Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-03-22
Farming.
A. II. sE1rr
EDrroR OF NEwsDEALER :

| have been requested to write out som
OF my experience aud observations, on far
ming for your paper, tor the benefit Q
farmers in this county.
First-iarming is long, great and dil
iicult trade to perfect. Second-a ma
to be a good farmer should have good OF
der, care and system Of doing work o.
his farm. Farmers differ in their ideas O
farming very much.
That man is the best farmer who sell
the greatest amount of products, and keep
buildings and fences in the best re
/ pair, and land in the highest state of cul
tivation with the least expense at the ent
of ten years. The best way to seeur,
that end is to make all the manure posi-
bic. Farmers should have good tight barn
yards or manure cellars, or else stable
their cows the whole year, and by mixing
muck or earth with the manure, will thu.
greatly increase their stock of fertilizer,
which should be evenly spread upon the
meadows in the Fall.
think farmers would do better TO get
out their manure in the spring and save
much hard work in the spring. They
should keep up with their work; it is
cheapest and best. There is more than
half the land in Vermont after being made
smooth, can be kept in the best condition
by top-dressing in the Fall.
There is too much plowing done; the
nearer the manure can be kept,to the sur
face and be covered the better on land we
cultivate. Haying should be done before
August, as late and close moving is very
bad for meadow land, also late feeding in
the Fall and early feeding in the Spring.
The land sloping to the north and west is
best adapted for pasturing and wheat
growing.
The dairy business has become the
greatest branch of farming in Vermont.
l think the best way to get good COWS and
cattle is to cross the Devon and Durham
breeds, as the Devon cow gives very
good quality of milk, while the Durham
gives large quantity In this way far
mers will improve their COWS and oxen.
1t pays best to keep all the stock WE'LL
Cows should be fed before calving and af-
ter till the first of june with at least two
quarts Of meal per day-one-half oats
and corn mixed. Cows, after calving,
should have a pail of warm water with
handful Of hops thrown in, and should
not be allowed to drink cold water till the
third or fourth day aud be kept in warm
place.
Farmers can raise from eight to ten
hundred bushels of turnlps per acre of
pood land, which with potatoes make good
eed with poor straw or hay. Potatoes,
urnips and carrots are good feed for sheep
'alves and colts, while oats and rye make
rood feed for sheep and carriage horses.
The best kind Of sheep for most farm
RS, is cross between large ine-wools and
'otswold varieties. This grade of sheep
Gill produce both wool and mutton. Ma
y farms and farmers are better adapted
keep sheep and young cattle than all
ows.
Calves. should be fed with milk and ear ,
cut hay until four months old I; such /,
sed is better than hay tea.
Farmers should endeavor to make suf-
cent quantity of manure from their hogs
}, manure his corn in the hill. They |
,ould quit raising hops and try to keep {
p the farm. i
Ox.teams on most farms are the cheap k
It and best, especially for boys or hired
EN- to use. A man to be good farmer
lould like his old hat, his frock, his thick y
,ots; love to improve hisstock, his farm,
S wood-lot, and in short, to love work.
are, order and system of carrying on :,
farm will save much perplexity and en-
'le one to keep up with his work. 1t is
ell for farmers to settle their accounts !.
cry year and know how they stand. i
Every farmer in Vermont can raise their !,
'n apples and crab fruit by getting trees
own in this state and setting them one
apart each way we'll enclosed, we'll h