Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-01-07

| pies OF men who had returned to the farm
after having accomplished 90 great fame in
other professions, and the farmer should feel
himself, and his calling elevated in such mo-
bic company.
Prof H. Nj. Seely, secretary Of the board,
then read a paper upon tie Relation Of
Science to Agriculture" an abstract Of which
has bean already given to the public, at the
close Of which, the meeting adjourned to the
morning
Thursday Morning
The meeting was called to order by N.
l.. Partcb, Esq, who presided during this
morning session. The meeting was opened
by A. Chapman Of Middlebury who read =
paper upon "Horses for Vermont" an alb
stract Of which has been already published,
after which the subject was discussed at
considerable length BY the meeting.
Mr. Hibbard would say he thought too
much attention was given to raising fast
horses, aud he deprecated this as giving US
poor class Of animals for use, and such az
demoralize all our youth.
Mr. Hosford gave his experience in using
Morgan horses he had just had pair that
died after twenty-seven years of actual SER
vice, and he bad sent clear to Maine aud
bought pair of Morgan mares that cost
him a high price, but he had confidence that
he should realize his money in their use.
Mr. Hubbard commended the Morgan
horses, aud gave as an illustration two horses
on his own farm, one type of the Morgan,
the other a rangy horse the FIRST would do
a large amount Of work and keep fat, while
the other could not be kept fat with all the
grain raised in Windsor county, if he did
even less work. If we wish to breed Nor.
gan horses we must stick to that breed, and
by selection of the best stations and mares.
improve our horses. On most Of our farms
we can raise few colts by working our
breeding mares moderately, and make the
business profitable. 1t is a false economy
to breed to cheap stations. He would not
breed to unsound stations, or from unsound
mares.
Mr. Hubbard Of Springfield made an ad-
dress upon "Mixed Farming"
How can we manage our farms TO get the
most profit from them ? Some farmers are
so situated that they can raise special crops,
and derive therefrom the largest income.
Some instances were named. Mr. Pell de-
rived great income from raising Newtown
Pippin apples. II we follow any special
kind of farming we must be very thorough,
but the most Vermont farmers will ind
mixed farming more profitable. The uncer.
tainty Of the seasons and the fluctuations Of
the market were arguments against special
farming. Some crops do best some seasons,
and i'm Oihar nlhap do haof .
mixed stock was also best some years
dairy products sell higher. and other
years wool brings a highest proportional
price. He would recommend that what
ever product the farmer has to sell, he
should sell as soon MS it was ready for mar
ket. He would recommend raising root
crops, especially turnips. Sweet German
turnips are the most valuablel Whichever
kind Of farming is chosen, he should do his
work thoroughly. The farmer can adopt
mixed farming and still improve his farm
He can make two blades OF grass grow where
one grew before, and that is one of the truesi
tests of improvement. II he doubles his
hay crop, and the feed Of his pastures, he
will make a most material improvement in
not only his farm, but in his pecunary con.
dition. If the farmer wants to see the bright
sides Of farming, be must make it in his
present home, instead of seeking them else
where and in other employments.
Thursday afternoon.
Meeting called toaorder by Mr. Partch
G. s. Fasset of Enosburgh, read paper
upon Selection of Dairy Cows"
The old plan that had been practiced by
himself and others, was an Improbable one,
and one thst has many Questionable features.
Any COW that did tolerably well had been
used without question as to her fitness for
the specific purpose for which she was kept
He had found it necessary to institute careful
experiments to determine their real value
for making butter which was the purpose
for which he kept cows, A neighbor of his
had reduced aud changed his dairy of sixty
COWS, to one of thirty-fve, that had proved
themselves well fitted for his purpose after
careful testing each individual COW, and he
now made as much butter from the thirty
| FIVE, as he formerly made from the sixty. Ii
would require no very great knowledge Of
| figures to prove that his profits were more
| than doubled since the selection and reduc-
tion after testing these cows. Examples
we're given of extra cows, and Of dairies Of
extra cows. that had returned great profits
proving their great value for butter making
and other examples of cows that had been
kept for years as good cows, that proved up
on acurate trial to be nearly worthless fol
making butter. The cream from some COWS
milk rises much quicker than from others
The former have larger globules, the cream
churns much quicker than the latter, and BY
careful experiment he had proved that tht
former would yield much larger proportions
Of butter than the latter, as the larger thu
globues, the more perfect will be the break
age Of the sacs enveloping them, by the pros
ess of churnlng
As to breeds, he would prefer that cattl,
should be bred for some specific purpose, hi
purpose was butter, therefore he shoulC
choose Jerseys, but he would consider it q
calamity to have all Nermonters breed Jer
seys only, For cheese making from bis oh
serVation he should choose Ayrshires or Shor
Horns. Test tubes should be used to do
termine the value Of each COW, they cost onll
70 cents per dozen, and he thought them no
only cheaper, but more reliable for common
experiments, than the lactometer. Thes
tests should be followed up, by careful trial
in pans, and by weighing milk and butter
Then from the knowledge derived from thes
experiments the weeding-out process shoul'
be continued until none but the best wer
left. But after this. the best profit coul'
not be realized unless the COWS were mad
comfortable by good quarters and constant
regular, liberal feed, aud by kindly treat
ment. Raising calves was much more prof
table than indiscrminate buying. Unless yo
can buy from dairy that has been CAREFUL
bred for a specific purpose, you will do bet
ter to raise them from your best cows. |
these calves are to make the best dairy cow
it is best to develop their milk organs at a
early age, and therefore he would have he'll