Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-12-31

course. Hill farmers can unquesnona-
bly, continue in the grass crop more cas-
lily aud successfully than the meadow
farmer. As member of this club, |
would like to know if neighbor Davis
thinks it can be said that Westminster,
as town, is any richer for the raising
of tobacco? To my mind it is not. /
am of the opinion that with the present
prices of beef, every farmer cunning a
fair amount of pasturing can make beef
raising money making business. Coop
Grafton is undoubtedly a money making
principle, an application of which may
be found in the cheese factory. The
same principle might apply equally well
to other departments of farming By
bringing the best means of manufacture
into use the most uniform and high
est price product would be produced
But above all this, the most encouraging
feature connected with the business of
farming, is the intelligence that accom-
panies it, and the increased improvement
in means to secure desirable ends.
DAvIs.-I suppose Mr. Willard is an
anti-tobacco man, and wants to know
what ] think about it To be frank,
sir, | do not think Westminster is as
well to do as she would have been had
tobacco never been planted upon her
soil. As to the rabbits, to which Mr..
Chase referred in his protective laws, /
know very little about them. | think
however, that it would hardly be right
to economic so closely that no one could
live except the farmer, Taking care of
our fertilizers is the brightest and largest
ray that verges toward the grand center.
Some of us may be able to make some
improvement on our farms, but in these
hard times we shall find that it requires
hard labor and close economy.
CHASE did not refer to the protec-
tive law, or the raising of rabbits think
ing that any member of the club would
eventually get rich from the rabbit cul-
ture, but with view to excite an inter.
est in the protective game law. If we
are, as class, obliged to economic in
all things, why not look after the fish
and game in our woodlands
W. P. GAGE.-I don't wish to follow
Mr.. Chase any further tonight, but
am after Prof. Stockbridge, who, / think
has made a scientific statement which is
not true. Any element which is taken
up from the vegetable matter can, | be-
lieve, be returned with profit. On this
ground, | say go away with your scien-
tifc principles. The Secretary of the
Vermont Board of Agriculture, Peter
Collier, made the statement, that not over
70 lbs. Of a ton of barnyard manure.
was worth carting out, but when asked
what should be done with the remaining
1875 pounds, conceded to the fact that
there were many necessary elements to
plant growth in this great bulk and con-
sequently it should be put upon the field.
Chemistry is valuable only SO far as it is
right when put to the practical test.
j. W. CLAY.-I wish to defend Prof.
Stockbridge. | said that the fat matter
OF animals was of no value to return to
the soil. say so now. What is not
true in the laboratory is not true when
put into the fields More than nine
tenths OF the elements in all our plants,
come from the air. Water is a very
large constituent of plant growth, vet no
one thinks of carting it out. The ele-
ments that are found in the greatest
abundance, it is not necessary for man to
supply. Most of the soil of New Eng
land has been robbed of its nitrogen.
potash, etc, and chemists have been to
work to learn how much of each it is
necessary for him to supply, to furnish
plant nature with the necessary elements
to successful growth. Science would an.
ply nitrogen, potash and phosphoric
acid to the soil in the same proportion
that they are found in the plant. Prof
Stockbridge started out with that theory.
and thus far has found to his satisfaction
that he was right. The materials to raise
a bushel Of corn cost 45 cents, to grow
bushel of potatoes from 10 to II cents.
Oats about as much as wheat. No man
advocates more strongly than he the
manufacture of home fertilizers, and the
only question it, will it pay to raise the
additional amount of corn by the use of
fertilizers at an additional expense of 40
cents per bushel? The conclusion i
that it will.
GAGE am cast down, but not des. |
troyed | am not yet satisfied that there
is no vegetable power in the fat matter
of animals. / am of the opinion that
these scientific men have sprung tran
and caught themselves.
ID. b. HUDsoN.-It seems TO me that
the " bump of doubt is very prominent
in many of the speakers present IF il
has been correctly ascertained nv corof,I