St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-03-17

al society, presided at all The mee'i'e''
We copy summary Ct the proceedings
of the meetings from the Times who hau
a reporter present:
At TIE opening session Prof. Collier
spoke briefly Of the objects and aims OF
the board, presenting the idea that 1t was
to aid in developing the industries of the
state, depending upon the cooperation
of the farmers and tile good citizens of
the state not thus employed. perhaps
overhrowing some errors, establishing a
few important truths, and bringing about
other results that cannot be wrought out
by individual effort.
L. +. Jameson Of Irasburg, then read
a paper on s'Vermont as Home urS-
ing that love of home is desirable, and
that if Vermont is not place of resi-
dencc that can be loved, it is right to
leave it as hundreds do and 60 to place
where natural affections can be developed,
but statistics prove that Vermont aver
ages more fertile acres than any other
state, with but one or two exceptions.
The yield of our farms is satisfactory
and prices make labor rcmunerative.
Real estate also advances in price, and
were Young men and capital retained our
progress would be repaid and homes in
Vermont would be the most attractive
of any in the land.
The paper read by DIR. IIosklns Thurs
day evening, was upon the difficulties OF
fruit raising and upon the varieties most
desirable here A valuable discussion
followed.
Friday morning j. Lawrence read a
paper upon Exhaustion of the soils and
how to Restore them" They are eX-
haustcd by cutting and burning the TIM
Der by successive crops of grain from
new land, carried away and sold; by
continuous pasturing and selling the cat
tie, butter, cheese and wool; by selling
hay and other produce and not returning
manures TO the land. Soil restored by
feeding the crops upon the farm, saving
the manurcs and juliciously applying
them, and by rotation of crops and plow-
Ing in green growing crops OF clover or
buckwheat. A spirited discussion fol-
lowed
Mr.. Jameson thought the cutting of
forest trees did not affect Our climate, as
the winds and waves of temperature that
causes the changes of weather originated
away in the northern regions, or south
beyond the Gulf Stream, which sweep
over the country with great rapidity as
the White Mountain hcrmts found ut
the rate of from 80 TO 100 miles an hour.
Indeed our country is more healthy to
have the low lands cleaned up and the
water drained out 50 that the best farms
are where formerly it was waste land.
Scientific men say that if the ground Is
shaded it does not signify whether 1t Is
Il crop of clover or trees 10 or 30 feet
high.
Mr.. n. Il. Stafford of White River
Junction, gave an interesting account OF
the good effects of blowing i'll clover and
other green crops. lie plowed in clover
and had 27l bushels of wheat per acre,
while n ncighbor on similar land close by
had wheat straw too poor to thresh. lie
had always had good results from blowing
in a luxuriant growth of forage, but it
is one of the hardest things TO do. He
had been called n fool many times when
he plowcd in clover of one or two tons
per acre, yet it had paid as the land now
would furnish food for forty cattle, eighty
sheep and six horses, where ten years
ago only four cattle could be kept.
Friday afternoon Il paper waS read
from A. Is. Pringlc on Commercial
Fertilizers" and n very instructive al
dress from Prof. Collier, on the "Nutri-
ton of Plants
A brief discussion followed in regard
to the best method OF getting fertilizer
TO supply the proper nutrition to crops,
the need of perfect analysis of the con-
tents of the ba.s and barrels sold to
farmers, so that one might know what
they were buying. The value of muck,
tan bark, and India wheat hulls were
spoken Of as absorbcnts for liquid ma
nures. and muck for composing. ENpc-
riments were cited TO prove its value.
A vote of thanks was returned to the
Board and gentlemen present for holding
this meeting. A desire was also expires
sed that the papers read and the discus
sions had should be printed i'll all the
newspapers of the state.