HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



Vol. III. 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS., DECEMBER, 1918 



No. 12 



Time to Overhaul Machinery 



The proper time for overhauling farm- 

 ing machines is during their period of in- 

 activity and before the rush of spring 

 work. If put off until needed, delay in- 

 cident to getting repair parts promptly, 

 press of other woik, and hazy recollec- 

 tio'n of the past season's difficulties may 

 hinder the efficient prosecution of this 

 work. 



At the end of the season's work it is a 

 plan well worth while to make out a 

 schedule of needed repairs and adjust- 

 ments for a particular machine and file 

 it in a convenient place, so when oppor- 

 tunity arises the work may be taken up 

 and prosecuted expeditiously. The ma- 

 chine itself represents capital invested. 

 It should be housed properly and not left 

 in a fence corner or other out-of-the-way 

 places for wooden parts to rot and metal 

 parts to rust, which, even for short pe- 

 riods, may cause more deterioration than 

 the season's use. — U. S. D. A. 



Hard Shell, the Nut 



This is the Story of Hard Shell, the 

 Nut, who held the little Penny so close 

 to his Eye that he could not see the big 

 Dollar beyond. It is a sad story, but a 

 True story — and I think it should be 

 Told. 



Folks called him Hard Shell, the Nut. 

 They said that when Hard Shell got a 

 nickel he'd turn it over Fourteen times 

 and wonder if he could Afford to spend 

 it all at once; and generally he'd end up 

 by putting it Back into his pocket. 



Hard Shell sold his cream to the 

 Creamery. And the size of his cream 

 Checks made his neighbors weep with 

 Envy. For Butter in the cities was sell- 

 ing for 4 bits a pound and was steadily 

 climbing Higher. And because Hard 

 Shell was raking in a long price for his 

 Cream he sold every Ounce he got from 

 his cows. He never kept out any for his 

 Family, but he gave them all the Skim- 

 milk they could drink — except, of course, 

 what he needed for the Calves and Hogs. 



Hard Shell's favorite Saturday-night 

 Pastime was loafing in the post-office 

 Lobby and gassing and Bellyaching 

 about the high Price of Feed and the 

 Low price of Cream and the gloomy to- 

 morrows of the Dairy Industry. And 



Concluded on page 5 



County Agent's Report 



DURING 1918 THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 

 FARM BUREAU HAS: 



1. Had a membership of .300. 



2. Received appropriations from 21 of 

 the 23 towns in the County. 



.3. Completed its work on a $10,000 

 budget. 



4. Maintained a county agricultural 

 agent, home demonstration agent, 

 boys' and girls' club leader, supervis- 

 or for school gardens, two clerks, and 

 office and transportation accommoda- 

 tions. 



5. Assisted the five milk producers' as- 

 sociations in obtaining more satisfac- 

 tory market conditions. 



6. Worked with the directors and 

 patrons of the Cummington Creamery 

 with the following results: 



(a) Held two-day extension schools in 

 towns tributary to the creamery. 



(b) Visited with the directors, the 

 farms of the patrons. 



(c) Brought in 5 pure-blood bull calves 

 and 12 high grade heifer calves. 



(d) Held field day at creamery which 

 bids well to be an annual affair. 



(e) Interested the creamery in manu- 

 facturing buttermilk cheese which 

 increased the income during the 

 summer months of about $200 a 

 month. 



7. Placed among farmers .5 pure-blood 

 boars and 8 sow pigs. 



8. Sold for the Government, 2-5 tons 

 nitrate of soda. 



9. Had 14 soy bean demonstrations to 

 show their value for silage. 



10. Assisted the Williamsburg Fruit 

 Growers' Association which handles 

 most of the larger orchards in the 

 western part of the country. 



11. Worked with the Food Administra- 

 tion, organizing every town in the 

 county for food production and con- 

 servation. 



12. Placed two boys' camps in Hadley 

 and Hatfield, composed of 6.5 boys, to 

 help meet the labor shortage. 



13. Brought two state tractors and two 

 reapers and binders into the county 

 which plowed and harrowed about 200 

 acres and harvested grain on 200 more. 



Concluded on nest column 



County Club Agent's Report 



FIELD WORK 



To formulate and carry out the plans 

 for this work has taken 107 days in the 

 office, 18.5 days in the field. During the 

 63% of the time thus spent in the field, 

 it has been possible to: 



Meet with 46 clubs. 



Make 581 personal visits to club mem- 

 bers. 



Hold 166 conferences for the promo- 

 tion of club work. 



Conduct 6 field meetings with boys and 

 girls. 



Explain club work to 4000 people. 



Assist in the selection and instruction 

 of 112 club leaders and garden visitors. 



Assist in conducting 34 local exhibits, 

 embracing the work of 1250 exhibitors. 



Get together a county enrollment in 

 club and garden work of 2473 members, 

 733 in club work, 1746 in garden work. 



14. Cooperated with the District Mar- 

 keting Agent in assisting the growers 

 and dealers of onions in moving the 

 crop out of the valley last spring and 

 in devloping the market this fall. 



15. Assisted in establishing a communi- 

 ty market in Northampton which did 

 $11,000 volume of business. 



16. Worked with the Franklin-Hamp- 

 shire Tobacco Growers' Association in 

 arranging field meetings, a tobacco ex- 

 hibit and in making arrangements for 

 a market news service. 



17. Spent considerable time in trying 

 to find ways of combating the "Maple 

 Prominent" worm that has done con- 

 siderable damage to the maple trees in 

 the western part of the county during 

 the last two years. 



18. Made plans for bringing in a car- 

 load of certified seed potato stock and 

 for developing local strains of seed 

 corn. 



19. Done the following personal work: 



Farm visits 245 



Calls on agent at office 1600 



Meetings held 35 



Attendance 1706 



Personal lettei-s 835 



Circular letters 7106 



