Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-02-04

fertilizers. It is certain that the old sys-
an of tillage will not pay. and that to de
i've profit from our farms we must devise
ome improvements on the method of our
ncestors.
Speaking of my own experience, when
oil no longer yields a profitable return.
{ may still be rich in all but one element.
,ut if this be lacking it will not produce
The inquiry which S best of different kinds
If fertilizers IS like asking whether for
warmth in winter one should wear boots
n waiscoat Both are perhaps necessary.
Of the differen fertilizers those contain
ng phosphoric acid and potash are most
important. My land was so poor when
ook it that it must be lathered and shaved
o secure the hay crop In restoring it t.,
crtility first applied potash and afterward
upper phosphate Of lime. in order to Sc
,ure Immediate return with phosphate OF
'me Mineral fertilizers, however, prov
NC insufficient, and stable manure not
being readily obtainable, a crop of clover
vas plowed in with the hest of results.
Chemists are good in theory but should
not attempt practice unless they expect to
ne laughed at. Their theory applied in
this case has resulted in giving me as
much profit from one acre rs many of my
neighbors obtain from ten.
Do not despise agricultural literature.
Many valuable truths are obtained in agri
cultural books. We cannot remember all
important matters laid before us here, but
we may take our books ut home and
thoroughly master and digest their contents.
once had an old horse who would invari-
ably shy at any piece of paper lying in the
road, and | am sometimes reminded of
that old horse when | see men shying at
newspapers.
Not only land but seeds run out. and we
all know the Importance of changing seed
from time to time. To develop any plant
to its highest state of perfection, give it
plenty of food adapted to its nature and
then select the best tor seed. All the im-
proved varieties are produced in this way,
and to preserve this improved condition
we must continue the selection. For eX-
ample we are accustomed to select the
best ears of corn for seed, and the result
is that this variety of grain maintains its
standard of excellence while other grains
which cannot be readily selected deterio-
rate in quality. | once selected from a
bin Of western corn a few blue kernels and
planted them. and again in the second and
third yeas the blue ears from this seed
were selected, and the result was in the
fourth year new variety of blue corn. In
the same manner cur improved var ETY. OF
sugar beet was developed by Mr.. Lane.
Again these same principles apply TO the
running out of stock. In the hands OF
some men the best stock will run out VIII le
with others we may even induce English
breeders to come here to our country to Sc
cure improvements on their own stock.
| This running out of stock. crops anC
lands has IN important bearing on the
profits of the farm. and should, therefore
/ receive careful attention. A stiff back an,
/ lame hands are not all we want from labor
we want profit"
| j. w. Carter spoke on Our Pasture
/ l-ands,n saying:
Z" BY the system now pursued all pasture.
must become exhausted, because our cattle
and sheep do not ret nm rs much to us i,
taken from them. There is pc haps NJ
nation which has carried agriculture to 81
high II point Us England Lord Napier
tells us that in no way can we SO readily
/ keep our pastures fertile us by the kecpin.
of sheep. But here the folding system i,
/ largely pursued and crops are fed ont OIL
the land from which they were raised
The reasons for the superiority of sheer
over other stock in fertilizing land. seem,
to be that their eXcren.ent, being finer, i:
more readily acted upon by the elements
that rs it is more generally deposited OF
the highes ground the rains wash il dowr
and deposit it more evenly over the who'll,
field; and that less of it IS wasted in for
est md stream.
Pastures may be brought up by pillow
ING and mannring, top-dressing or grow
inc up to forest If blowing be once
adopted this system must be continued
Top-,ressing does not iniure the old turf
and while giving good results need be re
peated onl ~ rs often as necessary To insur,
good grazing. But we have in Vernon
tho sands of acres of pastures of no pr;lc
teal value rs sue l, AMI which, | think
should b fenced and allowed to grow NJ
to timber, thus being restored through tn,
action of nature to fertility, while at tn,
same time Il crop of wool and timber i
beng obtained.
Successive kinds of grasses follow eacl
OF er. The elements of soil neces
sary for the support of one kind bein.
exhausted, another takes its place; this il
turn is followed by Il third, and so on unit
the soil becomes utterly unproductive
To restore our land by top-lressing, n
we cannot all resort to analyses, we mus
experiment with the different kinds of fer
tiliZers until that best adapted to the want
of the soil is found. But this we mus
ever bear in mind. that We must return t
the soil that which we take from it.
Mr.. Douglass of Whiting remarked thu
we must study every piece of land by it
self and treat it according to its merits
We cannot give rules for improvement un
til we know what is the matter. To max
farming profitable we must watch the ac
ton of our soil and help nature when it i
exhausted. to restore its fertility Man ha
wonderful power in changing crops an,
cattle by select n and this power intelli
: gently used cannot fail to bring us GOO
results.
Dr. Hoskins thinks that more than on
element is often needed in the restorltio
OF soil, and that it is sometimes forrottc
that not only fertilizers but seed is neces
sary to secure Il return of grasses to on
worn out pastures.
Mr.. jameson believes that other cause
,, than exhaustion of soil result in KILN
grasses, and that we must be careful nc
to attribute to exhaustion the effect c
frost, worms. ice and drouth. Plowin
and seeding arc often sufficient withor
manuring.
Judge Miller Of Pomfret asked, in /,
ferring to the discussion of the forenoon
what constitutes an agricultural education
Il. e. what kind of Il special education
necessary to fit Il man to- be u successfi
: farmer?
Col Mead renlieh that my, oduc,t;or
desirable for discipline, but that the E,rme
should be specially taught in chemlstr
and the laws of the growth OF plants an
animals.
Judge Miller thought that in any schot
r one may only learn TO learn that speci;
teaching can be successfully given onl
where practice and observation NAV con
bine t. instruct the learner; and that
make good farmers only discipline of tn
mind fol owed by practice and observ;
| f,,.