THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



the contest, creating much interest as 

 to which would win. The race was 

 close and at the end of the contest 

 Mary won by a small margin. 



An excellent showing was made by 

 Philip Damon of Chesterfield, who 

 had two pigs entered in the contest. 

 This member earned a pig by taking 

 care of two owned by the local hotel 

 proprietor. 



All the members in this county 

 made good records and considering 

 it was the first year of the Pig Club 

 the indications for better work and 

 more interest are very satisfactory. 



The records of all members in the 

 state showed that the average daily 

 gain was 1.4 pounds at a cost of 

 slightly over four cents per pound. 



Many members used a combina- 

 tion of pasture and grain, finding 

 that proved an economical method 

 for growing and fattening their pigs. 

 By using rape or clover pasture, and 

 supplementing this with a good grain 

 ration the gains were made at a low 

 cost, the saving in labor and feed 

 being marked. There are many 

 places in Hampshire County where 

 this system can be followed with 

 better results than will be obtained 

 by grain feeding alone. 



The Pig Contest work is man- 

 aged by the Farm Bureau and all 

 assistance possilbe will be given 

 members. A number of pig shows 

 are planned to be held in connec- 

 tion with the local fairs at which 

 the pigs will be judged and prizes 

 given, and also where a judging 

 contest will be held for the Pig 

 Club members. Other demonstra- 

 tions and lectures .will also be giv- 

 en. 



E. N. POLAND, 

 Pig Club Agent. 



FITTING SHOW CATTLE 

 There are four distinguished Dairy 

 breeds that we find in the show 

 ring, viz: Jerseys, Arshires, Guern- 

 seys and Holsteins. The same rules 

 in fitting these breeds for the show 

 apply to all. 



First I should pick my cattle of a 

 uniform type. I should want about 

 one year's time to condition the av- 

 erage cow for the ring, bulls as 

 well. My reason for namng this 

 length of time is on account of the 

 fact that cattle would not be exer- 

 cised on Sundays which cuts the act- 

 ual time down to about ten and one 

 half months. 



I should breed cows the last half 

 of November and the first part of 

 December which would bring them 

 fresh for the fall fairs. I should 



start in to teach them to lead nice- 

 ly and to stand in a good showy po- 

 . sition easily without harsh treat- 

 j nient. Cows to be shown should be 

 ! kept alone when in the field, giving 

 them exercise either in the morning 

 or evening, but not in the sun as the 

 sun will spoil their coats. I never 

 blanket as they are more likely to 

 oalc)i cold. They should be groomed 

 every morning after which go over 

 with a dafiip sponge — luke warm wa- 

 ter — not too wet,, then rub with a 

 dry cloth until dry. Have at all 

 times a good supply of bedding. In 

 fly time darken the barn and use a 

 little sulphur napthol in water to 

 "ponge tliem. Do not comb switch 

 out until show time. The night be- 

 fore showing braid switch as fine as 

 possible. In the morning comb and 

 brush out tail, clip from rump to 

 switch also clip all hair from under 

 and the hair from inside of ears and 

 edge as well as hair from under 

 belly to show veins. In trimming 

 horns take all the white off the horn 

 with a file, then use common sand- 

 paper to take off the rough. Finish 

 with emery paper after which take 

 cotton flannel — one yard — and tear 

 in five strips. First use one strip 

 with ground pumic stone — a small 

 pinch with sweet oil and see-saw the 

 i-nrn — three or four times to a horn. 

 Then take another strip and do the 

 ~a'.)ie thing only use rotten stone. 

 Then see-saw the horn with cloth and 

 oil only and then with dry cloth un- 

 til piano finish comes. 



Two weeks before showing I would 

 get some Tincture of Green Soap, us- 

 ing a teaspoonful to two gallons of 

 hike warm water. Sponge cattle 

 with same thorou.ghly every day un- 

 til showing, rubbing down with a 

 good hair brush. ' 



In regard to feedng. I take a ton 

 of bran, one half ton of ground oats, 

 fhrer; liunrlred pounds of corn meal, 

 ihree hundred pounds of oil meal — 

 old process — and one half bushel of 

 cow salt and mix thoroughly, giving 

 cows about six quarts a day each. 

 I'se judgment as to amount some 

 cows can stand. A few days before 

 showing I should feed the milking 

 cfiws a little more to give them a 

 fresh start on their milk which will 

 make them shc^w up well. Be very 

 careful the night before the show- 

 not to give them all the water they 

 want, but give them all they want 

 two hours before going in the ring. 

 Milk out clean the night before 

 showing — not again until after 

 showing. If the Skin of the udder 

 should show blotches which resemble 

 mosquito bits before time to show] 

 after last milking, milk out a little i 



>o ease .up on the strain. To prevent 

 chili which some times will accur in 

 a case like this put blankets on. 

 Give as much green feed as you 

 can. Give all the good hay you can, 

 feeding the grain three times a day. 

 I;i preparing feet be careful to trim 

 neatly and trim to have proper bear- 

 ing as this has a great effect on 

 the appearance in the ring as well 

 as adding greatly to the cow's com- 

 fort. It is an established fact that 

 a cow with sore feet will not eat 

 well and as consequence cannot 

 show well. 



This lecture was given by P. 

 A. Robinson, Manager, Thom- 

 as Lawson Estate, at the recent 

 County Conference at the Smith's 

 Agricultural School. Mr| Robinson 

 has fitted and shown cattle on the 

 If-land of Jersey and the Island of 

 Gui^rnsey as well as in the United 

 Ptate.~, thus having as much experi- 

 enofc, without doubt, as any man liv- 

 ing in showing cattle. His experi- 

 ence, together with his great per- 

 sonality, made his talk of great in- 

 terest and value. 



PUBLISHERS' STATEMENT 

 Northampton, Mass., May 1, 1916. 



Statement of the ownership, man- 

 agement, circulation, etc., of the 

 "Hampshire County Farm Bureau 

 Monthly," published monthly at 

 Northampton. Jlassachusetts, re- 

 quired by act of August 24, 1912. 

 Owner and publisher, Hampshire 

 County Farm Bureau, Inc. Leslie R. 

 Smith, president; W. D. Mandell, 

 Treasurer; R. K. Ciapp, Secretary. 

 Editor, A. F. MacDougall, North- 

 ampton, Massachusetts; Managing 

 Editor, A. F. MacDougall; Business 

 Manager, A. P. MacDougall. Bond 

 holders, mortgages, stockholders and 

 other securities, none. 



(Signed) A. F. MacDOUGAI^L, 



Business Manager. 



Sworn to and subscribed before me 

 this fifteenth day of April. 1916. 

 J. C. HAMMOND, 



Notary Public 



My commission expires September 

 2S, 1917. 



FARM BUREAU WORK. 



Summary of the Work 

 (Mar. 27-Apr. 22) 



Farms Visited 20 



Letters Written 106 



Circular Letters 374 



Office Calls .51 



Telephone Calls 73 



MEETINGS 



Meetings Held 20 



Attendance 537 



