davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
For the VERMONT FARMER,
WlNTER-KILLING IN MAINE.

We have often complained Of deep winter
SHOWS and impossible roads, but last winter
We congratulated ourselves on having the
only winter in twenty years when teams
could comfortably pass and at the same
time there was snow sufficient for seighing,
while in other parts Of the country they
were in deep snow or jolting on frozen
ground.
We knew that the snow was blown from
the fields and was lying upon the low flats
Of grass ground, but supposed that bare
ground in winter could be no greater calam-
ity here than in other parts of New En-
gland, but now summer has come and We
learn what our dreaded deep SHOWS have
been worth. Many whole fields Of grass
that have cut ] tons per acre will hardly
cut this year two hundred weight.
1t seems u strange phenomenon that the
hill pastures, of white clover especially, are
so barren. The white clover seems in some
measure now (the first of july to be COM
ing again, so that perhaps our bees by watt
ing will get late harvest. If we had had
dry summer as in some years, it would be
sad to contemplate the hay and pasture
famine that would have been inevitable.
do not now apprehend hay famine in this
particular region if We make the most ol
what hay and substitutes for hay we have
The straw Of the grain crop and the wild
hay in the woods will doubtless be made the
most Of
In the northern part Of the state where
there was much more bare ground in winter
it is not as bad as here. A question fol
science Does the accustomed protection
of winter SHOWS modify the hardness of the
grass plants to do without that protection ?
From present appearances our bees will
give but small increase of stocks or surplus
honey, though SO far as | can learn they ar'
in healthy condition. In PenObscot OOun
ty the bees are all in a wasting dying condi
ton from some unknown cOntagion.
M. II. KEEP.
Dalton, ArOOstoOk Co., Ne.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

to agriculture must ever labor under many
disadvantages, and-tho assertion is verified
by facts-will grow poorer instead Of rich.
er; but create diversity Of interests, build
up in every community manufacturing es-
tablishmentu the largest scale practicable;
utilize every water power in the state, de-
velop every source Of mineral wealth, there
by giving employment to large numbers OF
workmen, and agriculture in common with
these other industries will flourish.
Many Of our villages are made up Of re-
tired farmers, though in many instances 1t
is hard telling what they havc retired on.
Villages thus constructed are Of little bene-
fit to the farming community, because the
families deriving their subsistence from
their own farms furnish no market for the
farmers produce. Erect in such village
manufacturing establishments Of sufficient
capacity to give employment to large num-
ber of workmen, and what would be the re-
suits these workmen and their families
would require houses to live in, the building
of which would give employment to num-
bers of mechanics, and afford a market for
the timber and building material Of the
town. Building lots and all real estate in
the vicinity would rise in value. These op-
eratives and mechanics would require food,
giving the farmers produce, whether Of the
field, the garden, the orchard, the dairy, or
the shambes, ready market at remunera-
tive prices, ultimately causing these old
farms to increase most wonderfully in pro-
ductiveness because capital and labor thus
invested would pay.
In the advancing light of the present
time the best methods would be found ouI
and practiced. The best men agriculturally
would como to the front. Real estate rising
in value instead of begging for customers
would find ready sale. The hills which
are fit for nothing else would be allowed
again to become covered with forests, bu
every acre of soil fit for cultivation woulC
be occupied.
Men would get out Of tho old routine
out of the old ruts of agriculture which
have been followed SO long, would abandon
practices which, have nothing but ago t
commend them, because the old system
would not pay.
Farmers would begin in mild way o
course to learn the science Of farming, AM
to find out that in their own as well as il
other callings brains were made for use
Young men Of good talents, instead Of rush
ing into the overcrowded ranks Of the pro
fessions or doing woman's work, selling tap
at two cents stick or cotton threa at fou
cents a spool, or gong west to find tina
there are drawbacks in the system Of farm
ing as at present practiccd there, would fin
remunerative profits at home and conse
quently would stay there. Society in it
various phases would improve, schools woul
be better managed and better attended
ministers of tho gospel would preach to ful
houses instead OF bare walls. Indeed, ev
cry class of society would receive an impe
) tus in the right direction. j. ii. p.
Grafton, July7.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
LENGT OF WHIFFLETREEs.

Horses draw best with the double whiffle-
tree just long enough to allow them to stand
close to each other, having the single whi1le-
trees attached directly behind them and just
long enough to meet at the middle. When
the double-tree is very long, each horse
must draw more or less sidewise, If the coup
ling lines and the neck. yoke are not made
long enough to allow them to move directly
forward without having their heads toward
each other.
In order to determine the correct length
of whifiietrees, let two horses stand side by
side with their sides three inches apart then
measure from the center of one horse to the
other, on their backs. This will give the
length for the neck-yoke and the correct
length for the double whffletrees between
the joints where the single.trees are to be
attached. When neck yoke is only eigh-
teen inches long, and the doublo-tree of the
proper length, horses will be required to
move more or less sidewise. For the same
reason oxen often get into the habit Of haul
! ing sidewise, because the yoke is too short.
Neither oxen or horses can travel easily and
freely when their heads are turned toward
and their butts from, each other.
Whiffietrees fer plowing should always be
as short as they can be made, without bring
ing the traces against the legs of the team
A very long double whiiilotree tends to max,
plow take too wide furrow-sice If tn,
clevis be adjusted to take narrow furrow
sice,-when the double-trec is too long
the pillow will not run at all satisfactorily
| Tho horea in tho E,rro,u will not hn ohle =,
walk squarely in his place, because the lin
of draft is such as to keep crowdng his hinc
feet out of the furrow on the powed ground
The length of the double whifiletree an(
neck.yoke for sleigh should be Just as Ions
as the sleigh is wide, from the center Of on
| runner To the other
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
For the vERMOSr FARMER.
TOT INC FENNVHI FAHNEH
HOW TO MAKE FARMING PAY
IN VERMONT.

The population of our farming towns is
centralizing and diminishing; is drawing
away from the hills to the villages, or leav'
ing the state for the more fertile fields of
the west. The old farms are being aban-
doned offered for sale at low prices, and go
begging for purchasers at that Farm
houses in comfortable repair are standing
empty the rural school districts are becom-
ing depopulated to that degree that the
school tax considering the amount and quail
ity of the schools is in many instances abso-
lutely oppressive, all showing state of
things which ought not to be.
How is this depopulating and centralizng
tendency to be checked2 How is the tide
of migration to be turned toward our state
rather than from it. How can the towns
which are essentially agricultural in their
character retain and increase the present
number Of their inhabitants. These are
vital questions which cencern every good
citizen of the state.
Many will doubtless answer, that the de-
sired change is to be brought about through
the agency Of a better system of agricul
ture thereby producing better crops But
what is the stimulating power which will in'
duce men to do this2 In farming, as in ev
cry other industrial pursuit. men work fol
the profits. Win it pay2 is the test t,
which every thing is brought. Here come
the vital question upon which the who'll
matter hinges How can farming be mad
to pay in Vermont. l answer it can b
done by creating a greater diversity of in
terests, and thereby establishing a HON
market for farm products. As long as Yer
mont remains essentially farming state an,
nothing else, SO long will her full resource
be undeyelOped and she remain stationary o
retrOgrade in industrial and political imPOr
tanoe. A state or country devoted entirel
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
JERSEY AND ALDERNEY.

The unfortunate confusion of ideas as to
the proper nomenclature of these cattle will
probably exist for some years to come, aLd
make it necessary for this olt-repeated state
ment to be repeated hundred times. AL
derney was formerly understood as referring to
any cattle from the Alderney group of is
lands, Jersey, Guernsey, Aderney, and
Sark. AS the cattle are really distinct
breeds, and have been very strictly kept for
many years, the name Of each island is
now, and has for some years been given to
its own particular breed of cattle. Jersey
and Alderney are therefore two distinct
breeds. Tho same trouble is now laying up
in regard to Dutch and llolstein cattle,
which are Dutch only when they are large,
black and white, heavy milking cattle from
Holland, and IIolstein when they are red
brown and other coored beef cattle from
Holsten.-Er.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
Gbe 4airp.
SENDING FORWARD DAIRY PROD
UCTS IN HOT WEATHER.

We have referred from time TO time in
these columns to the Importance Of transport
ing dairy products during hot weather in re-
frigeratOr cars. This is especially required
when butter is to be CARRIED long distances
to market. A vast deal of butter, in good
order when it leaves the farmers cellar, ar
rives in market in wretched condition. part
ly from the careless manner of transport
ing from the farm to the nearest railroad de-
pot, being exposed to tho sun and warmed d
up, but mostly from its further exposure to
heat in tho cars during its transit to market.
When butter is packed in tubs in the ordi.
nary way, great precautions should be taken
! by farmers to have the package under cover
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
THE GUARDS STORY.
ny r. l.. cARY. JR.

We were on picket, sir, he and I,
Under the blue Of a midnight sky,
In the wilderness, where the night birds song
Gives back an echo all night long.
Where the silver stars as they come and pass
Leave stars OF dew on the tangled grass,
And tho rivers sing in tho silent hours,
Their sweetest song to the listning flowers.
He'd slender form and girlish face,
That seemed in the army out Of place,
Though he smiled as l told him so that day,
Aye, smiled, and flushed in a girlish way
That minded me Of face knew,
In Northern village, meath the blue;
When our army marched at the meadow bars
She met and kissed me meath tho stars.
Before us the river silent ran,
And we'd been placed to guard the fordi
A dangerous place, and wo'd jump and start
Every time that the wind by a leaf was stirred.
Behind us the army lay encamped,
Their camp-fres burned into the night
Like bonlires built upon the hills,
And set by demon hands alight.
Somehow, whenever looked that way
seemed to see her face again,
Kind o. hazy like, as you've seen star
peepin' out through a misty rain
And once, | believe, as / thought Of her,
thought aloud, and called him Bess,
When he started quick, and smiling said,
''You dream of some one at home, guess"
Twas just in the flush of the morning light.
We'd stopped for a chat at the end Of our beat,
When rifle flashed at the rivers bank,
And bathed in blood he sank at my ieeti
All Of a sudden l knew her then,
And kneeling | kissed the girlish face
And raised her head from the tangled grass
To find on my breast lis restngpaeo.
When the corporal came to change the guard,
At six in the morn, he found me there,
With Bossie's dead form casped in my arms,
And hid in my heart her dying prayer.
They buried her under the moaning pines,
And never n man in the army knew
Thnt Willie Searles and my girl were one.
You're the first I've told-the story's new.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
IDeII-Spa6GerS.

Nothing contributes so much to the emusic
of the Future as matrimony.
Brigham Young has made his will, giving
his friends ten children apiece.
The LotCcH Courier asks its exchanges to
quit calling it the Low. Cour."
A Lebanon (Ky.) gent, in ardently greet
ing long-parted wife, broke one of her ribs.
A man in San Francisco has started the
novel theory that it hurts Chinaman to be
stoned to death.
''IIe handled his gun carolossly, and put
on his angel pumagc,n is the latest Western
obituary notice.
1t is said that the prettiest girl in Harris
burg is Il newspaper carrier. She carries
them in her hustle,
Josh Billings says, "Success don't konsist
in never making blunders, but in never max
ing the same one the seckond time"
The Rochester Chronicle offers three cents
per pound for poetical contributions, and
writers are not limited rs to subjects
Several people with guns are moving
through the streets to-day; there must be a
book agent in town.-DanJury NetoS.
1t is proposed to establish public baths in
Washington. More washing and less white
washing would certainly improve Washing
ton.
When your pockct-book gets empty and
everybody knows it, you can put all your
friends in it and it won't "bulgo out" worth
cent.
Louisiana man puts n two-ounce can oi
nitro-glyccrine inside of chicken, tosses
the chicken to an alligator, and that alliga'
tor does not trouble the bayou any more
An nlinosian wrote to Horace Greeley
several times, asking him what was good fol
catarrh, and finally Horace got out OF pa
tiencc and replied; "Cut your dam heaC
off,
81 shall be at home next. Sunday night,
young lady remarked, ms she followed he
beau to the door, who seemed to be some
what waverng in his attachment. $50 shal
L." was the reply.
"Doar George" said an indianapolis youni
woman, II am willing to marry you il W
have to live on bread and water" "Well,
said tho enthusiastic George, 'you furnis
the bread and I'll skrmish around and fin
the water"
my dear boy" said fond aunt to yer
fast-hving nephew, "don't you know that !
leading this irregular life you are shortenin
your days?" "It's quite possible that ma
be shortening my days, but then look how
lengthen my nights was the reply
A Scotchman went to lawyer once fo
advice and detailed the circumstances of tn
case. "lIave you told me the facts procsel
ms thoy occurred?" asked the lawyer. "Ot
aye, sirr' replied he; 81 thought it best
tell ye the plain truth. Yo can put the lie
into il yourself
"India, my boy" said nm Irish officer to
friend, on his arrival ut Calcutta, "is the fiji
est climate under the sun; but lot of fe
lows come out here, and they drink and the
eat, and they drink and they die; and the
they write home to their parents a pack {
lies, and say it's the climate rs has kille
them"
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

as plant fool as uncooked flour and cooked
-four as food for man.
l never have composted unleached ashes
with muck but have seen crops Of turnips
and cabbages grown on nothing but compost
of muck and unloached ashes. l think it
was eight bushels Of uuleached ashes to
cord Of muck on my neighbor's field, and the
crops were very satisfactory. would state
in this connection that his muck was of very
good quality, being of a fine aud greasy
nature, which l think far surpasses the muck
of coarse Aaky nature. L think the for
mer in this section is made largely from hard
wood leaves and the latter from rushes.-
Cor. Massachusetts Ploughman.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
ASHES, LEACHED AND UNLEAcHED,

saw a piece in the Ploughmaa of May
23, in regard to ashes, leached aud unleach-
ed their comparative value. would say
that have tried both leaohed and un-
leached ashes, and that on my land know
of no fertilizer so cheap and lasting for grass
land as leaehed ashes that | should prefer
leached ashes, bushel for bushe, to un-
leached ashes, judging from its effect when
applied alone as a top-dressug, or narrowed
in for grass but herein is where ! consider
the unleached surpasses the leached, When
eomposted with muck, think its curing or
cooking qualities in the muck far surpass
the leached | say cooking qualities, for
consider muck as it is just thrown out OF its
bed, aud muck that has been thoroughly
compested with stable manure or unleached
ashes, to be as much different in its nature
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

or hogs are disposed of, let tho profits be
divided pro rata. IL seems to us that this
plan would give satisfaction, and we know
i would make happier homes by being re-
heved from the care Of the dairy. This is
vital Consideration, aud induces us TO favor
any kind Of profitable association that lifts
the burden from women.-Ex.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
TOO MANY FENCES.

notice many farms of from fifty to two
hundred acres, upon which the matter Of
fences must be about as much an encum-
brance as would be heavy mortgage. In-
deed | have sometimes thought that the
removal of at least one-half the fences upon
these farms, would be one good step towards
removing the debts under which some of our
most industrious and Woodworking farmers
are laboring. Not only this, bat it would
also tighten the demand that is constantly
being made upon their time and patience to
repair fences. Dividing farm all up into
fields of from ono to five acres, seems to me
to be useless. Good line fences are general
ly a necessity. But after that fences to in-
close pas.ure-land ought to about end
the fence matter.
OF course, circumstances may require a
few extra fences, as about garden, orchard,
&c, yet | think many Of the inside fences
might be dispensed with to great advantage.
Cor. Germ. Telegraph.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

HoME MANUFACTURES Outside Of the
farmers immediate calling this is by far
the most important problem presented for So
luton. 1t decides whether the cultivator of
the soil, in any particular locality, shall be
prosperous or not and that too, for the very
simple reason that it rules in all that relates
to the number OF people who shall be added
from outside sources, to swell the list Of pro-
ductve consumers and aid in constituting a
home market. Turn the attention in what
ever direction one may, as long as this great
est of desiderata is absent, the agriculturst
will labor under undOubted disadvantages,
and be poor precisely in proportion to the
distance traversed by the goods before they
reach their ultimate destination.
We hear much about the beautiful farm
ing and happy homes, as well as marks OF
culture and refinement, to be found every
where in New England and We believe that
all those very desirable surroundings do ex-
ist to an unusual extent in that prosperous
section. Who deserves the credit 7 Are
the Massachusetts, farmers moro intelligent
operators than those Of other portions Of the
country? We do not believe they are and
we are disposed to regard the great manuiaG'
turing interest Of the Eastern States as the
principal source of the wealth which there
attends the efforts Of the agriculturist.-LeT
ingtOn, Ky, Home Journal.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17
CAKED UDDER.

A correspondent wants TO know what
will cure caked udder. Tue best remedy
VIC ever tried was to bathe it thoroughly and
persistenty with tepid water, and milking
clean. Some use salt aud water, others salt
and vinegar, but we doubt whether they
have any advantages over pure water. The
udder at such times is, Of course, inaamed,
and persistent application Of wator will re-
duce the inflammation, enabling you to draw
the milk. 1t may require several bathings
to entirely remove the cake, but we are con-
hdent that three times out Of four it will
prove successful. - Rural Home.
Hon. X. A. Willard, the highest authority
in dairy matters in the country, uses a
blanchard Churn in his own dairy. lie
says it is "the best"
They are made only by Porter Blan-
chards Sons, Concord, N. IL.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

One day little boys mother gayo him
long lecture on n misdemeanor OF which
he'd been guilty. When his father came
nj night, he also began TO talk TO him on the
same unpleasant subject, whoreupon the lit
tie fellow looked mp honestly, and said' 'See
here, pa, ma has tended to that The faith
er took the hint,
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-17

In selecting shade trees, many farmers
are apt to run after horse chestnuts, silver
naples, Norway spruce, frs, etc., and total
ly disregard such trees as the beech. This
tree when planted alone is of close bushy
habit with very long limbs slightly dropping,
the leaves of a dark green, Of moderate
height, and branching out about six feet from
the ground. 1t grows about as rapidly as the
Norway fir, Ia height it grows when isolat-
cd, about thirty to fifty feet.
Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-04-15

him. and his face frightened up as
ne Said: business belly slow; nobody
20 no money" We calmly took out
took out paper at that. We carefully
explained To him all about Is cents u
line-one of these things clear across
here every time the paper was printed.
The people, we told him. would read
this and then come to him for washing.
lie took deep interest i'm the whole
story, and paid marked attention TO
our few remarks.
You see, Mr.. Hong Lee" we said.
thinking he was getting along first-rale
in English, "this is a raper-this here"
Quitting finger on iD. "When people
read they rush Off frantically and buy
Of everybody whose name they see in
this paper. ''Do you understand?"
He said he did, and wanted to know
how many pieces we had-whcther
they were big or little. We felt dis
cOuraged. We had worked hard for
half an hour already, and he all the
time thinking that we were talk
ing about washing! With an imrrera-
ti"n on the whole race we went ovcrtho
story again, even going so far as to fig
urc out to him how many papers we
printed and how many we expected to
PRINT. lie was all attention as before,
but when we stopped for breath he
spirited water on Il batch of clothes
through his teeth, and then said, as
COOL Y a> mummy. that if we brought
the clothes on Monday he would have
them done Wednesday,.