Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-03

( soils and cultivation, but excellent TO Judge
, Of products by the samples In the hay-mow
or brain-bin, and Of animals in the yard OF
, stalls. January 10th was in the good town
Of Addison, which lays between the otter
Creek at vergcnnes and the lake. Here
are many good farms aud farmers, but can
only speak of few
RECTOR GAGE,
The town clerk, and now master Of the
grange. has sixteen head Of Shor-horn cows
and heifers The original stock was bought
Of Amos Bamum, about forty years ago, 10y
the father Of the present owner These
cows were not registered. but the bulls used
since have been herd book animals, aud have
sired some good milking stock.
At the cheese factory, ten cows in this
dairy averaged ten pounds day EACH more
than the cows in other diaries. IN June the
the average was forty-fyc pounds day in
August, twenty-seven pounds. These ten
cows were sired 10y Old Monarch, a bull
from Ohio This winter, his bull, King Ar
thur, died of pneumonia; he cost 5000
In all this experience with Short-horns, aud
in the good results shown as mixers and in
large, healthy aud portly cows the neishbors
have not taken advantage Of The chance TO
improve their stock aud there are but very
few grades in town. One ncighbor came
with a COW aud would not pay dollar, but
would give fifty cents. That offer was not
accepted. 50 he and his man led the COW
several miles, aud spent the day, aud finally
took the COW home unscyed, because they
could not find a scrub bull 10 use for moth
ing. There are few men that have made
some efforts to improve their stock. Mr..
Gage is a breeder Of Suffolk pigs, from an
importation by a Judge Bagley Of Ohio.
This is a small breed Of swine, and are very
easily fattened His two ycas-old boar
lives upon six ears Of corn day with wa
ter, in winter, and in pasture in summer.
His breeding sows also have the same feed.
Three breeders and seven pigs are his present
stock. The pigs are nearly all sent away 10y
express to distant customers, and give good
satisfaction.
A few mcrino sheep are kept and are
found very profitable the increase of the
flock selling at from ten to thirty dollars
each, and the ewes averaging about ten
pounds of wool Two fine brceding-mares,
in foal by Col. 4. 5. Stowel's young horse,
indicates that Mr. Gage has, in every depart
ment of stock, desire for improvement, and
faith in blood pedigree--or that like pro
duces ike.
In regard to cultivation, learn that one
and onc-half acres of evergreen sweet corn
was raised to supplement the short pastures
of August and September, and its value is
80 manifest that its cultivation will be con
tinued. 1t is raised on inverted sod, with
no manure, in drills three feet apart. The
| growth is enormous, and the variety planted
is considered very much superior to any
other kind, as it keeps green and succulent
late in the fall-until frost comes.
Six or seven acres Of field corn are raised
very economically. The sod land is plowed
with steel pillow that laps one furow upon
the other At the junction OF every fourth
furrow the corn is dropped, and is covered
by narrowing
went from Mr. Cages to
l.. p. CLARK's
barns, where ! was shown some of the best
merino sheep in the country, and my impress
sion is that this flock is considered by the
owner as good as any flock in the world
When the price Of the merinoes went 50 very
low few years ago, Mr.. Clark bought the
best ewes h, could find from neighborig
hocks. and has bred and fed with IRE con
stantly. My attention was directed to Z
small lamb dropped in October, now running
in small pen with its dam. This lamb il
one upon which great expectations center
One hundred dollars was offered for it when
II was four weeks old. Five hundred dol
lars has been offered for half interest il
the lamb and its dam. Both offers were re
fused. The owner expects to do better IT.
sire is Patrick Henry he by Fitzpatrick, 6
&. &. sire California, who sheared thirty-thre
pounds in one fleece. The dam was by Ham
mond's Green Mountain, he by Gold Drop
he by California. This lamb is therefor
like the Comstock Lode in prospective profit
The flock consists Of about ninety sheep, an'
they all rank high in excellence. 1hei
bodies are well covered and well wrinkled
the wool very dense with beautiful crimr
and not remarkable oily, or loaded with yol,
, ! understand that there is a constant am
profitable market for first class merinoes
Mr. Clark is breeding Suffolk pigs, in com
pany with Mr.. Gage, and has thirteen hea
of this thrifty breed.
made short call ON Mr. Stukely Smitl
TO see the last horse colt that Old Blac
Hawk ever sired. Old Black Hawk died i
1857, and this stallion, North America,
= seventeen years-old. His weight when las
: weighed, was one thousand four hundre
and sixty pounds; but Mr.. Smith is conf
dent that last summer he weighed one thou
: sand five hundred pounds. His color
= brown, with white face and two white fee
= lie is kept at this stable, and has sire
y eighty-seven colts in season. lie is probi
: bly, the only horse in Vermont sired by Oh
- Black Hawk