HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY 



V(,l. VIII. 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS.. KKBKIAHV. l<i-j;{ 



No. 2 



PREVENTION VS. CURE 



start Poultry Disease Control when 

 Chicks Hatch 



Sooner or later every poultrynian in 

 Hampshire County will be faced with a 

 disease control problem. At pre.sent the 

 two worst troubles are coccidiosis and in- 

 testinal worms. Many flocks at present 

 are infected with one or both of these 

 troubles. Some flocks are only slightly in- 

 fected while others sufl'er .severe losses. 

 Both troubles have one point in common. 

 This is that the infection is spiead by 

 droppings from infected birds. 



At the start these troubles may not be 

 noticed. As more birds become infected 

 the yards become contaminated. In the 

 case of worms often the mature pullets 

 go blind in one or both eyes, lose the use 

 of a wing, or a leg, or otherwise show a 

 paralyzed condition even though their 

 appetites appear to be good. Infected 

 birds rapidly grow thin and finally die. 

 Naturally such a flock ceases to be an 

 asset on the farm. Fortunately there is 

 a way to avoid this trouble. That it 

 works is shown by nineteen men in the 

 county who have carried on disease con- 

 trol demonstrations this past year. 



You have, no doubt, noticed that some- 

 times a beginner with poultry will have 

 better success than an e.xperienced 

 poultryman. This success cannot be at- 

 tributed to experience, neither is it en- 

 tirely luck. The reason is laregly clean 

 ground, clean houses and clean equip- 

 ment. This forms the basis of poultry 

 disease control, prevention rather than 

 cure. By following the progiam the ex- 

 perienced can reap the benefit of their ex- 

 perience as well as have beginner's luck. 



As before stated, infected droppings 

 spread the trouble. Hence the first step 

 is to raise chickens on land on which 

 poultry manure has not been spread and 

 on which poultry has not run. It takes 

 about two winters to kill worm eggs j 

 This means that portable brooder houses 

 should be u.sed. You can have plans .sent 

 you free by writing the County Agent. | 

 Last year one man shifted his chickens 

 on to land that he thought was clean but 

 was not. The results were disappointing, i 

 This year he is using portable brooder 

 houses built on skids and is going to use 

 them on entirely new land. Care should 

 be taken not to carry the infection on the 

 Colitiinu'd c_.li ii:»£r<' *i. colnnni I 



TROPHIES WON I,\ ,NKW YDKK 



WIN AT NEW YORK 



Poultry Judging Team in Interstate 

 Contest 



The poultry judging team consisting of 

 James Parnell of Amherst, Roger and 

 Osborne West of Hadley, again brought 

 home honors to Hampshire County. Due 

 to winning over the other counties at the 

 Boston Show they were declared to be 

 the state team with the right to go to the 

 Madison Square Garden Show in New 

 York City. The money for the tiip had 

 to be raised within the county. The peo- 

 ple and organizations in the county cer- 

 tainly showed their faith in club boys and 

 girls by the splendid way they raised the 

 money. The Northampton, Hadley, and 

 Amherst Granges, and the Northampton 

 Poultry As.sociation each gave ten dol- 

 lars. In addition individuals in the three 

 towns and the local boys poultry clubs 

 raised more funds. The trustees of the 

 county extension service also appropi-i- 

 ated some. 



The team left Northampton Thursday 

 morning, -January 25th. They were ac- 

 companied by Miss Erhard, the county 

 club leader. Mr. Nodine, the State 

 Poultry Club Specialist, also made the 

 trip. While in New York they stayed at 

 the Hotel McAlpine. 



The jud.ging contest was staged at the 

 Garden show Friday 26th. There were two 

 contests, one for college teams, and one for 



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WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST 



IN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



Yes, here is anothei' one of these pests 

 to attack our forest and farm crops. If 

 only it preyed upon the grey birch, or the 

 wild cherry, or even the pitch pine, it 

 would not be so bad, but all that interests 

 the Blister Rust is the white pine, the 

 most valuable timber tree in New Eng- 

 land. In spite of the fact that the sup- 

 ply of white pine is considered by many 

 to be nearly exhausted, there is today in 

 Massachusetts between seven and eight 

 billion board feet, conservately estimated 

 to be worth about sixty million dollars. 

 Added to this is a large amount of young 

 pine which is seeding in on old pastures, 

 abandoned farms, and cut-over lands. Is 

 it not worth saving for future use? 



One of the most unfortunate features 

 of White Pine Blister Rust is its insidious 

 and deceptive nature. Indeed, it often re- 

 mains in a tree for three or four years 

 before a visible sign appears. Small 

 wonder it is, then, that the average owner 

 does not easily recognize nor understand 

 the danger from it. 



The Blister Rust is peculiar in that it 

 cannot pass directly from one pine to 

 another pine, but must pass through in- 

 termediate .stages of development upon 

 the leaves of currant or gooseberry 

 bushes. This characteristic is of the 

 greatest impoi'tance, foi' it means that, 

 < *oiiliiiiii''l "11 page 7. r-oluinn :! 



