Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-23
State Board Of Agriculture.

MEETING At wAITsFiEfp.
A meeting Of the State Board Of Agriculture,
Manufactures and Mining was held Mt the Con-
grcgational vestry, Waiisneld, last Thursday and
Friday, February 18th aud 18th. Tho meeting
was called to order at eleven o'clock Thursday
morning, by Col. J. - Mead, Of Randolph Quite
number were in attendance, including several
ladies' The session was short, but no time was
wasted all present being intent on making the
most Of the hour and half devoted to the morn
ing session.
After two other nominations, and rs many
failures to elect, L. w. Bisbeos of Morctown. was
chosen moderator lie made a brief address on
taking the chair lie was sorry for his election
but did not intend to back down from anything
he could do To help the work along for which they
had come together lie said he had looked for
this meeting with great deal OF interest, and
hoped the people Of Mad River Valley would rouse
up to this work as had all other people with whom
the Board has met, In behalf " the society he
babe hearty welcome to the Board, and desired
that the meetings might result in pleasure and
profit to all
The moderator then introduced Mr.. T. A. Fisk,
Of Waitsdod who read an interesting paper on
faith in farming and thought it compared favor
ably with other occupations Among the leaks
he would mention as one, the neglect to do things
in the proper season Tho summer is short and
the farmer should SOW his seed in time--make all
preparations in time, so that nothing might be
lost a farmer shonld plan his work In some
definite shape. BE prompt in sugar-mabing-in
getting a supply Of fuel-in doing every thing CON
nected with the farm. The trouble with many is,
they plan more work than they can easily do. He
was in favor Of keeping plenty Of help. Another
leak was the wasting Of manure lie advocated
keeping manure undercoverat all times. Another
leak was in the quality Of the products OF the
farm. lie thought it advisable to study tho best
methods Of improving the quality Of what is raised
for the best products secure the highest prices
Another leak was in tho management Of the dairy.
Inferior animals should not be kept, but the herd
should be improved as much as possible Build
convenient and warm barns, az well as houses,
for it would be a saving in many respects. Ami
mails need warm barns hay can be said to leak
out through the cracks Of poor barn. BE par
tcular as 10 your fences-auange them to the
best advantage possible Stone walls are good,
but should only be put where permanent fence
is wanted MIR Fisks papershowed careful prep
a''',o'' """ was "S'u"'" =" Ne'S "'c"'''eS
by ALL
AZ 'ne eune'u'lon u lnls Paper o"ing 10 "e
shof'l'ss ol Tue ti,ue no discussion was inuu'seu
in. Mr. C. G. Pringle, Of Charlotte, was intro
duced, and read very interesting paper on
Smut and Ergot This paper has been previ-
ously reported and so we omit an abstract Of it.
At the close of Mr. prnge's paper. the meeting
took recess I'll afternoon
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
The meeting was called to order at hali-past
one o'clock, with larger number present than in
the forenoon.
The first thing in order was paper on " Com
mercia Fertilizers, by j. Holden, Of Waitsfield.
He spoke of speeches by learned men at the annual
fairs in regard to the methods Of farming, and
mentioned Horace Greeley as teaching the yeo-
many Of Vermont how to proceed in farming,
and then not living up TO his own preaching. He
,lloldenl had tried commercial fertilizers, and
recommended Bradley's phosphate as among the
best Farmers had better test these things in
small quantities before going very deel ly into
their use lie cautioned farmers against too ready
belief In the Published accounts Of what COM
mereial fertilizers are able 10 accomplish FARM
ers have plenty Of fertilizers ON their own prem
ises, and he recommended that they utilize what
they have at hand.
Mr. BisnEE then read n communication from
l. W. Boyce, of fayston, who had been assigned
paper, on " Leaves as a fertilizer, but had not
been able to attend ON account OF infrmities.
The communication recommended the gathering
up and use of the leaves in the woods and by the
roadside as fertilizer
Mr.. SMITH was pleased with the papers on fer
tilizers thus far read lie commended the first
paper read-that of Mr. Fisk-and favored the
idea OF doing things in time. lie said that Yer
mont was bank from which young men can
draw anything they need-there will be no failure
on the part of the bank.
Next came paper on the Saving OF kertil-
izers, by J. b. Mead, of Randolph lie thought
this subject very important one. The question
in our own state is how to return to the soil it,
primitive fertility, The reason Of the difference
between the older countries and our own, in the
way Of fertility is that their home fertilizers have
oeen '''''u'S 'o''e','u ""' "''''1'' i"e
.ian =, tas,i,i.. an o,aeo,.,,.i.,,. =, -, a.
r,is .o.,,o,, ord ,o Lno,, ~ ~, o,,o.,,,, -,
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MAJ. no, ,,,,,,io1 ,to s,,l,o,, .,mia,,,, :,
,,ro,.o,,, n,oir ,,o,,i,,. d,no1 ia did no, iii
thoro was am, noton, fer,iliyers on ,h, ,,,aro,
tbot IL ,y,nld nav farmers IN n,e rho tarr,o,
| ' - $500 - ~ 500 '