Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-12-31
Westminster Farmers Club.

Monday evening, december II, ana DIS
cussed the following question What
kind Of crops win be most profitable for
the farmers Of Westminster to cultivate"
\ NATHAN FISHER likes the rotation sys-
tem-rasing corn, oats and hay. Rec
ommends raising English turnips to feed
early to sheep, feeding two days on tur-
nips and two on poor corn, Gas that must
be fed and so on. He also recommends
the raising of wheat and rye, by all who
can raise it.
DEA MCNEIL would raise hay and
corn fodder for milk, and mangle wort
eel and beets for fattening. Carrots are
good but too costly. Sweet corn, cut
green, for cows is very fne-it increases
the quantity and improves the quality
of the milk. He has fed cabbage with
good effect but prefers beets to all other
roots. Considers barley worth raising,
and fine grain to feed. Would raise
Strawberries only as luxury
o. l.. FISHER advocates rotation Of
crops, hay, corn, barley, oats, with tur-
nips to feed to beef cattle. Believes it
improves the land to change crops He
says Strawberries and grapes will pay,
both pecuniarily and physically and
health is better than gold.
ID. c, WRIGHT isa rOtationis. Thinks
broom corn will pay better than Indian
corn, Also thinks highly of English
turnips to raise and feed, as they are
easily cultivated.
IRA SMITH, holds to cultivatng the
crop we can raise with the least labor
He would select a nice variety of pota-
toes (mentions the early Junes) and has
no doubt about its being as profitable as
any other crop; as Potatoes must find
ready market.
ALVIN WRIGHT, would raise corn,
hay and carrots. Can raise Davis
Seedlings and St. Helenas most profta-
bly,, in the potato line.
j. B. MORSE, thinks oats, at the pres
ent time, pay the best. Hay is our stand
by crop. As labor is so high, advises
potato crops. Thinks fruit raising i'm
portant particularly apples. We should
cultivate our trees.
NJ. W. DAVIS argued the question with
reference to Westminster as a whole-its
difference of soil and climate &c, in diff.
ferent localities. His stand point was
cultivate no crop that will impoverish
the soil; and secondly, cultivate the crops
that pay best, not losing sight of the first
point, to continually improve the soil.
He would leave tobacco culture, entire
ly out of the ring, and then declares hay
to be King. He lays it down as a gen.
eral rule that no grass land should be
ploughed up that will produce one full
ton of good merchantable hay to the
acre. To the hill farmer he says, never
plough up your grass lands for the sake
of grain raising because the prices of
labor will not warrant you in SO doing,) |
but plough down the knobs, manure
them, smooth the surface of your now
ing for the mower and horse rake, then
in Autumn spread evenly over the sur
face about FIVE cords of well rotted ma
nure, to the acre, and when shovelling it
into the cart, scatter in small amount
herds and red top seed. Again hay
should be cut just the right time, giving
mowings opportunity to mantle them
selves with winter covering; never
should be fed except to leave fine bur-
den of aftermath. But majority of
Westminster hill farms are feasible for
ploughing and what crops shall we raise?
Corn is leading, because less exhausting
TO the soil seeding down with wheat,
barley or rye; as seldom as possible with
oats, because they take the life from the
soil for any other crop. He urgently
recommends sowing more barley; it ma
lures early, for the mill, is excellent for
making pork, also good for horses and
cows. Westminster can raise large
amount of wheat and save many hard
earned dollar now paid out for -four, be-
sides supplying our families with that
wholesome article Graham meal.
Surprising you don't-get the largest
crop of wheat, barley or rye and might
have got few more dollars in oats-it is
more than made up in dollars saved in
paying out for flour-saved in strength
of soil-saved in getting your lands well
catched to grass seed. If you must SOW
oats, SOW sparingly. Upon our plain
lands there is no doubt but the rotation
system of corn, oats and clover. as now
practiced is good. There is no use pay
ing out all we get, TO keep our lands up:
still he would use plaster Of Paris freely
upon clover and the expense is light.
There is nothing like clover sod for
corn, but seed more after rye: get the
corn off early, so as to sow winter rye.
When YOU sow clover seed he sura and