Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-23
For the VERMONT FARMER.
OUR DUTY AS SUBSCRIBERS TO
THE FARMER.

Having taken the VERMONT FARMER since
it was first started at Newport, should
very much miss its welcome weekly visits. |
always find it so full Of matter that is both
interesting and instructive that think no
one can doubt that its hard-working editor
and publishers are doing their best to do
their duty by US as subscribers, and how well
they succeed every number speaks for itself
lt was something that the farmers and hort
iculturists of Vermont had long been in need
of,-a paper devoted to their interests, with
agricultural matter which should not be
mere theory, but practical, and adapt
ed to our soil and climate; always ready to
look out for our interests by recommending
such agricultural implements and fertilizers
as they know to be desirable, and denounc-
ing all "humbugs' as soon as ascertained to
be such, thereby saving many dollars to its
readers, when by "blowiug" fol the same
they could get ertra pay. Now, while they
are doing their duty so well by US, it be-
hooves US as subscribers to look about US and
see if iee have any duty in the matter, call
it a privilege il you will. |, for one, con-
slider it both privilege and duty for us as
subscribers to do anything that We can to
add to its value as a paper for farmers, ev-
cry one doing something as opportunity Of
fers, costing them nothing, but adding much
to the value Of the paper, besides showing
the proprietors that we are Nth them, there
by encouraging them in their good work.
One Of the principal ways of helping the
paper is to help add to their subscription
list, thereby giving them the "One thing es-
sential," viz, an income sufficient to meet
the various expenses necessary to make
frst-class paper. Now just think how sim
pie and easy matter it would be for each
one Of the subscribers to the the VERMONT
FARMER to get the name Of one or more
friends, with the cash, and send it along with
their own subscription, but how great in its
results, both to the proprietOrs and them
selves
Experiments in Fertilizers.
How few of US there are but that in the
course of the year might add much to the
value of the paper by experimenting with
superphOsphates, modes of applying ma
nure and of manufacturing good fertilizers,
&c, &c., and send the results to the FARM
Err for publication, thereby exchanging ideas
and giving valuable information and |, not
being one that believes in preaching what |
do not practice" will conclude this article
with an experiment made by me with Brad.
ley's and Wilson's superphosphates. | pre-
pared about an acre of ground for corn by
pOwing in heavy coat of manure where
there had previously been taken off three
crops Of oats without manure, and planted
some over forty rows of corn, using spoon
iul Of Bradleys superpnosphate in each hill
OF the first four rows, then the same amount
Of Wilson's in the hill for the next four, and
Bradleys on the rest of the piece. Saw
marked difference in the looks Of the corn
all through the season, the corn whore Brad
ley's was used looking much the best. At
harvesting time we cut up the four rows Of
Bradley's and put the stocks in one barn
aud the four rows of Wilson's in another,
and the results were as follows: From the
four rows where Bradley's superphosphate
was used got fifteen bushels Of ears, only
one bushel being soft corn from the four
rows where Wilson's was used l got ten
bushels of ears, two of which were soft corn,
and the remaining eight bushels were not as
sound as where Bradley's was used. by
this we see that should get fifty bushels Of
ears more to use Bradley's than should to
use Wilson's superphOsphate, and Of bet
ter quality. Here is a difference Of more
than S25 to the acre, as the fodder was
much the stOutest where Bradley's was used.
The experiment would have been worth
more IT had planted four rows with no ar
ti6eial fertilizer aud seen what the crop was