davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Utilizing the Grass Crop.

The Live Stock Journal has the following
on the best method of utilizing the grass
crop. The suggestions therein may be Of
practical value where land bears very high
price and is mostly suited for moving fields,
and where labor is cheap. With us 10 Yer
mont, where rough, broken land, suitable
only for pasturing, is abundant and cheap,
and labor dear and not remarkably efficient,
sOilug, to any considerable extent, is out of
the question. IL is bad enough 10 be obliged
to cut the food for animals six months in the
year. If compelled to do it in summer,
also, we should beg to step down and out as
a farmer.
About three acres are devoted to pasture
for one to meadow. But it is to be observed
that the one acre Of meadow keeps at least
two-thirds of the same stock through the
winter that the three acres kept through the
grazing season, which shows that the pas.
turage is not as well utilized as the meadow.
1t is just here that the farmer must begin
his referm. His ingenuity ought, certainly,
to be equal to making the grass that grows
upon an acre, and fed in warm weather pro.
duce as great result as the hay grown on
an acre and fed in cold weather Ii is too
great waste to devote three times the
amount Of land to summering an animal
that is used in wintering the same animal
when nine animals of the same weight may
be kept IN summer on the same am punt of
food that would be required for eight in
winter. Pasturing is the most wastefu of
all old ways to use grass, yet the farmer
goes on, year after year, throwing away
large percentage Of the produce of his fields,
because he has not the independence to
change an old, wastefu custom.
Soiling will double his capacity to keep
stock, and also largely increase his yield Of
grain from the extra manure made We do
not, of course, advocate soiling on rough
lands which can be used only for pasturage,
but there are millions Of acres Of grass upon
tillable lands troddeu down by cattle, pro.
ducing less than half the net income thew
might it this grass was cut and fed to the
animals. Every farmer who raises an acre
OF fodder corn and feeds to his cows or other
cattle, green, in the fall. must see that this
acre OF green corn produces as much food as
six to eight acres Of pasture, We have
soiled good-sized cows from the Goth Of May
to the 10th of November, upon a half acre,
when not less than three acres would have
been required to feed them equally we'll on
pasture. The wastefulness of the general
system Of pasturing may be seen in the fact
that throughout the dairy region two-thirds
OF each farm is devoted to keeping the stock
through summer, and only one-thiId to keep.
ing the same stock through the winter, be.
sides raising grain to put the family through
the year. We do not advocate keeping
stock confined, for that is not at all neces.
sary IN the soling system, but to give them
runway OF few acres, or the wood lot, or
the broken land on the farm, and then feed
them the grass in racks or in stable three
times day.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Cure for Warts.
5. f. Swift, V. S., says in the Western
Farm Journal

S. f. Swift, V. S., says in the Western
Farm Journal:
A cure for warts is a frequent subject of
inquiry, and the question as to the mode of
treatment is difficult to answer in the alb.
sence of any knowledge Of the locality of the
disease and the character of the growths.
ln good hands there is no better remedy for
warts which have broad base than white
arsenic; portion of the surface of the wart
is first scraped with the knife, and the arse
bic applied to the exposed surface Liga.
lures arc useful where the warts have con.
stricted bases which can be- readily inclosed
IN loop of silk or horse hair, which must be
pulled sufficiently tight to stop all circula
tion in the tumors.
After ligature has been applied for some
days, II commonly, from the shrinking of the
part, becomes loose, in which case it is bet.
ter to apply second one than to attempt to
tighten the first. When the wart falls off,
the ligature, if it still remains attached to
the skin, may be removed the wound will
quickly heal. Excessive granulations, which
sometimes spring up, must be Kept down by
an occasional application of caustic. A
rough plan Of removing warts which hang
from the skin by distinct stalks is that of
grasping them by means Of pincers, and lit.
orally pulling them out by the roots The
plan is not scienti6c,-probably it may be
called cruel although when there are two
or three warts to be got rid of, the oproa-
ton only occupies as many minutes, and it
is certainly very effective.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Hot Water for Cabbage Worms.

We tried last year a number of remedies
for the cabbage worm, an insect too well
known to many persons as a voracious eater
OF the pulp of the leaf. The sprinkling Of
red pepper did well but the best, simplest,
cheapest and most efficient was applying hot
water. 1t may be wrongly applied, to the
injury or destruction of the plant; and it
may be properly applied, doing no injury,
and killing the insects. Fill watering pot
with boiling water, and sprinkle the in
Tested leaves only for second or two. 1t
does its work very quickly on the worms,
but the leaves being thick are not heated or
injured. The older the heads become the
less the danger. The operator must prac-
tlce and spoil few plants to save the rest.
The water, by the time it reaches the plants,
will be several degrees below boiling he
must determine by trying, how long the hot
water will do its work before becoming too
cold. AT the same time he must ascertain
by experiment how long he can contriye to
apply the hot water before the leaves are in.
jured by it. A very little time. will deter.
mine these points. Country Gentleman.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
The Relations of an Agricultural Edi-
tor to Farmers and Manufacturers of
Agricultural Implements.

The agricultural editor sometimes finds
himself placed in position to test his vir-
tue. 1t is very pleasant to say good word
for the implements Of house that has put
the editor under a sort Of obligation by lib
eral advertising patronage, or free "copies''
Of his goods "for testing"
1t is evident to any person of ordinary
sense and integrity that an editor can do no
greater wrong than to print as editorial, or
in any shape which may appear to bear his
approval, compliments or comments which
he does not know of his own knowledge to
be deserved. Many readers rely on their
paper to tell theIn what is safe to do. If
the editor gives good puff to machine
because he has had present Of one or a fee
for writing it, and for no other reason. how
long can his readers go to his columns for
the advice they need ?
The editor of the New England Farmer
was asked by u correspondent for informa-
tion as to the relative merits of two plows.
The very intelligent answer given is accom-.
panied by the statement that pillow had
been sent to him by one Of the manufacturers.
and the following aIluson to the difficulties
and duties incident to the case:
1t is very pleasant, as practical farmer
desirous OF obtaining aud using the most
useful and economical agricultural imple.
ments, to be thus remembered BY the manu-.
facturers, but it is not quite so pleasant to
remember that if good word is said for a
machine or tool, through our editorial col
umns, the manufacturers or dealers in other
machines may take us to account for rela-
lively throwing theirs in the shade. We
are also reminded of the old expression
'never look gift horse in the mouth" and
wonder whether we must always speak of
the horse in the presence of the giver, at
least as a colt. Then, again, when we think
of the great mass Of farmers who take and
pay for their agricultural newspa-
per, Tor the purpose Of being instructed upon
questions like the one 10 the letter before us,
we are forced tc the conclusion that the
position Of an agricultural editor, like that
Of any other Iaborer, is not always particu.
arly pleasant.
We cannot allow the New England Farmer
10 become medium for indiscriminate putting
'f either new or old inventions or farm i'm
elements, while we have anything to do with
is direction, and We may as well say here
hat, however well we may be pleased by
he personal favors of the manufacturers of |
7aluabe tools or machines, we should much
prefer that they should send them elsewhere 4,
Unless they are willing to have them fairly
md honestly tried aud reported, if reported
It all.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Physiology of Salt in Animal Economy
ny PROF A. j. COOK.

Salt or chloride of sodium, is not ouly
found in very constant quantities in the
blood, but is also present in nearly all the
fluids aud tissues of the body. The origin
OF the salt of the body is in the general food
as nearly all animal and vegetable substan.
ces contain it in minute quantities aud in
the human body, that Of our domestic ami.
mails, and often Of the wild animals, is also
taken separately, or uncombined with other
substances.
The exit of salt from the body takes place
through the secretions, but principally as az
excretion eliminated by the kidneys. Not
only the salt which comes from the breaking
down OF the tissues, consequent upon use,
is thus eliminated, but also the surplus
which may be taken in the food above what
is needed.
The function of salt-ior that it is very
important Is certainly proved by its consid-
erable quantities in the tissues, and even
greater abundance in the animal fuids-has
been definitely ascertained. 1t is not so
much to form tissue, as to preserve the con-
sistency OF organs and organize fluids,
aud to aid the processes. 1t has been shown
that it is chloride of sodium, or salt, that
keeps the albumen Of the blood in solution,
and the corpuscles in their semi.Auid condi-
ton. Hence the entire absence of salt in
the food, free or combined, would be fatal to
life. Again, it has been definitely settled
that salt promotes absorption, as perhaps no
other substance does. Again, salt acts as an
appetizer in human food, use by no means
to be neglected,
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Do Agricultural Colleges Educate Men
for Farming?

The wisdom of Congress in setting apart
public lands for the endowment Of agricul-
tural colleges is often questioned. And the
practical value to agriculture of the educa-
tion given in them to young men, as con.
Quoted. is more frequently the subject of
criticism. We are sensible of the Difficult.
ties which must inevitably be encountered
and look with charity as we'll as regret on
efforts made in good faith to carry out the
purpose OF the trainers Of the law, though
not always attended with success.
That fair percentage of young men edu.
Gated in some of these institutions do follow
agricultural pursuits is matter which is
beyond doubt. DR. I. G. Abbott, presi.
dent of the Michigan agricultural college, in
recent address on the subject Of liberal and
scientific education for farmers and mechan.
les, in reply to the oit.repeated question,
"Do agricultural colleges make farmers 2"
makes the following statement:
1t has been the desire of those who man.
age the agricultural college to create bias
towards, and not away from the farm; to
make the whole atmosphere of the place one
of respect for all kinds OF work, and feel.
ing of fellowship with farmers. To this end
manual labor is insisted on from all, if we
can speak of insisting on what students offer
in excess of our requirements. To this end
there is no furnishing of easier or more
tasteful work to the seniors than is given 10
other students; the habit of work aud taste
for it is kept up to the end. To this same
end the labor system and the instruction are
planned to match each other, to illustrate
each other, so that to the labor is given some
Of the dignity Of scientific instruction. La.
Dor serves as a kind of laboratory practice
for instruction. The results of thes5 efforts
to create a truly agricultural school appears
in the fact that in place Of per cent Of
graduates going TO farming, US from other
colleges, 3S per cent, or, not counting those
not living, and those who are still students,
AZ per cent have gone to farming, fruit rails.
ing, and the nursery business as their chief
or only business, In this respect the college
is doing what has never been done before
sending men with good education in fair pro-
portion back to work farms"
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Management of Large Bulls.

A correspondent Of the Coun try G entIe-
man has the following novel method of sub
DUNG and exercising bulls:
All stock breeders know that large bulls
have perfect disregard for fences, and there
fore have to be kept in the stable, some-
times for years. Experience has shown in
most cases where bulls are kept so confined,
without air or exercise, that they become Ell
ther impotent, or very precarious stock get
ters, also headstrong and dangerous to ham
die. l kept Short Horn bull six years.
When he was year old, began handling
him with rope similar to one ordinarily used
to cast horse. He would make great re-
slstance, and after hard struggle would
have to come down. repeated this every
six months that l had him, and he never
knew that he had any strength. His lofty
head was levcled to the ground in manner
very humiliating to him he was always as
Kind as an OK, and any child could lead him
to water. Throwing him took the conceit
entirely out of him.
L then invented plan to exercise him.
set post in the ground about three feet
high, with cart wheel on top, then lashed
l6-foot ash pole across it, made frame for
his neck at the end, so that the pole would lie
against his breast with a rod running out in
front to tie his strap to. He very soon
learned to go round, describing circle thir.
ty-two feet ia diameter, with good track.
lie was put in this every day, and would
walk two hours. After few DAYS he need
ed no attention, as he seemed to eniov it.
and was so inpatient to start that we could
hardly hold him still long enough to tie him.
The result OF this, was that he was the
most active bull [ ever saw; and out of
eighty.seven COWS served the summer he was
four years old, only four missed. Some of
my stock breeding friends have tried these
experiments, and say that they have been
the means of prolOnging the usefulness of
their valuable bulls for years. We all know
that far too many Of our high priced and
choice bulls go prematurely to the shambles
in consequence of the above troubles.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
The Value of Muck.

The New England Homestead has the fol.
lowing advice on the subject of muck
The farmer who owns good farm, and
included in that farm has a good bed OF
muck, should consider himself extremely for.
tuhate. lie has no excuse for allowing his
farm to run down. On the contrary, he
ought to increase its value every year. The
means are at hand for the production of
large crops; also for maintaining the fortil-
ity of the soil. The muck can be easily
converted into a valuable fertilizer, and it is
very much cheaper than any of the CONNER.
cal maDures. Indeed, its cost is so small
that it can almost be said to cost nothing.
Merely to use for bedding, without regard to
Its subsequent value, it is worth, to the far.
mer who has it on his own land, about all it
costs to get it. And after it has been used
Tor bedding it comes out an excellent ma.
nure. When not used for bedding, but
merely obtained to use as a compost, it is
very valuable. Properly used it not only
largely increases the quantity. but also i'm
proves the quality of the manure To those
who have never used it themselves, or OBJ.
served its effect upon the land of others, this
may seem like an absurd statement. Still,
1t is susceptible Of direct proof, as those who
have used it will readily testify. But it is
sometimes the case that it does not prove as
useful as it ought to be. This is generally
owing to the fact that it has not been prop.
erly handled. Sometimes it is drawn from
the held directly to the place where it is to
be used for manure. We have seen men
digging muck, and teams drawing it to the
moving lots as fast as it was loaded. In
some cases it is dug and drawn directly to
the stables to be used as bedding, or to the
yards in order to 60 into the compost heap.
But In neither Of these cases is it used to
the best advantage. When first dug, it is
very heavy indeed. 1t contains great deal
OF water, and is very likely to be impreg.
mated with acids which will injure rather
than benefit the plant to which the muck is
applied. 1t is much better to dig and throw
the muck into piles year before it is needed
for use. These piles should be shoveled over
two or three times in the course of the year.
In this way its acidity will be partially cor
rected, the water evaporated, and it will be
both lighter to draw and better to use.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Economy-the second thought
Feed the cattle by the swath.


hear it said that farmers are saving
much hay this open weather. cat tie manage
to pick up much in the fields. Indeed, in nv
riding L see, sometimes, herds of cattle in
moving fields grazing the dry aftermath
For some days it is likely they may secure
third or half their support away from the
hay NOW. 1t seems to me, however, that for
every mouthfdl Of hay saved by this means,
four or five good mouthluls will be lost to
the barn the coming summer. IfOf this you
are doubtful, then consider the reasons in
support OF the assertion. 1t is assumed that
the soil of your farm is light, thin, and rests
upon a well drained subsoil.
The practice of manuring grass lands upon
the swaId, to keep the grass well, and TO
save the expense Of plowing aud hazard of
reseediDg, has become at least a Massachu.
setts custom. This custom finds its support
in the belief that grass roots lie near the
surface Of the ground-that the rains or
melting snow liquify, so to speak, the ma.
nure applied to the surface, and in the liquid
form 1t settles in the soil sufficiently for the
surface roots Of the grass to be thereby nour.
ished. We know that the most fertile LAYERS
OF our farm soils are the layers near the sur.
face. Surface-applied farm manure has its
greatest strength retained In these LAYERS. Go
down three or four inches and it is found for
every half inch deeper there is less fertility.
Examine the plowed furrow, aud the great
mass OF roots are not found below these few
inches. What lies below this depth is very
important In sustaining a growth of grass.
but the larger part OF the stuff of which
grass is made, withdrawn from the soil, is
found above. Different is it with clover,
perhaps, and other deep rooted plants and
different it may be, perhap ps, with grass in a
clay or deep SOIL
Careful experiments show that the greater
portion OF liquid manure applied upon the
surface, does not drop through it like lead
in water, TO the bottom, but that il is difEused
through the uppermost part of the soil. Tn.
less grass roots, then, are conceded TO be near
the surface, topdressing Of grass lands we
must regard as an Indifferent use of manure
But we know it produces results Of value.
Accepting, then, these two positions, the
one as TO the descent of manure in the SOIL
and the other, as to tho growth of the roots
of grass another position with respect to the
nature Of grass will be readily accepted.
That grass, unlike some species of plants,
the common English grasses, does not four
ish in dry soil, but requires water ia abun.
dance during the growing season, We think is
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20

with expectation Of its making in the cock,
it should be put in small cocks, while il my
hay is nearly dry the larger the cocks the
better for me. j. OMN INGALLS,
Wheelock, W., Aug 7, 1878. i'Ai's
We agree with our correspondent that too
much hot sun ou hay Injuries it, not only
making it less palatablc, but less nutritious.
1t is we'll known that the process of blsach-
ing, which destroys the nutritive constituents,
is accomplished BY exposure to alternate SUI
and moisture. .t.l. ,.t yil. ,t.
We once bought lot Ofhay at high price
which was made Of sweet grasses cut early,
and was very bright, aud to our surprise the
COWS, though fed on hay made from an in
ferior quality Of grass, refused the new hay
We learned on inquiry that the hay had been
dried too much
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
Forty Years Ago.

The Boston Oultivator copies the eloquent
peroration on farm homes, by President
Buckham, which we recently printed, and
the editor remarks
"This reminds us of the condition of farm
ers in the school district and town, and towns
contiguous to that where we were born, some
40 years ago. when such a state of social
life, now hoped for in the future by Presi.
dent Buckham, and at no very distant day,
to a considerable extent, prevailed. Farm
ers' homes then were the abodes of industry,
purity, piety and morality Few then left
the farms for city or village life. None were
very rich, and few were very poor. The
winter district school comprised some so or
0O children and youth, for grown up boys
and girls then went TO school, and families
usually numbered from three to seven, eight,
lO, 10 children and upwards, two families
IN town numbering 81 each. Il is not now
the disquietude Of the city, but Of the farm
that preyails-nearly all seeming desirous to
tiee from farms to the city. Then (40 years
agoJ the religious society was much better
supported than now. DesoIation is the word
Tor moro than one-haf the school districts in
the aforesaid towns, as 1t is over the rural
religious societies in the same pursuits.
Where, when and how is this to end Who
can predict ?"
We hope Brother Wetherel will not, on
the strength of that magnificent snowy beard
and silver hair, attempt to persuade the read
ers of the Cultivator, for the sake of the ap-
pearance of wisdom, that he is as old as that.
1t is just forty years since we first engaged
in agricultural pursuits, and it is certain that
Brother Wetherell "was not round" at that
remote period We did not hear anything
OF him, sure ; aud he always makes himself
heard when he is round.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
BREVITIES.

The Springfield Republican estimates that
2,4OO acres are in tobacco in Massachusetts.
Many will give up the business and others
cultivate more sparingly, and seek to restore
through the use Of barn-yard manure, in
preference to commercial fertilizers, the Con-
necticut seed-leaf to its former peculiarly
choice position.
During the Watertown, N. Y, races big
steer was on exhibition looked upon as one
of the wonders Of nature, five years old, and
stands nearly seven feet high, and weighs
4,6l7 lbs.
Fifty thousand dollars in premiums are
offered by the managers of the st Louis fair.
The first sweepstakes premium on all breeds
of thoroughbred cattle is $3.50. The best
horse gets 5000, and the best mule $50.
Mr. VIM Horne, V. s. says in the Oouu.
try Gentleman that, in 30 years practice as
veterinary surgeon, he never has found a
single instance where any disease in horse
could be traced to bots as a cause
Prof Riley, state entomologist of Missouri.
estimates the damages from the chinch bugs
to the corn, wheat aud oats of that state al
Sl9,000,000.