HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARMERS' MONTHLY 



Vol. IX. 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS., OCTOBER, 1924 



No. 10 



THE FAIR SEASON 



More and Better tixhibits a Feature 



The agricultural fairs this season have 

 been noted for larger and better exhibits 

 of stock and agricultural products than 

 have been shown for several years. It 

 seems that there have been less of the 

 professional exhibits and that farmers 

 are taking a greater interest than for- 

 merly. This is a healthy sign and will 

 greatly increase the educational value of 

 the fairs. 



Middlefield started the agricultural fair 

 season for the county. The first day 

 was devoted to the judging of live stock. 

 Practically every herd in the town was 

 represented in the show ring. In the 

 Holstein classes there was the usual keen 

 competition. While many who have only 

 followed the larger fairs would be dis- 

 appointed in the condition of the animals 

 shown, we believe that this feature has 

 great educational value. It shows each 

 exhibitor whether he is approaching a 

 desirable type of animal. This year, Mr. 

 Parker of the Mass. Agricultural College 

 awarded second ribbons on some classes 

 where there was no competition. Many 

 of these animals were not worthy of a 

 first prize. The men who received these 

 second places should take the hint and 

 get better bulls. 



The agricultural exhibits in the hall 

 and in the poultry house should have been 

 better. The White Leghorns exhibited 

 by Mrs. E. H. Alderman were the out- 

 standing birds of the show. Too much of 

 the poultry was late hatched and poorly 

 developed. Another year we would like 

 to see the poultry classes revised and the 

 money put entirely on utility stock. Pens 

 of three females and one male would 

 make a fine showing and would encourage 

 better poultry husbandry. 



The Boys' and Girls' exhibit in the hall 

 showed that the young people have taken 

 an interest in gardening. We hope that 

 this department will be built up another 

 year. 



The stock exhibit at Cummington needs 

 more attention. The quantity and quality 

 of the stock shown was below that shown 

 at Middlefield. The hall exhibit of agri- 

 cultural products was up to the high 

 standard shown last year. The fruit 

 display was of high quality and shows 

 that fine apples can be grown in the sec- 

 Continued on page 8. column 2 



EGG LAYING CONTEST CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES 



All Poultrymen Invited to Enrol 



It has been stated that the two great 

 needs of the poultry industry are Healthy 

 Stock and High Egg Laying Ability. 

 During the year the Extension Service 

 has been carrying on a Poultry Disease 

 Control Campaign to assure the raising 

 of Healthy Stock. November 1st we are 

 starting a county wide egg laying con- 

 test to show poultrymen how their flocks 

 stand in egg laying ability. 



The plan of the contest is to have the 

 owners of flocks take an inventory of the 

 number of hens and pullets they have on 

 November 1st. Also an inventory of the 

 feed on hand. L>uring the month, a re- 

 cord is kept of eggs produced and of the 

 feed purchased. At the end of the month 

 a report is to be sent to the County 

 Agent. For the purpose of the contest, 

 flocks will be divided into two classes:— 

 Those having less than 100 birds; II. 

 Flocks of over 100 birds. 



Every month each contestant will re- 

 ceive a summary, showing how his or her 

 Continued on page 9. column 1 



DAIRY RECORD SERVICE 



Knows What Your Cows Are Doing 



Well informed dairymen believe that 

 the wholesale prices of milk has reached 

 its highe.st point and that the price ten- 

 dency will be downward. With this pi-os- 

 pect, the only thing the dairyman can do 

 to better his position is to reduce costs 

 of production. To do this, one must 

 know what the costs are. Keeping of a 

 few simple records will give this informa- 

 tion. 



After much experimenting, the Exten- 

 sion Service has devised a sheet which 

 will give a complete feed and production 

 record with the minimum amount of la- 

 bor. Space is provided to record the 

 weight of each cow's milk for three days 

 during the month. When added, these 

 give the monthly (.30 day) production of 

 each cow. Twelve of these show the 

 yearly production per cow. It will not 

 take over three minutes a month per cow 

 to get this information. 



Other spaces are provided to put down 

 the weight of the hay, silage, beet pulp 

 and grain each cow receives daily. The 

 Continued on page 10, column 1 



Local Crop Has Both Quality and Yield 



The Certified Seed Potatoes grown by 

 farmers in the western part of the county 

 were featured in the Hampshire County 

 Extension Service exhibit at the Cum- 

 mington and the Three-County Fairs this 

 year. The exhibit attracted much favor- 

 able comment. 



Many have asked if we believe that 

 this seed will give as good yields as 

 Northern grown certified seed in other 

 parts of the county. We firmly believe 

 that these potatoes will give better re- 

 .sults than most of the certified .seed that 

 is shipped in. We base our belief on the 

 following facts: This seed came original- 

 ly from a field in Vermont which showed 

 no mosaic and practically no leaf roll. 

 It has been grown here in isolated fields 

 -so that there has been no danger of in- 

 fection from di.seased fields. Inspections 

 made during the growing .season showed 

 that there was no disease in the fields. 

 In other sections, plants which show dis- 

 ease are rogued out before inspection. 

 The plants which are left do not show 

 disease but the crop from this seed does 

 show it. The local growers have never 

 had any diseased plants to rogue out. It 

 is this freedom from disease rather than 

 the fact that potatoes are grown in the 

 north that makes them a suitable source 

 of seed. 



The local growers, through the altitude 

 of their fields, have the same climatic 

 advantages for producting seed potatoes 

 as the men in the north. The fields that 

 were certified in this county were grown 

 at an altitude of 1200 to 1400 feet above 

 sea level. This means less aphis to con- 

 tend with and the aphids are the insects 

 which spread disease from one plant to 

 another. In the days before there was 

 any certified seed, the more progressive 

 potato growers in the valley made a point 

 to get seed potatoes in the hills, as it 

 always out-yielded home grown seed. The 

 valley farmers can now resume this 

 practice with certainty of success. 



Many growers have been disappointed 

 in getting- long or pointed tubers in the 

 crop from certified seed. These potatoes 

 are the result of the spindling tuber dis- 

 ease. In the local certified seed, there 

 are none of these long tubers and but 

 (Continued on page 2, column 3 



