Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-03-20
Craftsbury Farmers Club

The Club resumed the discussion
of the same subject as that last re-
ported: What Crops shall aOe rasse
and Hon. shall aoe RAISE them 2"
Mr.. Scott read the following paper
on his method of stocking ground:
pillow my ground in the fall, then
spread on coat OF manure and mar
row it in, then as soon as the snow Is
off in the spring it is all ready to re-
ceive the seed. | put on about one
and half bushels of seed, equal parts
of clover and herdsgrass, per acre,
harrow it il well, then pick up what
stones there are and cart them OF,
then roll it down; that makes a
smooth bottom, so there is nothing In
the way of the scythe. You can then
cut the crop by the 18th of July and
get two tons per acre; the first OF
September you will get two tons more
and of better quality than the first,
as there will be no weeds; the first
crop will contain some weeds, but if
cut as early as above stated the weeds
make nice hay and the cattle will eat
all up. Perhaps the amount OF seed
| have named would discourage some
people, as the cost would be so great.
| will now make the seed cost $15
per acre; this would be frightful in
some peoples estimation. Now what
shall we get back the first year? The
| seL Of July you cut two tons OF hay
that is worth $40 per ton, and III sep
TENDER you cut two tons more, which
makes $50 the first year for your SIS
worth OF seed and trouble Of fitting
the ground. Such hay has grown my
steers $40 per ton under the present
price of beef, this winter Now if
any one, or more, Of this club will
take the above figures into considera-
ton and try my plan, | think they
will not hesitate to continue it.
A. SCOTT.
Craftsbury, Feb. Is.
G. W. Seaver said he thought there
was no doubt but the grass crop was
the most profitable crop We raise in
this section, still it was necessary to
have other crops, and we should raise
them. He made a comparative state
ment of the cost of an acre in grass,
in oats and in corn, showing grass to
pay the best, corn next, and oats the
least. He had not much experience
in wheat, never having lived on wheat
/ land; had tried top dressing for grass
) but could not as yet determine wheth,
er it was more profitable than to har
row in the manure; had at one time
! fell into the popular error that pillow
| ing pasture land that was full of mos
= sy knobs, taking off u crop and seed
, ing down, would improve the pasture
l but found that he spoiled his pasture
by the means; would not recommend
e blowing pastures at all unless the,
could be thoroughly worked and ma
nured.
A. Scott said he had tried top-drcs
SING and found it very rrnfitahla: h
did not put on over half the manur
at time that he would to prepar
ground for seeding down; did no
know whether the effects would be a
. permanent as when the manure wa
: worked into the soil or not, but tho
J. they would.
- VIM. J. Hastings thought tie benz
4, fits of top dressing depended yer
l. much on the character of the soil
1t On sandy land it would not prove 5
beneficial as on a heavier soil: Ian
:" should not be run out before the Dire
sing was applied, for then the gras
:. roots would be feeble, and not so ore;
W a benefit would be obtained; had trie
Id this mode of applying manure tho
t. oughly and had come to the concl
lie sion that he could keep more acres
good condition in this way than an
q. other. 1t used to be thought that m
a nure should be plowed in, and tt
re deeper the better, but he was statistic
at that it was a mistake and that mul
of the value of the manure was To-
n in this way; he thought corn an e
10 pensiye crop and farmers should raj
ge onl " what they needed to consume
Id their families had trie d plowii
w green sward, manuring and seedil
to Immediately without any grain Gro
and with good results.
on G. f. Sprague was in favor of to
rs dressing and thought the best time i
n9 mediately after haying; had occasi
10 at one time to grade his barn yal
,ut and scraped out the dirt on to
grass land where it improved t
mt crops very much; thought our gre
IL effort should be to increase our era
10 rI' crop, as it was by far our most pro
70 able one; thought what manure
of took to produce an acre of good co
ed would produce five or six acres
I'M good grass. We should only "a
la