Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-08-26
From the Vermont Farmer
THE CRAFTSBURY MEETING.

Of the Board of Agriculture last week
was somewhat better attended than that
held at Newport, but it is evident that
the summer season is a poor time to hold
Farmers Meetings.
The first session was held on Thurs.
day afternoon, l. D. R. Collins, ESQ.,,
being called to the chair. The first pa
per read was very good and sugges-
tive one by Rev. Horace Herrick, of
Wolcott on "7he Benefits of Scientific |
Farming" The author discussed the
various causes of the exhaustion of the
soil, and the most effective mode by
which ''run OUT land may be economi-
cally restored. Following the paper was
a discussion upon the use of ashes as
fertilizer. Prof. Collier enquired wheth-
er ashes were much used by the farmers
of the vicinity, and Mr.. Collins replied
that all that was made was applied to
the crops, usually to corn, either in their
leached or unleached condition Judge
Hastings spoke of ashes as not being of
much value in dry year, if sufficient rain
fell the favorable results were manifest.
Prof. Collier said that when a boy on his
fathers farm IN central New York, he
remembered that large piles of leached
ashes, some that had lain for many years
exposed to the weather, had been bro't
up and shipped by canal and river to
Long Island, to be applied to the land
Judge Hastings had applied leached ash
es to an unproductive meadow, spreading
it on the most barren knolls These
next year yielded thick growth of fine
grass. Being much encouraged by the
result of his experiment he next year
attacked a 80 year old pile of leached
ashes and spread it on his grass ground
with excellent results He believed
that these old ash-heaps, though depriv-
ed to considerable extent of their pot
ash, were very valuable, and thought 1t
q probable that by lying long time there
was formation of nitre which was very
! beneficial to grass.
Mr. Jameson said that considerable
had been said about the exhaustion of
t potash from the soil by growing potatoes
for the starch factories But he thought
it paid, nevertheless, as often farmer
would clear in year, by the sale of po-
: tatoes, sum equal to the entire value
r of the land. He was in favor of growing
potatoes as long as they were so very
profitable, even if they did exhaust the
p land ..s,s...
/ DR.. Hoskins remarked that this was
: only question of profit and loss. II
,e the necessary application of ashes could
5. made to the potato field to. replace the
r potash carried away in the tubers. at g
cost that would still leave profit to the
IF grower, he was in favor of potato grow.
IF ing too. But it was important tina
10 farmers should know first what they wer,
+ taking from the soil in the different crops
D. otherwise they might ignorantly injur'
10 their land very seriously. He spok
ce also of the large amount of potash in thu
o. tops of potatoes, and hoped they woulc
IS always be saved and composted, if no
a covered in digging.
o. Mr.. Thorpe, of Morristown, said tina
IL in his experience liberal application Q
ashes to grass land was apt to Undue
messing over, and asked if there was an
: remedy. None was suggested, but
o. has occurred to us since, that mossin
ad would only occur when the grass wa
no thin, and we would suggest, in case
,lv was not desired to turn over the sod an
Is. re.ceed, that messing might be in meas
ed. ure prevented by narrowing and sowin
ar grass seed at the same time with tt
ed ashes
nd Referring to the exhaustion of IL
ich land by potato raising in early time
ne, and the subsequent rotting of the tube
pt- (Which occurred about the time distill
net ton of potato whiskey was suppresst
to in Vermont,) Judge Hastings said tn
dill one old farmer of his acquaintance the
asst attributed the rot to Gods cursing Il
ess potato as punishment to the people b
for cause they stopped the manufacture
vas whiskey.
tut THURSDAY ETENING.
wn Prof. Collier gave his lecture up
sed Commercial Fertilizers" which has
OILS. ready appeared in the columns of t
the Farmer. After the lecture number
hat enquiries were made in regard to vario
Oh fertilizers. The Professor said that
bile analyses already made (Which have q
peared in the Farmer would be print
lich in his Annual Report, and that he shot
the continue to make and publish SINH
She analyses from time to time, as occasi
ude should require.
yer, FRIDAY MORNING.
wen Mr.. Jameson read his paper on" Ora.
HISS which was given at the Newport me
ing, exhibiting some forty-fve specim,
of native and cultivated grasses.