Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1839-02-28
agricultural Department.
From the Yankee Farmer.
AGRICULTURAL MEETING.


direction of the Agricultural Commissioner
Isaac q. Bates, Esq. Of Northampton, in the
Char. Subjects dlscussed-Corn Wheat, &c.
This was the third OF a series of meetings, which
1t is proposed to continue during the session of
the Legislature; IT passed in an interesting and
profitable manner. The farmers of the Legisla-
ture, from every part Of the State, take a deep
interest i'll the sucCesscf these meetings. and by
participating IN the DISCUSSIONS, they add greatly
to their interest and JHEtance. As an evidence
of the feeling with With these meetings are re-
gardcd, even by our cts, we will mention that
one individual, young nan, remarked to US.
after the adjournment on Thursday evening
that ole wished the meetingA were held every
night, as he had derived more information and
experienced more pleasure THAI evening, than
from any other meeting he had sver attended"
This is the right way We want to see spirit
of enquiry manifested by our young men in re-
gard to the great subject of agriculture. Irthat
subject is properly attended to by tie rising uen
Grafton, the whole country will be more benefit
ted than by the acquisition of thousands of miles
of territory-more than the discotery. that the
basis of our soil is a vast and extensive bed of
golden ore.
In opening the meeting, Mr. Colman, the
Commissioner, made some remarks on the i'm
portant crop of Indian Corn. He thought it was
the staple OF our husbandry; end after inviting
farmers, who might be present. to communicate
their views on this cpp-their success and fail
ure--their modes of culture, &c, he exhibited a
beautiful specimen OF corn, the seed of which
was brought from Vermont, beyond the noun
tans, four years ago and was now produced
abundanty in this Harity The corn was
noble specimen, larg$sRsss xteeh rows, and was
emPhatlcally pronounced by Mr. G. as precious
seed. He has procured two bushels of it to be
distributed to membersof the Legislature. MIR
Phlnney of Lexington, raised the specimen ex-
hibted
MIR Buckmnster of birmingham said that he
was IN favor of small cos, because it dries east
er, and can raise more corn on an acre He
preferred the Dutton CON, because he can raise
more than OF any other rarlety-has seen lar
ger crop OF Dutton than Of any other. Many
varieties are raised called Dutton, but the real
simon pure has very small stubble-the smallest
he has ever seen. Did not like the Canada it
is too small and crop too light.
Mr. Coman. The Dutton which he had rails
ed produced large stalk and cared high, while
Judge Buels Dutton correspondent with the des-
cripton of MIR Buckmnster Mr. Colman had
obtained crop of "a bushels per acre-staks
grow ten or twelve feet high. Mr. Bates, the
chairman, thought that our Dutton corn was
different species from Buels, or the Dutton raised
in Western New York.
Mr. Curtis of Berkshire said he was raised
ermeF and w s9qcatsd bPd 1hE f q2sRfh peobhge
and one of which they were very careful. The
kind generally raised was originally small ear
y kind, but improved by cultivation in some
80, 100, and in Lenox, 100 bushels
hoan obtoipa1 tho lar0oet -, .,
season of 1885, was 90 bushels-60 pounds to
the bushel. The average crop in the county was
}5 to 40 bushels The farmers of Berkshire had
succeeded in raising spring wheat for ten years !;
different varieties of seed had been planted with
uniform success. They have recently discovered
a disease in the wheat caused by strange in
sect; heads turn white and die Vast beds of
Mari have been discovered in Berkshire County,
which, according to DIR Hitchcocks ANALYSIS,
contain 80 per cent. carbonate of lime. They
applied thirty and forty loads of this mari per
acre, on wheat lands, with good success. Some
have sown ashes on spring wheat broad cast, at
the rate of forty bushels per acre, Mr. Curtis
thinks that the Italian wheat, properly cultiva-
ted, is the best variety. So-sandy plain-not
much lime in it.
Mr. Thaxter of Edgartown, Marthas Vineyard,
that we had been told that some far
mers the Connee ieA.>.iser hsd raised 100
and 100 bushels of cora TO the acre. Farmers
if they get 30, 35, and 40 bushels, do
pretty well and are satisfied. Ninety bushels is
an extraordinary yield, and the land must be
highly cultivated. He did not doubt the facts
that were stated but what he wanted to know
was, how he could raise the same quantity, what
kind of manure was applied, and in what proper
ton What kind of soil &c. The gentleman
from Berkshire has said that he obtained 93
bushels from a sandy oam. Here MIR T. was
interrupted by an explanation that the sands of
Berkshire and the sands of Cape Cod were wide
ly different Mr. Thaxter was as well acquaint-
ed with the soil round Connecticut River, as
with the Vineyard. Some localities back of the
Northampton meadows, are pine lands very
much like Cape Cod hut he was sorry to have
localities alluded to at all; in Dukes County,
where he was proud to hail from, might be found
as great varieties of soil as in any portion of the
State, some very good there they have been be-
hind the age in agriculture-buti it is not so now
farmers calculate to obtain 40 bushels of corn
from an acre on the average.
Mr. Bates Of Northampton, said on Connecti
cut River they have two modes of raising corn.
His plan vas reguia -sg lion Of crops, three
years under the scythe, three years under the
plough. Turn the gro,.4d over in autumn, as
the action of the frost ieuds to destroy worms
In the spring put seven Noads of manure on an
acre-harrow thoroughly to make mellow the
surlace-make holes, if Old meadow corn as they