Published  by 
The  Rural  Publishing  Co. 
333  W.  30th  Street 
New  York 
The  Rural  New  Yorker 
The  Business  Farmer’s  Paper 
Weekly,  One  Dollar  Per  Year 
Postpaid 
Single  Copies,  Five  Cents 
0 -  ■  . . . . — - — - : - — — - - - 
Yoi..  EXXV.  NEW  YORK,  JUNE  17.  101R  No.  43S2. 
*  * 
The  Strength  and  Weakness  of  Farm 
Bureaus 
STEP  TN  AGRICULTURAL  PROGRESS.— As 
a  result  of  tliroo  years  of  close  study  and  ob¬ 
servation  of  farm  bureau  work  in  Monroe  County, 
N.  Y.,  I  am  convinced  that  the  movement  is  a  step 
forward  in  agricultural  progress,  and  to  a  great 
extent,  meets  many  of  I  lie  needs  of  tin'  average 
farmer.  It  is  a  connecting  link  between  the  average 
farmer  and  the  agricultural  colleges  or  experiment 
stations,  in  that  it  brings  the  ideas  advanced  by 
snob  colleges  and  stations  to  the  attention  of  the 
farmer  through  public  demonstrations  and  personal 
visits.  These  same  men  may  have  read  in  various 
farm  bulletins  all  that  they  saw  or  heard  at  these 
public  demonstrations,  hut  il  did  not  strike  them 
■with  sufficient  force  to  set  I  hem  working  out  such 
ideas.  It.  can  as  truthfully  be  said  of  the  man  ns  is 
a  nee  or  secure  information  relating  to  such  disease 
much  sooner  than  the  average  farmer  can.  I  recall 
instances  where  much  damage  and  loss  would  have 
probably  resulted,  bad  it  not  been  for  the  prompt 
assistance  rendered  by  the  farm  bureau,  in  fact, 
the  farm  bureau  is  a  clearing- house  for  the  farmer. 
The  farm  bureau  in  Monroe  County  is  made  up  of 
some  of  the  best  fruit  farmers,  general  farmers  and 
poult rymen  to  be  found  anywhere.  They  are  not 
1  ho  “back  to-lhe-land"  type. 
CO-OPERATION  NEEDED. — Tts  weakness,  that 
I  have  noticed,  is  the  lack  of  cooperation  on  the  part 
of  l he  local  or  township  committees,  whose  duty  it 
is  to  note  the  needs  of  the  farmers  in  their  respect¬ 
ive  localities  and  report  same  to  the  advisory  com¬ 
mittee  with  a  request  for  such  assistance  as  will 
reaeli  the  greatest  number  of  farmers  in  their  sec¬ 
tion.  Tn  the  way  of  public  demonstrations  or  per¬ 
sonal  visits,  (bis  township  committee  should  largely 
acre  or  about  $45  per  acre  in  favor  of  spraying. 
These  fields  were  in  sight  of  public  roads,  so  all 
could  see  as  they  passed.  This  was  a  striking  and 
valuable  demonstration.  Several  spraying  and  dust¬ 
ing  demonstrations  have  been  held  in  the  fruit  grow¬ 
ing  townships,  also  several  poultry  demonstrations 
held  in  poultry  raising  sections  in  the  county. 
PERSONAL  WORK. — The  many  personal  visits 
by  the  manager  in  reply  to  requests  have  been  most 
helpful  and  highly  appreciated  by  the  farmers.  On 
one  farm,  a  ease  of  hog  cholera  was  discovered. 
The  farmer  complied  with  the  suggestion  of  the 
farm  bureau  manager  and  the  disease  was  stamped 
out  then  and  there.  Personal  visits  are  beneficial 
to  both  farmer  and  the  farm  bureau  manager.  I 
sincerely  regret  that  more  visits  cannot  be  made. 
The  reason  is  that  the  advisory  committee,  com¬ 
posed  of  one  farmer  from  each  township,  1 0  in  Mon¬ 
roe  County,  directed  the  manager  to  conduct  more 
All  Hands  Busy  at  the  Georgia  Peach  Crop.  Fig.  333 
said  of  (he  child,  "What  it  sees  makes  the  most  last¬ 
ing  impression.” 
I )  I  ST  RI  P.  I  T  INC  I N  EG RM  AT  I  <  >N.— ’ The  fa  mi 
bureau,  through  its  manager,  supplies  the  colleges 
and  stations  with  much  necessary  information  re¬ 
garding  tin'  special  needs  of  his  county,  which  in 
turn  enables  the  colleges  ami  stations  to  be  of  great¬ 
er  service  to  each  county  by  being  advised  of  its 
soil,  climatic  and  other  conditions.  The  farm  bu¬ 
reau  manager  by  meeting  people  at.  Grange  meet¬ 
ings,  public  demonstrations  and  other  fanners’  gath¬ 
erings  or  at  bis  office,  is  called  upon  to  answer  many 
questions  that  are  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  many 
who  would  not  or  could  not  intelligently  write  them 
to  the  colleges  or  stations  for  relief. 
ITS  WORK  IN  EMERGENCIES.— In  the  event  of 
an  outbreak  of  contagious  diseases  in  plants  or 
animals  which  is  unknown  or  little  known,  the  farm 
bureau  man  is  able  in  short  notice  to  render  assist- 
direct  the  work  of  the  farm  bureau  manager.  Thus 
it  can  be  easily  seen  that  the  usefulness  of  the  farm 
bureau  depends  much  on  the  recommendations  of 
this  local  committee,  who  properly  represent  their 
towns. 
PRACTICAL  FIELD  WORK.  The  work  already 
accomplished  lias  mostly  been  done  by  public  dem¬ 
onstrations  and  personal  visits.  I  will  mention  a 
few:  A  drainage  demonstration  at  Webster,  N.  Y., 
with  550  present;  poultry  selection  demonstration; 
two  pruning  demonstrations  at  Webs! or,  N,  Y.  A 
demonstration  on  treating  oats  for  smut;  treating 
seed  potatoes  for  scab  and  instructions  in  fruit  tree 
pruning,  the  last  three  mentioned  meetings  being 
held  on  the  same  farm  and  same  afternoon  at  West 
Webster,  N.  \r.  Twenty-eight  potato  fields  were 
sprayed  last  year  for  late  blight  and  in  each  case, 
the  farmer  left  from  four  to  six  rows  unsprayed. 
The  average  difference  In  yield  was  00  bushels  per 
demonstrations,  which  takes  much  time  in  prepara¬ 
tion  and  supervision,  hence  fewer  personal  visits. 
'The  future  and  greater  development  of  the  farm 
bureau  depends  on  the  active  cooperation  and  sup¬ 
port  of  the  farmers  themselves.  Many  farmers  do 
not  yet  understand  the  nature  and  scope  of  the  farm 
bureau.  This  can  be  partly  overcome  by  greater 
publicity  and  better  support  of  the  agricultural  press 
of  the  State. 
THE  BUREAUS’  FUTURE. — Ret  ter  organization 
is  needed  in  each  township  and  community.  The 
farm  bureau  manager  must  devote  considerable  time 
in  the  future  to  the  development  of  a  stronger  farm 
bureau  association,  and  particularly  to  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  active  committeemen  in  each  township. 
These  men  must  be  given  a  better  understanding  of 
what  they  may  do  in  promoting  hotter  farming  in 
their  communities.  They  must  be  given  work  to  do. 
When  they  better  understand  that  they  are  the  rep- 
