Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-24
The Board Of Agriculture at 81. Johnsbury,

The Farmers Meeting at St. Johnsbury
suffered from the severe storm prevailing ON
both days, which interfered with travelling
by teams and threw the trains off time but
still there was very fair attendance and a
lively interest manifested on the part of
those who were there. Farmers were pres
ent from Newport, Sutton, Burke, Concord
Barnet, Waterford, Cabot Calais, Dsnville,
Peacham, Walden, Lyndon, Bradford, and a
number Of other towns on the lines Of road
centering at St Johnsbury, not only in Yer
mont but New Hampshire. The distance
travelled by many of these at considerable
expense Of time money and difficulty, shows
that the meetings Of the Board are widely
appreciated. On the other hand the utter
want Of interest in the proceedings shown
by the resident citizens Of st. Johnsbury
proves, what every preceding meeting has
proved, that the larger villages and cities are
not the best places TO hold agricultural meet
ings. The largest audiences have invariably
been gathered at meetings held in the midst
of farming community and away from
points where the taste Of the people has been
trained in different direction by the album
dance Of entertainments appealing to the
fondness for amusement rather than in
struction,
THURSDAY AFTERNOON,
The meeting was organized by the choice of
J. X. Kinaston, Esq, Of Peacham, President
of the Caledonia County Agricultural So
ciety, as chairman. Mr.. kinaston made an
interesting and profitable opening address,
in which he took strong ground in favor OF
high farming, agricultural schools, model
and experimental farms, and the introduc-
ton Of more brain power into agriculture
generally. He spoke highly of the German
experimental stations, and of the work there
performed in testing every new thing, set
ting old problems, and supervising the man
ufacture of artificial fertilizers, so as to en-
sure a reliable article TO consumers.
Secretary Collier responded by saying that
as the first public meeting of the Board
four years ago, was held at St. Johnsbury
he felt as though he was coming home in re-
turning there. He referred to what the
chairman had said about the experimental
stations Of Europe, and said they were con-
ferring inestimable benefits upon the far
mers Of those countries in many ways, one
of which was referred to by the chairman,
namely, the testing of fertilizers, which in
consequence averaged forty per cent. better,
| according to price, there than here. Urged
by the farmers, the Board had undertaken
this work TO some extent, and the opinion
had been freely expressed by farmers that
in this alone it had saved to the people many
times its cost. lie had himself, under the
call of many farmers, induced a manufac-
turer to make a superphosphate subject to n
strict analysis and equal to any in Europe,
and admittedly the best ever made in Amer
lea. He had been rewarded for his unpaid
efforts in this direction by being stigmatized
by newspapers as a dung-peddler." 1t was
a satisfaction to the manufacturers of infe-
rior fertilizers, and he had no doubt it would
be An equal satisfaction to those patriotic
manufacturer had failed, and that the mar
ket was now open, without competition, to
the many inferior and imperfectly manufac-
tured articles brought into the state in such
abundance from abroad. An effort had
been made in the Legislature to adopt such
regulations in regard TO fertilizers as were
in force in other states compelling the man
ufacturers to affix the composition of the
fertilizers to the packages, and to warrant
them equal to their formula, under reasona-
BILE penalties but the Legislature, though
composed of a majority of farmers, would
not pass the law. Charges Of interested
motives against the Board and its members
had been made and repeated, without evil
dence or justification, by editors who seem
to possess little sense of the responsibilities
of their position, but it was gratifying to
know that those farmers who were most IA
miliar with the work of the Board who had
attended and supported its meetings were
its strongest friends.
The question of manures and fertilizers
was discussed AT some length ny Messrs' A.
H. lioVey' oil East 81 Johhspury MI fos-
Ter oil barnet; Nathah way oil sutton ana
others These gentlemen seemed to be all
wide awake 10 the Importance oil economs-
ing hquid manure by the use OF muck and
other absoroents IN the stables, the preserya-
tion oil all manure from leaching and excess
siVe fermentation, and Its increase both IN
quantity and quality by liberal feeding OF
gram meal orah' etc
MI w. H. Drew Oh North Danville' then
made snort address upon Inc advantage
Oh iiafo INES III "hich he urged mat the
eheck put upon eh.raVagance' the stop put
10 speculation, ana 'iie stimulus oil necessity
applied 10 industry, more uiah couhterpal-
ahceu' py 'heir gooa results, all the evils que
70 uecilhe IN the price Oh farm products
non f. ~ pougias' Oh "hitihg' being
caiiea upon ny seVerai voices at ,iie close OF
MI Dre" reiharhs' saiu 'iia' 'he remedy
.o' mar" ''''es Jay III n'''ns ourselves oe''er
i'' our own "oiA' inere Is no "iuer helu
ioi Improvement IMAM ~ o"e'eu III agrlcui-