Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-12
Reported for the VERMONT FARMER
The Most Profitable Crop.

At special meeting Of Orleans Grange,
March 3, for the discussion of the question
What is the most profitable crop for farm
ers in Vermont to raise ?"
M. ii. Mason said l will admit that
grass is the most profitable crop to raise,
but 1 think that we should raise all kinds
adapted to our lands. Think that We can
raise wheat and corn, and that those crops
fit the land for grass hettor than any other.
Think either more profitable to raise than
barley. Land good enough for good crop
Of barley will raise good crop Of wheat,
and will be better for grass TO follow than
barley. If we raise grass alone we have 10
depend upon the avails Of that TO buy other
crops for consumption. Think that farmers
had better raise their living than to buy it.
Too much money is sent out Of the state for
-four, corn, feed, &C. Had bett9r raise all
aud save our money. Think the farmers Of
Vermont arc growing poorer by buying SO
much from the west.
+. =. A. Clarke thinks grass the most
profitable grain crop; thinks wheat better
than barley and barley better than corn.
Thinks it no damage to raise grass and buy
some feed.
H. S. Bokford thinks the grass the most
profitable but it is best as general thing to
raise what we want to consume. Thinks
barley and roots profitable crops. l get
double the profit from beets that do from
any other crop. according to cost.
A. b. Rich thinks grass the most profita-
ble.but all grass will run out. Must raise 9TH
or crops to renew the grass. Grain not prof
table TO raise when We can buy cheap.
Barley better than wheat. Grass and roots
the most profitable.
II. w. Phillips: Think grass the best
crop. but think they should see what kind
they could raise best and exchange with
others. Think they had better raise their
potatoes than TO wait for some one else to
raise them for them. When l lived at home
on the farm we used TO raise what we want
ed to live on Think we ought TO raise in
Vermont what we want to consume.
Jerry Marston: 1t is best to see
what our farms are best adapted to, aud
raise such, and buy such as we cannot raise
Can raise wheat, but not corn on our farm.
r. NJ. Walker: Barley is better for me
to raise than wheat. Can raise good grass
after barley. More profitable to raise barley
than corn.
Amos Cooke Hops are good paying
crop, and potatoes better paying crop than
grass But to raise these, in few years we
could raise nothing. We should not try to
raise corn on high, cold land. IL would be
we'll If we could dispense with buying and
save our money at home. Must look 10
keeping up our lands. Grass the most prof
table. Think if we would cut our grass
earlier, and cut two or three crops year,
it would produce as much milk alone as
grass feed. Think wheat hos been as pro6ta-
BILE for me to raise as any crop.
II. S. Chaplin: If We can produce two
dollars worth Of butter 10 sell as cheap as
we can one dollars worth Of -four, it is the
most profitable to raise the butter and buy
the -four. 1t is a mystery to me how we
can better ourselves by raising for our own
consumption instead of buying, when by
raising another crop to sell We can buy what
We should otherwise raise aud save a good
margin Of money in the operation. He also
read the following paper: ......
In discussing the question (Which is the
ulU5b piOutaoio olVP lOI v oIuiOhI ihIuhoIb W
raise 2" many things must be taken into coA.
sideration. First it would be necessary to
know the character of the farm, whether
cold and wet with a northern cant. or warm
and dry with southern cant. Whether in
a cold locality subject to late and early frosts,
or in more moderate locality, admitting Of
longer season without frosts.
Perhaps this would more particularly APP
ply to the corn crop than to any other, which
could not be raised to great profit without a
suitable climate and suitable soil for that
purpose, and length of season to mature it,
But another consideration is, what you
are going to do with the crops when raised,
which equally applies to all other crops,
And then again the value Of said crop for
sale, lift is to be sold, and also if to be fed
out the value of the productions bysuch feed,
and the value Of that portion OF the feed to
be returned TO the soil for fertilization.
Then again, We must act upon uncertainties,
which cannot be determined in advance,
such as the right season for the crop and the
value Of said crop when matured,
If We put 10 a corn crop with the expect