Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-02
Gree1r SIT, GARNER
" He that by the plough would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drives
Kernels From a Corn Cob.
KERNEL SECOND.

EDITOR OF FREEMAN Three numbers of
the enlarged Freeman are received, and am
pleased to notice that they bear evidence that
the conductors of the paper are alive. Ger
tainly an editor should not only be alive, but
fully awake to the wants Of the masses of
the people. 1t would seem that drifting
with the popular current, is no part of an
editors duty. Progress is the order. There
are new burrows to be broken, ideas to be
advanced, debated and impressed, which are
ahead Of the current thought of the people
Who better can perform these duties than
an editor Who has a more favorable stu
alton or better opportunities i? Newspapers
are the cheapest means by which to obtain
intelligence, and the people rely much upon
them for information upon all general sub
jects The Press should be the pioneer in
human progress. But I did not commence
to read you homily upon your duties, for
each one is supposed to understand best his
own calling. Farmers are unwilling to be-
lieve that editors can instruct them and per-
haps editors may be affected with the same
weakness.
The agricultural department of your pa.
per is, or ought to be, matter of great in
terest to Vermont farmers. The major part
of the agricultural papers supported by us,
are either filled with matter applicable to
soil, crops, or climate different from ours, or
with communications from men whose wealth
will permit them to apply means wholly out
of our reach. In either case. the informa-
ton is of little value to us. Vermont farm
erS need Vermont paper. There is need
of interchange Of observations and achieve
ments, made upon our own soil and with
paper in our midst in which Vermont farm
ing is made matter Of discussion, we shall
all be more thoughtful of the results of our
labors. The school-boy rids himself Of many
crude notion by coming in contact with his
fellows. The same is true with farmers, for
all of our notions are more or less crude,
and quite dissimilar. That they are dissim-
liar, the communications in your last Farmer
would tend to prove. With the advice there
given, what should you (being unacquainted
with farming, as editors always are,) do, if
you should be required to care for few
head of cattle and colts? Doubtless you
would feed roots one day, and throw the
next days rations upon the compost heap,
and your colts would grow hungry while
you was consulting the advice, and deciding
whether 10 give them oats or not. Whether
to feed them twice or thrice you would hard
ly know, and probably would vacillate
'twixt the two, as too many farmers now do,
&c. Yet am glad to see these conflicting
opinions have place in your paper, for in the
most common things, farmers have very Diff
ferent opinions, and it is by seeing them made
matters Of discussion, that they will fully
and fairly decide them. ....l
In my own immediate vicinity, there are
those who believe that twice feeding per day
is enough, and their stock is looking very
well. Many others assert that all kinds Of
stock need feeding three times at least, and
the circumstances being equal, | am quite
sure that their stock thrive the best. l
agree mainly with your correspondent from
East Montpelier. Three times day, if we'll
fed, is sufficient, and if your hay is good,
they will thrive all the better for being re-
quired to eat all given. But on many farms,
a portion of the hay, and on some, large
portion, is oil an inferior quality and wheth-
or best or not, most Of the farmers do and
will, feed them straw. Where the fodder is
coarse, or of an inferior quality, three times
feeding per day is not sufficient. The reason
is evident-giving all they need when led
three times even, before they will consume it,
much OF it becomes unfit to eat, and remains
in the manger as oats. In order to feed hay
of an inferior quality, feed little at time,
and often,
Most farmers in feeding their straw, put
their cattle upon short allowance of hay,
and make up the deficiency with straw. Be-
ieving that good hay is not any too good, l
think the better way is to feed them straw
wholly as long as it lasts making up for its
lack of worth with roots and grain One of
our best farmers has, for several years, DUR
ing the middle of winter, fed his COWS upon
straw, giving them peck Of potatoes each,
per day, and his cattle have always wintered
WE'LL and given him good profits the next
summer. another farmer, who is famous
for having all of his stock fat, fed his COWS
upon straw for nearly two mouths last winter,
giving them four quarts OF potatoes and a
few ears Of corn, each day. And am Of
the opinion that potatoes and corn, with the
straw, is better than either alone. In feed
ing the straw, the rule Of these men was to
feed five times day, and if very cold, more
and this is the only way that straw or poor
hay can be successfully fed. But the besI
feeders in this vicinity are those who are
much with their cattle, feeding REGULARLY a