Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-03
Meeting of the Board of Agriculture al
Waitsfeld.

The board of agriculture closed its series
of winter meetings, sixteen in all, at Waits
field on the 18th and 18th of FEBRUARY II
was the first visit of the editor Of the FARMER
to Mad River Valley, long famous for its
good farms and farmers and improved stock
The farmers Of the valley and vicinity are
wide awake fer improvements which will
better their condition and improve their
farms. The attendance at the meeting was
very large, filling the hall to its fullest
capacity all the time. 1t is an intelligent
community, as any one would realize who
could hear the papers and discussions by the
people Of the town at the meeting
The hospitable farmers sent team to
Middlese1, twelve miles, to meet us, where
we arrived at half past eight in the morning,
two of our number having been on the road
through the night. The farmers homes
were our homes while in town, delightful
farm homes they are, too.
The readers of the FARMER will recognize
the hands Of some of its correspondents in
the very excellent papers and discussions
Probably no town in Vermont is in advance
Of Waits6eld in its improvement Of stock,
especially of cattle, with more recent interest
in horses. We visited the village farm of
MIR l.. r. Joslyn (whose father was the
pioneer in the introduction of Jersey cattle),
where were found splendid cattle, which
do honor to any stable in the land. A yoke
Of monster oxen, which would tip the beam
at respectable margin above two tons, had
just come in steaming from their days work,
while in the yard was pair of yearlng
steers which weigh $500 pounds, straight
and fine enough to suit fancler of DevoDs,
aud as big as Devons would be in two years
moro Of growth. The stock bull, four years
old, is 6ue, even animal of 1000 lbs, or
little more. The cows are fine ones, good
butter COWS, with proportions to suit the eye
of lover of noble cattle. These cattle are
thoroughbred Shorthofns, but the pedigrees
have not been preserved, an unfortunate cir
cumstance for the present owner, but a good
thing for the farmers of WaitsfeId, because
it has kept the prices of these noble cattle
within the reach of all.
Mr. G. f. Ramsay, whose delightful farm
home, and family, We have good occasion to
remember with pleasure, showed US descend
ants of Mr. Joslyn's stock, which is credit
to any farmers yard. He drove us over to
"the common" one of those ancient centres
Of business which the modern currents have
stranded on the heights, to the farm of MI
+. McCarty, son Of the emerald isle
whose industry and thrift have made him 0
home and competence, and afford an exam
pie to the thousands of his race who cluster
around the villages, spending their wages a
the corner groceries. Mr. McCarty has
COW from Mr. Joslyn's stock which came il
a month age, and is giving more than twelv,
quarts Of rich milk twice day, and has
family of heifers growing up around he
which show that the useful qualities an,
symmetrical proportions, with good size, Cal
all be combined. A bull calf recently pur
chased from the same farm is a model, AM
would be held at cool thousand on som
farms where pedigrees are sold. The oil
"JOslyn horse" still lives, and his fame as
getter of stock is growing brighter in his oil
age
We did not have time for seeing othe
good stock, or visiting but few of the peO
pie, who gave us cordial invitations.
Mr. L. W. Bisbee, who took the editor o
the FARMER and Mr. Fassett home for th