Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-23


food, more heat producing, such as grain.
What other food they require for change
is best supplied by we'll cured, corn fodder.
preferably from sweet corn.
Mr.. Douglas indorsed part Of Mr.. Eos.
ter's idea, and would not feed entirely upon
roots in winter, but thought moderate
quantity very important Would prefer
part roots and part corn fodder for variety.
The value Of corn fodder is greatly at.
fected by the manner in which it is raised
and cured. 1t should be sown in drills, not
too thick, and cultivated. 1t should not be
so thick but that IL will produce some ears.
If he we're limited to one he should grow
beets in preference to fodder corn; but he
likes to have both. He puts up his fodder
in small firmly made Stocks aud leaves it in
the field until thoroughly cured, which is
very difficult in wet seasons. 1t cures better
when not sown too thick.
Mr.. Fsster said his method of growing
fodder corn was the same as Mr. Douglass,
but he continued planting at intervals until
the middle of July. The greenest he feeds
out in the fall. Cuts in gavels, binds in
small bundles, and stands against light
temporary fence, put up by driving stakes
and mailing board to them.
Mr.. Douglas said many people did not
know how to raise beets cheaply. They
must not be nearer in the row than u foot
asunder, and the rows far enough apart to
use a cultivator The crop will be much
heavier than when grown closer and also grown
with much less labor
Mr.. W. II. Daniels, of Irasburgh, inquir-
ed If it did not pay to raise roots where there
is much straw to be fed.
Mr.. Thorp said yes, and you cannot keep
up the flesh Of your stock on straw without
some other feed, and roots will do it, say
balf bushe Of turnips day. He recon.
mended, when the stand of corn is poor, to
SOW fat turnips among it. 1t costs only the
sowing, and if not sowed too thick will not
hurt the corn but, will give large amount
Of feed. Turnips are the only roots that
can be largely fed to fatting animals without
their securing. Begin to feed gradually.
Six or eight ounces of fat turnip seed is
enough to SOW among corn to the acre.
Mr. Horace Story, of Coventry, quericd
whether potatoes we're not on the whole the
best and cheapest feeding root.
Mr.. Douglas said that he could raise 500
bushels of sugar beets as easily as he could
100 bushels of potatoes.
Jonathan Lawrence, Esq,
of Passumpsic, then read paper on " y ur
Hay crop. and How can we Improve it,"
which We shall soon present to our readers.
Mr. Foster questioned the statement of
the essayist that it is no longer profitable to
grow grain in New England.
Mr. Lawrence only claimed that grain is
secondary to grass in New England.
He went on to advise farmer, if he could
not furnish manure for all mis- moving to
turn part to pasture and bring the rest up
to two or three tons of hay to the acre.
Mr.. Thorp objected to this. He thought
the American custom Of robbing the pasture
to enrich the moving ruinous policy. Keep
it all up, if you have to buy fertilizers, or
else sell part, and put the capital on the
rest to improve it.
Mr. Douglas said the only way grain, or
in fact any crop can be made profitable, is to
grow it to perfection. But he thought
though grain growing we'll done would pay
profit, our stronghold IN Vermont was in
dairying, in connection with mixed husband
ry.
Mr.. Thos. Baker, of Barton, said he had
been practicing fall plowing, maturing on
the burrows and narrowing. In the spring
sowed wheat or barley, with clover Is lbs. to
the acre without grass. The wheat two years
ago was not very successful, being but 25
bushels to the acre, barley 80 bushels. The
clover made very fine hay. This year he
has followed the same practice and from five
acres of wheat got l42 bushels.
Mr.. Thorp advocated seeding meadows
with several sorts of grass, believing that
the product would be larger aud better
Mr.. Douglas has found this SO. Has used
for pasture timothy, Alsike, white and red
clover, red top aud Kentucky blue grass all
together. Sows fowl meadow also on upland,
and finds it stands very we'll. Does not put
on more seed in all when using many sorts
than when using few. BY using many
varieties you got much closer sod
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
Mr., W. d. Tyler, Of Irasburgh, said he
had been clearing field from loose stones
and fitting it for grass, and now wanted in
structiOus as to the proper way Of seeding
next spring, II is too rich to seed with
oats, which would be sure to lodge.
Mr.. Douglas advised seeding with light
crop Of wheat or barley. If it could have
been seeded early last fall it would have
been just as well to have seeded to grass
alone.
Mr.. Tyler said any grain would lodge on
this land.
Dr. HOskins advised sowing grass.seed
alone.
Mr.. Douglas said in his part of the state
Addison county, drought would often pre-
vent good catch Of grass when not sown
with grain.
Mr.. Tyler wanted to know whether it
was best to seed such land light or heavy.
Mr.. Thorp advised planting fodder corn