Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-10-30
Utrmunt farms.
For the VERMONT FARMER.
FARM OF CURTIS WHEELER, FAIR
FAX.

| FHN.
have met Mr.. Wheeler at several fairs,
farmers meetings, and dairymen's associa.
tons, in past years, aud gained the impress
sion that be was farmer whose heart or de.
light is in his trade. One of these pleasant
fall days l drove into his yard to visit him
and his premises. His farm consists Of
about ninety acres, but the hillside pasture
and woodland are not of especial interest ou-
ly in the one his COWS Craze, and the other
furnishes him with abundance of maple
sugar.
His fields are two, one of 20 acres, the
other of acres. The larger field is natu.
rally divided into five irregular parts by
strips Of ground SO low and wet as to render
them unfit for tillage, and SO narrow that the
area of wild grasses is probably not over two
or three acres.
The tilage land is iu some places so steep
that loads could scarcely be drawn up, but
is smoothly laid down so the mower and rake
these fields is it too poor to raise heavy
grass and to produce also a luxuriant second
growth.
The hay crop is a speciality, and depends
upon five things Careful pOwing thorough
narrowing, liberal manuring, liberal seeding,
aud keeping the cattle out entirely in the
spring, and in the fall until the ground
freezes.
Flowing is done with swivel plow, so
no dead burrows appear; it is done thor
oughly, so that the furrow the whole length
and in every place is inverted, and some
times it is done very slowly, as the rule has
been to stop and get the stones out that in-
terfere with blowing, unless it is the edge of
a ledge. After plOwing, the loose stones
thus thrown upon the surface are drawn to
build stone wall. The blowing is done be-
fore manure is applied.
Narrowing is now done with a Neshwitz
harrow, which Is set of concave steel
wheels like dinner plate in shape. Upon
this harrow the teamster rides in comfo-ta-
BILE seat. There are but few harrows of this
kind in this vicinity, and their owners like
them; they are excellent for mellowing up
hard ground, mixing manure with the soil,
and covering grain, .and do not turn up
the sod. MIR. Wheeler has two spike tooth
harrows such as are in common use, but does
not use them.
Manuring is done after blowing in fall,
winter or spring, and spread from the wagon
when drawn, unless it is drawn for piece
that is not yet plowed then it is put In
large heaps until the ground is plowed.
Forty large two-horse loads TO the acre is
the average quantity put on.
As we walked along in the rank rowen
Mr.. Wheeler said: "Here put on eight
and ono-half bushels of oats by weight, one
bushel of herds grass seed, and five pounds
of clover seed. harvested l02 bushels Of
oats, aud since have had In one year nine
loads of hay"
On another piece he said "Here put
eighty-one loads of manure on acres on
I of an acre l had corn, on part Of which |
used compost manure in the hill, and on
part Bradley's superphosphate, and where
the phosphate was applied each row yield ed
half bushel more of ears than u row where
compost was applied"
Another piece was shown where the dress.
ing was eighty six loads upon two acres. He
! draws the accumulations OF summer in the
fall, and as he keeps three horses in the
barn all the time, and ties up his seventeen
COWS every time they are MIXED, and uses
sawdust freely as bedding, he has a large
pile in the fail, sometimes one hundred
: loads. Then in winter he draws, as he has
opportunity, and on the last SHOWS of spring
; hurries out all the rest if possible,
Liberal seeding Of grass is half bushel
of herds grass and from to 10 pounds Of
} clover. This grass seed is sown usually
with oats, and the first year in grass is not
SO good as the second. The yield continues
good eight or nine years. One piece is il
orchard grass and clover, and has been mowr
: twice this summer, and is now (Oct. lst
, starting vigorous growth. Mr.. Wheeler
is pleased with orchard grass so far as h,
) has tried it.
I Grazing the fields is practiced only aitel
8 the ground freezes in the fall, and then q
few tubs of butter are quickly made. Othel
. farmers hurry up digging potatoes, cutting
corn and fencing in the plot OF turnips so al
to let the COWS in, but here the cows viii
. go in the pasture through October, and al
acre of fodder corn furnish material fol
. food. Each COW has in her mauger morning
: and night bundle of fodder corn, and five
t of the COWS each have pail of sour milk
Q also.
4 Mr.. Wheeler said be would not have hil
fields closely fed this fall for three hundred
dollars, being sure his future hay crop would
: be injured. The amount of hay this year
could not closely estimate. There was
3 bay 24x26xl5, a bay 24x26xS or 10, som
on scaffolds and high beams, and three
Q stacks in the field containing 81 large loads
probably between 80 and rs tons.
: have mentioned that one speciality wa
r hay; the others are smooth fields, manure
n butter and Ayrshire cattle, and a com
II mencement has been made to add to thes
!, the breeding of Essex pigs. A desire 70
!. smooth fields has caused successful expert
It ment in tile draining Where was bed o.
sweet flag and soft bog now are good gras: