THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



GIVING THE POPULATION OF THE TOWNS IN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 

 FROM 1860 TO 1910. 



Below are some very interesting figures obtained from the U. b. 

 Census reports: Per cent increase 



Amlierst 



Belchertown 



Cliesterfleld 



Cummlngton 



Easthampton 



Enfield 



Goshen 



Granby 



Greenwicljl 



Hadley 



Hatfield 



Huntington 



Middlefield 



Northampton 



Pelham 



Plainfield 



Prescott 



South Hadley 



Southampton 



Ware 



Westhampton 



Williamsburg 



Worthington 



Striking deductions can be made from these figures. The college 

 towns, manufacturing centers and a few of the most prosperous agri- 

 cultural valley towns are the only ones that have increased in popu- 

 lation. The towns among the hills of Hampshire County have steadi- 

 ly declined especially in the last twenty or thirty years. What is the 

 reason? Is it that agriculture is not a profitable industry in these 

 towns? Is it due to lack of transportation facilities? Is it lack of prop- 

 er social environment so that the young people are not contented to re- 

 main on the farm? Many questions might be asked and many reasons 

 given, but this does not help to solve the problem. 



From the percentages of increase and decrease of the towns, one 

 easily sees that while some of the towns in the county have prospered 

 and increased at the same time our sister towns have heen falling back 

 and decreasing in population. Whose job is it to join hands with these 

 towns and help them lo the front? Without question, it is the job of 

 those who have prospered. 



Many of the merchants in the large centers owe their livelihood to 

 their neighbors in the hill towns. Without them, many of the stores 

 would have to close. Also, if those left in the communities are not 

 prospering, they do not have the money to trade with and business de- 

 clines. 



Another noticeable fact is the increasing number of summer homes 

 we find in the hills. Business men in the cities find rest and contentment 

 among the hills. It is a true axiom that it only takes a few genera- 

 tions of city life to wear out a family and then they must return to 

 the country and nature to regain their strength and vitality with 

 which to meet the industrial world. 



In other words, the cities are dependent on the country for their 

 existance, for their livelihood, health, and recreation. Some men wrapped 

 up in their present business enterprise with no apparent time to look 

 into the future for his own family as well as his neighbors may^laugh 

 at this statement. But he only has to look about him for unquestion- 

 able proofs to his business associate who owns a farm for a pastime or 

 a hobby, or to his neighbor who is in poor health and looking to the 

 country for the return of his strength and vigor. 



The business man should join with his neighbors on the farms, 

 help any movement which is for the benefit of agriculture at large; 

 not that he may see immediate financial returns on his investment, 

 but that he may be one of the whole working for the benefit of all 

 and the building up of agriculture and country life for himself and 

 family as well as his neighbor. 



Continued From Page One 

 CONTAGIOUS ABORTION 

 which can be employed to ascertain 

 the presence of the infection, but 

 from a practical standpoint these 

 possess some drawbacks. All infect- 

 ed animals do not abort. Further- 

 more, after two or three abortions, 

 cows appear to acquire a natural im- 

 munit.v, and are thereafter quite 

 capable of normal reproduction, al- 

 though they continue to react to the 

 tests. A positive reaction, therefore, 

 does not necessarily mean "that a 

 healthy calf will not be born. 



On the other hand, the fact that 

 several animals have aborted with- 

 in a short period is in itself sugges- 

 tive evidence of the presence of the 

 disease. Furthermore, it sometimes 

 happens that in cows which have ac- 

 quired immunity, although apparent- 

 ly healthy themselves, the infec- 

 tion persists and they are able to 

 transmit the disease to others. For 

 this reason, when the infection has 

 once established itself in a herd, the 

 whole herd should be considered in- 

 fected, and all abortions, retained 

 afterhirtlis, and all tendency to ster- 

 ility should be regarded as manifes. 

 tations of the disease. 



This does not mean, however, that 

 all infected animals are to be dis- 

 posed of. As a matter of fact, in 

 herds in which the disease nas 

 gained a foothold, a cow that has 

 aborted once or twice is in some 

 ways more valuable than one that 

 has not. It is safe to say that in 

 practically no case do more tnan 

 three abortions take place, and in the 

 majority of instances there are not 

 niore than two. Cows which are not 

 made sterile will in all probability 

 resume normal reproduction. On the 

 other hand, if they are removed to 

 make way for fresh animals, there 

 is a strong possibility that the new 

 comers already are, or soon will be 

 infected, and are actually furthei 

 from immunity than the old ones. 

 The elimination of infected animals 

 is therefore not to be recommended 

 as a means of controlling the dis- 

 ease, unless their value is not great 

 enough to warrant the expense of 

 treatment. 



A train of complications often ac- 

 companies abortion, and of these re- 

 tained a^fterbirth is perhaps the com- 

 monest. This, if neglected or im- 

 properly treated, may result in ab- 

 sorption of poisonous products, sept- 

 icemia, and death. Also sterility may 

 follow, runing the cow for every- 

 thing except slaughter. Calf scours, 

 too. seem more destructive in herds 

 affected with abortion. 



