Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-24

fertility of Our farms without H. Concen-
trated manure like plaster, ashes, phosphate,
&C.. can be carried to our high lands. where
1t would not pay to cart from the barnyard.
My system Of application was to harrow in,
on my Waterford farm; when | came to
Barnet found a different soil. and expert
cnco taught me that could get better re-
suits by blowing in lightly. | uso u portion
for top-drossing; the best time for this is as
soon as possible after the hay is off the
ground. DO not think IL hurts manure to
freeze il.
Rev. j. w. Buzzcll: Came to hear these
old farmers talk Manure in II cellar is un-
dergoing chemical change through the
winter, while the the pile of frozen manure
remains dormant. The straw is I'LL decom-
posed in the cellar, and believe such ma
nure is worth ut least one quarter more than
the frozen. would like to have some of
you farmers SOW your grain and grass seed
in the usual way and when your grain is two
or three inches high spread fine manure up
on it, and note the result. The question is :
Shall we put the manure into tho ground or
upon the grass seed?
+. l.. Hovoy: | have found myself uneX-
pectcdly in scientific farmers club | do
not believe that the soil of Vermont is run
ming out. The State Board of Agriculture
has found that we send large amount of
our soil to market in The shape of beef pork,
butter, cheese, wool, mutton, &c. conso-
quently our farms are running out. Our
crops take n large share of their nourish-
ment from the atmosphere. The trouble il
we do not save half we make. The freez-
ing and burning of manure does not hurt it /;
1t only eXpels the water. | see but little
good from plaster or phosphate. Make n
storehouse of your soil. In applying ma
nuro, keep it MS near the top us possible.
Put II on the grass, that is my plan; spread
as soon us the hay is off; brush it thoroughly
IN the spring. 1t is great saving Of labor
to top-dress our land instead of using ma
nure in the old methods. No farmer can
live by raising grain with help Mt S25 to S35
per month BY liberal top-dressing | get
three tons of hay to the acre.
j. G.. Lawrence: Top-drcssing is the plan
and grass is the main crop. DO little Mt
grain-raising; feed out all you raise save
and make all the manure possible, and
you will then be on the right track. Pcrse-
we're and you will come out all right
ing. No man can treat two pieces of land
alike. Take n bushel of plaster and dissolve
il in water, and you get nothing from 1t You
will still have your bushel OF plaster, and
nothing else. But take ashes, phosphate, gu
ano, and treat them in the same way, and
you get out of them certain amount of
plant food. Phosphate pays | know, on
India wheat 1 used 100 pounds on an acre,
leaving n strip few feet wide, which was
not worth cutting; on the rest got 80 bush
els. Hiring help ut present prices will ruin
any farmer. Do your work yourselves rs
much rs possible.
A little time was taken up in miscellanc-
Gus discussion which would he difficult and
perhaps Improbable to report.
Subject for next meeting, presented by b.
L. Brown, who is over 20 years of age, and
has lived in the place for more than half n
century yet takes lively interest in the
welfare and success of the Farmers Club -
Is it desirable that the sons of Vermont
farmers become intelligent agriculturists? II
so, how shall that end be best attained:
JONATHAN LAWRENCE, Sec.