The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-08-05

State would seem to represent. 1t VIII
not be as large as last year, but larger
than in the year 1871 Ii we should
have rains soon, it would improve the
grass on the low lands
Corn looks very well IN Western Yer.
mont, though backward. Winter grains
look well indeed, but The spring grains
not as well, But little ground is planted
to corr in Vermont, and it seems to be
less every year. Our farmers are now
depending on the West for their corn, al
most as much as for .heir -four. The
farmers say they can buy it cheaper than
they can raise it. | do not believe it /;
but suppose most of them do, as they
supply themselves in whole or in part by
purchasing western corn instead of rails.
ing it themselves. Large quantities OF
corn are fed to stock, and ofcourse, make
a large item in the farmers bills Of ex.
penses and the question now raised is,
cannot the farmer in Vermont raise his
own corn with more profit to himself than
to buy the western corn? think he
can and not long since | found farmer
in neighboring town who agreed with
me. This farmer is now known in his
vicinity as one who keeps dairy, and
raises all his own breadstuff and grain for
feeding his stock on his own farm. Such
rare instance in these latter days in the
State of Vermont is worthy of little at.
teation. So thought as | was passing
through his town not long since. and so
l went two miles out of my way for an
interview. | found him at home, and
after the customary salutations, and the
purpose Of my call was made known to
him, substantially the following CONVEX.
sation was had between US.
have been informed that you raise
your own wheat; is that SO?
q" l do. l have kept house for nearly
thirty years a portion of the time have
had large family. Have always had
plenty OF good wheat -four, and never
bought any but once"
About how much land have you usual
ly sown to wheat? What has beer your
mode Of preparation of lands for that
crop and what the average yield
:" | SOW every year from two to four
acres-on an average about three acres
My preparation has been simply to get
the lands in good condition. My wheat
crops have usually followed other crops
corn, potatoes or oats. Very seldom
have sown wheat on green sward-usu-
ally the second crop after breaking up,
but sometimes though not often, the
third. My average yield has been about
sixteen bushels to the acre have some.
times raised twenty bushels, and in one
or two instances twenty-five to the acre u
Do you raise other crops-corn, rye,
oats, potatoes, &c.-and to what extent ?
" have raised all l needed for my
own family use, and to feed my stock, Of
corn, rye, oats. potatoes and garden veg.
etables, Usually have had from four to
six acres of corr, one or two of rye, two
or three of oats, and about two of pota.
toes. do not raise grain to sell occa'
sionally spare bushel to neighbor, bu,
always have, with the exception named
and intend IN the future to raise nv own
What l sell from my farm are the pro.
ducts of my dairy. keep twenty COW.
on the average. have 160 acres O
land"
Your neighbor A. tells me it costs hin
more to raise grain on his farm than i
does to buy it. What do you say to that
Farmers disagree as we'll as doctor
it don't cost me anything to raise m,
grain"
Don't cost you anything-how is that
1t requires work, does it not
Certainly and l should explain
| keep no more help than | should b.
obliged to if | did not pillow furrow o
raise kernel oe grain. The same hell
have kept would be indispensable t.
milk my cows, make my butter ant
cheese, carry it to market, do my haying
feed and care for my stock yet, with tn
same help, l can raise all the grain
need. Do you understand me ?'
| think | do. Has your raising grain
in your judgment, worn your lands
81 am glad you have asked me tina
question. My father owned this farm
before me; was born on it. From m,
first recollection, and after, so long as b.
owned and managed it, he plowed tn
same pieces year after year; on thi
| planted corn, on that potatoes, and on an
other rye. Those pieces became know
as the corn field, the potatoe field ant
the rye field, and were so known in win
ter as we'll as summer. In my own re
, collection, can count twenty consecu
tive years in which corn was raised Oh
the same piece of ground. At the tim
the farm came under my control and man
, agement it was well worn and unproduc
tive; some of it from blowing too much
, more of it for the reason that it had no
been plowed at ALL l commenced wit
, a system of rotation, if such you can cal
f it, and have followed it up since. | brea
, up piece, or pieces, of sward, thorough
, ly manure and work it, aud with the sec
ond or third crop seed to grass, Thus
have gone over my meadow lands and
' portion Of my pasture lands; each piec
in its turn has been plowed up once i
S seven or eight years. Instead of dimiu
T.. ishing, my grass crop has increased. A
an experiment | have tried top-dressin
f on grass lands, but with poor success,
a believe that the only way to keep m
b lands in productive state is this rota
o ton. They should be thoroughly plowet
Q the deeper the better, and thorough
8 MANFRED, and not to exceed three croI
G taken before seeding to grass.
o f" | may not have convinced you thu
i my raising grain has cost me nothing, b.
s it most certainly pays to raise ones ow
grain, and | believe that successful farm
f ing in Vermont will soon be at an en-
i unless the farmers 60 about raising the
d own grain
t Here, then, is the wisdom of a seusib
and cnooacol,1 Varuonf "a IT. -