Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-24
SPECIALTIEs.

There are not q few dairy farms in the
most favored dairy districts 10 New England
where it takes more than three hundred dol
lars worth Of land to carry single COW, in
fact we know Of cases where, taking the
meadows at the average value paid for the
whole farms, three hundred dollars worth of
land will not more than winter one COW, to
say nothing of the cost Of summering her.
Under that system Of high culture which We
hope to see prevail, and which in some
places does even now prevail, aud some land
now employed TO winter single COW would
both summer aud winter at least two cows,
and do it much better than it is now done.
1t is not TO be denied that large numbers Of
farmers have from time TO time tried their
hand at some Of the special crops which we
plead, and after q single trial have forever
abandoned them as Improbable. Having
never before expended over six or eight
dollars upon the tillage Of any one acre Of
land they cannot possibly content themselves
to expend five or six times that SUN in hopes
to get paying results from such an amount
Of labor, and they give up iu despair before
the first crop is half made. Occasionally
one succeeds, however, and perseveribg
few times, finds his profit in extending his
operations. A successful experiment Of the
kind, persevered in, is worth more in a com.
munity Of farmers than year Of preaching
or lecturing upon the subject.
The development of the beet and onion
specialities in the town Of Cornwall will
serve as an illustration of this influence.
Our acquaintance with the growing OF SUI
gar beets for feeding to stock in that town
dates back some ten or twelve years. At
that time in a pretty thorough canvass Of
the town we saw but single small patch Of
stock beets which on account Of their pecu-
liar appearance excited our careful attention
and ELECTED from US much inquiry upon the
subject. Some two or three weeks since on
going over the town again, with our friend
Hon. Henry Lane, the farms where we did
not see them growing we're the exceptional
ones rather than the rule. Everybody
raises them now, and the farmers Of Corn
wall, who by the way may be ranked
among the most successful Of Vermont
farmers, would just about as soon think Of
giving up potato growing as beet growing.
They not only raise them to feed their own
stock but 10 sell to the villagers at Middle
bury and elsewhere. Last year q new feat
ure Of the business was developed and forty.
eight tons Of the beets were shipped to
Boston for working up into pickles. When
the Vermont Dairymen's Association was
organized, believing that the cultivation of
roots was one Of the most important things
for the dairymen of Vermont to learn, We
engaged Mr.. Lane to prepare a paper on
that subject for our first meeting. We have
no doubt but the influence Of that one pro-
duction of the pen of Mr.. Lane distribut-
ed as it has been in our reports, has been im-
mensoly beneficial to the farming interest Of
the country at large, and Mr.. Lane has
rsaped his reward in the sale of several
thousand dollars, worth of the seeds Of his
iavorite variety of the beet.
The onion crop unlike the beet is for mar
ket and generally brings the cash at harvest.
1t has grown up very much as the other has
until the aggregate production in Cornwall
has reached 10000 bushels a year. The
leading speciality Of Cornwall has been the
breeding Of MerinO sheep and there are still
several fine Aocks in town. To these as
well as to the COWS and cattle the beets are
fed with much profit. Fruit growing Is
another Cornwall speciality. Mr.. Lane
sells apples, pears and grapes. Ono dairy
man that we called upon is making from
twelve cows and five young hcifers twenty
ponds Of butter day, record worthy OF
special mention. He uses the Orange Coun'
ty pans and sets his milk in bulk thus re-
ducing the labor of taking care of it to the
minimum.-O. S. Bliss, IN Advertiser.