Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-29

can hardly believe gentlemen earnest in it
now. And shall science be called to the aid
OF everything else, aud be a0Orthless only to
the farmer.
But this cry, " let us alone" " we'll enough
as we are" is no new one. There are always
those who will raise it, and doubtless always
will bc--whatever the matter in question:
And to heed it is death at once and forever,
to any kind of progress, anywhere, in any
direction, and it is worthy to be seriously en-
tertained, only by those who have given up
the idea that any suct thing as progress is
any longer possible.
But it is said, " experience is the best
teacher, and therefore we don't want any
Beard Of Agriculture" Now the premise is
good-expcrioncc as the best t0acher-but
the conclusion is false-false as can he. 1t
should rather be reversed, experience is the
best teacher, and therefore We want Board
of Agriculture, to gather up this experience
and disseminate it among the people, aud
give all the benefit Of it. How is it now
Men learn by experience, sometimes dearly
bought they become better farmers, can raise
better crops, on account Of their experience.
They live on for few years rcaPing the ben
Gift Of their experience, anl shortly they are
gone and their experience, in great meas
urc, with them, and those CT Us who como
after, must begin where they begun, learn as
they leaned, and perhaps iust IS dearly
Now this is what we want to save, just thls
same experienced Of plain practical, COM
mon seuGo farmers, Of which the opponents
of this measure have talked 50 much. This
is one, if not the main object Of this Board,
asexprossed in the terms Of this bill. 1t las
been made a prominent object in the Boards
OF other States.
hold in my hand the Report Of the
Massachusetts Board of Agriculture for
1859. On the twenty.third page is series
Of questions proposed by the Secretary OF
the Massachusetts Board, On the subject Of
" Exhausted Pasture Lands, an exceed
ingy important subject. Many of the older
portions of Vermont are exhausted or becom-
ing 50. One question | SEQ is, Are your
pastures infested with small bushes? And
what is the best method Of destroying them
them an exceedingly important question.
And in the answers you get the opinion and
" experience" of pain, practical farmers
from all over the State-just what gentlemen
talk about-.iust what they ask tor-no
" fancy notions Of mere theories, Another
question is, 10 you apply manure3 to your
pastures If so, state the kinds, quantities,
node Of application and the results. Another
Do you upo plaster? If SO, &c. Ashes ?
If SO. the Etclo Of application, kind Of soil,
ana results And there arc twenty-five sini-
lar qgaslioua upon this one subject. and THE
is but enc Of many other equally important
subjects, created in The aase w2y. IN regard
to ftock~thc kinds. characteristics, best for
particular purposes. Diseases Of Animals
Of vegetables. Grain gvowing--0rcaardiag,
&c. Questions are sent forth On all these
and other sQbjoots,-pteotical questions, TO
be answered by practical men, and tie result
Of Which eau but be the gathering and dis
sominatin@ Of IA amount o! T1acfca' wisdom
Of very great I'd ne.
Why the whole schcmc is practical, sui.
neatly 50, and aims al practical results. Bus
tl3 tupcusc !. al obisation. And that is
something which it becomes Us to look well
to, and especially just at this tine. Our
Treasurer lisa dolaultvr. and VIC dent know
for how Iauoh. IhQt is 100 true. Bat do
gcatIomeo bc!ie2c--ia it right ,or her so to
do ?,--tIat Vermont because sho is likely to
lose tweaty, thirty, or even City thousand
dollars through her dclauiting Treasurer, is
going to lie down and give up entirely? and
knock in tie head every kind Of an appgo-
priaton which is asked? | canuot believe
it. don't think the people desire any such
thing Of us. AnA then let US look at this
matter Of expense. 1t is estimated that We
have about 100000 acres Of pasturage in
Vermont. Now suppose this Board should
be established, ard in the course Of ten gears
any such large benefit should result as upon
an average every acre Of this pastuTsge
should produce equal to the value OF a
single pound of butter annually more than 1t
otherwise wouId, and how does this matter
stand At twenty cents per pound, you
have one Kindred and tteenty tdomaad De-
'crs,--enough to pay the entire expenses Of
the Board for sixty years, ovca though they
reach $4,000 year, and nobody now rcek-
ons them above $1,000. Even were the in
crease but a single pound Of beef, or even Of
mutton, tie the acre, and you aro paid over
and over again for every dollar expended. -
And is this an exaggerated estimator There
is such thing as being penny wise and
pound foolish LIST us lock well that We
arc net 50.
! DISCUSSIONS UPON AcmcuLrURE.-Wt
have obtained digest Of the remarks Of scv
eral gentlemoa upon the propricty Of cstab'