Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-09-03
Our Pennsylvania Letter.


Politics have not yet got fairly warmed
up for the fall campaign, but the republi.
cans have their ticket in the field and are
trying to make the best possible use of what
time there is before the democractc nomi-
mating convention meets, the Sth of next
month. The two parties are so evenly ball
anced 10 this state that the independent voter
counts for but little. Where one party has
things all its own way the independents have
the best show, because If they can make
split in the dominant party good many
from the weaker party are sure to take
hand in and help thrash their old opponents.
| think 1t will not be many years, though,
before au independent party eau make itself
felt in any state Of the Union. The currency
issue-rcally the issue of the hours rec-
ognized here, aud the wiser members Of each
party are trying to hold it in favor Of hard
money. lfthe democrats at their conven-
ton week after next take a decided and
open stand for early resumption, they stand
a pretty good chance to carry the state in
November, but If they "straddle the issue" for
the benefit of their brethren IN Ohio, who are
battling against strong odds on a rag.moncy
platform, they are "goners." The republicans
are trying to push the no.pOpery issue into
the field, preparatory for the next years
campaign, and the committee at Washington,
Of which Senator Edmuuds is u prominent
official member, is flooding the country with
"no-popery" republican documents.
The weather for the ten days since | ar.
rived here has boen quite cool--yesterday
and this morning uncOm fortably so--and
there has been considerable rain The grain
crop is all harvested and is very fair, an d
in two or three trips out a few miles into
the country see the itinerant threshing
machines busily engaged There has been
a good yield Of oats, aud fair one of rye.
The hay crop was rather short, caused by
the severe weather of last winter and the
drouth of last spring. Corn promises a
bountiful yield and there is good deal oil
it cultivated. Potatoes, also, will be good
yield. In few instances fields have been
nearly ruined by the Colorado beetle, but
most of the fields are looking very finely
though in good many cases it is at the
expense of almost daily picking off the bugs
by the farmers. A few use Paris green
which needs to be applied as often as once
in ten days, in such rainy weather as this
A good many will not use the poison, how
ever, for fear of being injured by it, That
there is danger in careessly handling it no
one denies; the dust of 1t may be breathed
or the solution may be carelessly brought il
contact with food, &C., bat the idea held by
some that the poison can communicate itself
to the tubers, or even to the land and frOm
that to tho next crop, is totally absurd and
gropndlsss, aud If had potato patch and
the Colorado bugs we're troubling me Paris
green would be my reliance. Careful ex
periments have been made by the department
, Of agriculture at Washington. pHd i hal
been proved that the smallest application Of
the Paris green that can perceptibly afect
either ground or crops is Il think) 500 lb'