St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-03-31

> Another means of restoring lost fer
tili,v is bv bringing back from the ocean
salt, fish, and other substances known to
the farmer as commercial fertilizers. And
here again we wish to invoke the aid of
the Hon. Board. We have paid thous
ands Of dollars yearly for the last six or
eight years in this county alone, for these
commercial manureS. Some brands have
given good satisfaction one year and the
next they are comparatively worthless
Other brands have never given general
satisfaction, and we are obliged TO ac-
knowledge, hum5ling as it may BE-, that
the majority Of us who purchase these
fertilizers are at loss after we have used
them whether or not they were good
investment. Now il the Board of Agrl-
culture have the means at their command
to procure an analysis Of the leading Ter
tllizcrs offered for sale TO the farmers OF
the state, telling them ust how much
they are worth as Il manure, we shall be
able, through the assistance thus render
ed, to buy the good, Gfthere is any, and
reject the worthless. In behalf OF the
working farmers, those who till their
lands with their own hands, L ask the
Hon. Board to do all in this direction
their means will allow, with the aSsur-
ancc from US that we will Just whisper
in the ears Of our lawmakers, that in iu-
turc much larger appropriation for the
use of the Board must be made. The
money that has been paid from this coun-
ty alone, that | fear has been nearly
thrown away, would have enabled the
Board 10 analyzc these compound, and
given The results TO every farmer in the
state The trouble has been heretofore
that we wanted something TO enrich our
farms, and we had no Board OF Agricul-
turc to apply TO for assistance, and 80
we have ''gonc it blind
1. Another means of restoring lost
fertility is the blowing under Of green
crops. and the use of lime and plaster for
top dressing In the south cotton Is
called king, in the west wheat aad corn
are king, but i'll Vermont graSS, if it is
not king, is the foundation Of all good
farming. Our grass crop exceeds all 9TH
er crops combined. Most Of our soil can
be rendered fertile by blowing under
what can be crown upon it for Il very
few years. Clover, buckwhrat and 9TH
cr green crops Will rapidly restore the
ftril ty Of our poorest soil. He should
adopt the En- lliSh custom that ''thc pro-
duets Of the soil should 90 TO market on
foot ami not in Il wagon," implying that
we feed out instead OF selling our Grain
crops. No Vermont farmer should sell
Il pound Of hay or hushcl of grain until
his last acre of tillage land is brought up
TO lis highest state Of cultivation. We
hear Il great deal said about scndin. our
; money west for cJrn to feed our stock.
am not alarmed at this at ali. Every
+ carload of western corn that i brought
r into Vermont and iudici ru>ly trl, Is .iu-t
. bringing 80 much of the rich lraiii. and
aldm" it to our cNhau-tc soil. Tn,
+ farmer THAI can pct the price of his gralr
in the increased value al the animals IL
| which it i fed will b. making MONEY,
for the addition 10 his manure heap,
will more than pay for the expense "i
feeding.
>. Last but not least the planting OF
forest trees for adornmcnt and for en-
: riching the soil. Sciencc tells that u>,
in proportion to the destruction OF oul
forests do our our rivers and streams dry
up, drouth cnsuc and vegetation fail.
Springs that years ago were never known
to fail, are now very often dry i'll sum
l -, | ~,
:. courage the growth Of forest trees. lie
the youn" or middle AGED farmer sc
apart ten acres of his least valuable pas
: turc land to the growing Of wood. lH
: no stock run upon it for Il few years
Let him spcnd Il few leisure days eacl
Sp,ing in planting trees upon it, AMI h,
= will leave Il better Inheritance TO hi
family than 4 thousand dollar policy il
any life insurance company in the mite,
states. Few persons are aware Of I'll,
rapidIty with which wood grows in thi
y state. There are 4 few acres OF hi4l
land about one mile from this VILLAGE, al
most in sight from those western win
dOws, that siX:y-tUur years ago grew
good crop Of corn, planted among til
logs, Indian fashion. The owner dying
- it was left to itself. 1t Grew up agai
to wood 1t has been twice thinnc,
> out, much good wood beirg taken iron
it, and now has | 10 sugar trees to til
" acre that have been used as such for Il
to eight years. That maple grove is al
" mired by all who see it, and 5000 pc
acre would no doubt be refused 10y til
~ owner to-day. This accidental growl
- Of forest only shows what might be az
~ complished by a judicions system of tol
=, est culture. One word about forest tree
for adornmcnt. Who does no; look wit
II pleasure upon the native tees that SUI
" round many of our Vermont homes
>, And who docs not regret the want {
!" taste in those who having the means nee
II lect this cheap and simple adornmen
- Look at the forest trees that surroun
u many of the dwellings in this village
- most of them having been planted will
~ ~ in a comparatively short time. The
-" furnish Il shield from the bleak winds All
- Il welcome shade from the scorching SUI
The planting Of forest trees tender to I'll
cnriching of the soil by preventing I'll
u washing by rains and melting snow
W and the yearly growth OF leaves iurni>
is an ample dressing TO the soil
j. trust that with what may be don
Y by the Board and other agencies, we ma
h inaugurate 4 system of Improvement {
v the soil that will result in doubling Il
al farm products of the state within IL