Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-12-10

IutUNs
ipga. II the farmers Of Rutland we're not
generally attending the meetings here, many
Of the representative men Of Rutland were,
and he was pleased 10 say that the members
OF the board and other gentlemen attending
these meetings we're having an opportunity
TO see and enjoy the Inequalities Of some Of
the representative homes Of Rutland. He
had no doubt that in the future, the mem.
bers Of the board would receive greater en-.
couragemeht BY larger attendance, aud that
this might be the case and that the board
might meet with the great success it's work
deserved. was bis hearty wish. Mr. Clark
then read an elaborate and interesting paper
uron
The water Power of the state.
All the principal rivers Of the state were
enumerated and their capabilities commented
upon, aud conclusions drawn.
few years since the Legislature of YER
mont authorized the secretary Of the state
TO ascertain by n series of questions the ex-
tent and value of water power Of the state.
answers from only about third Of the towns
] where queries were sent were received, but
the nun Der OF water powers reported was
| five hundred and there were many more in
her rivers, ponds and inland lakes. The
speaker had given much thought and atten-
ton to the subject and been able to gnther
some Information which. though incomplete,
would serve To draw attention to something
oil the wealth that lies in the lakes, ponds,
| rivers and brooks IN Vermont more prob
ably than is often found IN territory OF much
larger extent. The entire areao of the state
Is S,O56t square miles or 0, 795, 060 acres, and
a large amount Of this territory Is covered
with water.
Eleven principal streams flow from Ver-
mont into the Connecticut and dram $1,000
| square miles of her territory. Four flow
north into Lake Memphremagog, draining
nearly 800 square miles, six principal streams
draining nearly 1900 square miles flow
westerly into Lake Champlain, and besides
there were numerous smaller streams that
run partially In tho state and draining
some OF her territory. The great number
Of water powers scattered over this territory
in proportion to the amount OF territory was
the remarkable feature. Besides the small
percentage of available water power devel-
oped and occupied there were n score or
more Of localities where sufficient avaiabl
power was running 10 waste 10 establish
manufacturing centers equal to some of
Massachusetts, manufacturing districts. BY
| the side of one of the great thorUughfares Of
| travel are II whole series Of water privi-
leges capable II improved Of giving employ
| fifteen, twenty and twenty-five thousand
men. These have been waiting for hun
dreds Of years and arc still waiting TO be
pressed into the service Of man. What they
might add to the population and wealth of
| the state through the proper application OF
capital can only be estimated by thousands
| and millions.
The wheels Of one lonely paper mill are
turned by water power sufficient to move
the combined machinery of Manchester.
| Of tho water power reported less than u
third Is reported rs occupied. Now with
wood, timber, marble, slate aud granite in
close proximity to steep dcscents and alb
rupt rapids, these water powers were the
very future hope and lie of the state, only
through the development of these quanti-
ties OF nature will Vermont grow into n
wealthy and populous state. In view of
| this immense resource, 1t is time that Ver-
mont lost the reputation of good state 10
| emigrate from, time that her sons and daugh-
ters cease dreaming Of fortunes to be had for
the seeking in some FL Dorado. while riv-
crs Of wealth are forever flowing idly down
her rocky hillsides and through her pleas
| ant valleys.
A writer says the greatness of England
hangs upon "a few dirty Jumps of coal" Is
1t not equally true that we Of Vermont are
to draw our future prosperity from our
thousand streams and now unoccupied wa
| ter powers.
Discussions Following MIR CIark's Paper.
Col j. B. Mead said that he was CON-
WINGED by examples he related, that the fail.
ure to utilize the resources Of water power
and timber Of Vermont was great cause
Of the declining prosperity Of the
state. We are sending off the raw
material aud receiving back the manufact-
ured articles. when if we would manufact-
ure them at home we should keep our boys
at home, aud increase our wealth, and he
hoped some Of the wealthy capitalists Of the
state would be so patriotic as to invest some
OF their capital in thus developing the re-.
sources Of the state and in keeping our sons
at home Instead of sending their capital and
our sous abroad to develOpe and enrich
other states.
A paper on
sheep breeding
was then read by Mr. John II. Mead Of
West Rutland. Mr. Mead after giving the
scientific classification Of sheep, aud describ.
ing their characteristics and wherein they
resembed other nearly allied species of the
same order, then described the different
names by which agriculturalists designate
|
The ages of sheep can usually he deter
mined easily by their front teeth but keep
ing will vary tho loss Of the first set, and the
growth of the second, so that test Is not AL
ways reliable in critically determining the
ngc OF sheep. The ages of rams can be deter
mined with accuracy by their horns IL they
are not too old.
The natural age of sheep Is about ten
years. Youatt says there are instances OF
their breeding mt fifteen years. Mr. John
Rich Of Shoreham pointed out one to the
writer this fall, that was sixteen years and
was breeding. The writer owned one that
bred well rs ever she did at twenty years
hut brought poor lambs Mt twenty-one. She
| lived to be twenty-three, and was killed in
hcshy condition in tho fall al(ey she had
reached that age.
The primitive sheep had n hairy covering
or was thought by many to have had such
covering, but II was probable that there was
a finer filling of wool underneath. 1t would
seem to be impossible that the present fleece
bearing sheep of Vermont could have ever
descended from sheep that hnd not nj
! first some kind of fleece Beneath his coat o.
Hair, Mr. Mend then gave the composition
OF the yOlk IN the wool of sheep. According
10 eminent chemists, the composition of this
yOlk hal little variation In n large number
of cases. This yolk from its composition
being u true soap soluabe in water, Il is easy
TO account for the ease with which sheep
, having the natural proportion of it, arr
washed in II running stream. When tht
fiber of the wool is In healthy condition
it is of an even size aud bEIllisnf cOlor, and
o is worth more than when It ia in an uneven
, aud unhealthy condition by poor Keeping OF
!, from an unhealthy condition of tho sheer
herring II,
Y 4, If tho farmer lives near city market The
, Improved mutton sheep are tho most profit
, able. In interior situations, more remot,
from market, tho Merno or fine wooleC
sheep yield the best returns. | think tn,
best varieties of improved mutton sheep o
: to-day to be the Cotswold and Southdawn
/. The history of the importation of the Ne
!. rino sheep into lhls country and their subse
, quent breeding and Improvement from their
original inpOrtations was here given by tn,
speaker, and their different families mon
!, toned and the differences In them we'll ant
\ lutelliaently described