Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-11-03

places which many OF you never dreamed OF
in your philosophy, declaring this to be good,
and that to be bad Critically observing
good models, you will be able to Judge for
yourselves and thus not be imposed upon by
those who would deceive you.
can but rejoice that our farmers are in
vcstigating this matter Of improving their
cattle, and ut our recent State Fair more
good cattle we're exhibited than were ever be-
fore shown at any of our exhbitons-arge
numbers, at great cost, having been imported
into Vermont by number of gentlemen who
are engaged in improving the stock Of our
State trust they will be encouraged to
pcrsevere in well doing. and receive n sufficient
reward for their laudabe undertaking
GREAT WRONG
The great slaughter of our fine wool sheep,
on this side Of the mountain, is to be lamcu-
ted, as | have no doubt a demand will be
made for them before many years roll over
our heads Extremes follow one another.
1t has always been the case where one kind
Of stock has been unfortunately killed off,
period would soon follow when that kind Of
stock would be sought after, aud good prices
would rule in their favor 1t will be so il
regard to our Spanish Meriuos. Though now
deemed almost worthless, demand will soon
he made for them, and those who continue on
in their even course, refusing to sacrifice
them. will be richly rewarded for so doing.
Select and preserve always the best aud then
you will be ready to supply the market. The
present state Of things will not always last.
II costs fifty cents pound to grow wool and
twenty cents for butter; and yet, butter aud
wool bring now the same price.
FARMERS snoULD Bg GOOD JUDGES OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
Again, ! have a wcighty reason why you
should become competent judges of domestic
animals As stock growers ard breeders, it
is your interest and duty to make all the inn
proyements in your power; in this You will
require the nice discrimination and thorough
knowledge that come from unremittng att n
ton to the subject. Our own breeders did
not make their wonderful improvements in
cattle, sheep and horses, till they could mea-
sure ut glance, with surprising accuracy,
the merits and defects Of their animals We
are capable Of forming very strong attach
meuts to domestic animals and we ough 10,
so readily do they appreciate every kindness,
so faithfully 90 they serve US, from the
hen that lays her offering At our door, to the
COW that laos at the gate, inviting US to a rich
err repnst than tabled Nectar: from the goose
that lays better than a" golden egg Ull
leave that to any hungry man in this crowd)
and then invites us to a downy bed from
the lamb that shields US from the winters
cold, to the horse, nobest and most human of
animals. AL all, are so true to US, we should
be more brutes than they, if we were not glad
Of opportunities to know them better, and
were not willing to tax our skill and resour-
ces for their Improvement. The best Of our
domestic animals may doubtless be improved,
and the poorest should be speedily superseded
by better. The difference between good
animal and poor one, is the difference be-
tween profit and loss. consider ralua-
ble animals are trust to be held sacred far
The beRen of mankind. A COW, for instance,
with a naturally amiable disposition, that
never kicks the pail over, and makes two
pounds of butter every day in june such a
COW has for her chief mission the propagation
of her species, and whosoeyer, to save "A little
trouble and expense, annihilates that class Of
animals by destroying their offspring, COM
mits grave offence against human rights and
and insults the munifcent Giver of
all good. Let us correct this fault, if we
have been rcmiss in this particular.
ANIMALS SHOULD BE IMPROVED.
have no doubt that we may 60 on mproy-
ing our domestic animals indefinitely. The
best that we have may be surpassed. In fact,
breeding as a science, is in its infancy We
nave but few well defined hroods Our AMI
mails are generally Of the composite order,
made up of crosses of all sorts and descrip-
lions, in defiance Of physical law and the fit
ness of things. Our bovine families Of
q dukes and dukesses," that boast their pure
descent, are scarcely older than our modern
that either have no ancestors or
choose to forget them. With rare exceptions
we shall have to go back but few genera
tions to find an admixture of native or COM
mon blood, and it would be strange indeed if
there were not many breeding animals claimed
to be pure which ought to be rejected for
personal defects. Before our stock reaches
the high standard it has in England, and
which it ought to attain it must be carefully
and judiciously bred Hrongh many successive
generations, constantly rejecting even inferior
animals, breeding only from the best, under
circumstances so calculated to develop the
greatest bodily health and vigor. We mus
breed for specific purposes. If we want gooC
mixers, select the best milking breeds, an,
the best of those breeds constantly propagate
from the best and reject the poorest let tn
care food and management be calculated L
develop milking qualities, and my word for ii
you will beat all the brag cows you eve
heard of.
TAKE EVERY THING EXCELLENT TO THE FAIR
While speaking of the benefits of agricul
tural fairs, and the way to make them profta
Bile, will say that everything that promise
well and is portable, should be brought t
them for exhibition. We want to see wha
the farmers and mechanics have been doin
the past year. Have you got very earl
variety of fruits or vegetables, bring them t
the fair tell us when they get ripe and no
they yield. Ii you have potato that mi
lures twenty minutes earlier than the " Earl
Rose" as my friend, our worthy Secretar
claims to have, bring it here for inspection
and let our eyes behold the wondrous marve
for tell you fellow citizens, such has bee
the improvement in the potato crop, that
can no longer be said they are few in nun
, Der and small in the HILL" but they yield
large increase in quantity and are exceller
in quality; and do not wonder that me
, should get excited over few kinds that the
= have by long, patient experiments, been alb
! to produce. As | have no seed to sell, nc
interest in any of the various kinds, you wi
allow me to say, deem no longer the potat
mania a hltmbHg, unless it be in the fabulot
= prices men have asked and obtained for Ii
. seed. The " Early Rose, and there may b
others as good, is indeed success, and If tn
farmers can obtain the seed next spring f
two or three dollars bushel, would recon
mend them by all means to do so try the el
pertinent and believe me, you will never |
sorry for the outlay.
The potato crop is one Of our staple con
modties. No one thinks of living withor
them. In fact do not know as we coul
live at all We might stay without then