FEB 5 



HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



Cf, 



FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



Vol. II. 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS., SEPTEMBER, 1917 



No. 9 



Easthampton Gardeners 



With the annual exhibit of theii- prod- 

 ucts on September 8 the Easthampton 

 boys and giils formally closed their sea- 

 son of 1917. It was highly successful, 

 and this was largely due to the generos- 

 ity and cooperation of local organiza- 

 tions. A new feature this year, the 

 Grange garden contest with $40.00 worth 

 of prizes for those who most faithfully 

 and intelligently cared for plots contain- 

 ing at least fifty square yards and five 

 varieties, was of special interest. 1121 

 packages of seeds were bought by the 

 children through the schools, and of the 

 150 boys and girls who entered the con- 

 test, over 100 finished the season credit- 

 ably. Morrison Ferry of East Street 

 -won first prize, Faina Thouin, whose 

 picture appears above, second, and there 

 were fifteen others, the award of which 

 was no easy matter. 



The Bureau has been particularly in- 

 terested in the Easthampton project be- 

 cause it offered something rather simple 

 and novel by way of method, and so it 

 has furnished a good deal of service for 

 the sake of seeing the plan well tried 

 out. Mr. MacDougall judged the gar- 

 dens twice during the season and the 

 produce at its close, and Mr. Rand of the 

 college staff', who has been helping out 

 at the Bureau during the season, sup- 

 plied the supervision. He first talked to 

 the children in the schools; then he vis- 

 ited each child at his garden by appoint- 

 ment during school hours, before plant- 

 ing; then he paid a second visit to most 

 of them before school closed, and a third 

 during August. He accompanied the 

 judge on both tours of inspection. Be- 

 cause of the cooperation of the school 

 authorities he was able to do this work 

 in a minimum amount of time and with 

 a maximum of efficiency, and the work 

 had a unity which is impossible with a 

 number of volunteer visitors. The en- 

 thusiasm and persistence of the children 

 argue well for the system. 



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AN EASTHAMPTON GIRL IN HER GARDEN 



He was a rancher of the western 

 plains and in a land where women are 

 few had lately lost his wife. 



"She was a gem," he said in explana- 

 tion to the boys, "I sure loved her, but 

 she broke her leg and I had to shoot her." 



Fair Time 



The fair is the farmer's gala day. 

 He ought to attend at least one fair 

 every year. There he finds friends and 

 acquaintances from far and near, all 

 sorts of diversions which mark a holiday, 

 ideas and stimulus for his future work. 

 For social, recreative and educational 

 reasons he ought to go. More than that, 

 he ought to bring something to show. 

 The competition of the prize ring not 

 only adds to the zest of breeding and 

 the enjoyment of the day, but it furnishes 

 the best kind of advertisement for his 

 farm. If he has nothing on hil farm 

 which he considers worth showing, it 

 makes no difference how much money he 

 is earning, he is not a farmer in the true 

 sense of the word. 



It is fitting that we should call atten- 

 tion to the Northampton Fair this year, 

 not only because it is most distinctly the 

 Hampshire county fair, but also because 

 it is trying to do things on a little bigger 

 scale than ever before. The period has 

 been increased to three days, permanent 

 brick buildings are being erected for the 

 automobile and boys' and girls' exhibit, 

 and special features will be presented by 

 the state college and your Bureau. It is 

 the logical time for you and your families 

 and your prize stuff to come to the county 

 seat. We shall hope to see you there. 



Now is the season to get in a last swat 

 at the fly. It is never too late to do so, — 

 until they are gone. 



Marketing Potatoes 



One of the workers of the Bureau 

 went into a local store a few days ago 

 to buy a peck of potatoes. In the course 

 of the trade the merchant, who was a 

 personal friend of the customer, re- 

 marked, "You do not want those there; 

 wait until I open a barrel." 



i "What is the diflFerence?" inquired the 



' other. 



"Well, those are natives; these are 

 from New Jersey." 



There was no denying the fact that the 

 natives were disreputable, not fit to 

 offer to any customer. They were not 

 typical of the potatoes grown in Hamp- 

 shire county by any means, but they 

 are sufficiently common in local shipments 

 to cause the merchants to distrust the 

 natives generally. Those that are shipped 

 in from a distance are uniform in 

 quality; those secured from the neigh- 

 boring farmers are not. The difference 

 accounts for the reluctance of local 

 dealers to cater to Hampshire trade. 

 Mr. MacDougall is planning to hold 



I meetings in some of the hill towns to 

 interest the potato growers in coopera- 

 tive marketing. The method is most 



: simple. The farmers of a community 

 will pool their marketable crop, pack 

 them according to the usual standards 

 in uniform containers, and sell them 

 either in bulk or in small quanities 

 through a local manager who makes it 

 his business to dispose of them to the 

 best advantage. 



Coueluded on page 7 



