Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-01-21
Reported for the Free Press and Times
The yetmap, DaIrymeh's Association.
weldon HOUSE,, }
- ALBAss, VI, Jan. 10. (

Reported for the Free Press and Times.
The Vernon, DaIrymfh'' Association.
weldon House.,
s.. ALBAss, VI, Jan. 10.
FIRST DAY.
The first annual meeting Of the Vermont
D.;-,r,ep's Association commenced in this place
TO-DAY About two hundred of the most intelli-
,-or, and earnest farmers Of the State are now
present, and many more are expected to morrow
The Association was called to order at half past
two pm, by the President, Hon. T. D. Mason,
Of Richmond, who delivered the opening al
dress.
The President said there were few more i'm
portant things in free government than the
bringing together Of farmers for mutual discus
sion and information. The farmer is the most
important citizen Of the state The industry of
farmers, the surplus products Of their toll, de-
termine the wealth Of nation. Among the
branches of farming none is more important than
that Of dsirying.
1t is great disgrace to the dairymen Of the
State that our butter and cheese are worth less
than that Of New York and other States. We
are too slow TO make improvements We cling
to old customs and rules, our wooden pals and
other features Of dairymaking Of the past, while
our brother farmers Of other States are outstrip-
ping u, in the race for success by regular and
daily improvements
PAPER BY HON. HENRY LANf
Owing to the absence Of Dr. Middleton Gold
smith Of Rutland, Who was to deliver m address
at three O'Clock, change Of programme was
made, and Hon. HENRY LANE of Cornwall, read
p,per on The Cultivation Of Sugar B,ei for
Stock Feeding.
Mr. Lane began By saying that the first care
Of the dairyman should be to select good cows,
and the second, to obtain good food and plenty
oft. In good cows all excess Of food above what
is needed goes to form milk Hay and grass, Of
course, are the most important feed Ter cows.
Fresh grass makes the most milk, but the grass
season lasts but short time-not over five
months So other food must be provided sue
culent food must be furnished for August, Sep
TENDER and October. For the frst month corn
may be usei, but il becomes dry. Roots can be
adyantageously used for the two latter months.
and for sometime in the spring. They are both
nutritious and aid digestion. Question then arises
what form Of root IS the best. ilr Lane showed
the qualities which must be required in such
food. Potatoes, turnips, carrots are all good,
but all inferior.to the sugar beet. In Cornwall,
the farmers had tried NIL kinds of beets, and had
concluded that the sugar beet IS the cheapest and
best In that neighborhood it had been raised
anl fed with the best results The sugar beet
grows well in any soil except sandy soil. 4
clay loan is favorable Cor this root If moist,
the soil must be thoroughly drained, and in any
cases thoroughly manurei. lie would recon-
mend that half the manure be plowel in The
land should always be poTed in the fall, and OIL.
the work in procuring the crop should be done
in the fall that IS practicable Stones should be
carefully removed. No rotation Of crops is nee
essary in raising these beets. The time Of SOW
I ing is essential. They should be sown early, as
early As the soil and weather viii permit. As
regards the method Of cuityatnC, the speaker
preferred planting Four pounds Of seed are
/ generally allowed TO the acre. The rows should
/ he from two to two and one-half Zee: apart, and
the plants in the rows eighteen inches 10 two feet
[ apart They must be occasionally ploWed out
and cultivated, and harvested N October. Beets
suffer but little from insects. A common crop
Of beets j. twenty-eight 10 thirty tons per acre.
] Larger crops had been raisei, but not frequent
/ u. Commercial fertilizers can be safely employ
ed, such as guano and super-phosphates Mr..
! Lane estimated the cost Of raising these beets AZ
! about $50 per acre. or nine cents Ter hUshel.
/ Their feeling value Is about one-iaurth that Of
hay per pound-though the nutritiye power If
beets is relatively higher than its power food.
Ia conclusion Mr.. Lane said that, in his opinion,
sugar beets were the cheapest o. winter i10d fer
cattle
In answer to inquiries Mr. Lane said tha,,
though the beet was frequent in Addison, he had
never met with the same variety elsewhere; that
he thought the seed could he obtained in shat
county; that it costs about Sl25 per pound;
that be aimed to rsse, not the largest but the
moderate sized beets.
Mr. Bliss had succeeded in Quietin- tie cries
/ Of pigs with sugar beets He urged the imuor-
lance Of the cultivation Of this crop
Mr. Lane said hepreferred well rottei manure.
I and thought heets ought not 10 Ne planted on in
tervale land.
Col Mead OF Orange county, said that in bis
vicinity beets had not been much cultivated. But
he thought sufficient attention hal not been given
10 the crop. He believed Vermont farmers raised
too much corn.
The President had raised maurllds, bat DO
sugar beets lie had raised twenty-five 70 thirty
tons per acre, and fed them to all the anirrs'. on
his farm. lie thought ton Of hay with bushcl
OF 5eets per DAY goes further than two tons with
ont. He thought there was no more trouble IN
raising an acre Of heets than an acre Of corn.
lie fed the beets raw 70 hogs
Mr. Lane said the labor had been the great
objection to farmers raising beets. But thought
the trouble was overrated They must be thine!
out after planting, after that they are IS easy to
raise as corn. lie urgel early planting and
frequent cutivsting. Ia soEing IN rlyes he
would make them low and ,fat, though It was
not necessary to plant then..in ridges The beet
is not 50 good for fatiening purposes As potatoes
and corn.
Col. Mead said that be thought the dry soil Of
Eastern Vermont not 50 favorable TO bee,s as to
turnin. lie related his experience in trying %
rsse bsets last year. and the unfortunate victory
which the weeds obtained over che beets. Ia
England, where they raise roots quite extern
siyely, he thought turnips prelominatei. But
We ough; certainly 10 raise more roots, both
turnips and bests.
Edward Clark Of st Adams. taii he WAS f4ui-
liar with the cultivation Of root crops in England
and ireland Turuips were much grown, best-
ess.
Mr.. A. R Bailey, Elmore. inquired about the
relative value, for producing milk, Of potatoes
and beets.
Mr. Lane replied that be thought the beets
were superior so far as milk Was concerned.
L. E Jamisol Of Orleans county, spoke Of the
practice Of planting turnips IL the hills with
corn, which had been successfully tried in his
locality.
The Association then adjourned.
Att p. n the members re-Assemblei to listen
to an address from Hon. Y A. willard Of Little
Falls, y. y, on Factory Dairying.
ADDRESS OF HON. \. 4. WILLARD.
Mr.. Willard began by saying that he was grs-
tilted at meeting the dairymen OF Vermont, and
paid high compliment to the diaries and dairy
products Of the State. Il was well for the far
mers Of Vermont to recognize the progressive
spirit Of the age. and form association for the
improvement Of one branch Of their vocation.
American dairying now represents capital Of
more than seven hundred millions Of dollars.
The cheese product last year sold for more than
thirty millions and the butter product for at
least one hundred and fifty millions. In 1860,
the butter product Of New York alone was esti-
mated at sixty millions That year there were
thirty million gallons Of milk sold in the State,
which, at four cents per quart amounts TO near
" Eve millions Of dollars. The cheese product Of
1868, Mr. Willard estimated at 24o,O00,OO0
pounds. and the butter product 100000 900
pounds. both together representing value Of
S2l5, 900. 600 The idea Of associated dairy
farming is claimed to have originated in Europe,
but the European system differs materially from
ours 10 general those Of Europe were on the
CO. operative principle, and adopted for the pur-
pose Of enabling poor peasants 20 compete with
wealthy dairymen. But this system never be-
came general, or popular. Associated dAirying
in America is the first successful attempt in this
direction. The American system attempts to re-
duce the whole business to a science. The grand
. thing sought is to make associated capital more
ssmanerative than nou-associated. 1t is adopt
l.,k TO forming the principles which have worked
v A. c,essfnllY in commence and manufacturing