378 TwENTY-FntST Biennial Eepoet 



pure-bred hogs has been stimulated to such an extent 

 that it was impossible to keep an account of the number 

 brought in. • The demonstration work has created a won- 

 derful lot of interest in improving the breeds of all kinds 

 of better live stock. Such a thing as vaccinating hogs 

 was practically unknown in Hopkins county when I went 

 there, but after a few demonstrations in infected herds, 

 it was not hard to convince the farmers that it was an 

 economical and sure preventative against hog cholera. 

 This work became so popular that it was necessary to es- 

 tablish a sub-serum station in the county. 



It is said that more fruit trees were pruned in Hop- 

 kins county the past spring than in the ten preceding 

 years. Mr. Carmody, with his enthusiasm and knowl- 

 edge, deserves praise for his splendid assistance in this 

 work. I was occupied for six weeks spending from one 

 hour to a half day with farmers showing them how to 

 prune trees. Many spray pumps were bought, and farm- 

 ers began to fight their old foes. The splendid fruit tells 

 a story which many will profit by. 



Some twenty cars of crushed limestone were bought 

 co-operatively, and a few acres on many farms were 

 sprinkled over. In several instances this showed no re- 

 sults, but it was on account of too low a humus content. 

 Sweet clover, however, on very poor soils showed a lux- 

 urious growth where the lime was spread, and where no 

 lime was spread only a few scattering stalks were to be 

 found. 



Soy beans, crimson clover, sweet clover, and alfalfa 

 were four legumes practically unknown in this county, 

 but in two years' work we had many farmers growing 

 them. It was a pleasant sight in May to drive along and 

 see fields of crimson clover in bloom. A little later in 

 the season a fresh mown plat of alfalfa could be found at 

 considerable intervals. It was a common sight to see al- 

 ternating rows of com and soy beans which would soon 

 be ready for hogging down. In the fall the hum of the 

 bees could be heard in the sweet clover fields, which two 

 years previous were wasted hillsides, void of vegetation. 



With these crops I am sure I did more good than 

 with all my other work combined. Hopkins county is not 

 naturally a fertile county. The problem of building 



