Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-27
State Fair.

INclou vi IHuTSuay, ny III. UeoISe
b. Loring. The following abstract
of the address we copy from the Bur-
lington Free Press:
Dr. Loring said that the place he filled
was originally assigned to one whom the
people had called to high Office. He could
not hope to command the attention which
would have been due to the Vice President
of the Nation, even after his announced
retirement from public life. But after all
one man was about as good as another on
these occasions. He would speak to them
Of the intellectual and material advance
ment OF American agriculture. 1t is relat
ed that Lord Bacon, who combined so much
of wisdom, study and authority under one
hat, one day piled his agricultural books
in his court yard and made bonfire of
them, because he said he found no princi-
pies laid down in them. 1t was a signifi-
cant fact. His library was doubtless one
of the best of his day. 1t contained doubt
less, his Pliny, which told him that men
should plant when young, and not build
till after years; his Columela, who under
took to set down the points of a good COW
in his day, viz: that she should be tall,
long, large, with eyes large, black and
open, horns smooth, &c. This description
would hardly answer for New England in
our day, when we want our cows close to
the ground. In those days our improved
methods of husbandry had not been heard
Of Chemistry and science had added
nothing to the methods of agriculture. 1t
was no wonder Bacon burned his books
In his day wheat was rarely cultivated or
eaten. Barley and rye were the chief &C.
reals. Coarse farm manure was the only
fertilizer the modern blessings Of guano
and superphosphate were unknown. Veg
etables were rarely grown. The imple-
ments of husbandry were rude. The cat
tie were kept only for milk and were fat
tened only when useless for milking. Fresh
meat was a rare luxury for six months of
| the year. The cattle were small, the hor-
SEES were Shetland ponies. The condition
OF society was equally rude Property and
education were confined to the few. The
luxuries Of life were enjoyed only by the
few. The peasantry were in a state of alb
ject subsection and were even liable for the
debts of the landlord state of things
partially existing to this day in that king
dom. Bacon gave the signal for the intro
duction Of new methods and they have
gone on improving down to our day, when
Liebig illustrates the application of chem
istry, and an Agassiz demonstrates the laws
of reproduction for the benefit of mankind
That is the best agricultural college
which sends forth band of successful cul
tiyators Of the soil admiring nature anC
obedient to her laws Such an one, in
which the experiments Of the laboratory
are put to the test in practice, and which
gives to US an intelligent class Of farmers
will do good work for its time. He wa,
thankful that the system of Agriculture
Colleges started here in this staunch anC
intelligent agricultural State, and lturnin,
to Senator Morrill,, who was on the stand
he desired here to present his thanks t,
the distinguished citizen of Vermont, nov
present, to whose efforts the country wa
indebted for our agricultural college sys
{ TEN. Applause.
The time is coming when it will not b
necessary to defend the Agricultural Col
lege. But it has not fully come. TIL
= most tremendous contest now going on i
: the Bay State is that between those VIII
consider farming a rude pursuit, incapabl
of being dignifed and unworthy the at
tention Of scholars.
: In advocating agricultural education, tn
+ speaker said that he had no thought @
!. undertaking the achievements of the praC
! teal farmers 1t is they who devised tn
system of draining by which the stiff ella
II is made warm and fertile as loan. The
: have brought out the best grains and fruit,
d they have tanned the animals best adapte
, to the use of man; they have shown no
y to subdue nature. To them, also we ov
I our social fabric. They held, in early day
d the entire resources of our country The
- carried the country through the revolution
. Yet, five had things they had not, the
had some we have not. They had a so
~ which, with little enriching, produced r
suits we cannot equal. An old record
IS Essex county shows that there was tin
O when the average production was % bus
] els of wheat to the acre; III of corn;
of barley; 518 of potatoes; $50 of carrot
$50 of beets and tons of hay to the acr
n, In our day new difficulties arise whiC
must be met by systematic farming. o.
soils, exhausted by over cropping, requi
five times as much in labor, manure al
IL materials as fifty years ago. We have
+ create breeds of animals adapted to pr
10 duce the most meat and milk with scanti
&c feeding. The curculio and worms al
:. borers destroy our fruit. Our fathers pra
~ ticed mixed farming. In our days speci
le agriculture, such as market gardenin
~ yields the best profits. He urged the pra
n tice Of special agriculture for health
-; well as profit Our farmers eat too muC
salt meat and too much poor bread.
" vegetable diet is far more wholesome
IN We are told it is difficult to teach agl
r. culture as a science. But surely we C!
= fix some established rules. Yet when
undertook to tell our Massachusetts farI
w ers that raising corn fodder was not prof
II. able, there was an cutlery against me, as
re | had proclaimed a heresy. When ha
nc said that it was not profitable to haul mu
into the barnyards for the sake of haul
~ it out, and that muck is valuable only
u sandy lands, and then chiefly as an absor
. ent, have Mortified many more. WI
,st controversies there are as to the busin,
-, of feeding animals. tell you to feed yo
young horses on Swedish turnips, and y
au can discard grain for them, which is me-
is detrimental to them even than early dr.
lot ing.
40 A voice from the crowd inquired; "H
about carrots"
VIC The carrot, said Mr.. Loring, is too
IN pensive root for horse feed; l am in
en- vor of perpendicular farming. Turn
Tho can be raised standing up, as man '
i, to; to raise carrots he must bow to
'n0 earth; the turnip is the more nutriti
-he and easier to raise.
The speaker went on to urge the APP
cation of careful experiment to practi
use. Speaking of the state Of thing;
st. purely agricultural districts, he said
made him sad to see the old district sch
houses empty for want of children. N,
'od adays it takes Is families to furnish