Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-24
Il Woodstock, Thursday and Friday, Jan.
uary 10 and n.
Thursday Afternoon.

president OF the windsor County Agricultural
Society was called to the chair.
In the absence Of Governor Converse, who
was detained from attendance by illness, the
welcoming address was made by DIR. Henry
Boynton, in his usual happy and eloquent
manner.
At the conclusion Of DR.. Boynton's address,
in accordance with the programme Of the
meeting, the editor of the FARMER made a
brief address upon Science and Practice in
Manuring" Following this was short dis
cussion.
Mr.. Stafford, Of Quechee, wished to know
which commercial fertilizer the speaker con-
sidered the best.
DIR. Hoskins replied that he had used sew
eral kinds, BradlCy's and the Cumberland,
and found them both good. He also had
found the Green Mountain Soluble Phosphate,
made at Burlington, most excellent article.
Prof. Collier remarked that the science Of
manures means only knowledge of ma
nures but to arrive at true knowledge we
must have the experience of different farmers,
for experience is the basis Of all knowledge.
Mr.. Douglass, of Whiting, called attention
to the waste or neglect of potash, one of the
most necessary and valuable of all our fer
tilizers, which takes place on almost all our
farms. He also spoke of the effort nature
constantly makes to restore the fertility OF
our run down soils, and felt that if farmers
would only cooperate intelligently with ma
ture it would not be difficult to bring back
its original fertility to the soil of Vermont.
He also commented on the bad economy Of
permitting bones to be collected and shipped
out of the state, when they ought to be re-
turned to the soil. We must know what the
plants we cultivate require to bring them to
perfection, and must then learn the proper
modes of supplying and applying the neces.
sary materials. Mr.. Douglass also spoke Of
the great difference in various deposits Of
muck in regard to their value as manure
Some he thought worth at least half as much
as good stable manure, while other sorts,
usually from evergreen swamps, are worth.
less and even hurtful to vegetation.
DIR. Hoskins remarked that mucks varied
in value for the same reason that stable
manures vary. Straw manure was very ill.,
ferior to manure from cattle fed with grain
or clover hay. So hard wood muck was bet
ter than that formed of decomposed MOSES
and evergreens. Some muck was even poi.
sonous to the soil, owing to its containing
some element which he was inclined to be.
lieve was an excess of some salt of iron.
Mr.. Jameson, of Irasburgh, said that the
method of manuring land so as to reap q
profit must necessarily vary with the kind Of
crops grown and the prices realized. A mar.
ket gardener near a town can afford to ma.
nurc higher than a farmer who grows grain
and grass.
Mr.. Montague, OF Woodstock, then read
paper on Root Culture, which we shall
publish in full in the FARMER The hour
being late the meeting adjourned without
discussion.
Thursday Evening.
The first paper this evening was upor
Fruit Culture" by Joseph c. Mckenzie
ESD, Of Woodstock.
Mr.. Mckenzie began by insisting upor
the care of fruit trees, saying that not one il
fifty of the trees planted in Vermont evel
pay cost, from want of care. He had bought
trees from various nurseries, and thought i
made little difference where the trees werC
bought, provided they were good trees anC
afterwards taken care of. Prefers north
west slope for an orchard, as being less likely
to be injured by climate. His first attemp
to make an orchard failed at first, from
planting in grass. But on blowing up tn,
land, and digging around the trees they start
ed and grew thriftily, and now has fn'
and thrifty orchard. Does not fear strong
growth Has cultivated and cropped thu
land most Of the time but MANFRED it we'll
No man need expect to gather fruit from al
uncultvated orchard in Vermont. Mr.. Nc
Keuzie exhibited some very fue specimens o
fruit from his orchard embracing Rhode Is
land Greening, Ribston Plppin, King o
Tompkins County, Golden Pippin, Bethe
Apple, Baltimore, &C., &c.
DR.. II. A. Cutting, of Lunenburg, theI
gave Il very interesting lecture upon the Mi
croscope and its Revelations" Besides many
matters not specially relating to agriculture
DR.. g. spoke Interestingly of the microscopic
plants that affect, in the form of rust, smut
&c, the various cultivated plants; aud ast
the trichina Spiralis, the minute hesh-worn
that occasionally infests the hog, and trans
ferred alive to the human subject, propagate
so rapidly as to fill the flesh of the victim
with these Boring worms, which frequently
cause death by general inflammation Of tn,
muscles which they penetrate. The Dr's
lecture, which was illustrated by larg
number of colored drawings of enlarged mi
croscopic objects, was received with hearty
applause.
Following DR.. Cuttings lecture, there wa
an interesting discussion on apple growing
especially in relation to cropping or seeding
down orchard ground. The general testi
mOny was that crops should not be grown il
an orchard unless an abundant supply o
manure was given. Clover was regarded a
specially injurious to young orchard. TIL,
amount of annual growth desirable in appl
trees was discussed Mr.. Mckenzie though
there was no risk in the strongest growth