Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-04
Meeting of the State Board of Agriculture,
Manufactures and Mining.
At brandon, Monday and Tue sdny, January
"a and IS, 1915.

Professor Seely called the meeting to or
der and said it was usual to have some
one selected from the vicinity to preside at
the meetings Of the board, but where a live
and useful organization was in existence as
there was in Brandon, it would not be nee
essary, and he would place the meeting in
the hands of the. Brandon farmers club.
Accordingly HonN. I. Sprague, Jr, president
Of that organization, took charge Of the
meeting.
Words of Welcome" we're then said by 4.
ii. Griswold. u member of the Brandon
farmers clab, as follows:
Gentlemen of the Vermont Board Of Agri-
culture:
1t is with great pleasure that | welcome
you to the town and its hospitalities in be-
half of Brandon and its farmers and me-
chanics' club. In design and purpose our
labors are similar; our labors are in
more limited field than your diffusive aud
larger one. bat they are in harmony; there
fore it is fitting that our meeting should be
joint one. The board had proved valuable
to che commonwealth, not merely ornamental
as some had supposed; it was doing good
work. hope that harmonious feelings may
mark the proceedings OF this meeting. 1t Is
unnecessary to extend these remarks. Again
in behalf OF our citizens, and the club | well
come you to Brandon.
"NIauures and their Application" was the
subject OF the first paper read before the
meeting, by Col IL. ii. Merit Of Brandon,
u member Of the club.
Truth is the most important lesson we
should learn, no matter how much it may
cause US to doubt the orthodoxy Of our views.
Science must be the touchstone by which we
may Judge of the correctness of our knowl-
edge. The people OF Vermont are second to
none in their ability to grasp and conquer
difficulties. BY removing to new and fertile
fields of labor aud toll, they usually gaiu n
competence, and often wealth. Most
| Vermont farmers seldom pay sufficient at
tention to capabilities Of their farms and
soils. Too much land is cultivated, and the
cultivation is slghted, They pay too much
for extravagant living.
Manure produces effects both mechanical
and chemical. OF the former, loosenng the
soil aud imparting to it warmth are parts oI
the mechanical effect. Plants obtain their
nourishment in part from the soil and partly
from the air. Manures are obtained from
the minerals, from animals, and from veget
ables. A too liberal application of guanC
has exhausted some soils to so great an ex
tent as to prove damage to some sections
of country, proving that the too free use o
one kind of manure would in the end prove
an exhaustion Of the soil. Liquid manur,
was the most available aud best for use il
gardens.
Discussion following the paper Of Go
Merit:
Prot Seely thought that manure of a dii
ferent character would probably prove bet
ter in such soil as the one about Brandon
which is sandy, than on a soil Of clay.
Col Merit thought no manure was a
good for a sandy soil as barnyard manure
no other was good for anything.
Mr. Ii. A. Sumner, member of the club
thought he would agree with Col Merritt a
to the great value Of barn manure, but h
would say that we had other soils thai
sandy; he thought sandy soils, even, lacke
potash, aud the application of ashes woul
almost always prove Of great benefit.
knoll Of poor, sandy soil that had been bar
rem, had been made to produce good crops {
clover by an application Of only ten bushel
+. Of ashes to the acre. at a cost Of onl
about dollar per acre.
Horace Ellis, a member of the club, b
request, stated that he had derived greI
benefit from the use Of plaster and he ha
q derived as great or greater benefit from ii
d use of western plaster, than from Nov
4 Scotia.
Col Merit thought plaster in the vicinit
OF Syracuse had exhausted the soils.
IS Prof Seely stated that he was raised
3 0nondaga county, aud was able to sta
Is from personal acquaintance with that secti'
n of the country that the effect had been OF
erwise it had been used on his father
" farm for forty years. aud was still sOwn
y large quantities on that farm with gre
II profit He thought there were no quaIiti
h or constituents 10 plaster that would stim
late the land unduly aud exhaust it.
., thought il very important that barnya
manures should be housed, protected, a
Is made more valuable.
b, Il. II. Robbins OF Cornwall stated that