Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-14

Dairy farming and wool growing are the
only systems which insure, not only main
tanning, bat increasing perpetually and rap
IDLY the fertility and productiveness of the
soil and with proper protection, both oil
these branches of husbandry might be great
ly increased in this country and still main
tain remunerative prices for all produced.
Dairy exports are rapidly on the increase,
and American batter and cheese are now
equal, IT net superior to those of any other
other country, and yet the excellence and
preservative quality of both may easily be
greatly improved by greater care and skill
in their manipulation. The wagon loads in
New York are in shocking condition, as
they are everywhere " here the . labor tax -
system prevails. The river counties of east
ern New York are largely devoted to milk
production ; they bad been reduced, by grain
culture, to low condition of fertility, be-
| fore the milk business was embarked in
which was impracticable until railroad
transportation was supplied, now abundant
and convenient. In many districts great
loss and inconvenience have been suffered
! of late by milk producers and the " middle
men " for want Of water.
9 Root culture is almost entirely neglected
in New York, but Indian corn blades and
stalks for feeding both cattle and horses, in
both the green and dry state, are highly
priced.
found no farmer, however, who had
learned the great secret of curing cornstalks
! for winter use, which is this The fodder
corn, in that latitude, should be planted as
early in the season as the ground can be
( fitted for the seed il should be planted in
close drills, say two feet, and be cultivated
sufficiently TO keep it free from weeds until
the shade of the crop will prevent their
Z grOUfh NariafiaE OF Ynadinua 0r0vxth arc
I preferable for the largest or smallest, for
I fodder, and three bushels Of seed per acre is
the proper quantity, The ground should be
! fertile, and the crop should be harvested at
! the period that the larger portion of the
/ pollen IS falling from the tassle. When cut
| it should be laid in small gavels, and there
remain two to four fair days, turning it over
every day towards evening. 1t should then
| be bound in small sheafs, when free from
rain water, and be placed in well bound
stocks Of eight or ten sheayes each. Corn for
| fodder should be cut and cured at least four
weeks before there is any severe frost, as it
! is impracticable to cure it SO that it may be
safely moved or stacked, if it is not cured
before the frosty season sets in,
. Ordinarily, it may be safely stored in a
close barn or NOW after it has stood six or
eight weeds in the stock, if hauled when
dry. The closer the NOW is in which it is
stored the better viii it keep, and it will be
/ less injured by heating in the NOW unsalted
than sailed.
There is a great error in the opinion
entertained by farmers generally, with re-
gard TO the preservative effects of a small
quantity Of salt applied to hay and stalks
| in the NOW or stack. A quantity must be
applied that would be Injurious to the ami
mails, to preserve the forage. When forage
highly sailed is fed to animals, irregularly
salted, it will be eaten with aYidity, even if
| it is badly moulded, but it is eaten for the
salt and the nutrition of the moulded forage
ls equally impaired whether sailed or not
and any amount of mould impairs the quality
of it, in a greater degree than is generally
supposed. Corn for soiling purposes
may even be planted as late as July, but for
curing for winter use it should be planted
early in the season.
" Improvements in the way Of landscape
decoration is in many parts Of the state very
apparent, and | found productive cold gra-
peries on unpretending farms. Vegetable
growth is much more rapid in high than low
ATTITUDES. | found a variety of corn that
will under favorable circumstances fully
mature, and be fit to grind, in ninety days
from planting, and when planted properly
will yield sixty bushels or more to the acre.
g The wages of farm labor are high in
New York, and the quality poor. One OF
the serious difficulties Of the dairy business
8 to keep good mixers, and cheese makers.
1t struck me that everything pertaining to
the dairy business in the district of New
York that visited, was rudely and imper-
ectly conducted. Milk and all products are
sensitive to impurities, hence the greatest
possible degree of neatness is requisite
Should the dairy business ever be overdone,
the land will be in a condition favorable TO
almost any other production