Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-14
From the Country Genilem
Highly Improved Farming.


We are indebted to DR.. l. j. Trimble for
copy Of his report Of visit to the celebra.
ted Worth Farm on the Brandywne near
the battlefield Of revolutionary fame Our
readers will be interested in the account
which we condcnse from this report.
The farm was originally 800 acres encum.
bered with debt, and worn down by bad
management The fields grew coarse sedge.
and the hedge.rows Of brcrs and bushes
were a rod wide along the line. Of the decay
ol fences Corn yielded ten 70 fifteen bush.
els per acre, and wheat FIVE to ten. -Four or
five cows and as many calves constituted the
stock. This was in past years. Good farm
ing has changed the face Of everything There
are now (lS1o) sixty head Of beef cattle,
sixteen oxen, one hundred and SIX cows, TWEEN
ty-two horses besides calves and small animals
The corn crop for the last ten years has aver
aged seventy.fvo bushels per acre wheat,
twenty-five oats fifty and the hay two
aud a half tons per acre. DR.. Trimbe pro-
cured the certificate Of the surveyor giving
the measurement of corn field last year, OF
thirteen acres and slIty.nne perches, and the
measurement Of the cribs in which the crop
was stored, making rather more than one
hundred and ten shelled bushels per acre.
Last season being so hot, favored this extra
ordinary product, but there were other causes,
which we briefly state.
When this farm passed into It's present
management, lime was tried sparngy at first
It's value was soon proved and It's applica-
ton has been continued at short intervals
until between 200 and 800 bushels have been
applied to every acre. The land appears now
TO have enough Ditch banks were drawn to
the barnyards for composing These lertili.
zers gave clover a start, and this plant enter
ed largely into the improving process. White
clover and blue grass followed, and the rich
extensive pastures thus created, have for
many years fed large herds Of beef cattle
These cattle have made large quantities Of
manure. No hay or araic IS erer sold, and
nearly all The grain is fed on The farm All
these causes combined have brought the land
to its present high condition.
DR.. Trimble says:
" The rotation of crops on the Worth farm
is corn oats, wheat and clover, but the latter
is soon crowded out by the natural grasses
which not only take, but hold possession
We saw fields Of green grass that have not
been plowed for thirty years. Such a sod is
a mass Of grass roots, and being turned under
but few inches, decays in time to iertilize
the growing corn and as the chief part Of
the feeding roots of that crop are near the
surface, corn planted upon such sod, 50
powed, finds the right food in the right place
and ] 10 shelled bushels to the acre says 80 Fl
Again we quote
l,,ll.u..o
sheds. In 1909 when the lime began to tel
its story, barn, 40 feet by seventy, wa
built 1t was in the Pennsylvania style
doublo-decker. The neighbors who assste,
at the raising all said it would never be filled
but in ten years more room was required
and playhouse, "a by so feet, was added
and this also was soon filled now there ar
great stacks besides Tho Worth farm ha
not only grown in productiyeness but it ha
increased in size in the same proportion. Ii
1877, 35 acres were added, costing 500 pc
acre, making $780, in 1925, 93 at $50
S4,650; in 1888, SO at $50, 81 $40; in 1882
90 at sos, s9,ll4; in 1867, $40 at Sl35
S32 $500; making total of s57 ,304. Tn,
farm now being nearly 900 acres, diyde'
into four parts and managed under the super
vision Of the owners, by the four young me
Of the family. The number of acres unde
cultivation in 1870 has been about $50 10
have been moved about so in timber; leaV
ing about 500 in grass for grazing TIL
stock Of $40 was 60 head Of beef cattle, 10
head cows, l6 head oxen, 8 head youn
cattle % horses, 80 head sheep, and !
large and As small hogs, making total
ABB animals--poultry in vast Numbers N
included The farm buildings on the diifere
divisions of this property are like those
all other well-to-do farmers in this part
Pennsylvania the dwellings Of stone tv
stories high and four or five rooms on foo
We were in these houses, even the kitchen
one of them; it was large, light, and neat
wax there was the range the hot and co
water pipes--in fact, all the modern co
yeniences We counted five great barns O
double.deckers. The fences were all of ches
nut rails These are cut from fifty acres
the barrens," a few miles off. The chestn
on such lands is of rapid growth and bea
cutting of clean every fifteen or twenty yea
Hedges Of Usage orange were coming into u
The question was asked, Have you trout
in getting all the labor you want \
any, was the reply Wages were about g.
month, or s240 a year, including boar
The married men have houses, gardens, CO
pasture, fre-wood, and other privileges tn
is, a laborer who is faithful is as well pa
and made as comfortable a. he can expect
be as laborer, and he seldom changes.
saw no Irishmen on these farms. Young III
Of fortune often 60 there to learn agricultu
practically, and they work, and thus {
knowledge worth having. OF course labor
economical as much rs possible by machinei
The cutting and securing Of two hundred
three hundred tons Of hay in the old W
would cost immense labor, but with the mo
err, tedder, horse.rake and fork il is comp
atively easy, and tickle weather is not now
cause of so much anxiety. Since rairot
bring cattle from the far West making b
has not been so profitable in the EastC
States Formerly cattle kept nine or
months were expected to bring at least dou
what they cost. Last year a steer weight
LOO pounds, cost, at 6lcents per poui
s7l.50 Such a steer is expected to incre
400 pounds, or to 1900, aud when sold
slcents making $50 profit per head and
these cattle usually receive about ten bush
of corn meal each in the latter part Of
winter, the profit is much less than max
butter or selling milk. Butter-making, h,
ever, involves so much care and labor u
the female portion of the family that it
not been adopted on this farm. A year q
one Of the young men resolved to try chez
making. A factory was built, three Of
four divisions of the farm were stocked v
ninety-six cows. Neighbors contributed
milk Of seventy or eighty more. have /
specimen Of the cheese, and some stats
Of the business This statement, however
only the account of thirty-fve cows kept
one Of the divisions of the farm. Profit
thirty-fye cows from the first of third mo-
1870 TO first of first month, 1871, thirty.
calves, s2l2; commenced making CHI
April IL, and ended November IS mill
that time l5s,7S5 pounds-making l6,
pounds cheese, or s2,4s7.44j milk sold
November Is till January l, 1871, g.
quarts, at 7 cents s242.97 the pigs
upon the whey will make clear prof
5000. This makes profit Of just about
per cow-charging each COW, as he die