Better Farm Structures

(Continued material into use in a total of 34 States (and in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and South America.) We are now adding new bulletins, enlarging the service, and broadening it to make it national in scope.

Practically every progressive retailer in California is a from Page 18) tive_irrigation "structure" to be sure, just a few days ago we had,a letter from a dealer in this State, who reported that he sold 300,00 Redwood Furrow Tubes of vlrious sizes last year (10 to 15 carloads). When you think of a single dealer called on to meet such a demand, knowing as w9 do that up and down this State every other dealer is asked to furnish a different type of irrigation structure, one can readily see some of the possibilities and needs for standardization.

(713 subscriptions from 390 California dealers-over T in Arizona).

Close to one-half million plans of farm buildings and accessories, have been ordered and given distribution by dealers to farmers known to be interested. Hundreds oi mats, suitable for their local newspaper advertisements, and pos- ters announcing plans available, have been furnished to dealers.

(Mr. Cook exhibited photographs of representative exhibits of farm structures installed in cooperation with dealers, as well as a member of typical dealer ads in which A-gricultural Service cuts were used. He also cited examples of cooperation with Agricultural and Trade papers exhibit- ing specimen articles and reporting on thi hundreds of letters received from farmers ind others as a result of this publicity.)

Dealers have been equipped with bound reference sets of the complete_ series, some 475 schools having Farm Mechanics and Manual Training, Poultrymen's Jnd Farmers' Associations, Feed and Supply HousLs, Country Contractors, etc. They have presented our service to over 200 schools in California and made it available to every Farm Advisor in the State. (Some offices have several copies).

Between 4O and 50 dealers have been induced to build and display ready-built equipment for the farm. Others have been assisted in installing exhibits. There is no more effective means of interesting Ihe farmer in a needed structure than actually showing it to him. possibilities in this field are practically undeveloped

Two current projects of particular interest to those of us here are the standardization of farm irrigation structures and the development of satisfactory cold Jto.age boxes for the farm.

At this time the California Redwood Association is en_ deavoring to standardize sizes and patterns of Redwood Furrow Tubes. A recent canvass of dealers disclosed some nine or ten different-.patterns in use, to say nothing of several methods of flow control. With the assistince of Prof. S. H. Beckett (Chairman, Irrigation Committee

A. S. A. E. Land Reclamation Division)-we have succeed_ edin securing the trade's tentative approval of three stanJ_ ard patterns to serve all ordinary rCquirements.

As a measure of the importante of this item, a diminu_

After preliminary experimental work, now in process, has been carried a little further by C. R. E. A. (dlifornia Committee on the Relation of Electricity to Agriculture) under the directorship of Ben D. Moses, we havi proposed adding a Bulletin to our Series to show the farmei how to construct his own cold storage box. This is on the assumption that after the Committee has determined sizes. appointments and desirable equipment, conclusion is reached that a great many farmers will want to build their own box.I am strongly of the opinion that many more farm boxes will be built when farmers can be shown how to intelligently use economical and satisfactory construction materials that are re,adily available locally,- whether they be. naturally durable California Redwood, Cedar or Cypresi, with insulation of shredded redwood bark. sawdusi. mili shavings, or even rice hulls, etc., with proper provision for keeping out moisture.

During 1930 I am pla-nning to resume former close per- sonal contact with retail dealers. The major part of my tjme will be- spent in the field. Three progressive retail dealers in this State now have full time field inen in charge of Farm Departments.

California Redzaood Association Erhibit at State Conaention. San Francisco, Calif., Noaember 7, 8 and 9, 1y29. Merced Lbr. Co., with8 yards in Stahislaus and Merced Counties).

California needs more such Farm Building Advisors.

It is our aim to assist all interests in ever! possible way to enlarge, improve and extend farm building jervice facili- ties-to foster a fuller cooperation betwein lumbermen and Agricultural Engineers, IJniversity and Federal Extension Service Workers. Agricultural Sihool Instructors and others, recognizing in the retail lumbermen an army of co- workers with mutual interests and common probiems in the development of better farm structures.