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FARM BURBAU MONTHI-Y 



Published by the Hampshire County Farm Bureau 



PRICES 50 CENTS PER YEAR ; $1.00 PER YEA.R INCLUDING VIEMBERSHIP IN FARM BUREAU 



Vol. 1 



Northampton, Mass., March, 1916 



No. 7 



PREPARE 



FOR THE SPRAYING SEASON 

 In order for our spraying opera- 

 tions to be. the most effici?rtit, the 

 trees should be well pruned and a!l 

 the dead, diseased and surplus wood 

 removed. The work should be done 

 before the sap starts to run to any 

 extent so that the bark will not slip 

 or be easily bruised. 



Above all, do not wai.t until the 

 spraying season is here before get- 

 ting your pump in shape or your 

 spray materials purchased. Imme- 

 diate action in regard to these two 

 things will save a lot of time and 

 expense and also you will be more 

 sure of getting your trees sprayed at 

 the proper time. If you only have 

 a few trees or a small orchard and 

 do not own a spray pump, make cer- 

 tain now that you can hire some- 

 one to do thorough work or combine 

 wUh a few of your neighbors and 

 buy an outfit. Think this matter 

 over seriously as the spraying sea- 

 son will soon be here. 



The two main spray materials to 

 purchase are Lime-sulphur and Ar- 

 senate of Lead. If one is troubled 

 with aphis, a small amount of a nico- 

 tine spray should be used. For the 

 dormant spray, 5 gallons of the con- 

 centrate lime sulphur after it is 

 diluted with water will cover 6 to 8 

 trees (trees 30 years' old.) For the 

 foliage spray, 1 gallon of concentrat- 

 ed llme-sulphur and 3 pounds of lead 

 will cover approximately 10 trees. 

 For 100 trees, giving one dormant 

 spray and two foliage sprays, one 

 would need about 2 bbls. concentrated 

 lime-sulphur and 60 lbs. lead. In 

 cases where no dormant spray is 

 used, % bbl. concentrated lime-sul- 

 phur will be all that is necessary. 

 The prices thi.s season are in the vi- 

 cinity of $7.00 pex bbl. for lime-sul- 

 phur and 8%c per lb. for arsenate of 

 lead. 



All sprays should be applied In a 

 systematic manner. Slip-shod spray- 

 ing is worse than useless— it does not 

 secure results and wastes time and 

 'naterial. Thoroughness Is an abso- 



te essential to spraying success. 



The following schedule may be 



ed: 



1 . Dormant Spray : —Absolutely 

 necessary in scale infected areas and 

 of much value in all sections of the 

 County as a general clean-up spray 

 for fungus troubles and some insect 

 pests. Material used— concentrated 

 lime-sulphur 5 gals, to 50 gals, water, 

 1/2 pint nicotine spray, if aphis (green 

 lice) are troublesome. Apply as late 

 as possible in the spring before the 

 buds open to any extent. The buds 

 may show green and still practically 

 no damage be done by the spray. 



2. First Summer Spray: — Applied 

 for codling moth, curculio, lesser ap- 

 ple worm, scab, etc. Materials used 

 —Lime-sulphur, 4 to 5 quarts, arse- 

 nate of lead, 3 lbs. to 50 gals, wa- 

 ter. If aphis are present, pdA V2 

 pint nicotine spray. Apply within a 

 week after petals fall, before calyx 

 lobes have closed. This is the most 

 important foliage spray and should 

 be very thorough. 



3. Second Summer Spray: — Ap- 

 plied for practically the same insect 

 and fungous troubles as the first sum- 

 mer spray with the addition of sooiy 

 fungus. Materials used — Same com- 

 bination as first summer spray. Ap- 

 ply three to four weeks after petals 

 drop. 



In districts where the aphis, bud 

 moth, tent caterpillar and scab are 

 prevalent, it will be best to apply a 

 spray just as the blossom buds are 

 showing color, using 5 quarts limo- 

 suiphur, 3 lbs. arsenate of lead and '4 

 pint nicotine spray. 



In some cases it may be necessary 

 to add more sprays, but for the ma- 

 jority of orchards in Hampshire 

 County, the one dormant spray in 

 connection with the two foliage 

 sprays, if applied thoroughly and at 

 the right time, will be sufficient to 

 produce good fruit so far as spray- 

 ing is concerned. 



MEMBERSHIP. 

 The Hampshire County Farm Bu- 

 reau has completed one year of work 

 with all bills paid and with a slight 

 balance in the treasury. The year 

 1915 will go down as a successful 

 year, for during that time the Farm 

 Bureau was organized, a County 

 Agent put in the field, an office so- 



cured and equipped, a clerk hired, an 

 automobile bought, and various oth- 

 er articles bought which were neces- 

 sary for the maintenance and effici- 

 ency of the work. The total sum 

 used was approximately ?4,000. Of 

 this sum, the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture appropriated 

 SI, 200, the County Commissioners 

 ?2,000, town meetings $300, and the 

 balance was raised by subscription. 

 For th( year 1916, the County Com- 

 misFuners have appropriated $3,000 

 but in order to receive this the Bu- 

 reau must raise an equal amou"t 

 from all other sources combined. 

 This means that with the $1200 trom 

 the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture, it will be necessary to rais? 

 $1800 from other sources. Between 

 $300 and $400 can be expected from 

 town appropriations. Thus we are 

 safe in saying that it will be neces- 

 sary to raise by subscription during 

 the year 1916 from $1400 to $1500. 



At the close of Jast year we had a 

 membership of a little over 300. We 

 seem justified in making the state- 

 ment that we need at least 1000 mem- 

 bers to properly finance the Bureau 

 this year. When we realize that 

 there are 2900 farms in the County 

 according to the 1910 census, this 

 number instead of seeming unattain- 

 a.ble. seems easily within reach. The 

 Farm Bureaus were organized pri- 

 marily for the benefit of the farmers, 

 and if the f.irmers are to secure the 

 utmost benefit possible, it is neces- 

 sary that they join ^he Bureau and 

 then exercise their voices in its man- 

 agement. We believe that if the 

 farmers will take hold of the work 

 we can make the Bureau a very Im- 

 po.tant factor in the deveToppie'it of 

 Hampshire County; for anything that 

 will improve conditions in the rural 

 districts will be reflected in greater 

 amounts of trading and business in 

 the larger centers of the County. 

 W^e are therefore intending to ask 

 the business men in the various 

 towns to become members and assist 

 in the work of making Hampshire 

 County a better and more prosperous 

 County. 



The officers have asked the direct- 

 ors in each to^v^l to devote a part of 

 Continued on Page 3 



