She refinished her 

 bed room set in bufl" with black trimmings, 

 made a waste basket, curtains and utility 

 box to match. Lacking a dressing table, 

 she fixed one up from an old melodeon 

 which was remodelled and a mirror 

 placed over it. 



William Baker, .Jr. of Che.sterfield 

 stated that he averaged 261 bushels of 

 potatoes this year on 44 acres. He at- 

 tributed the results, not to luck, but to 



Contiuuefl on jjiige 2. column 1 



