HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY MARKET GARDENING NOTES 



PUBLISHED BY THE 



Hampshire County Trustees for Aid to 

 Agriculture 



STAFF 

 Roland A. Payne, County Agent 

 Mildred W. Uoiee, 



Hume OenionNtration Agent 

 Bena G. Friiard, t'uunty Cliib Agent 

 Mary t', 0*I>eary, Clerk 

 Mapy Sullii'an, Asxt. Clerk 



Office First National Bank Building 



Northampton, Mass. 

 Entered as second class matter Nov. 9. 

 1915, at the Post Office at Northampton, 

 Massachusetts, under the Act of March 

 8. 1879. 



•*Xotiee of Entry" 

 "Acceptance for mailing at special rate 

 of postage provided for in section 1103, 

 Act of October 3, 1917. Authorized Oc- 

 tober 31, 1917. 



I*ri4'e, ."O eenCs a year 



Officers of the Trustees 



Edwin B. Clapp, President 

 Charles E. Clark, Vice-President 

 Warren M. King, Treasurer 

 Roland A. Payne, Secretary 



Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture 



Edwin B. Clapp, Easthanipton 

 Charles E. Clark, Leeds 

 Clarence E. Hodgkins, Northampton 

 Geo. E, Timmins, Ware 

 Milton S. Howes, Cummington 

 Mr.s. Clifton .Johnson, Hadley 

 Warren M. King, Northampton 

 John A. Sullivan, Northampton 

 Charles W. Wade, Hatfield 



May, i023 



mm NOTES 



We held a meeting in Middlefield re- 

 cently to demonstrate the disinfecting of 

 seed potatoes with corrosive sublimate. 

 Sixteen men were present and eight of 

 these have agreed to disinfect a part of 

 their seed potatoes. In this way we will 

 be able to obtain figures on just how 

 much good disinfecting does. In the 

 summer we plan to run a trip to see 

 these demonstrations. 



Many poultrymen have had trouble 

 with leg weakness in early chickens even 

 though the chicks were allowed to run 

 on the ground. This is caused by im- 

 proper feeding, using a ration deficient 

 in bone building materials. Extension 

 Service Leaflet 6, which is free for the 

 asking, gives a ration which fills the need. 

 It is 100 lbs. Bran, 100 lbs. Corn meal, 

 100 lbs. Oatmeal, 100 Middlings, 25 lbs. 

 Ground Bone, .50 lbs. fine meat scraps or 

 Powdered Milk. Another good mash is 

 300 lbs. of regular laying mash (sift out 

 oat hulls and coarse particles of beef 

 scraps) and 100 lbs. of Bran. Another 

 mistake is not to feed raw vegetables. 

 Potatoes, mangels or the clipped green 

 tops of oats should be supplied unless 

 chickens can get a plentiful supply of 

 green grass. 



By Prof. H. F. Tompson 



A friend of mine in Ohio spoke to me 

 last winter about the probable decline of 

 New England. It was with a good deal 

 of pleasure that I cut out from one of 

 our newspapers an article aoout expand- 

 ing industry in New England, and the 

 millions of dollars that were being spent 

 in new construction. This was forwarded 

 to our Ohio friend. He replies as fol- 

 lows: "It is gratifying to hear that 

 Massachusetts is growing industrially. 

 Nevertheless, I think still that if New 

 England is to be in the lead industrially 

 as well as in other activities, she will 

 have to develop her agriculture and far 

 beyond its present capacity. The State 

 can well afford to give the Experiment 

 Station and the College more money so 

 that they can find out how it can be done, 

 and spread the news." 



We believe this is worth passing on. 



How to overcome the labor shortage 

 is a major problem with everybody. The 

 land planted up to the first of May is 



Are you planning to cut down your 

 production costs by practicing early til- 

 lage? Weeds are easily killed when they 

 start and the weeder and spike tooth 

 harrow are efficient implements for early 

 use on coin and potatoes. Plan to use 

 them more this season. 



Tobacco growers will undoubtedly have 

 a chance to see what Wildfire looks like 

 this year unless beds are either sprayed 

 or dusted thoroughly. Last year many 

 men who claimed they dusted had wildfire 

 in the seed beds, yet when the facts are 

 known, they did just as efficient a job 

 of dusting as you and I would do if we 

 tried to cut hair for the first time. Con- 

 trol depends entirely on keeping the grow- 

 ing plants covered at all times with a 

 film of dust. Early in the season, once 

 a week may be enough to do this but 

 when the plants are growing rapidly, 

 twice a week will not be too often. Ten 

 dollars worth of dust if properly applied 

 will bring big returns on the investment. 

 Members of the Association know just 

 how much "brokes" and fillers are worth 

 and that is where infected leaves are put. 

 We would be glad to furnish further in- 

 formation. 



Poultrymen would be interested in see- 

 ing the lot of 3,000 Rhode Island Red 

 chicks which Edward L. Schmidt of Bel- 

 chertown is raising. When we saw them 

 .some time ago they were rugged and 

 healthy as one could wish. Practically 

 every chick was feathering out well, show- 

 j ing that proper brooder management has 

 'been used. Incidentally Mr. Schmidt is 

 ,a firm believer of di.sease control work 

 and has demonstrated that it can be done. 

 He would be glad to show you his plant. 



far less than normal on intensive market 

 gardens for two reasons, first, the late 

 season, and second, the labor shortage. 

 If the same labor shortage continues 

 througout the summer as now seems 

 probable, vegetable crop production is 

 likely to be much less than normal, with 

 consequently higher prices. This condi- 

 tion seems to prevail over a large section 

 of our northeastern country so that it is 

 not likely that any one section is going 

 to far outstrip another. 



It is this year, if any, that means of 

 labor saving should be put into effect. 

 Recent experience in handling a plow has 

 emphasized anew the fact, pretty well 

 recognized, that the plowshare needs to 

 be kept in prime condition to do its best 

 work. The rusty moulboard or land side 

 means a less efficient job, more traction, 

 and hinders work generally. These little 

 items added together greatly decrease the 

 results of a day's work, or increase the 

 load upon the man powei' so that they 

 are costly. 



Through some of our agricultui'al 

 papers there has been much exchange of 

 information about the efficiency of the 

 small motor cultivator. Without ques- 

 [tion it will come for the present con- 

 ditions are the best advertisement that 

 such can have for men will be desperate 

 : for help, and will look to assistance 

 wherever they can find it. It is ex- 

 tremely important to be careful in such 

 a purchase. Many men have suffered 

 through too hasty conclusions. There is 

 evidence that there are some motor cul- 

 tivators on the market doing splendid 

 work when properly handled. 



What About Seed Production? 



These facts may be of interest. In 

 1921, at the Market Garden Field Station 

 beets produced 1 % ounces of seed per 

 plant, or at the rate of 600 pounds of 

 seed per acre, plants set 4x2. 



Carrots in 1922, produced at the rate 

 of I'A ounces per plant, or 400 pounds 

 to the acre. 



Lettuce produced at the rate of about 

 \i ounce per plant, with plants set 1 x 

 1 V2 ; this would mean about 400 pounds 

 to the acre. 



Parsnips in 1921, produced at the rate 

 of 1 4/5 ounces per plant, or over 600 

 pounds to the acre. 



Onions in 1921, produced at the rate 

 of .25 ounces per plant, and in 1922, .235 

 ounces per plant, in each instance the 

 rate of production being better than 400 

 pounds to the acie. 



Spinach has produced at the rate of 

 over 400 pounds of .seed to the acre at 

 the Field Station. 



The large yields of high quality make 

 the profit. Mediocre goods wait in the 

 store for a customer long after the high 

 grade goods are in the hands of the con- 

 sumer. It was ever so, and will con- 

 tinue to be. It pays to produce quality. 



