Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-21
COUNTY NEWS.
Cheese gEaAuGactureFs' Convention in
New EsPaintrcc.

chusettS cheese manufacturers association, be-
gan at the hotel hall in New Braintree yesterday
afternoon, the president, Thomas P. Root Of
Barre in the chair, and n. S. Hubbard of Brim-
field secretary. In the opening address by the
president allusion was made to some OF the
drawbacks upon the enthusiasm of past years,
as to the profits of agriculture in Massachusetts,
owing to the unpropitious seasons of the last
two or three years for many products. Yet he
could see no cause TOR Encouragement but
rather counSelled hopeful result tor the future
in New England husbandry, confident that VIII "A
the true principles Of agricultural science are
understood and practically applied, our farmers
will meet with as full return of the profits of
their labors as when applied to any other field
of industrial effort.
Prof. Levi Stockbridge, of the Massachusetts
agricultural college, Amherst, was then intro
duced, aud gave a very able and practical adj
dress on what may be called the chemistry of
agriculture, comprising scientific researches
into and chemical analyses of the various in
gradients of the soil, ms Il basis upon which to
found a system OF agriculture which can be APP
piled as successfully and with as much profit in
proportion 10 the outlay, in New England and
in our own county of Worcester, as in any other
locality, inside or outside of the United States
He SAID the natural suSenance or food of plants
and animals was composed of essentially the
same ingredients. The great question ithen
was, as to the method of increasing
the capacity of the soil. In some of the
the populous countries Of the old world, France,
for instance, whose territory is not larger than
our one state of Texas, we have good illustra-
tionsn her immense agricultural products /.
what soil may produce. If we would reap like
comparative results, we must follow the system
which nature teaches. II the soil Of New Eng
land fails, it is because the tilIer trausgresses
natures laws.
The lecturer spoke of the two great elias -, of
ingredients going to make up the soil, muclt he
largest in amount Of which is the rocky = :.
of the globe, the lesser portion being in re al,
mosphere. These two classes of ingredients
have different characteristics and otices-act
and react on each other-composition and de-
composition is continually going on,
producing all the changes and results
we see, in earth and air. Water, in its
three forms, as vapor, liquid, and a solvent,
changes the soil and carries food to the plants.
1t was our duty to see that it was constantly
present in the soil. Nothing could resist the
penctratinr mower of water as noticed in its
effects upon the rocks: IFS expapsion by freez-
ng being one of the great causes Of the disinte-
Grafton of the buoe masses of rock composinr
the oloho Tho NEXT creot AGENT was the air of
which tbo nopirold influences nenetroted every
otbor substanca tho essantioI inprodionts of owl
,o, ri,,o,ro,, e., ho;n, ovolvod and ertor;rr
-
mo new coihoiuaUohs WIN otheI eleueuts
compose material sustcnance for plants and ami
mails these essential elements hcinu notosb suI-
~,
P"''cS' PioS piu'eS' W. An0 'ouS'"l' "ee
Iation Of food for plants in the soil, to
be worked into animal organisms, was
o,or +f,oI,esl,. ro;, on COT viii, an r,d,o c,,,
o''' ti'e'VS'N 'o'"I ~" w "'''i gu u''''''G
tlYatioh OF the SOIL dcterloratcs 1t, ana the
power to consume Increases faster than the in
yigorotinr mower or nature to increase fine sum
- -. -,
ply inS ohJe0' ""S ~ iheie"oe the pant i0Ou
without decreasing the capacity for supply.
We must devise eXpedjents TO make the soil
.,,,,sa,,,:o,,t 60 ,ho ,,+rrol so,,oos nj sr,,l,
''N'i' " '"0 - 9"'P''
Certmn plants were specially aulpted 10 par
ticular soils. The rotation of crops was
rocor,ronded nc = rcmcdv .s oGnrding t,,no
lor inc son 10 rest, so 10 speak crop ROTATION,
however, did not increase the power of nature
70 increase productiop. To do This we must
~, -, a.. r., Iii,
hi"h9 ihoie Pot0lt anu i"P'" t'0 i"i''o "ii0h
cause action, and for this reason we must under
stand the chemical agency which brings these
-, i,,.,, ,a.;.,it,. ,o,i,an ,,,,o,I,, nv,
'''Ne' me- ''N'.' i' 'N''N"' ~
would be an efficient agency in increasing
This activity. The insane cuttinp away of our
forests was deplored. MS removing an essential
agency in making our soil productive IL was
orr duty TO improve our soil and make ii more
raniily productive bv observing natures laws
the more closely we adhere to nature and her
laws in all respects, the more productive shall
we make our husbandry, generally, and the
more rcmuneratiyc and profitable our labor up.
on fine farm.
On the subject of manurial agents, the lee
turcr said we were apt TO think more of them
than of the real soil,F and not 10 discriminate
propcrIy, ANY substance which contained plant
food or which by its action makes plant food of
material already in the soil, was manure. 1t
was ycly important to understand the special
adaUtation of manlres. and the best mode of
applyinp them Ashes lime plaster phos-
pilates &c, were spoken of, with reference to
the nr0uer way of usinr them.
An interesting discussion on various subjects
touched upon in Professor Stockhridge's lee
ture. followed. by invitation of the president, in
which Natbl Holland and Dr. George Brown of
Barre s. N Hubbard of Brimield, Alexander
Hyde of Lee, and Others, took part, the profess
sor satisfactorily answering various questions
asked of him in farther explanation OF his views,
which were generally concurIed in. As to the
way ~ which 10 renovate our worn out pasture
lands, he answered, by putting back on them
what they have carried away, in the shape of
beef, butter, cheese, etc, by pasturing TIL the
soil is exhausted, and that fertility can be re-
stored only by free application of the iertil-
izing clemens or by running them again to
forests, etc Common sense and natures laws
taught this.
At the evening session, beginning at seven
O'Clock, another able address was delivered by
Alexander Hyde, Esq, of Lee, on "The chemis-
try of milk, butter and cheese" lie began with
fhe ANALYSIS of milk To show that il is n pcrlect