HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



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FARM BUREAU MONTHl_Y 



Published by the Hampshire County Farm Bureau 



PRICES 50 CENTS PER YEAR; $1.00 PER YEAR INCLUDING MEMBERSHIP IN FARM BUREAU 



Vol. 1 



Northampton, Mass., May, 1916 



No. 9 



DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 



At the April meeting of the Ad- 

 visory Board, the following projects 

 were decided upon. It is desired that 

 at least one demonstration be car- 

 ried on in every town in the County 

 so that next fall definite results can 

 be shown for each community. Ten 

 towns have not as yet made ar- 

 rangements for any demonstrations. 

 Get in touch with your directors if 

 you desire any in your locality. 



I. Name: Soil Improvement Pro- 

 ject. 



Object: To improve soil condi- 

 tions and crop management in the 

 County. 



Method of Procedure: — 



(a) Increase the interest in the use 

 of lime. Show its value by 

 demonstration fields. 



(b) Through newspaper articles and 

 Farm Bureau paper attempt to 

 show value of barn-yard manure 

 and how it should be handled. 

 Encourage the utilizing of all 

 home sources of plant food and 

 show the place and value of 

 commercial fertilizers and chem- 

 icals. 



(c) Encourage short rotations. 



(d) Create more interest in the 

 growing of legumes. 



(e) Demonstrate the value of cov- 

 er crops, especially on orchard, 

 corn and tobacco land. 



ff) Assist farmers who need tile 



drainage on their farms, 

 (g) Select five fields for the purpose 

 of carrying on the following 

 demonstration: 

 Select land to be seeded this 

 Spring on which a well fertilized 

 crop was grown last year. 



Grass mixture without clover 

 Lime 2500 

 to 

 3000 

 No Lime 

 ■ Lime 2500 

 to 

 3000 (1) 



Grass and Clover mixtures 

 Lime 2500 

 to 

 3000 



No Lime 

 Lime 2500 

 to 

 3000 (2) 



1st Year — Apply lime according to 

 above plan. Sow oats 2 bushel per 

 acre. Oats should be cut for hay 

 but may be harvested for grain 

 crop. Seed according to plan with 

 the following mixtures: — 

 15 lbs. Timothy 

 5 lbs. Red Top 

 5 lbs. Red Clover 

 4 lbs. Alsyke Clover 

 18 lbs. Timothy 



The crop of clover may be cut If 

 heavy but should not be fed off. 



2nd Year — Grass and clover crops 

 should be harvested and weighed. 

 Cut rowen crop of clover. Plow the 

 whole area before ground freezes. 



3rd. Year — Grow corn or potatoes 

 on whole area giving uniform treat- 

 ment to all parts of the field. 



II. Name: — Crop Improvement 

 Project. 



Object: — To improve the hay fields 

 increase the interest in alfalfa grow- 

 ing and assist in the more profitable 

 srowing of potatoes. 

 Methods of Procedure: — 

 fa) Bring into the County all 

 agencies to assist in the eradi- 

 cation of orange hawk weed, 

 (b) Select five fields for the pur 

 pose of demonstrating the value 

 of top-dressing .grass lands with 

 chemical fertilizers, 

 (o) Encourage farmers in as many 

 towns as possible to' enter the 

 Alfalfa Contest of the Mass. 

 Society for promoting agricul- 

 ture. Obtain five farms that 

 will keep cost accounts on % or 

 more acres of alfalfa, 

 (d) Encourage, through the Farm 

 Bureau paper, lectures, etc., 

 the more careful selection of 

 seed potatoes and more thor- 

 ough tillage. Have five demon- 

 stration fields, keeping accurate 

 record of the cost of spraying 

 with bordeaux and arsenate of 

 lead. Have a small check plot 

 unsprayed so that when the 

 crop is harvested the net re- 

 turns from spraying can be ob- 

 served. 



III. Name: — Dairy & Livestock 

 Project. 



Object: — To put the dairy industry 

 on a business basis, cause more in- 

 terest in high-grade stock and the 

 raising of profitable young stock. 

 Methods of Procedure: — 



From two cowtest associations, one 

 in the town of Ware and the other 

 in the towns of Middlefield, Worth- 

 ington and Cummington. 



Carry on the present dairy club in 

 Ware and form clubs in towns that 

 desire it for the purpose of holding 

 monthly discussions on different 

 phases of dairy farming. 



Create interest in the western part 

 of the County in the raising of more 

 high-grade livestock. Assist in in- 

 teresting farmers in the purchase of 

 pure-bred sires. 



IV. Name: — Boys' fe Girls' Clubs. 

 Object: — To organize boys' and 



girls' clubs in Agriculture, gardens, 

 poultry, pig and calf raising, home 

 economics, and other lines, for the 

 purpose of interesting them in im- 

 proved methods of Agriculture and 

 matters pertaining to the life of 

 their communities. 

 Methods of Procedure: — ■ 



A Special agent will be engaged to 

 organize the work. AH records will 

 be handled by the Mass. Agricultural 

 College and duplicate records kept in 

 the Farm Bureau Qfflce. 



V. Name: — Extension Schools. 

 Object: — To carry on a definite 



source of instruction in Agriculture 

 and Home-making for four days in 

 each of three communities during the 

 winter months. 

 Methods of Procedure: — 



Arrange through the local direct- 

 ors for the schools. Hold a meeting 

 at least two weeks previous to the 

 holding of the school and have all 

 necessary committees appointed t|o 

 arrange details. Co-operate with 

 the Grange, farmers' Clubs or any 

 other local organization interested in 

 the work. The women's section will 

 be managed by Miss Bunce of the 

 Smith's Agricultural School. The 

 Agricultural section will be managed 

 co-operatively with the Farm Bu- 

 reau and Smith's Agricultural 

 School. 



