Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-04-30


stoppers to keep out the cold Sci. I'm.
CHEESE FACTORIES IN VERMONT.
A Cheese Factory Company has been organized
in Brookield. VI. Buildings have been purchas-
ed and operations are to commence with some $50
cows the present season. also informed
that another company has also been formed in
town adjoining (Williamstown) TO operate with
400 cows.
These towns are well adapted to dairy business
but have heretofore made more butter than cheese
the same may be said of the adjoining towns
Barre Northield, Roxbury, Brantree, Randolph,
Chelsea and Washington. In Randolph there is
an increased interest in breeding cows for the dai-
ty, aiming to improvements in dairy qualities.
Three pure bred Ayrshres, q bull aud heif-
crs) we're imported from New York and Connec-
tlcut last season, aud one or two Aldernies. There
are few pure bred D1rhams that have come from
distance recently. The Devious are not as pop
ular as in SOME otha places, though we have some
very superior grail Devon cows. ws.--hirror
SHEEP TO IMPROVE OLD PASTURES
The Now En- gland Farmer has an interesting
article on this subject, from which We extract the
following
1--WE think il is a well ascertained fact that
sheep do generally improve the pastures upon
which they feed. Their history is the Improvement
Of the land upon which they have fed. The histo-
ry Of the South Down is the history of the improve
ment of the valleys of the Downs. Few pastures
exist which afford finer feed for sheep than the fa-
nous Downs Of England, tract OF land about
eighty miles long and six wide, which was OF chalk
formation and nearly worthless. From the hills
and valleys OF the Downs came the famous South
Down sheep. The change wrought upon these
Downs by pasturing sheep upon them, enclosing
aud cutIyatng them, has been wonderful. Sheep
that were previously gaunt aud slab-sided with
light and comparatively hairy leeces, soon yielded
the sweetest mutton, weighing fifty pounds per
quarter, and in a large flock gave fieeces whose
average weight eight pounds each
1.-The Improvement of Cotswolds is no less re-
markable and the once bleak aud barren hills
from whence they take their name have been 50
improved by the culture of sheep upon them that
they attain greater weight at twelve aud fourteen
months than they formerly did at three and four
years old
IF not greatly overstocked, pastures which
were decidedly poor when sheep entered upon
them, have gained in fertility from year to year.
A portion Of farm in Northheld, Mass, was
proverbia during many years for the abundance
and richness OF It's feed. II had been pastured for
q long time alternately with cattle and sheep
One half this pasture was sold, fenced off and fed
by cows. IN a few years the part sold had essen
italy detenorated while the other, fed it had
been, rernained as productive ever, although
both pieces were grazed by about the same amount
Of stock.
1--WE are well acquainted with pasture near
the seacoast which many years ago was an excee-
dinghy foul piece Of land--abounding with a great
variety of bushes among which were the barberry
ami many climbing plants and so closely laced
and intertwined by the wild rose that they formed
an almost impenetrabe Jungle. Twenty years af-
terwards the same pasture with flock of
sheep on it grazing upon a close, compact turf,
covered with short sweet grasses, and without a
weed or bush of any kind upon it!
hag sal. fanr, haar
plished?' we inquired as stood looking upon
it.
BY the sheep, said our informant.
t' Without ploughiug and seeding we asked.
go Yes, by the sheep alone was the reply.
"'rhe pasture was quite uneven and rocky, but
the sheep had exterminatcd every vestige of wild
plants, aud clothed the surface with fresh, rich,
perpetual herbage.
- In a report by a committee of the House OF
Lords in England in 1929, it was said All farm
ers testify that sheep raising is absolutely inds-
pensable to successful farming their manure is
necessary to preserve the fertility OF the soil and
that without them the whole kingdom would in a
few generations be reduced to utter barrenness
and sterility. Their Importance in this point of
view seemed to be generally conceded by the
members of the great Wool-Growers' Convention,
which we attended at Columbus, Ohio, in the win
ter of 1864.
"A report in the Plymouth County Transac-
tiCns says Some Of the finest examples af-
forded here of the effects of edng sheep upon
pastures that have become exhausted Of nutritious
grasses, and grown to bushes, brakes, brers and
moss. have seen pastures that had become al
most worthless, but now green and smiling as a
lawn, with every niche among the rocks covered
with the richest pasture grasses, and not black
berry vine, wild bush MULLEN, other
worthless plant in sight
" In a report by Dr. Joseph Reynolds, of Con-
cord, Mass, on this subject, he says. Expert
ence shows that sheep walks, instead of becoming
exhausted, uniformly grow better, and that one of
the most effective means of destroying the bushes
and mosses, and bringing back white clover and
sweet graUs to an exhausted pasture, is to turn
upon it flock of sheep.
"Mr. Richard S. Fay, long a member of the
old Massachusetts Society, and Of the Board
of Agriculture, who gave the most intelligent
attention to the culture Of sheep, said he had
constantly under his eve a one hundred acre lot
upon which cattle a few years ago could not live,
that maintains in good condition large flock
of sheep; and the Improvement of the pasture has
been so great that dozen head Of cattle. besides
the sheep, do well upon it. Mr.. Fay's pasture
rather dry and very rocky piece Of land,
and was reclaimed entirely by the sheep.
This change, however, only be effected
gradually. 1t will not do TO turn a large flock up
on the pasture, and keep them there, but enough
to cause the sheep crop the bushes because they
cannot get all the grass they want. This may be
done at first for week at time, or longer as
circumstances may exist. In this way the sheep
commence the destruction OF the bushes at once,
by eating off the leaves. As these disappear, the
sun and air is let into the sod, the rich waste OF
the sheep falls upon il, scattered everywhere in
minute portions, and it soon springs into wonder
fu fertility bringing the richest perpetual grasses
and gradually driving out all the useless plants.
As the latter disappear, the grass increases, until
the pasture that would support only twenty sheep
will sustain one hundred in good condition
TRANsPLANrING IN THE NIGHr-A friend in
whose powers of observance we have confidence,
informs us that last spring and summer he made