Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-01-11

OiO IASLhChb W lllS III 5lCSb Vi OblANAS /
Common nanures must be used in !
connection with commercial fertilizers. |
The same principle applies to other
vegetables, grains and grasses.
Every farmer should be supplied
with the standard works on Agricul-
ture. In connection with the study
Of these works let this club he MAIN
tanned. Here you can meet and dis
cuss questions connected with the
employment in which you are engaged.
Let our soil be put in condition to
to raise bread-stuffs, instead of send
ing money to the West to buy them.
Let all those interested take hold
of this matter. Let them reason, let
them think so that when others
come to look at your fine fields, and
wonder at your prosperity, you will
be able to
'Teach him that States of native strength
possessed
Though very poor. may still be very blessed.
That trades proud empire hastos to swift decay
As ocean sweeps the labored mole away:
Whilst selfdependcnt power can time defy,
AS rocks resist the pillows and the sky"
Following Mr.. Crawford, Col. w.
d. Weeks read the following essay on
the same subject:
presume it was not expected by the Com.
mittee who appointed me one of the persons
to open this discussion that should offer any
i wi IN far tbotI
should advocate any "new departure" as
should thus advocate a theory contrary to my
practice, having followed the old customs of
farming, with. trust, some improvements.
First, then, do not believe IN making
specially of any one thing in the line of
farming. Several standard crops should
be raised on very great majority of our
farms, as frequently one crop fails while an
other succeeds, and as a majority of the crops
of this country are good, the loss on those
that fail is only a sort of insurance paid for
the success of the others. A keen discrimina-
ton and sound judgment should be used IN
losatIng crops upon suitable soil. Farming Is
an occupation which it has been thought any
one was competent for, even though not
| competent for either of the professions
of the country or for any other kind of
business; but such is not the case. If there is
any occupation under heaven which requires
a whole man to successfully carry on, it is
farming. The farmer has to act independ-
ent and alone; all other occupations
have their associations which meet
frequently and discuss matters OF inter.
est to them, and rs the majority think, so the
whole association act; and as farming is the
foundation of the business of all countries
all these associations and combinations are
created to enable their members to get some
advantage over the producer, and they do it
to some extent, and don't know but they al.
ways must, for an association of farmers oi
the country would be too unweldy to accom-,
plish any good results; but do think that
certain interests should associate together
such as the wool growers, butter and cheese
makers, hop raisers. potato raisers for starch
and starch makers, should understand eacl
other in order to make those kinds of bust
ness safe and reliable. Another feature o
g practical farming is to keep none but likely
animals See to it they are well bred ant
that they have the elements of growth. II
neat stock you not only gain in the size o
| the animal, but in the time of maturing ant
, quantity of food consumed. 1t is also thu
same with sheep and much the same Will
horses; with the latter, however, there shoulC
be more pains taken to breed properly, be
2 cause the inferior ones cannot be sent to tn
a shamDeS as of other stock. Don't breet
from unsound animals, as their unsoundnes
: is likely to be cntailcd upon their offspring
1t cOSst no more to raise a colt worth 5000 Il
Il, four years of age, than to raise one wort
G $50. This too,rcquircs experience, the kccnes
, skill and soundest Judgment us well as Il
! know when to sell. \ man cannot afford t,
y keep an animal after it is matured, unless h.
has business for said animal to perform.
l., Keep no more hogs than enough for you
+ own use unless you keep dairy, us it takes
, dollars worth of corn to make 80 cents wort
of pork, in this section.
IL We cannot afford to let unmatured an
D imals stop growing, evenin winter
Y They must be fed with good nourishing foo
/, ut regular seasons and kept as comfortabl
= as possible, you cannot afford to let then
range the fields after the snow is on tn
u ground because they got something that fill
t them up; they will fall away undersuch tire al
q ment; neither can you afford to over stoc
n your pastures, for there is the place where TIL
judicious farmer makes his best profits, it be
|
: on hay or grain. The problem how to obtai
: and retain competent help, is in my judgmen
L more difficult TO solve than any other whc
} farmers are called to consider. Our countr
] is so prosperous in rail reading, manufactui
- ing, building and numbering, that each c
: those occupations can afford and does pa
i high wages, and thereby obtains the bette
l. class of labor, which leaves us no other alter
9 native in our present unorganized state, bu
employ what remains, or overbid those othe
+, interests.
Il In tins, above all other things, think farm
y ers should understand each other, and requir
q that an inexperienced man should not be er
l.. abled to impose upon u neighbOr, after hay
. ing been tried and found wanting. The fac
that a faithful and experienced hand, who III
. derstands his employers mode of doing bus
Il ness, obtains, as he should, good round wages
o is no reason why another, who cannot spea
d a word of English, harness q horse, yoke G
r, drive pair of oxen, should receive the sam
:, pay, or any where near it.
r. Col. Weeks suggested that the evi
a above referred to might perhaps b
J. remedied by farmers associating then
If selves together and offering to pa
It first class wages, only to competer
t. help, and discharge from their serviC
o incompetent help, by whom they ma
l. have been imposed upon, as soon q
their incompetency became know
; He deprecated the habit INDUCED i
= by many farmers of idling their tin
- away at the village store, tavern an
~, ~ other places of resort. Although
u MANS nhvsical condition would nc