Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-07-12
The Great Want of Vermont Farmers.
PAPER READ At TIM RECENT MEETING
OF rHr VERMONT hoard or AGRICULTURE, ~
RANDOLPH

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The Vermont farmers have, as general
rule, received good common school education.
Go into their habitations and you will see the
signs of thrift and enterprise Books, pamphlets
and periodicals upon literature, politics and
religion, are found upon their tables, and are
read and studied with an interest unknown to
many Of the pursuits Of life. Even the good
housewife too often the slave Of man usn-
ally finds time amidst her crosses and trials
to persue her monthly magazine, to examine
the fashion plates to study the many useful
receipts therein pertaining to her calling, not
found in her standard cooking manual, or
weep DER tale that reminds her Of hopes
that have vanished with youth
Yet with all this general intelligence which
we have Justly awarded to the farmers Of
Vermont, they are still sadly deficient How
many fully understand and are alive to the
Importance of saving aud utilizing the manu-.
rial substances found upon their farms How
few Of our farmers realize the great value Of
the vast deposits Of muck, peat and other
vegetable matter that has been accumulatng
upon their farms and neghborhood for CEN
uries as fertilizers, when properly applied
How many Of our farmers are alive TO the
fact that the urine from their stock is Of more
value as plant-food than the solid droppings
Aud yet how many farm buildings in former
times were built tsome still exist with con-
venient reference to carrying the soluble por-
lions Of the manure into some adjoining
stream, an entire loss to the farm
How few are aware Of the great value Of
the leaves Of the forest that each and every
wear collect in holows and beside fences, and
how little labor is needed to convey them to
the stable, increasing the comforts Of the stock
and adding largely to the value Of the ma
nuro heap. How many Of our farmers fully
comprehend the value Of the fertilizing mat
ter allowed to 60 to waste in and about our
best regulated farm houses
1t is the common opinion among farmers
that if they feed to their stock the coarse fod-
der and perhaps portion Of their grain, they
ought to keep up the fertility Of their farms
IL is allowed that each man, woman and child
viii consume on an average five bushels Of
grain for their bread per annum. AT this
estimation family of six persons consumes
thirty bushels Of grain, which is the average
Of two acres Of wheat in the country. Now
add to this the vegetables, milk, butter, cheese,
meat etc, and how much less than an acre
each of tllage land does it require TO furnish
the subsistence Of the inhabitants Of the State
And yet how few Of our farmers appreciate
the waste, or make any serious effort to pre-
vent it,
Our English cousins adopt every practical
method to utilize the contents of the priyy.
Here too often it becomes a nuisance, source
Of sckenng ef1uvia and disease, and yet with
comparatively little labor in the judicious use
Of muck, the wash from the roadsides, or even
dry earth, can this great waste be utilized
and added to the manurial substance of the
farm, largely increasing its products aud prof.
its. But after he has rigidly economical all
the fertilizing properties upon his farm, he
finds them inadequate to his wants, and lack
ing confidence in science, he asks, what shall
do TO restore fertility to my soil, and enable
me to obtain remuneratiye crops?"
Here let us look for a moment at English
husbandry. 1t is said that they have doubled
the products of their soil within the last fifty
years. How have they done it Agriculture
was then so low that general alarm was felt
throughout the Kingdom. Parliament took
up the subject science came to the rescue
The people were taught the value of bones,
phosphates and ammonia as fertilizers, and
the importance of high feed to give rich ma
nure. Ever awake to her interests, the En-.
glish at once subsidized the world. Bones
we're brought from the continent Of Europe
and Americas ammonia and phosphate in
the form of guano, from the islands of the
Pacific; and corn and oil meal for feed to
increase their stock and enrich their manure
heaps were purchased largely in our markets
and to-day the English farmers are as much
better fed, educated and as much Weather
as their crops are larger than they were fit,
years ago And they now say to America
every bushel of your corn we feed plants $
much Of your rich prairie upon our denude
soil Would it not be well for the Gree
Mountain farmer to make note and tur
down leaf here2'
Another great want of the Vermont farm
ers Is some system Of cooperation Scatter