Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-01

tnlnK IL pays well 10 raise OuI CoiA
and best calves at the prices they sell Tor
now, Horses, | think. eat themselves up |
too quick to be of much profit. If We can
not get more than $50 for horse when
he is four years old he has eat himself up |
once and begun the second time. l think
cows keep our farms up the best of any
stock we can keep.
A. METCALF-I have lived 40 years by
myself, and pretended to be farmer. 1t
seems to be the opinion of those who have
spoken on this question tonight, that COWS
are the most profitable stock, but | think
there is as much profit in raising horses If
we will raise good ones. In many cases,
even in mine, where I should have to hire
all nv work done in the house and on the
farm | could make it more profitable to
keep some other stock. | think sheep
would pay us as well as cows if we would
keep good breed. | think we should
keep variety of stock and be sure to hit
right on some. | think a man to be sci
entifc or practical farmer should keep an
exact account of what it costs to raise or
feed his stock each year, and also his gain
or profits therefrom Am in favor of oxen
for team.
F. KIDDER-I think COWS the best stock
for married man to keep. When my wo-
man gets along | shall keep cows, but you
take an old batch, like our president VIM.
Kidder) and what can he do with cows?
He could not tell them from oxen and
would as soon try to milk their horns as
their teats.
WIN. KIDDER-I have been in the horse
dairy business for several years but it has
not paid me very we'll. Perhaps l have
not kept the right kind, though they were
good kind to eat. never got much but
ter or cheese from them, or other profits.
If | had sold my horses whenever [ could
have got 500 apiece for them | could have
been $1,000 better off to-day by so doing,
but always kept them till they eat them
selves up twice with no profits. | think it
does not pay to raise calves unless we keep
them till they are two years old or more
before We sell them. | think we cannot
keep sheep, at the present prices of wool,
to make it pay us any profits.
A. METCALF-I once raised four colts
that | sold for 800 each, that paid me the
best of any stock | ever raised. | think
oxen pay as well for team as horses, anc
if grained as our horses are they will do Il,
much work.
f. B. Hill think we are not taking
enough interest in our club meetings, a.
there are several here who have not taker
any part in our debate tonight. To maxi
our meetings interesting we should all COM
out to the meetings and be ready and vii
ling to take an active part in them, as the.
are sure to become a popular branch Q
husbandry. I presume there are ten o
these organizations in this state to-da
against one three years ago. The discus
siOns from these various clubs are maxim
our county papers good agricultural an
stock journals, something not thought c
, three years ago. The time is coming whe
farmers will be noticed in our legislativ
) halls. The state of Maine has appropriat
ed funds for the maintenance and supper
of these organizations or farmers clubs :
called. Let us try to keep up with OF
T. neighboring towns if not states. | vi
now say few words on the question:
t Though | have but half talent | will Il
to improve that. have had some exper
ence in sheep. though under uHavorab
circumstances, having stocked my far
I with sheep at fabulous prices, and wo
: dropping soon to very low prices, but SIT
e held on to my sheep expecting wool to {
Il better, as every one was selling or killiT
u their sheep. But one year ago, seeing Il
4 prospect growing no better very fast, | so
J. my sheep for what l could get, though b
Q a small price compared to what paid
Z them six years ago. So have got brav
T ly over the sheep fever. | have sin
p stocked up with cows, or whatsill NAL
n cows, and think they viii pay better tn,
II sheep, and will give my reasons althouG
: they may not be right; but these meetin
I are for the purpose of getting us right thu
J. the experiences of one another As f.
mer once said, he made $50 by leaning
y the fence and speaking with a neighbor
y 1st One great obstacle to our raisil
u wool here in Northern Vermont is o
sc bleak, cold storms in spring and throu.
!! the seasons generally, as sheep are We
u sensitive to cold or heat, and are very ca
ID to get distempered. Our springs are
ie cold and late we cannot have our lam
III come until the middle of May, and til
rs hardly get weaned from the ewes beft
10 cold weather takes them again so we ha
of to look after our sheep most of the tin
Ii and they pay us but once year if We q
N lucky enough to sell our wool, for we ha
lh to keep all the lambs we can raise to Ike
{ our focks good. But in the large weste
III states like Texas and Oregon, and ma
OF others, they can keep all the sheep tt
H. can buy, as they have plenty of range
IS them summer and winter, and give tn
H. little or no care; therefore we can ne
Eli compete with those states in raising woo
II ID. What experience | have had in d
10 rying | think it pays the best of any stC
IN we can keep in this section at the pr
our dairy products have sold for the p
On few years. The wool clip in Vermont t
We year was but about halfthat of four We
at ago, while the price has been no bette
IN As good as then, while the dairy produ
We have nearly doubled, yet the price has
ol eraged about the same but cows are MI
higher now than four years ago. Their
Ia not large range of country where as g,
a. butter can be made as here in Vermc
ile | have heard dairymcn say their cows
oP netted them $50 per head this season.
Wy that is so there must be profit in keep
ne them. As our population is increas
Is more rapidly than at any former time, tn
by is no reason why our dairy products
IN not keep up at fair prices, as we gain
hu consumers to one producer.
rty -
III III Hogs Want Sulphur.
I'' Whether hogs want sulphur as an es,
'-' tial to their health, or whether it is sou