Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-02-13
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

y anu -
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
The meeting was opened at the Town
Hall at II O'Clock p. NJ, and the secretary
having called for nomination
Gen. Geo. w. Grandey
was chosen chairman.
DIR. virgil w. Blanchard,
Of Middlebury, then read paper upon
Mechanical Appliances. DIR. Blanchard
began by remarking that farmers are every
day becoming less and less the slaves Of man
ual toll, and more and more the masters Of
the forces Of nature. Heretofore only with
the naked hand, or the rudest weapons, man
has had to struggle with these forces But
since 1850 inventive talent and the mothan
ic arts have come to his aid, and the feeble
forces of the human form have been served
and supplemented, where before they had
been opposed, by the self multiplying power
Of machinery. At that date the various az.
ricultural machines since so useful, though
many Of them in existence, had been but
scantily put into use. Since then a new era
has dawned in agriculture. The moving aud
reaping machines, horse rakes, tedders, inn
proved plows, drills, cultivators, threshers,
shelters, &c, &c, have been scattered over
the country, and now the farmer Instead OF
serving nature, rules over her. What a
transformation, and how feebly appreciated
even by those who benefit most by the
change!
DR.. b. then went on eloquently to recap
itulate and illustrate the advantages bestowed
upon the agriculturist by machinery. Be.
ginning with sketch of labor as it was il
the grain field and the hay field, he contrast.
ed it with the case and rapidity with which
the crops on broad waving acres are nov
leveled, handled and stored He showed
how intellectual labor is now used in direct
ing mechanical force, and man is no Longer
degraded by making a machine of his OWL
body. This emancipation is but the begin.
ming Of great change in the life of the far,
mer and his family. 1t makes it possible fol
farming to be an intellectual art, not an op.
pressive corporal slavery.
DR.. Blanchard then went OH to speak OIL
future probable improvements. He thought
the machinery for getting hay was capable
Of much improvement, and he believed that
hay would yet be arti6cialy dried at cost
of not more than fifty cents a ton, with au
improvement in quality much greater than
the cost. Horse powers are yet too heavy
and too costly. They may be improved so a;
to be used on every farm for multitude Of
purposes. Chemistry applied to agriculture
is yet to give unthought Of triumphs. A
man who sows crops in land not adapted to
them is as foolish as the boy that goes a
fishing in the house cistern. He should
know enough Of science to know how and
where to plant, and how to make grow to
profit all the crops adapted 10 his market
and climate The use Of wind power in
raising water for irrigation was alluded to as
something sure to come in New England, be.
cause demanded by the conditions of sue.
cessiul agriculture here. DIR. b. wound up
by prophesying the superiority Of the farm
ing class over all others, not only by reason
of numbers, but of intellectual culture. Il
is only hindered now by the want of JUS
appreciation and application OF the power o
intellect Thisis but brief and very unade
quate sketch OF a very suggestive and elo
quent address.
Mr.. l.. l.. Wright, Of Cornwall, spoke o
the pleasure he had in hearing this addres
from man who had spent twenty five years il
the invention and improvement Of agricultur
al implements. lie regretted there were no
more Of the farmers OF the county to hea
it, He went on to give an account OF som,
Of the advantages he had himself received
from the use Of agricultural machinery
whereby boys and even girls were able easil,
10 do work too heavy even for strong men.
Mr.. Jameson, Of Irasburgh, was pleased l.
see the ready assent gwen by the farmers t.
propositions looking to self improvement
Self culture is the grandest work in which w
can engage. All our labors would be fail
me, If in the midst of all the Improvement
We see around us man himself did not i'm
prove. But the best way for US to improv,
ourselves is to strive to teach our bushes
10 our children, and make perfect workmel
OF them. Thus they can be interested il
the work Of the farm. But too many farm
ers neglect it. They will not trust their son
to do work requiring skill, for fear Their
will be loss. There may be, in some cases
but greater loss comes from neglecting it.
Prof Collier followed, discussing the i'm
portance of individual development aud tn,
proper education of our children, especial,
Of their powers Of observation.
Mr.. Wright spoke of the importance o
being exact in laying out the lands in pillow
ing, measuring with tape line or rod pole
rather than guessing, And in fact the us
of any improved machinery in agricultur
requires an exactness and particularly ii
management, and in the preparation Of land
which is liberal education in itself, and
beneficial one to every farmer.
Mr., Goodalo, of Bridport, asked how
worn out field may be brought to fertility
lie thought of using green crops for the Pur
pose.
DIR. HOskins ndyised clnYar