Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-23
MEETING OF THE ORLEANS
COUNTY FARMERS,
With the State Board of Agriculture &c.
at Irssburgh, Jan. IA and ~.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.


Rev. A. A. smith,
OF Irasburgh and was an intelligent and
scholarly production. This was followed
with paper upon " The Soil, its Formation
and Relation to Rocks" by
Hon. e. p. Cotton,
of Irasburgh. 1t was very important and
practical essay, as will be admitted by our
readers when published. Mr.. Cotton was
followed by
Prof. Collier, who, continuing the thought
Of the paper, spoke of what is called the ex-
haustion of soils. He referred to the fact
that the soil is one Of the sources Of plant
food. Plants draw their food from the at
mosphere and the earth. The former fur
nishes from 95 to 81 per cent. of the sub
stance Of plants, and we cannot materially
control the resources thus supplied to us, nor
do We need to. They are inexhaustible.
But 1t is not so in the same sense with the
soil, because the earthly materials required
by plants must not only exist in the land
abundantly, as they do in all soils of great
natural fertility, but must exist in a soluble
condition, and this is not always the case.
The presence Of abundance Of mineral plant
food in soils constitutes their natural fertility;
its presence in a soluble state constitutes their
condition in the sense in which we speak of
the " condition of horse Skllful culture
consists in keeping an abundance of soluble
plant food always present in the land. 1t is
done by tillage, by manuring, and by an
adaptation of crops and their rotation ac-
cording to the actual state of fertility. Fer
tility, or rather condition, is reduced by TAX
ing off mineral matter in crops, without any
return, or with an insufficient return. Ii is
increased naturally by the gradual changes
produced by the elements, or wcathering,"
and by the growth and decay of plants. In
cultivation it is decreased, if crops are sue
cessively taken from it without return of
any manurial substance or with an INSULT.
ed where intelligent tillage, manuring, and a
rotation Of crops is practiced. But the
worst husbandry only redaces the condition
Of the soil, never its natural fertility, which
always remains, waiting to assist the good
farmer in speedily bringing back the condi-
tion, where he understands his business, and
applies his practical and scientific knowledge
to the work of restoration. In this connec-
tion Prof Collier exhibited preparations Of
the various soil-elements of plant food, such
as phosphate of lime, magnesia, feldspar
containing potash) &C., &c. These existing
in the soil, furnish food, or mineral manure,
to the plants we cultivate, and are essential
to their growth.
Mr.. n. +. Jameson referred to some OF
the practical resources we have for obtaining
the mineral elements of plant food needed in
the soil, and spoke especially of the use of
wheat bran as n feed to animals, containing
as it does large quantity of phosphate Of
lime, a great part of which is returned in the
manure, making 1t very rich in that particu-
lar element, so very necessary to most Of our
land.
Mr.. j. p Foster, of Barnet, called atten-
tion to the fact that his young stock and
milch cows craved bone meal, and were fond
Of bran and shorts, while horses and oxen did
not seem to care for them, and asked for in
formation from DR.. Hoskins.
Dr. Hoskins replied that his interpreta-
tion of the facts stated was, that the young
stock were growing ana making bone rapid
ly, and the cows giving milk, which contains
much phosphate of lime, so they called for
larger quantities Of phosphate food than the
horses and oxen, which only required suii.
cient lime phosphate to maintain the integri.
ty Of their bony framework.
TUESDAY EVENING.
The first paper Of the evening was Que up
on " Root Culture Raising Wutering, and
Feeding them" by
Nm' - IhOfp' Hs-1's
of Morrisvile, which will in due time be
laid before our readers.
Thos. Baker, Esq, of Barton, spoke Of tho
feeding Of beets Had raised them some-
what largely, aud fed them to his cows whole.
The cows eat them well, aud 1t is great
saving Of labor not to cut them. They greatly
Increase the flow Of milk, and have no i'll el-
feet on the flavor OF butter, as with turnips.
Turnips are good roots for sheep or young
stock.
Mr.. Thorp, in reply to question, said that
in England ruta bagas are taking the place
Of the old Nat turnip, and are considered a
great deal more valuable, but they still raise
fiat turnips because they may be sown later
in the season.
Mr.. Douglas considered it very important
that cows and young stock, especially, should
have liberal supply of succulent food in
winter, and this is best supplied by roots.
II is true that by early cutting of grass we
may get hay that approaches near to the
natural food Of domestic animals, but still
roots cannot be dispensed with In Addi-
sou county turnipS are apt to fail on ac-
count of drought, and beets are the most
profitable root to be raised, lie preferred
the improved sugar beet 1t is especially
valuable for dairy COWS.
Mr. Foster said that the situation between
this country aud England is reversed, There
they can raise turnips and can't raise corn !