Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-01-19

A gentleman, now distinguished merchant
Of Boston, but formerly resident OF Nan
tucket, was once engaged in planting potatoes
on his farm in that town, when dry old fell
low stopped to watch the operation. The
merchant, more enthusiastic than skillful in
his farming, was dropping five seed potatoes
in each hill.
"Ah! planting potatoes, squire p remark
cd Uncle Jerry.
Yes" replied the merchant, "and if the
rot doesn't take them | expect to have good
crop. What time do you think it best to dig
potatoes, Uncle Jerry p
The old man looked into a hill and replied {:
"Dig 'em now, you will never get bigger
crop" rrr
Loss BY FAILURE CT APPLE BUYERS
The Rochester IN " Union says; " 1t may
appear to some people as though we had ex-
aggerated the losses to farmers in this yicini-
ty by the failure Of heavy buyers OF apples
last fall But we have not, and the sum total
grows day by day, as those who at first said
nothing about their losses, hoping to get their
pay, make their reports. We are told on
good authority that the farmers in the town
Of Greece, in this county, suffer to the amount
Of 500, 600 and oveL The blow reached all
classes--the rich and the poor-the man who
had FIVE hundred or a thousand barrel orch
ard, and the widow whose little all was com
prised in fifteen OF twenty barrels of the fruit"
MAKING BUTTER WITHOUT CHURN1NG.-
Dr.. Sylvester stated at late meeting Of the
American Institute Farmers Club that be
tried the experiment Of making butter by
burying the cream in the ground He put
the cream in a linen bag and that in another
bag to keep it clean, which he buried about
eighteen inches deep, and after twenty-fou
hours took it up and found the cream as thor
oughly converted into butter as tits by churn-
ing II was Just in the condition that butter
is in when it has come without being
gathered by the dasher. 1t was worked in
the usual way, and made as good butter as
ever was churned.
An experienced farmer says if you boil the
corn until it cracks open, and feed both corn
and the water it is boiled in, it will do as
well as boiled meal, thus saving the toll and
going tc mill.
The yield of wheat in England the pas,
season is said to have been below the average.
CoNNECTIcUT VALLEY FARMING.-A cor
respondent Of the Greenfield Gazette mentions
a farmer of Hatfield, Mass, who " has hauled
$50 loads of muck into his barn-y yard this fall,
to be composted for spring use, and contem-
plates an addition Of two hundred loads more
Of organic matter before hauling out and APP
plying to his already productive acres. He
has made farming pay"
SUMNER VS.. FALL PLow1NG.-In most
cases, the best time to pillow is when there is
the greatest amount Of vegetation in a grow
ing state on the ground, which is usually in
June or July, and let the land rest in falow
until sown or planted. If we cannot pillow Sc
long beforehand as ten or eleven months, for
corn, then pillow in this latitude about the
middle of May, or the day before planting
; Some stiff, clayey soils may be plowed in the
fall Gain in time for other spring work, il
about the only argument that can be properly
urged in favor of fall blowing but this gain
Of time had better be made in June than No
vember, if the land can be spared in fallow so
long, and it will pay much better, as the soil
will be benefited, gaining strength while res
ting.
Fallows and recently cultivated grounds,
designed for oats, spring wheat, &C., should
be again plowed in the fall, that they may be
ready to sow with the first opening offspring
but this does not apply to corn, &c. A. p.
VIErs.-Hancock, Mass.
TANNING FUR-SKINs.-Stretch the skin
! tightly and smoothly upon board, hair side
! down, and tack it by the edges to its place.
I Scrspe off the loose flesh and fat with blunt
knife, and work in chalk freely, with plenty
of rubbing. When the chalk begins to pow
der and fall off, remove the skin from the
board, rub in plenty of finely powdered alum,
wrap up closely and keep in dry place for a
few days. BY this means it will be made
pliable, and will retain the hair" II. G. X.
--Nepton, ~ j.
Another process is to cover the flesh side
Of the skins when first taken off with pow
dered alum and salt in equal quantities, which
may remain from one to four days, and then
be washed off in warm soap-suds, partially
dried, and aiterwsrd rubbed until thoroughly
so. In rubbing dry you may use powdered
chalk, and afterward sprinkle with powdered
alum and fold up for few days, when the
skin will be thoroughly cured and very soft,