The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-08-18

PiouuOtiNtutss vi Tue connecticut hlvcr
flats under constant tillage They are
at the present time raising a very ex.
baustive crop, from which they can get
nothing to put back to the soil in the
shape Of manure. Well, what do they
do? They come to our county and buy
our sheep in the fall, and buy our hay to
feed them, besides large quantities Of
grain for the same purpose, and if they
get cost in the spring for their sheep,
throwing in their labor, they think the
profits ample, as they know they must
either have manure or poor crops end
poorer farms. And that is not all ; they
not only buy our sheep and hay, but they
buy all the manure they can get trans.
portation for, and offer such prices that |
have known farmers to sell to them as
they thought they could not make the
manure worth so much to them as the
Connecticut River farmers would pay
them for it. Now one or the other Of
these parties is not sharp. Which is it,
the buyer or the seller? believe it is
the seller.
The land in our valley needs the ina.
nure as much to day as the Connecticut
River land, if not more, judging from
their crops and ours. Now the query a.
rises, if they can buy everything to feed,
stock and pay transportation, cannot we
do the feeding ourselves and get their
profits and the difference in transporta.
ton, and make money by it? Another
point | will just allude to, and that is not
taking more pains with our pastures
They are becoming run down like our
other fields. ooh, our pastures can new.
err run out, say most farmers But to
such farmers | would say, see that mis-.
cradle white grass growing so plenty in
your pasture, which will no more grow
in rich pasture than lice will thrive on
well kept stock. The fact is we are ia.
king of continually from our pastures
and putting nothing back. Just consider
what an amount of stock has been kept
on some of our pastures. and annually
sold therefrom, and all the return to
them is the cattle's droppings, and they
are mostly in in the grove or under the
shade threes where the cattle resort to
rest and chew the cud of contentment.
Now this stock has accumulated most
OF their growth in the pastures, for in
winter there is but little growth made by
our stock, as usually kept, SO you must
readily see that the earthly portion, and
that is not small portion, of their
frames. is built up from the pasture, for
which there is no return made, and con-
sequep.ly If the soil is not naturally rich
in that material it must eventually be.
come poor aud must be fed if we would
but grow healthy stock. Many persons
are claiming this impoverishment Of some
dairy districts as the cause of abortion of
the COWS in certain localities. Many Of
our pasture are OF billy or ridgy surface,
and we have cheap commercial fertiliz.
err in gypsum that will feed such ridges
or knobs and make them produce bounti.
fully Of the clover which makes rich pas.
turage. Our low land pastures | know
OF no way to restore TO their former rich
grasses, and to kill the worthless wild
grass growing thereon only by grain
raising II any one can give better
plan would like to have it presented
before this meeting. But | wish to say
few words to the young farmers here
present. Do not follow any old notions
because your father, grand father, or
great grand father did thus or so, but see
if you cannot improve Subscribe for
and thoroughly read the agricultural pa.
pers, attend the farmers clubs, and if
you have nothing to say, ask questions
any one can DO that, and that will call
out discussions, and you will soon be able
to take part in them. Get al! the knowl.
edge you can upon farming, and then ex.
pertinent, for there is not tiler of the
soil but is able to experiment more or
less in farming When you plant put in
few experimental rows, with different
seed and prepared differently. Manure
some rows differently, and mark your
rows and make a record of them in your
diary, and note the results also for future
reference. Also your stock will furnish
you plenty Of experimental study, how to
keep in the most profitable manner, how
to crop to accomplish certain ends and
make the progeny more profitable. ln
TACT there is hardly branch Of farming
but is experimental therefore take no
mans word for this or that, simply be.
cause he says So but look at its reason.
ability and weigh the matter candidly in
your own mind, recollecting tina: God has
given you intellect as well as others.
WHEN TO Cur GRAIN.-Thc period OF
ripening Of grain Is that at which the
grain contains the largest portion OF nu-
trment, 1t is not that at which the
grain is haIdeSt Or Of the brightest color,
or parts most readily from the capsule o.
envelope in which it is contained. In.
deed, a considerable part of the ripening
process should take place in the shock or
the stack. If it is allowed to ripen, or
in other words, dry and harden complete
ly while standing, the grain loses much
OF its nutritive properties. As in clover,
hay or grass, large portion of the sugar,
starch and gum is changed into woody f.
bro by standing after certain period
so grain is deteriorated by over.ripcning.
The husk becomes developed at the ex.
pense of the kernel, and the yield Of
-four from overripe wheat is less than
from that cut in the proper season. My
own practice has been to watch the fields
closely, especially around the outside or
along the fences, because it is there that
the grain ripens first, AS soon as find
that'the grain shells readily and has taken
fine white straw. color, and when crush
ed between the edges of the nails of the
thumb and forefnger produces a pow.
derry, starchy substance. which is in no
way pasty or doughty, turn in the reap
er at once