HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



PUBLISHED BY THE 



Hampshire County Farm Bureau 



A. F. Mat-DouKnll, County Agent 

 Helen A. Harrinian, Home Deni. Agent 

 C. H. Gonl<l, Boys' and Girls' Club Leader 



Office First National Bank Building 



Northampton, Mass. 



Entered as second class matter Nov. 9. 1915. at the 

 Post Office at Northampton, Massachusetts, under 

 the Act of March 8. 1879. 



"Notice of Entry" 



"Acceptance for mailing at sjiecial rate of post- 

 age provided for in section 110:i Act of October 3. 

 1917. Authorized Octolier 31, 1917.' 



I*ri*'e, iiO cents a year 



|1 a year, including membership in Farm Bureau 



Officers of the Trustees 



Leslie R. Smith, President 

 Clarence E. Hodgkins, Vice-President 

 Warren M. King, Treasurer 

 Charles H. Gould, Secretary 



Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture 



Edwin B. Clapp, Easthampton 

 Charles E. Clark, Leeds 

 Clarence E. Hodgkins, Northampton 

 William N. Howard, Ware 

 Milton S. Howes, Cummington 

 Mrs. Clifton .Johnson, Hadley 

 Warren M. King, Northampton 

 Leslie R. Smith, Hadley 

 J. A. Sullivan, Northampton 



Farms for the Returning Soldiers 



BENEVOLENT ENTHUSIASM MUST NOT OUT- 

 RUN SOLID BUSINESS JUDGMENT 



The popular thing right now seems to 

 be to urge state and national authorities 

 to unde)take the reclaiming of swamp 

 and arid lands, the same to be turned 

 over to returning soldiers who may, 

 through choice or necessity, desire to till 

 the soil. 



The spirit which prompts this agita- 

 tion is most commendable. Certainly 

 we must make every effort to find satis- 

 factory and satisfying employment for 

 those who have risked their lives to up- 

 hold American ideals. America must 

 reward her champions. 



But let us be certain that we offer a 

 real reward and not a mirage which will 

 fade to bitter regrets in the course of a 

 few years. It would seem that any con- 

 siderable increase in agricultural produc- 

 tion, two or three years after the close 

 of the war, can mean but one thing; 

 namely, overproduction and resulting 

 low prices, until such time as population 

 had again caught up with production. 



The Food Administration tells us that 

 today 120 million Allies are largely de- 

 pendent upon us for food. This will, of 

 course, continue foi- a year or so after 

 the war ends, but within two years this 

 burden will largely be lifted except in- 



sofar as certain meats are concerned. 

 We must furnish beef for the next 

 decade. 



Even assuming that we revert to our 

 former extravagant habits, there seems 

 to be no reason why the end of two years 

 following the close of the war we should 

 not be back to approximate the 1914 food 

 producing and consuming basis. It took 

 longer than this following the Civil War, 

 but that was largely occasioned by the 

 material destruction which took place in 

 the South. 



There were two principal causes for 

 the period of over-production beginning 

 in the late 80's. One was the opening 

 and the development of large tracts of 

 prairie lands; largely for the benefit of 

 "returning soldiers" following our civil 

 conflict; the other was the development 

 of farm machinery which made the ex- 

 tensive type of farming possible. 



And after all, why should America 

 look to new farms to absorb the surplus 

 labor? Many thousands of soldiers will 

 return to the farms from which they 

 came. Many will relieve aged fathers 

 who have held the fort during the son's 

 absence. Thousands of soldiers will re- 

 turn immediately to the commercial posi- 

 tions which they left and which have 

 either remained vacant or have been par- 

 tially filled by weaker hands. Other 

 thousands will be needed in our new 

 shipping industry. State, municipal and 

 private building has been almost at a 

 standstill. Vast amounts of this sort of 

 work should act as an equalizer to keep 

 men employed until complete readjust- 

 ment takes place. 



A limited amount of farm lands could 

 perhaps be developed here and there 

 where conditions are especially favor- 

 able, but it would seem distinctly danger- 

 ous for the Government to launch out on 

 any extensive development and settle- 

 ment policy. — Nat. Pert. ,4.ssoc. 



Notes 



Many are asking about the govern- 

 ment offering nitrate of soda, for sale, 

 to the farmers this year. No definite 

 statement can be made, but the Bureau 

 of Markets reports that it is doubtful 

 if it will be pcssible to import any ni- 

 trate, this year, for use as fertilizer. 



Do as much fall plowing as possible. 

 Every acre that is plowed now means 

 that much saved in time and labor next 

 spring, when the busy season is on. It 

 also permits the fields to take up the 

 winter rains and gives a good storage 

 supply of moisture for the coming crop. 



If there are any crops not harvested 

 in your district, through lack of help, 

 please notify the Farm Bureau at once, 

 and an attempt will be made to give as- 

 sistance. We cannot allow any crops 

 I to be wasted this fall. 



The importance of oidering your 

 spring fertilizer now and getting an 

 early delivery cannot be overestimated. 



The Department of Agriculture has 

 named James Campbell, South Deerficld, 

 as Agricultural Draft Adviser to Di- 

 vision No. 1, which covers Hampshire 

 County. 



The.se advisers are not members of the 

 boards, but advise the boards relative to 

 farm labor requirements of their respect- 

 ive districts. 



Forecasts on Potatoes 



1918 1917 



Maine 24,246,000 20,250,000 



New Hampshire 2,7.54,000 2,247,000 



Vermont 3,063,000 3,000,000 



Massachusetts 4,698,000 4,370,000 



Rhode Island 680,000 675,000 



Connecticut 2,898,000 3,190,000 



America Cannot Fail 



Last year the American people by 

 their voluntary action made it possible 

 to send eleven and three-fourths million 

 tons of food overseas. 



But the test is not over. The task be- 

 fore us is even greater than the task 

 achieved. 



We must send the Allies and our own 

 soldiers and sailors overseas seventeen 

 and one-half millon tons of food this 

 year. — The Banker Fanner. 



Use Barnyard Manure to Best Advantage 



The value of barnyard manure can- 

 not be too strongly emphasized this year. 

 Proper handling to save its available 

 niti-ogen and potash, its use on as much 

 land as possible and its economical hand- 

 ling are essential points. 



Attention could well be given to: 



1. Top dressing mowings with ma- 

 nure this fall will be very effective in 

 producing a crop next year. 



2. Manure should be applied to as 

 much of the cropped land of the farm 

 as possible. Because of the potash it 

 contains, some manure should be applied 

 to potato fields. 



3. Labor can be saved by applying 

 manure to the land as much as possible 

 during the fall and winter. This will 

 save time next spring to be devoted to 

 putting in crops. 



4. There is some loss where manure 

 is spread on hilly land or when there are 

 deep snows during the winter. Under 

 these conditions it can be hauled out and 

 put in large piles during the winter. 



5. Manure should be supplemented 

 with acid phosphate or by using fertil- 

 izers rich in phosphoric acid. 



•6. The liquid manure is rich in avail- 

 able nitrogen and potash. There should 

 be plenty of absorbent materials in the 

 stable or barn cellar to prevent loss of 

 this. 



