HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



Vol. IV 



NORTHAMPTON, MASS., JANUARY, 1919 



No. 1 



Producing Butterfat 



The various breeds of dairy cattle 

 might be placed in the following order as 

 regards the average percentage of but- 

 ter-fat in their milk: 



Jerseys, 5.35 per cent; Gurnseys, 5.16 

 per cent; Devon, 4.60 per cent; Short- 

 horn, 4.0.5 per cent; Brown Svriss, 4.24 

 per cent; Ayrshire, .3.66 per cent, and 

 Holstein, 3.42 per cent. 



"This does not indicate that Jerseys 

 are in every way superior to any other 

 breed, for they do not excel in the num- 

 ber of pounds of milk produced. Thus 

 a Holstein producing seven thousand 

 pounds of 82 per cent milk is worth more 

 than a Jersey producing four thousand 

 pounds of 5 per cent milk. The question 

 of the value of a cow from the butter- 

 maker's standpoint, lies entirely in her 

 ability to produce a large total of pounds 

 butter-fat, whether she does it by pro- 

 ducing fewer pounds of rich milk or more 

 pounds of milk not so rich." 



Manurial Values of Dairy Feeds 



When feeding dairy cattle, and es- 

 pecially if purchasing high-priced con- 

 centrates, it is well to consider the fer- 

 tilizing value as well as the feeding 

 value of feed. Just as the value of com- 

 mercial fertilizer depends on the amount 

 of available nitrogen, phosphoric acid 

 and potassium contained in the feed con- 

 sumed by the animals. Those feeds 

 which contain relatively large amounts 

 of the three important plant foods make 

 good manures and those which contain 

 small amounts make poor manures. 



The following table shows the equiva- 

 lents of nitrate of soda, i6-percent acid 

 phosphate and muriate of potash con- 

 tained in some of the common dairy 

 feeds. The amounts of nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and potash contained in these 

 feeds were taken from Henry & Morri- 

 son's "Feeds and Feeding," appendix, 

 Table III. The nitrogen was then cal- 

 culated as nitrate of soda, the phosphor- 

 ic acid as 16-percent acid phosphate and 

 the potassium as muriate of potash be- 

 cause these are the more common forms 

 in which these constituents are found in 

 commercial fertilizers. 



One ton of corn contains the ecjuiva- 

 lent of 



Continued ou page 6 



I NITRATE OF SODA 



Many farmers have been inquiring for 

 government nitrate this year. It will be 

 obtainable in the same manner as last 

 year at $81 a ton, f. o. b. shipping point, 

 which will be some port on the Atlantic 

 coast. The freight last year was about 

 $4.00 a ton. Order blanks will be avail= 

 able at the Farm Bureau office and or= 

 ders should be placed early. This is an 

 exceptionally good chance for the farmers 

 to obtain available nitrogen and a large 

 number should avail themselves of the 

 opportunity. Orders must be placed by 

 January 25. 



HOW TO OBTAIN NITRATE 



Applications for a part of the nitrate 

 bought by the government will be re- 

 ceived only from actual farmers or own- 

 ers or holders of farms for use on their 

 land, and may be made through County 

 Agent A. F. MacDougall, or through any 

 member of a local committee consisting 

 of E. B. Clapp, E&sthampton; H. C. 

 Barton, South Amherst and John Reid, 

 South Hadley. 



No money will be required with the 

 application but upon notice from the 

 authorized representative of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture farmers who have 

 signed applications must deposit with the 

 Northampton National Bank, designated 

 by the Secretary of Agriculture to act 

 as the farmers' agent for that purpose, 

 money to cover the cost of the fertilizer 

 except the freight charge. Mr. Charles 

 Wade, Hatfield will have charge of dis- 

 tribution of nitrate to farmers. Ar- 

 rangements have been made to secure a 

 large quantity of nitrate and it is be- 

 lieved that all rea.sonable requirements 

 can be met. 



Town Meeting and the Farm Bureau 



As the Farm Bureau is now a public 

 organization, supported entirely by pub- 

 lic funds, it is necessary to have all the 

 towns of the county make town appro- 

 priations for the support of the Bureau. 

 Last year an excellent showing was 

 made, 21 of the 23 towns making appro- 

 priations. One hundred percent support 

 is needed this year. Funds were avail- 

 able from the Massachusetts Public 

 Safety Committee and from membership 

 dues last season. These funds cannot 

 be received for 1919 so that an increased 

 appropriation has been asked from most 

 of the towns. 



The voters at the town meetings are 

 also asked to elect a town director who 

 will be the official representative of the 

 County Board of Trustees. 



Meetings are now being held in all the 

 towns of the county at which time the 

 people decide what they want to do in 

 agriculture, home economics and boys' 

 and girls' work, during 1919. Leaders 

 for these three departments are elected 

 and a program of work made out. The 

 three leaders comprise the town commit- 

 tee on Farm Bureau work, together with 

 the director elected at the town meeting. 



Most of the towns in Hampshire Coun- 

 ty depend upon agriculture for their 

 prosperity. By making a program of 

 work for the development of their farms 

 and their homes, progress should be made 

 in the community. The motive is worthy 

 the support of every town and the best 

 thought and judgment of the leaders of 

 each community should be given in order 

 that the efforts of our farmers and their 

 family shall receive just returns. 



"It ain't the guns nor armament 

 Nor funds that they can pay, 



But the clo.se cooperation 

 That made them win the day. 



"It ain't the individuals. 



Nor the army as a whole. 

 But the everlasting teamwork 



Of every bloomin' soul." 



Amount of Hull in Oats 



Professoi- Earl Jones of the Agricul- 

 tural College has made some investiga- 

 tions to determine the amount of hull in 

 diiferent varieties of oats. 



Professor Jones says a good oat ought 

 not to have over S09f hull. His records 

 show that the Horse Mane oat always 

 has a large amount of hull. The Horse 

 Mane oat averages 34 to 44% hull. 



Oats raised in the hill towns have been 

 analyzed, and Professor Jones' records 

 show that the farmer growing the Horse 

 Mane oats has 37 to 44% hull, those 

 growing other varieties had 27 to 29%. 



