HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



Published by the Hampshire County Farm Bureau 



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



Vol. 2 



Northampton, Mass., August, 1917 



No. 8 



TOBACCO GROWERS GET TO- 

 GETHER 



Last month a .group of about 

 twenty representative tobacco grow- 

 ers of Hampshire and Franklin 

 counties got together in a joint 

 meeting in our Bureau officij and de- 

 cided that it is for the best inter- 

 ests of all concerned to form some 

 kind of an organization in these 

 two counties. On August 2 a joint 

 committee met with the county 

 agents in South Deerfield and de- 

 ciding that for the present at least 

 the organization should be largely 

 social, drew up a tentative con- 

 stitution to present at the general 

 meeting to be held later. It was 

 the sentiment of the committee.? 

 that the two counties should co-op- 

 erate greatly in this matter, and it 

 was finally voted to recommend that 

 a single organization, rather than 

 two. should be formed. 



On August 8 the local tobacco 

 growers, co-operating with the New 

 En.gland Tobacco Growers' Associa- 

 tion, held their annual field day in 

 the valley. Starting from North- 

 ampton by automobile, they visited 

 some of the more intersting tobac- 

 co farms up the river and stopped at 

 Mr. P. L. Whitmore's for lunch. 

 After this talks were given by Mr. 

 Sidney B. Haskell, formerly of the 

 State college and now with the Na- 

 tional Fertilizer Association, Prof. 

 George Chapman of the College staff 

 and others. 



ON FERTILIZER 



Professor Haskell's talk on fer- 

 tilizers before the tobacco growers 

 August 8 was notable in many re- 

 spects. The prospects for 1918 were 

 presented as frankly gloomy. It is 

 absolutely certain that in case the 

 war continues, and probably in 

 case it does not, the supply cannot 

 meet the demand. To help, meet the 

 demands of the Allies for food 

 Ohio has pledged herself to grow 

 three million more bushels of 

 wheat, but the necessary phosphates 

 and ammoniates are not forthcom- 

 ing and probably the grain can not be 

 grown. The administration at 

 Washington has been making a 

 study of the fertilizer needs of va- 

 COQcluded on Page 3 



EVAPORATING AND DRYING 



The drying of fruits and vege- 

 tables, so popular in the olden days, 

 is rapidly coming into vague again. 

 It is a simple and inexpensive way 

 of preserving against a time of 

 need. 



The simplest method of drying is 

 probably by use of the sun's heat, 

 the products being placed on clean 

 cloths or wire netting, preferably in 

 a partial shade, and exposed to the 

 air and heat of the sun for a per- 

 iod of from one to three days. It 

 is well to cover them with a light 

 cheese-cloth to protect against dirt 

 and flies. 



Dryiag by means of artificial 

 heat takes less time and is called 

 evaporation. There are commer- 

 cial evaporators on the market, 

 ranging from $5.00 to $Cu.O0, but 

 it is possible to construct a little 

 wire tray to fit the top of the range 

 or the oven, which will answer the 

 purpose of the average housewife. 

 The products require considerable 

 attention during the process to pre- 

 vent burning. In case the oven is 

 used the door must be left slightly 

 open to permit the escaps of mois- 

 ture. 



Whatever method is used it is 

 advisable to heat the products to a 

 Mgh temperature, by means of the 

 oven or wire racks on the stove, be- 

 fore be.ginning the drying proper. 

 This will save time and insure high- 

 er quality. 



Peaches may be peeled or dried 

 v>'ith the skins on, but if the latter 

 is done, they must be washed and 

 rubbed to remove the fuzz. They 

 are usually dried in halves, the pit 

 having been removed. Corn is cook- 

 ed, as for the table, before drying. 

 When tender, it is cooled in water 

 and sliced from the cob. String 

 beans and peas are also cooked in 

 salty water until tender before dry- 

 ing. Pumpkin and squash are slic- 

 ed after the rind has been removed 

 and then dried. Tomatoes are dip- 

 ped into boiling water and after the 

 skins are removed, are dried; if 

 evaporated they are left whole, if 

 dried in the sun they are sliced. 



When the product is ta be served 

 it is necessary to soak It In the wa- 

 Concluded on Page 2 



SHEEP 



One of our members came into 

 the office not long ago and said, "I 

 ordered some sheep throush you the 

 other day, and I just dropped in to 

 say that I want to increase the 

 number a bit." 



"Splendid," we answered. "Has 

 your ship come in?" 



"Well," he replied, "I just sold 

 my last spring's wool for sixty-five 

 cents a pound." 



Hampshire county farmers are 

 •still thinking of wool in terms 

 which prevailed five years ago, in 

 terms of seventeen cents. They 

 <have been interested in sheep large- 

 ly from the standpoint of the meat 

 market. But today there is money 

 not only in sheep, but on them. The 

 farmer referred to above sold one 

 fleece for $11.38 from an ewe which 

 had given him two lambs this spring 

 besides. The sheep which the Bu- 

 reau has been trying to introduce 

 Into the county, better wool sheep 

 than the natives, sell for $14.00. 



It is comparatively simple and in- 

 expensive to raise sheep in the hill 

 towns of Hampshire county. With 

 the exception of lambing time, 

 which is the slack period of the year 

 anyway, they require little care. If 

 they are given a good range, they 

 may be confined by an inexpensive 

 fence, and run from snow to snow 

 with little other attention than a 

 handful of salt now and then. They 

 have little influence on the grain 

 bill, unless one is forcing them for 

 market, wintering nicely on clover 

 rowen and turnips. They ought to 

 be the most profitable boarders on 

 the farni. 



Of course there is danger of los- 

 ing them. Sheep diseases are in- 

 sidious and fatal, but in this part 

 of the country they are seldom more 

 than occasional and for the most 

 part are subject to control. The 

 greatest losses have been due to 

 dogs, although it is evident that 

 these losses have been greatly ex- 

 aggerated and that sometimes the 

 dogs have paid a penalty they did 

 not deserve. However, the dog 

 problem is largely a local one. Let 

 half a dozen farmers in a commun- 

 ity get together and stock their 

 Concluded on Page 4 



