Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-01-18
FARMERS CLUBS.

| discussion of the facts and theories, ex
periments, successes and failures, of practica
farming, are by no means duly appreciate,
in this vicinity. The value of well conduct
ed Agricultural Journals is now general,
recognized. These journals are in grea
part made up, as glance at any one Will
show, of communications, from practical O
theoretical farmers. The paper is, SO to speak
only the room in which its contributors NEE
to tell their experience and develop thei
theories in the presence of the larger audi
ence of readers. Now while the agricultur
al paper has its undoubted advantages, tn
club has equally strong ones, peculiar to it
self, as medium for the interchange o
ideas How often is some important poin
on which the reader needs information
omitted from the Agricultural article, while
in the club the listener has only to exercise
the yankee faculty Of asking questions, and
the experience of all present is at his service
The social advantages Of periodical gath
ering, in the season Of long evenings, in which
the farmers, with their wives and daughters
assemble to compare notes and make mutual
improvement and progress in their calling,
are also very great.
We commend the example Of our farming
friends in Shelburne, in this particular, to
the notice Of the Farmers Of other towns 10
that town Farmers Club is IN successful
operation, ard with but one opinion as 70 its
usefulness. At its meeting, on Monday Of
last week, the subject Of tt0rongh draining,
was discussed
This process has been extensively expert
mented upon. IN the last two years, in Shell
burne. by Messrs. Mech, Burritt, Nash, Sax
ton, Rowlev and others, and q very useful
and interesting discussion was Of course the
the result of the expression and comparison
Of their views and experience.
We copy below, from the Sgrmlfsu K Pa -
icaa, q synopsis Of the discussions al recent
meetings Of two Of the Clubs, under the in
4cnee Of which Agriculture is rapidly
growing more profitable ami popular
than ever, IN the Connecticut Riyr Valley
Corn was the subject Of the Greenfield
club. a sold subject in strong place. The
first Question raised was what does it cost
Der bushrl TO grow corn NJ one present
had ever kept such IN account Of the labor,
/ i. .la. i'm 2,
state the cost with any accuracy, bat the
general impression was, that It would cost
about Onc-half the ordinary market price OF
corn. The difference Of soils, seasons and
treatment will ever prevent the Application
Jf q fixed rule to TIA subject, aud Vt Al ay-
erage cost might be easily made and would
he Of great service in farm calculations One
member stated that be had examined the re-
ports of premium crops for several years back
~ the agricultural Transactions OF the
State. and estimating the fxpenss OF hh'r
It ! per day. manure at ; per I'ii, ADD
the amount # crops (Which last are too Oft
en e4lggerated) he found the average cost OF
raising corn about - cents Per bushel- Al
other member gave the results Ut "a CzFcri-
ment last year rs follows Two oWs with
out manure welded y baskets OF q IN two
rows with plaster and slitletre in the bill
yielded five bAskes5 two vs. with home
made s.perpho>phate yielded baskets. The
fodder where the suP-rihospha,a was az
piled was greater III quantity a.d more ricI
and luxuriant than elsewhere in the field
Al agreed 10 the expediency y cuitiy-tiug
corn land as fat as possible add without ii.-
ing, aud also IN marking out tie fed III
squares in order TO cultivate both ways
X hoy .r-.ts.
talk tie club decided that their r. X stiIi.c-
should he the best method Of gathering and
preserving fruit and cider a free and critj-
cal examination to be the test, and for this
purpose Oeacous Maxwell and P4rmcnter
were appointed Leaders
Sc Winter Nanqg nm. # S.ocl" was the
u5i-ct Of the DeerGeld Club at WaIp.nz.
tie stronghold ol lat cattle AID ricl farmers
One member SAID Is practice WIS to fc, 1
meal ana hay 10 the morning and r5sts and
coarse fodder at night. another gave roots in
the morning and meal at night: another
feeds com Stalks. h-y and meal in the fore
noon, aud the sam TAI order and kind 10 the
aiternO u The Pccsijent0t the club Feds
peek % roots and tie best OF hay H. the Ii n
Iug AID + quarts If neal and FIST rate hav
1t night NausOlds are the principal roots.
corn and cats ot equ4. quantities the common
lryvenier. One member thought that ?
quarts vi meal aud a peck Of potatoes would
make more milk and cream than t quarts Of
meal; and another who had experimental Jy
ieeding quarts Of meal day Tor one week.
AID quarts IF meal and quarts Of roots
the uezt week, actually found more mix and
cream from the meal and roots. Two were
IN flvvr OF feeding corn stalks in the barn.
- being saving Of nearly one ,hird. and
one in favor of yard feeding, and thought
Wien ted whole they w-Te better than cut.
Cattle should not be cO16ned ia tue barn all
the time, as they need exercise. An ocea-
siOnal change o. iCod was recommended for
all stock. S5mc horses love corn stalks for
i change, and they are considered healthy.
Calves should have plenty of skim milk.
They do not generally like meal with the
milk. Hens are great CLEANERS, aud save
much that would be otherwise lot. " Zen
we'll fed, they pay better than the COW.
warm mess in the morning and corn
at noon was the practice Of one Of the sue
caSsiGl puult-y rLisers Beans boiled and
mixed with warm meal, saws Brush Hill
representative, d" viii make hens Law like a
srelE.' In our boyhO0d we were { Id that
beans could not be cooked fit for = hog, and.
TIL recently, supposed that sheep and men
were the only animals that lived them.
About year since We heard Of their being
ground with corn for provender. and saw
cattle lovingly eat it and increase in milk
Consequently We swallow the hen bean st,.ryl