Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-12-16
2fariculf,aral Department
I. D. R. COLLINS, Editor.
FALLACIES.

of agriculture, within the last twenty
years. This increase has called out new
writers among all classes of people law
yers, doctors, ministers, men engaged in
the laboratory as chemists, engineers,
merchants, seamen and mechanics, as
we'll as farmers themselves. All this af-
fords evidence of new interest in and
appreciation of the Importance of the
great art.
It is not strange, perhaps, that, in
this general awakening, many statements
may find their way into agricultural
journals that are fallacious, at least, and
sometimes of a positively injurious ma
ture. @
Persons write from excellent motives,
it may be, who have little or no acquain-
lance with the nature or manipulations
Of the soil, and, with seeming eandor
and fine style of expression, mislead
many farmers who have not the opportu-
nifty or inclination for critical investiga-
ton.
CORN FODDER FOR STOCK
One instance of this kind was in the
emphatic declarations made in various
portions of New England, that "corn-
fodder had little or no value as food for
mich COWS, or for other stock. This
was controverted by thousand tongues
and pens. Had it been thoroughly re-
ceived and acted upon as true, the amount
of milk, in some of our dairy towns, and
in other towns which furnish it for mar
ket, would have been greatly reduced in
quantity, if not utterly cut off during
the months of August, September and
October, in our usually dry seasons.
MUCK OF NO VALUE.
Another tallacy was in the avowal
that the deposits of vegetable matter in
our low lands, and in the valleys among
the hills, are of no value as manurial
agents. If this avowal were received as
a fact, by the farmers of New England,
the injury would be greater than any
fifty men could repair in lifetime.
BLOWING UP CATERPILLARs.
A paper before us has an account. by
a correspondent, of the means which he
adopts to keep his apple orchard clear of
tent caterpillars. 1t is not new device,
but one as old as it is tallacious and in
furious. 1t is by shooting into their
nests aoih loose poacderi He says "the
gun-any sort of smooth bore will do
is to be held within foot of the nest.
and the charge of powder to be used with
out wad or any ramming down" What
lowly minded and accommodating cater
pillars they must be to build their nests
so that the boys can amuse themselves
by standing on the ground and pointing
any sort of smooth bore within foot
of their nests, and blow them sky high
But what is to be done with those nests
in the top of the tree which cannot be
reached with long pole? All the
boys must climb to reach such unaccom-
modating ''varmints, - and perhaps blow
their own brains out before they reach
their enemies. 1t would be rather dan
gerous work to pull ones self and load
ed gun up through the branches of ;
tree. Shrewd boys would scarcely Dc
that, even if a grey squirrel or cool
were in the top. Had the correspondent
any experience in the matter, or was h
writing for 'Buncom 2"
Several objections lie against such
practice. l. 1t is too expensive. 2.
is dangerous. 8. 1t is not effectual. 4
It is injurious to the tree.
HOW TO DESTROY CATERPILLARs.
:, A simple and cheap method is to win
rag tightly around the end of a pole
!, long pole and short one-dip into
bucket of strong soap suds and swab tn
nest and surrounding branches with i
This will kill the caterpillars, and tn
suds will be of service to the tree. Wit
the two poles the operator will be alb
to reach every nest, and not get blow
= up himself.
HOW THESE FALLACIEs COME.
" These, and many other .fallacies, al
the result of writing about matters
. which the writer's have little or no pra
' ticalknowledge.
= Chemistry is an important adjunct
- the art of farming. But in order to il
~ struct the tillers of the soil, the chemic
- teacher should not be mere theoris
- but one who has himself analysed al
~ compounded, and knows that what
states is correct; otherwise, the inferen
ID es which he draws from his theori
ID might lead us astray.
O. This will prove true in all departmer
10 of human industry. With the boot N
ne ker, the blacksmith, the cabinet work,
as watch maker, the teacher in comm
a schools, and the orator and elocutioni
an What sort of an impression would t
ey latter make upon his class, who new
NJ stood erect before his audience or mad,
Tx graceful motion with hand or arm
lu' THE FARMER HAS THE FACTS.
Iar There are many good writer's upon &
. ricultural matters who are not farme