Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-12-17

late William Chamberlain Of Red Hook, N.
Y, who had great faith in the value Of sheep
as sarichers of farm, is of great interest.
Mr. Chamberlain went to New York city a
poor, barefoot boy aud worked his way into
an honorable position. When he bought a
farm in Duchess county, he brought to its
management the same correct business habits,
enterprise and good judgment which made
him prosperous merchant. No farming
operations which must bo supported by lean.
Jog on other business or drawing from his
plethoric bank account would be tolerated a
day. He did not enjoy doing business in
that way. The following account Of his sue.
cessful operations, printed in the New York
Tribune is from the pen of Hon George
Geddes. Its consideration is commended TO
those whose crops are growing yearly less,
and whose morning aud evening lament is
that farming does not pay.
In 1910 he purchased farm at that place
that had $50 acres that had been used to
raise hay to sell 30 long that it was worn
out. The hay crop Of lS4l was ~ loads I;
forty acres ofrye gave ten bushels to the
acre; twenty-five acres of corn averaged 20
bushels to the acre the remainder Of the
farm was called pasture, and proved equal
TO the grazing Of one span of horses, two
pairs Of oxen and one COW. The land was
so exhausted that it would not raise red
clover. The so-called commercial manures
were tried, such as gusno aud superphos-
pilates, with but little advantage wood
ashes we're better, but none Of these substances
oculd be used with economy, and Mr. Cham
berlain was forced to act on the assumption
that the Spanish proverb was true, The
hoof Of the sheep is gold"
BY using sheep as manufacturers Of grain,
hay, eornstalks, straw, swamp muck lot
which the farm had an abundant supply,
leaves and weeds into manure, he not only
restored this worn-out farm to its original
fertility, which could never have been very
great, as the soil is quite deficient in lime
aud consists largely Of sand and ground.up
granite rocks, but he made it so productive
that its crops would attract attention and be
highly satisfactory in even the flr-famed
Genesee county, or even in Ohio.
have an account Of the crops Of 1856
800 loads of hay, estimated to weigh in the
winter, fully 600 tons 40 acres of Indian
corn, estimated to yield 80 bushels to thc
acre wheat, for which the land is not well
adapted, but which is the best crop with
which to SOW timothy aud clover seeds, 80
acres, averaging 10 bushels; 30 acres o
oats, eight acres of roots, aud the pasture o.
800 sheep, and the teams, COWS, etc, neces
sary to carry on the farm, and to supply th'
families on it with milk and butter.
The winter before he fed 300 sheep for
market, making direct profit Of one dollar
each and he fed 81 steers and oxen, and
wintered 800 store sheep and some COW
and young cattle; all these animals mad
an immense pile Of most valuable manure
Mr. Chamberlain's plan, when he frs
commenced making manure by using sheep
was to spread it thinly, so as to 60 over al
the surface he could. and have enough 4
make clover grow; and he said that wher
hS had brought bis land to where it woulC
produce red clover, thonceforth, improve
ments were easy and rapid. The sheep no
only gave the first impulse, but were all tn,
time depended upon as the great manure
producing power and the resulting chang
in 80 short time is most wonderful--an
teaches lesson that is Of incalculabc valu
to the whole people.