Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-01-14
WHOLE NO. 266.

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own corn. But he himself was not 20 sit
uated as to do this. In his county, Wind
sor, 95 farms out of 100 are running down.
This was a result Of raising too much grain.
He had tried IL. When first commencing,
he expected soon 10 double his grass crop;
he sold milk for more thau IL would bring
when made into butter and cheese bis grass
crop did not double as expected. Four
years ago he found the grain cost him more
than il should, stopped growing it, and the
grass has since doubled. He is going TO
double It again. 1t is easy to make grass
grow it is the least exhausting crop, and COM
paratively little manure is needed. There
is prejudice against top.dressing, the
reason for which Mr. Hubbard conceived to
be that many put the manure on 10 hard
Jumps and upon old roots. He had used
orchard.grass successfully. The land for
it must be moist, fertile, well and frequently
fed, and moved early, or it will be WORTH
less He sowed two bushels Of orchard with
ten pounds Of clover to the acre, June LIST.
Grass thus sowed makes cows hold out
their milk. We should raise more orchard
grass.
A paper on horticulture and Its Bene-
fits" by Il. L. Andrews Of Berlin, followed.
He placed upon the table two or three pecks
Of various varieties Of apples Of his own
raising, perhaps twenty or more kinds, aud
discussed their relative value and produce
tiveness on Vermont SOIL No crop, he said,
was more remunerative TO the farmer than
fruit. Apples take the first place in rank.
They contain most phosphorus, and are es-
pecially good for those who do brain work.
The acid is also good for the liver, and anti
bilious. This fruit should come into the
daily fare Of all. Apples are better than
pills. He thought nineteen twenteths Of
the Vermont farmers can raise their own
fruit. But agents have badly imposed upon
them, bringing here varieties as useless to
central Vermont as the June bug. Mr.. An
drews had some thirty varieties, Of which he
would recommend but few. The Rhode
Island Greening cannot be successfully grown
here. The Fameuse, a dark red, middling
sized apple shown, was the most profitable.
He had a tree 73 years old, which his father
now living at the age of SO, set out when
10 years old. The plot Of ground should be
heavily dressed, plowed under, and the ma
nure allowed to decompose. Visit the nur.
sery yourself, select the hardest trees, COM
panions to the best you have around you
set twenty feet apart, so that the limbs can
have ten before they touch each other cul-
tivate for five or six years; do not get too
near the tree with pillow or cultivator, but
stir the ground frequently with the hoe.
Take care to open large and dee hole, SO
as to give the roots space when you set the
tree out, arranging carefully the small hbrous
roots. Use waste bones or oyster SHELLS
near the roots put no manure near them,
but pulverized soil do not mass dirt around
the trunk. Eight inches Of ashes will doubt
less kill mice, and the tree, too snow trod
down around the roots preventing their bur-
rowing, and tarred paper their gnawing the
trunk. Use all your waste suds wash the
trunks with one quart Of soft soap, to five or
SIX of water, to kill the insects. 1t will not
injure the tree. Pruning should be care.
fully studied. In this connection, Mr. An
drews detailed the proper way of heading
and low limbng. The latter should be left
to grow two and a half feet from the ground,
while the centre of the branches should be
left open to receive sunlight and dew.
Never use pruning shears in any case. Pear
culture he did not think profitable in central
or northern Vermont. where they can be
purchased cheaper than they can be raised.
Wednesday afternoon.
In the afternoon and evening two papers
we're read which were assigned for the first
day. 1t was rather overlooking the pro-
gramme of the last day, aud necessarily
curtailed the discussion Of the different sub
ects introduced. Prof H. NJ. Seely, secre-
tary Of the board, who has charge of the
department Of chemistry and geology at
Middlebury college, was called upon late
on Wednesday afternoon. His subject was
"The Original Vermont Plow," meaning, as
he said, not the old-fashioned, mold-board
implement. but the glaciers and icebergs
which geologsts suppose, long ago, came
down from the north, ploughed up the noun
tains, hills and valleys into their present
shape, converting them into rocky hills and
fruitful dales, and then receding again to
their arctic habitations. Boulders, snow,
vapor, icebergs, etc, and the way they are
all made, were fully considered, 10 learned
scientific lecture, illustrated by diagrams.
1t cannot well be sketched in a brief report,
but will probably appear in the next volume
Of the boards report, fully illustrated.
Another of these omitted papers was read
at the evening session on "What will make
farming more desirable2" by ID. B. Vince.
lock, Of Barre. His chief point was Il
make it more attractive to young men, thus
keeping them at home. Encourage farmers
meetings, fern clubs, and discuss every week
In which farmers and their wives shoulC
take na active part. Finally, cease thi
everlasting croakiDg about its being an unpaiC
vocation. Let US love our calling better
Education is doing much, the press is speak
ing for US, and the boardIof agriculture ha
come to our aid Mr. Wheelock went int
an argument to show that farming will pay
and how it is done. Few farmers keep
strict account Of profit and lOss. Ifthsy diC
they would find that they get better an
easier living than they could in the lare
towns and cities.
DIR j. 5. Spaulding read the concludir
paper, a very able one, on "How to Educat
the Laborer." This, like Prof Seely'
: should appear printed from bis manuscrip
. to do him anything like justice. We hay
! sOms notes OF it, but not room fort their pul
: licaton with this already too. extended r.
port. He remarked in the outset that "Ma
IS created TO think, as we'll as to labor wit
his hands," and proceeded to enlarge upo
!, !, this to show the necessity Of 4 certain dsgre
: Of mental training before trade is learned
be it agricultural, mechanical, or otherwise
:, He advocated some study of the classic
also as well as mathematics and othe
English branches. 'All the "ologIes, b
> said, are necessarily studied at great diI
;, advantage, because they contain so man
d Latin and Greek terms The classics, paI
. ticularly the Iliad Homer, strengthen tn
o mind and he believes classical education
II be most effective and economical The doc
% tors address was very fayOrably received.