Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-10-25

ruE Farm OF HoN. y. r, COTTON, or
tRAsBUEGH.
The circumstances that surround a man
have much to do in directing his labors.
Mr.. Cotton lives in lrasburgh village, and
has several fields and pastures by the differ
ent roads that lead to the village. All these
fields yield large burden OF grass, so that
over fifty tons Of hay have been cut this
year. The soil is naturally good, but when
it came into his possession was rough with
its natural knobs Some was very stony,
some too wet The wet land has been
drained with open bitches, plowed aud
smoothed, so as to be moved with a machine.
The stones have been dug out and put in
large piles This has been great work.
Mr.. Cotton, with an iron bar made OF a piece
Of shaiting, one and half inches in diam
eter, aids his men in the rock digging aud
does great execution. Large stones, as well
as small, are rolled upon the surface until
in the thickest places they almost cover the
ground. An acre or so Of the worst has
been done this spring.
His team 10 move the stone rs well as
his crops, is a span Of horses that weigh
about twenty-thrse hundred pounds. The
load is seldom too large for their strength.
The preparation Of the land for grass is very
thorough, and the crop Of good hay on one
acre has been four tons This was weighed
and sold. After the turf is well set the crop
is kept up by top-dressing with stable man
ure, and retaining from grazing it spring or
fall. In years past Mr.. Cotton has kept the
common mougrel cattle Of the country. good,
bad or indifferent. This spring he has
bought five herd-book Jersey heifer calves
and bull of William D. Bronson, Hard
wick Vermont
This little herd are light coored, iawn
and white one is pure fawn. They are so
uniform in color that the herd they propo
gate, will probably have that family look that
is so pleasing to breeder who has an ideal
Of perfection, toward which he is breeding.
| Many persons desire blood stock, as it is
called. They purchase one animal, usually
as cheap a male as they can procure. The
progress is slow, and often they abandon
the idea of keeping such stock, it requires
such patient continuance. But with thi,
number the progress must be more salts
factory. | do not know of any other hero
of Jerseys in this vicinity.
While grass is a specially, Mr.. Coltor
also raises the usual variety of crops. Las
year he sowed fifty bushels of oats, anc
raised a good crop Of corn and potatoes
This year he has corn, oats, potatoes, bar
ley, and good quantity of beans, all look
ing well. II you visit him in the spring
you will be likely to find him, as ] founc
him, boiling sap in his sugar place, making
his own sugar. From his boiling place h,
has one line of nice clean spouts leading
fifty rods away among the naples in anothe
direction line about fifteen rods long
These spouts convey the sap poured int,
them TO the holders at the boiling place an,
make the gathering quicker aud easier thai
with team. Other lines will be laid to max
the work still more convenient.
Although the master of the state grang
lives in the village, he does more farm worl
than the majority of Vermont farmers, an,
he does it thoroughly. u. L. JAMESON.