Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-04-11

Mr.. WHITNEYS FARMING, FEED
ING ROOTS. &C.

n. 5. Whitney, Esq, of Montreal, owns a
fine farm situated between the villages OF
East Franklin, W., and Freigshburgh p.
o. being only short distance north Of the
state line in Canada. 1t is now about eight
years since he commenced farming opera
tions, and in that brief time he has achieved a
success that must be truly gratifying and
satisfactory. The farm contains 100 acres,
40 OF which are in wool Previous to the
purchase it was capable of keeping only ten
cows, ten sheep and one pair OF horses. Now
nearly four times that amount Of stock is
kept, with only limited amount Of feed
provided, in addition to what is raised on
the farm. To bring about such a change
the farm has bOen thoroughly uuderdrained,
mostly with tile, the stone removed from the
fields and put in substantial walls and an
excellent system of rotation and tillage
adopted. The first year or two large
quantity of superphCsphate was used, with
good results, giving a large increase of crops.
Mr., Whitney is business man and be-
lieving that capita, properly invested in farm
ing operations, would pay good return, has
not hesitatcd to employ it freely for this
purpose, and from present indications he need
not be discouraged at the results
Mr.. W. is quite an extensive breeder Of
Nba of 1osl
visit numbering nearly forty animals. These
are mostly imported or from stock imported
by himself Taken together this is fine
herd, and contains many valuable animals
Several head have been taken into this
Franklin-county the past season. Mr.. W
intends to make another, the fifth, importa.
tion the present season, and if he succeeds as
well as he did in his previous one, it will be
truly successful
Fodder corn and roots are raised to a
considerable extent on this farm Last year
there were six acres Of the first, and five oil
the last, one of the Yellow Aberdeen and
four of variety of Swedes. OF course q
large amount Of feeding material could be
produced from so much land devoted to these
crops. One or two acres were sown with
corn after a crop OF hay had been tax
Ell off the ground which proved successful
a course which might be followed with good
results in some instances The bulk of the
manure is used with the turnip crop, and
this with the excellent cultivation given, fits
the land admirably to be seeded down to
grass along with some grain crop. 1t is in
tended to SOW several acres, or was intended
rather, to winter rye to feed next season.
early, thus practicing to greater extent
the soiling system.
MIR. W. practices method OF feeding
roots that | think is new to most of the read.
ers Of the FARMER. He cuts his hay, straw
&C., with horse power, and pulps his turnips
in machine that will tear them into minute
fragments as fast as II man can throw them
into the hopper. A sufficient quantity ol
this material is prepared for three days
thoroughly mixed, no water being used, and
allowed to stand three days before feeding
when it becomes warm and a slight fermenta
tion ensues. Two bins are necessary, one t
feed from while the other is " warming up.
Meal eau be added to the mixture if desir
able. The stock eat this with avidity an(
thrive remarkably well upon it. Where
roots are raised to considerable extent, an(
the arrangements are such that this mode o
feeding can be practiced, it must possess ad
vantages apparent to every farmer over the
more common mode practiced of feeding hay
straw and roots separate.
Mr.. Whitney has an arrangement for saw
ing the liquid manure that is worthy of note
Bohipd the stalls is slight depression fol
the manure, while under this is water-tight
trench into which absorbents, muck princi