THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



raD-SEASON FERTILIZATION 



There is little application oJ ferti- 

 lizer during the growing season. Un- 

 der certain circumstances, however, 

 it may be wise to do so. Many farm- 

 ers believe in a top dressing as a 

 final stimulus to the crop. These 

 farmers practice mid-season fertiKz- 

 ation regularly and will probably do 

 so this year. But there may be an- 

 other reason for the practice this 

 summer. Almost all up-to-date farm- 

 ers depend to some extent upon com- 

 mercial fertilizer, and commercial 

 fertilizer was very hard to secure 

 this spring. Therefore many men, 

 undertaking an increased acreage, 

 were unable to secure all the fertil- 

 izer which they wished and had to 

 go aheaS without it. Now that the 

 rush is over, commercial fertilizer 

 is again upon the market, and it is 

 entirely practicable to buy it and 

 apply it now. In this w-ay the de- 

 ficit in the earlier application will 

 be made up' and the crop will have 

 every opportunity to reach its maxi- 

 mum. 



The nitrogen element is usually 

 the one which becomes most readi- 

 ly available for the plant and so a 

 fertilizer high .in nitrogen is to be 

 preferred. Nitrate of soda, how- 

 ever, immediately available as it is, 

 is not wholly satisactory to apply, 

 partly because of its cost and partly 

 because of the danger of its com- 

 ing into direct contact with the 

 plants and burning them in conse- 

 quence. Probably for most crops 

 the usual fertilizer mixtures, 4-8-0, 

 5-10-0, etc., are most desirable. If 

 there was a lack of phosphoric acid 

 in the earlier application, i,'. would 

 be made up in the latter. The ferti- 

 lizer should be sowed broadcast and 

 cultivated into the ground, not lat- 

 er than the second cultivation of 

 the crop. The sowers may be so 

 adjusted as to sow only between the 

 rows, or the work may be done by 

 hand. The work should be done 

 when the plants are perfectly dry 

 to prevent the fertilizer's sticking 

 to them and causing harm. The 

 best time is just before a rain. 



There is little value In applying 

 manure during the growing season 

 because it becomes so slowly avail- 

 able and because it is so difficult to 

 mix it thoroughly with the soil. A 

 word might be said, however, look- 

 ing toward another year. As the 

 manure accumulates in the cellar 

 the farmer should see to it that it 

 does not go to waste. The great- 

 est food value lies in the liquid part 

 and this frequently runs away in 

 the washing which results from 

 rains. Sufficient bedding should be 

 used to absorb all of this, and the 



manure pile should not be exposed 

 to the weather more than necessary. 

 Certainly the manure should be kept 

 under cover, to be applied at its full 

 value before plowing in the fall or 

 spring. 



BUCKWHEAT 



Buckwheat, is sown, either broad- 

 cast and harrowed in or by use of 

 the drill, from June 15 to July 15 

 on land prepared as for corn. Three 

 to four pecks of seed are required 

 per acre, costing about 53 a bush- 

 el. To insure full returns from 

 crop 200 to -400 pounds of fertilizer 

 low in nitrogen and high in phos- 

 phoric acid should be applied per 

 acre. Too much nitrogen causes 

 lodging. There is little danger 

 from weeds, diseases and pests, and 

 the continuance of blossoming is 

 insurance against blasting by heat. 



It should be harvested before 

 frosts (the seeds having begun to 

 mature), with a reaper or binder if 

 available, with a mower on smooth 

 land, or with scythe or cradle on 

 rough. Bundles are not bound, but 

 after drying a few days, are set up 

 in long narrow shocks, without 

 caps. The grain will continue to 

 ripen after- cutting. It Is brought 

 from the field to be threshed by 

 hand, or a thresher with concaves 

 removed. The Japanese and Silver 

 JE-Iull are equally good varieties, the 

 former being more extensively 

 grown. 



Buckwheat is thus easily grown 

 and a good short-season crop. With 

 grain so high it will appeal partic- 

 ularly to the poultryman. The mid- 

 dlings are good for stock. Hamp- 

 shire Country should increase Us 

 buckwheat acreage. 



BEANS 



May be planted as late as June 

 20; may be drilled from 3 to 4 

 inches apart in rows from 2S to 

 30 inches apart, or in case disease 

 is prevalent in hills at the same 

 rate; should be cultivated shallow 

 and left alone In wet weather. Pea 

 beans are best for general conditions 

 and for late planting. They will 

 repay 250-500 pounds fertilizer (low 

 in nitrogen and high in phosphoric 

 acid) to be spread broadcast before 

 planting. Three pecks of pea beans 

 will plant an acre. Select clean 

 pods for seed to avoid anthracnose 

 or pod spot, pulling disease plants 

 from a seed plot for another season. 

 Fumigate beans in fall with carbon 

 bisulphide to combat weevil. There 

 is no danger of overproduction. 

 Plant beans! 



MORE PIGS 

 of pigs and that the winner of this 

 year's contest is quite likely to be- 

 long to the gentler sex. 



There are various clubs for the 

 young people and boys and girls in 

 every town but three in the county 

 are enrolled in club work. Father 

 versus son promises to be the situ- 

 ation in several cases in the corn 

 and potato clubs. The boys are 

 growing their potatoes in a scien- 

 t fie way, having treated their seed 

 with corrosive sublimate and mak- 

 ing definite plans for spraying. 



It is highly probable that the Bu- 

 reau will buy fifty pigs averaging 

 twenty-five pounds in weight to sell 

 to the farmers at approximately $7. 

 It might be well for those who are 

 interested in this project to drop a 

 line to the Bureau at once. 



ELECTED SECRETARY 



Mr. MacDougall was elected sec- 

 retary of the Massachusetts Federa- 

 t'on of County Farm Bureaus and 

 Improvement Leagues at its Wor- 

 cester meeting last week. 



ALFALFA CONTESTANTS 

 Only three Hampshire farmers, 

 George Timmins of Ware, James 

 Comins of North Hadley, and Wil- 

 liam Morey of Cummington, have 

 entered the Massachusetts Alfalfa 

 Contest. It is possible that other 

 farmers planted alfalfa last fall and 

 so are eligible for the contest. In 

 case their applications are received 

 by the Bureau in time to provide 

 inspect on of the crop before the 

 first harvesting, they may still en- 

 ter. There is nothing to lose and 

 prizes from $25 to $250 to gain. 



MORE MONEY FOR MILK 

 At a meeting of the Holyoke Milk 

 Producers' Association in South 

 Hadley recently, the price of milk 

 was raised to seven cents, delivered 

 to the dealers in Holyoke. The ul- 

 timate consumer in the city is pay- 

 ing eleven. 



WANTED — 2-frame honey extract- 

 or, C. M. Thayer, Cummington. 



FOR SALE — New milch cows; also 

 a new separator, 650 lbs. capa- 

 city, never used. C. M. Thayer, 

 Cummington. 



WANTED — Duroc-Jersey Boar 

 ready for service. J. A. Sturgis. 

 Easth.impton. 



FOR SALE: — Guernsey bull calves 

 at reasonable prices. Mixter 

 Farm breeding. Fine opportuni- 

 ty if taken at once. Two of the 

 calves are from advanced Regis- 

 try Cows. George Timmins, 

 Ware, Mass. 



