davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Usage Orange Hedges.

Peter Hathaway contributes to the Ohio
Farmer an account Of the practice Of Mr..
Benjamin Wilcox of Erie county, Ohio, n
successful cultivator of osage orange hedges.
The land where the hedge is to be planted
is plowed in the fall aud cultivated in the
spring as for corn. Then the plants, which
cost three dollars per thousand, are set four
to six inches apart. A man and team will
in day fit 200 rods for planting, and man
will plant 40 rods. The land should be cul-
tivated and hoed, kept FREQ from weeds three
years, at the end of which time it is an effec-
tive fence, and will need no more cultivation.
When it has grown two years it is trimmed
to six inches in thickness and laid. which
consists Of cutting the plants, except one in
two and one-half or three feet, half of at or
just below the surface of the ground. The
top Of the standing plants are cut three and
onc-half feet from the ground, and those cut
half off are bent down all one way, and
woven in to the standards. When plants
for standards are missing, drive stakes for
support. In weaving, aim to make a close
bottom for small animals aud strong top.
After that the hedge requires no care except
trimming. This should be done twice a
year, about the first of june and September,
cutting down to four feet in hight and six
inches thick. AS the hedge grows older in
crease thickness to eight inches but no more.
The implement for trimming is q blade 20
inches long, about as wide as a scythe, with a
straight handle four feet long. Balancing
this on one hand, with an upward stroke, a
man will trim 100 rods day. In blowing
turn the furrows away from the hedge often
enough to give downward tendency to the
roots. Hedges managed in this way do not
sap the land aPpreciably. Corn and other
crops can be grown and will thrive as close
to it as to board fence.
A luxuriant hedge not kept trimmed close
as above directed will sap the land II feet
on each side, and it is six times the labor to
trim it.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
A Foul Butter Process in Scotland

Those writer's who have exhibited such
anxiety lest our foreign market for dairy
products, good, bad and Indifferent was to be
ruined by the use of little oleomargarinc in
the manufacture Of skim cheese, will be in.
trusted in reading the following account
from the Canada Farmer of the way our
friends across the water reorganize rancid
butter and make Of it first class goods.
Oeomargarine, as an article of diet, is
bad enough, but pales into comparative In
significance beside its co.relative process OF
renovating putrid butter, as practiscd in
Leith aHd Glasgow. A firm, having estab-
lishments in both these cities, recently issued
their annual circular, offering to reclaim old
butter, however foul, and to return the same
increased in weight, at a cost of Sl.S7 per
cwt.. in casks. Reporters, personating Gus.
toners, prepared for treatment sample of
the following delectable mixture A Coler.
aiue butt Of grease butter, sold for lubricat.
ing purposes was purchased. and there was
incorporated with it small quantity Of Rus
sian tal!ow, some Of which had passed through
the printing Office machinery, and had alb
sorbed particles Of black.lead and mineral
oxides from contact with the bearings Of the
shaitings A common tallow candle, from
which the wick had been removed, was also
added. The compound and the tallow can
die were carefully melted into the grease but.
ter; and Notwithstanding the offensive char
acter Of these additions, the butter was so
decomposed as completely to disguise them.
Thus prepared, the frkin was sent to the
works, with request that it be turned into
"lumps of a bright yellow color for sale in
the English market, and with a stubble-
grass smell" The firm characterized the
sample as very bad, but promised to do
their best with it. Ia the course OF a few
days the butter was returned re.converted,
its weight on return being 5ll pounds,
against AZ pounds when sent for treatment.
Were 1t not for some mineral particles dis
covered on strict examination, it would
hardly have been possible to have identified
the sample, so remarkable was the change in
the whole composition. The statements are
verified by the city analyst, who described
the original butter as sin the last stages OF
rottenness, having disgusting odor, covered
with green mould and maggoty."
1t was found that the establishment was
doing large business and producing 1920
pounds daily, which was sold all over the
entire kingdom. What the treatment con.
sisted in is not explained. OeomargarinC
at least was clean, aud its ingredients, so far
as our examination extended, were pure.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Sheep Shearing.

To tcash or not TO scash This depends
somewhat on the weather in May and early
june which cannot be foretold. II tho spring
weather is moist with frequent showers,
sheep with heavy Aeeces suffer extreme de.
bility and loss Of flesh, while those which
have been shorn, shake themselves after q
shower and resume feeding, and como up at
shearing time fat and strong. But Aeeces
Tin the dirt" no matter what their ooudi-
tion, must suffer a shrinkage OF quarter or
a third, which is frequently an entire loss to
the farmer, and usually quite too much.
Fleeces washed we'll in June, and running
ten to fourteen days in hot weather, will
often shrink as much in cleansing as if they
had been taken off in the dirt in the cool
days Of early May. If shorn at the barn
and kept up for week, they will then need
no further housing except in case Of storms
or very cold weather.
On the whole it would seem that medium
course between the two extremes in common
practice is preferable. If the sheep are
washed early as possible in May aud shOru
soon after, the results are good
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Bee Culture for Women.

Lizzie b. Cotton contributes to the Scien.
t6c American the results of her experience
in bee keeping. She says
can confidently recommend bee culture
as we'll adapted to women, both in city and
country. speak from experience, having
been engaged in this pursuit for over twelve
years. In my first attempts at bee culture,
used the old.fashioned box hive. These
hives were readily constructed with little or
no reference to giving a profit in surplus
honey obtained from them. Tho losses III
such hives, from various causes, especially IN
winter, was very great, and profits were
small at the best-Sl0 to Sl2 profit from
the sale of surplus honey from such hives in
one season was considered an extraordinary
yield. have for several years used hive OF
my own invention. 1t is constructed with
special reference to securing a good yield oil
honey, in the most convenient marketablelorm
My hive is so arranged and constructed that
| am able to prevent or contriVe the natural
swarming of bees, and, when desired, to turn
their whole force to storing surplus honey in
the parent stock, instead Of swarming out, as
they often do Ito their great damage) under
ordinary management. 1t is surprising to
noto how much more honey will be stored by
stock that does not swarm (yet has the
same increase of bees) than by one that
casts more swArms. often obtain from two
hundred to three hundred pounds Of honey
in small glass boxes in a season.
There is, in my opinion, no other pursuit
which offers greater inducements to women
than bee culture. There are very many
whose occupation confines them indoor:
nearly the whole time, excluding them from
the air aud sunshine, to the great injury ol
their health, while at the same time, after
this great sacrifice, they barely succeed il
making a livelihood. To such, bee culture
offers special Inducements, such as health,
aud greater recompense for labor per
formed. hope that ere long bee culture
will receive from my sex the attention it de-
serves 1 am acquainted with many who
have lately commenced in the business who
are meeting with great success.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

AT the low prices for which farm products
must be sold, the farmer has less surplus
cash TO pay for corn. He must raise IL or
go without
The reasonable rates of wages for farm
help make it possible to hire help to raise
grain where it was out of the question before.
Then, again, the moderate wages will re.
suit in better quality of farm help. The
farm laborer has for few years been the
lord Of the soil, and the owner of the farm o
pitiful slave.
The farmer whose farm is productive and
who has plenty Of manure can raise corn to
better advantage than for a long time past
The corn crop requires liberal manuring. 1t
is gross feeder. 1t pays for abundant ma.
nure and good culture IL land is not deeply
plowed, say six inches, and stimulus is
applied in the hill to give it a start, il is best
to plow in the manure. The crop grows
fairly until the roots are we'll distributed
among the manure, aud "when the ears are
being put on the manure does good lifting"
There is no doubt that more bushels Of
corn can be raised to the acre by the use Of
the corn planter than by hand planting. The
seeds are scattered along somewhat, SO that
each stalk has better chance to grow, has
more room, light and air and ears better.
There is great saving of labor in planting
aud in hOeing. The rows are such that the
cultivator can be run very close, and but
little work with the hoe is needed
The price of corn next season depends on
the crop at the West, of course. That it has
been abundant aud low the last year is no
reason that it will be this. I....
To those whose farms are producing light
crops of grass, it is hardly necessary to re-
peat the advice that n liberal portion of the
manure should be devoted to that. If we
have large crops Of grass we can raise any,
thing desired. |t..
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Corn.

1t is well.known that we have advised
farmers who are obliged to hire extra help
to raise grain, and those whose farms show
the too common tending toward an exhausted
fertility, to give especial attention to the
grass crop. The soil of many farms has
been depleted by raising grain where the
high cost Of labor has absorbed all the profit
which might otherwise have been realized.
For the belief that the grass crop is the
paying one, and the most important to which
Vermont farmers can give special culture,
there is still good reason. No one who has
made grass 4 speciality on the farm or on
single field doubts this. At the same time
it is proper to remember that the circum-
stances affecting the raising of corn in Yer
mont are more favorable than for ten or
twelve years.
The ebbing tide, which was inevitable ai-
ter the food of business expansion, reckless
expenditure and undue haste to become rich,
which were the sad legacies Of the war, has
come upon us. In the general wreck of bus
iness and reduction of values, bringing so
many from afiuence to beggary, there are
many compensations The overstocked trades
and professions are restoring to the soil the
surplus workers who ought never to have left
the farm. We all come down to more sober
and earnest ideas Of business aud of life.
The indications of these changes are nowhere
more conspicuous than in the price of labor.
Farm help which has commanded s25 to $50
per month and board for the season or 8
months is plenty at Sl5 to $50. Farmers
rejoice at this reduction, for it was absolutely
necessary. While it may seem hard to the
laborer, it must be remembered that it is
possibly better for him. The extravagant
prices Of labor have been very demoralzing
to the laboring man. The abundance Of
money has extinguished the good sentiment
of frugality instlled by the faithful mother
lie has irittered away for nothing his rap.
idly earned wages. The farm laborers Of
Vermont have not saved as much per head
the last ten years as they did at Sl3 to Sl5
per month before the war. When we all
become restored to the old, simple, frugal
habits it will be better for the labOrer as
we'll as the farmer. These facts affecting
subjects SO remote, have bearing on the
corn question.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

RECOGNITION OF Colon ny BEEs.-The
following is an extract from paper by Sir
John Lubbock on "Bees and Wasps," read
before a meeting of the Linnean Society, in
London. l found that bees soon accustomed
themselves to look for honey on papers of
particular colors. For instance on Sep
tember 18th, | placed bee to some honey
on slip Of glass on green paper, and after
it had made twelve journeys to and from
the hive, put red paper where the green
had been, and placed another drop of honey
on green paper, at distance Of about a
foot. The bee returned, however, TO the
honey on the green paper. then gently
moved the greel paper, with the bee on it,
back to the old place. When the bee had
gone, replaced the green paper by a yell
low one, and put the green again foot off,
After the usual interval, it returned again
to the green, repeated the same proceed
ing, but with orange paper instead Of green,
1t returned again to the green. now
did the same with white paper it again re-
turned to the green, Again tried it with
blue it again came to the green. | then
reversed the positions Of the blue and green
papers, but still it returned to the green,
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

GYPsUM.-One Of the best modes of ap-
plying gypsum is to sprinkle it on the leaves
Of plants while the dew is still upon them.
Applied in this way to clover, turnips cab
bages, melons, &C., "it seems to put new
life" into them, as the lrshman said of his
whisky. A sprinkling on the leaves of
squashes, cucumbers, and other similar plants
not only puts new life, but keeps off the
insects which are such pest to these crops
The plaster should be renewed on the young
leaves each time it is washed of by 4 rain.
All insects like clean leaves, and avoid n
plastersd leaf as though it were poison
Possibly it is, but if poison to the insect it
is medicine to the plant.
One word of caution as to relying solely
upon gypsum as fertilizer. Excellent as
it is land must have something else, or it
will finally run down. Plants require at
least dozen elements in order TO live and
thrive, whereas gypsum furnishes only three,
sulphur, oxygen, aud lime. When plaster
FIRST came into fashion in this country such
were its magical effects that many farmers
thought they could sell all their hay and
still keep up their farms by purchasing
yearly ton or two Of plaster. They found
themselves deceived, The phosphorus, pot
ash soda, &c, were in few years exhausted,
aud prejudice arose against plaster, which
it did not deserve. 1t was accused Of being
nearly a stimulant to land, enrichag the
father and impoyerishing the son. Rightly
used, it is one of the cheapest commercial
fertilizers used, and will enrich both father
aud son. If hard wood ashes can be bought
for twenty cents per bushel, they deserve to
be ranked No. l, as they contain all the
inorganic elements of plant life, but even in
this case we would like to mix some plaster
with the ashes.-By Alerander Hyde in the
". Y. Times.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

A Test FOR SHEEp-woRRYISG DOGs.-
The report Of the district veterinary surgeons
in Wurtemburg for 1874, makes us acquain,
ted with novel device for discovering dogs
which have been worrying sheep. In Feb
ruary Of that year dog attacked a flock oI
sheep during the night, and killed IL. The
shepherd reported the circumstance to Vet,
erinary Surgeon Osterstag who soon discov.
cred dog which from its general appear
ance and muddy condition he suspected tc
be the culprit He accordingly resolved tC
test his suspicious by giving it an emetic
the effect Of which was to bring up some
flesh and an ear, corresponding to that Of
one Of the sheep which had been partially
deyoured. Another dog was suspected, and
to this tho same test was applied, but thu
creature only vomited potato food. In The
law court to which the case was taken thu
owner Of the first dog had to pay for th,
whole of the worried sheep.-Veterinary
Journal.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
The Farmers Stock in Trade.

The Rural New Yorker makes these quo
tations from scientific men:
Prof. S. w. johnson, in his valuable book,
allow Crops Grow" says, Nitrogen, potash
and phosphoric acid are, most commonly,
the substances whose absence or deficiency
impairs fertility, and are those which, when
added as fertilizers produce the most fire.
quent and remarkable increase OF product
iveness."
Prof. f. IL. Storer, 10 the Bulletin of the
Bussey Institution, says, ITO maintain the
fertility of field producing successive crops
of barley, it should receive an annual dress.
ing of phosphoric acid, nitrogen aud potash,
in the proportion Of /, 2 and 2l"
Geo, Vile, the great French expermeuter,
says, Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and
lime are the Indispensable ageAts for keeping
up the fertility Of soils and obtaining all
kinds of crops"
Prof. Stockbridge of the Massachusetts,
Agricultural College, in the Scientific Far.
mer, says, ave have found by experiment.
ing for four years-feedlng plants in pots
and boxes-that nature supplies to most
crops all materials in sufficient quantities
except nitrogen, potash and phosphOric acid.
These three we must supply"
j. b. Lawes of Rothamsted, Eng, whose
experiments have extended over quarter
of a century, says, "The only substances
really required in artificial manurcs are
nitrogen aud phosphate of lime" His soil
is undoubtedly well supplied with potash
Prof J. II. Nichols, editor of the Boston
Journal of Chemistry, says, in Fireside Sci
ence, without nitrogen not stalk of corn
nor blade Of wheat can grow. Phosphorus
is so essential an ingredient in the food OF
plants that not one of any kind can flourish
without it. Potash holds a most important
place in the list Of substances consumed by
plants"
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

A large part of Vermont is 50 literally
provided with indestructible fencing material
which must be got out of the way, and is
disposed Of in the form of walls around the
fields, that the subject of hedges is never
thought of. In other portions of the state
fences are all made of wood If, as in the
article in the Ohio Farmer, an abstract of
which is given in another column, permanent
hedges are made at so light cost, with so lit
tie drain upon the soil, and kept in order
forever by one days labor a year on fifty
rods, it is worth while to consider the expe-
diency of starting hedges in some sections
If any readers have had experience with
hedges, and can give information the FAR.
mer would be glad to hear from them.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05
Cure of SPAWN.

The Massachusetts Ploughman doubts the
value of any so called remedies for spawn.
We do. At the same time we are, upon
this subject, as all others, open to conviction,
and very glad to welcome improvements.
The Ploughman says:
There are many horsemen who doubt the
hereditary transmission of spawn facts,
however, do not admit of doubt. The ex.
citing causes OF SPAWN are strains, concus-
sion, and sometimes, though rarely, blows.
A kick from another horse has been known
to produce one of more serious character.
Any cause which will excite inflammation of
the tissues of the joint, is liable to cause
deposition oil bony matter, or liberation Of
the tissues covering the bones in many
cases both are found, and doubtless in a
large number of cases of lameness from spav-
ins the internal disease is the cause of the
lameness.
Many persons believe that a spawn arises
from leakage Of the joints if 50, how is it
that bruise upon bone where Joint does
not exist will produce a bony deposit2
Periodically some one gets up specific
LOT tue cure OF spawn. In some cases they
pretend to take them Off Of one thing the
reader may be assured, aud that is, # the
tumor has become organized nothing less than
a chisel or a saw will remove it, Hundreds
OF thousands Of dollars have been expended
wasted we may say in employing men who
know nothing of the pathology of spawn.
The modus operand of those who profess to
take of the spawn is to rub over the tumor
strong acid, which kills the tissue to which
it is applied, (and sometimes the animal, }
after which it is removed, then carried about
and shown as the spawn.
The first aud most important step.to take
in the first stages of spawn is to place the
animal in absolute rest. The hook joint OF
the horse aud the ankle of man are anto-
mioally nearly alike. If person sprains
his ankle the surgeon orders rest, not for a
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05


LIQUID GRAFTING.WAx.-The Horticul-
turist gives the following formula for max
ing Leiorts liquid graitng-wax, which is
said to have been highly commended in
France, and until lately kept secret Melt
one pound Of common resin over a gentle
fire. Add to it an ounce of beef tallow and
stir we'll, Take it from the fire, let it cool
down little, and then mix with a table.
spoonful Of spirits of turpentino, aud after
that about seven ounces Of very strong alco-
hol, (sixty.fve per cent.,l to'be had at any
drug store. The alcohol cools it down so
rapidly that it will be necessary to put it
again on the fire, stirring it constantly
Still, the utmost care must be taken to pre-
vent the alcohol from getting inAamed. To
avoid this, the best way is to remove the
vessel from the fire when the lump that may
have been formed commences melting. This
must be continued till the hole is a homogen.
eous mass, similar to honey. After a few
days exposure to the atmosphere in thin
coat, it assumes a whitish color aud becomes
as hard as a stone, being imperyious to water
or air.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

PROTECTION AGAINST THE WIRE WoRM.
i give you my experience with the wiro
worm. Being troubled with tho little pests
one year, l was advised to soak my seed
corn in solution of copperas aud saltpeter,
using One-iourth of pound each to bushel
OF ears OF common eight.rowed corn. Tho
result was that my seed all grew, aud | lost
none by the wire worms, and | never saw
corn have so dark and vigorous a color be-
fore. Since then | always soak my seed
twelve hours after being shelled. | do not
know as it would affect the cut worm, but
have never been troubled with them since |
used the solution of copperas and saltpeter.
Neither was | ever troubled with them when
plowed my corn in the fall which | would
invariably do on old sod. Some farmers
extermnate them by hunting them out in the
hill aud killing them by hand, but this il
slow and tedious work, and is liable to be
sighted by hired help. An ounce of preyen-
tion is worth pound of cure, is proverb
true in this CASE. b., in Country Gentle
man,
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-05

The Berkshire Eagle says an old maid
down there takes pint of hot water, dis
solves in it teaspoonful of sugar, and pours
it hot over her balls of butter, and it gives
them gloss that adds ten or twelve cents a
pound to the price. She sells it on FIVE.
year contract for forty cents a pound. The
mystery of it is that she churns % pounds at
time, once week, always Friday, and sells
forty pounds week. The sugar coat adding
go per cent. to the weight, which is pro-
digious gloss in proportion to the materials
used