Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-22
Board of Agriculture.


-
The board met at M~iddlebury on Thurs.
day afternoon oflast week, and H.. l.. Wright,
Of Cornwall, was chosen chairman.
G. Horace Hubbard, Of Springfield, n
member Of the board, made an opening ad.
dress, ~iutelligontly aud ably explaining the
objects and aims of the board
Mr.. Cyrus &. Pringle, of Charlotte, then
read a paper entitled "Some Experiments in
LIBERALIZATION Of Cereals" This paper was
IA very interesting one. 1t gave a large
number of experiments and results not only
by himself, but others. The merits OF selcc-
ton as compared with crossing by hybrid.
cation was discussed with the ability only
acquired by much research and extensive
experience. Mr.. Pringle gave a very inter.
esting account of his own experiments, and
exhibited heads Of wheat to show the kinds
Of wheat he had experimental with, and
heads Of the kinds that had been produced
as a result of the hybridiEation. The kinds
used were the Black Sea and the Gold Drop
varieties. The crossing was commenced in
1870, and after planting two years, by
bringing in the assistance of selection, he
"a btIu ublt W llCcCub u ltW hluuS tnul
were exhibited that promised to be decided
improvements upon the parent varieties, re-
tanning the hardness of the Black Sea, while
the quality was much better, or more like
the Gold Drop.
Prof. Seeley asked Mr.. Pringle if he
thought the character Of the kinds saved and
exhibited had become fixed aud reliable.
Mr., Pringle replied that he thought that
on his own farm and soil they would, but il
they were removed to another state, aud
raised on a different soil, they might vary,
more especially if they should be removed
soon or before their characters had become
more permanently fixed at home.
Mr.. Pringle, from drawings he had pre-
pared, explained the process Of hybridizing
in u very instructive and entertaining man
ner. In answer to questions Mr.. PriDgle
stated that the time to fix the character of
tho cereals was much longer than was re-
quired to fix the character and bring to per-
lection potatoes and some other plants, there
fore results by hybridizing potatoes were
much surer and much sooner reached than
in the case Of the cereals.
Il. X. Robbins, Esq, asked Mr.. Priuglc
if he understood that wheat was likely to
change and deteriorate when changed from
one locality to another? Mr.. PriDgle re-
piled that that was apt to be the case when
new varieties resulting from recent hybrid
ization were so changed, but if the character
has become fixed by u number Of years pro-
duction on its home soil, say four years or
more, he should not expect great changes
but in some instances, as in the animal king
dom, there would be n change latter years
OF uniformity of sprouting towards one Of
the original parents.
After an interesting account Of the prob
able manner that natural hybridization took
place by which most of the new varieties of
potatoes were produced, aud a more particu-
lar account Of tho manner by which the snow
flake, and other new varieties were produced
by artificial hybridization by the speaker,
the meeting adjourned until ! O'Clock in the
evening.
Evening Session.
After the meeting was called to order,
president NJ. Ii. Buchanan of the Vermont
agriculture college and en- o6fcio a member
Of the board of agriculture delivered an able
address upon the opportunities Of farm life
in Vermont. The native Vermont charac-
ter is a good stock to graft upon. In its ma
tive purity it is the best. A Vermont
crowd on an occasion Of u celebration is an
interesting object to look at. The large
number OF handsome young men Ond women
were n marked feature of such a crowd. The
character Of the Vermonter was stauncher
better balanced aud more reliable than any
others. History ~sustains the decisions OF
Vermonters, while others find fault with
them and cavil ut them. While the charac,
ter Of Vermonters is so good in its native
purity, it is not good enough to be content
with. One Of tho most interesting objects
was the rough, uncouth Vermont boy as he
comes to the educator; and it was one of the
keenest delights Of the educator to witness
the effects of education upon such a boy, as
he gradually gets rid Of his extreme disdair
of classical learning, and develops into q
strong, broad, noble, cultured man. The
greatest drawback upon the prosperity and
improvement of farmers was prejudice. Ag-
riculturalists were proverbially prejudiced
against improvements; they were prejudiced
against mowing-machines, thermometers, az
ricultural boards, agricultural schools and
fertilizers. Improvement meant money,
thrift and ease prejudice meant toll and deg
radiation. There was not II farmers wife
in Addison county that could not make gilt,
edged butter if she aud her husband would
only learn of those who knew how.
The fashionable lady of the city would of
ten tell you she would like to escape ava
from the tyranny of fashionable life to tn,
freedom Of the country. Tho farmers daugh,
ter has a right to dress becomingly and veal
her dreas as short as her convenience cali
for, and deck her person as bccomingly a
she shall see fit, but she cannot do 80 If sh,
apes the ridiculous Overdress of the city girl
The cultivation Of fruits was strongly
urged as a means Of making the farmers
home attractive aud healthy. The last ad
vantage Of the farmers life, aud the great
est, was its opportunities for culture, TIL,
time at the disposal Of the Vermont farmerl
wasted, might bear great fruit il it is onll
guarded aud utilized in improving aud cult
waiting their minds. Shavings of time i'm
proved will produce great results and tn,
farmer had not only these but whole slabs q