Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-11
For the VERMONT FARHEH.
Ballard's Fertilizer. Effect of Stock on
Grated Fruit-Turning Of Cattles
Horns

l noticed in the VERMONT FARMER let.
ter from A. II. Smith giving his experience
iu the use Of Spsrhawk Il Billiards. fertilizer.
He gave as result of their use very good
crops on bound Ou. land, but he fails to give
the amount used and the cost Of the same.
He also fails to give any experiments to
show that the crop might not have been just
as good without any fertilizer as with it.
IL would not be strange to my mind that
land that had been uncropped for nearly
twenty years on being well plowed should
have grown fine crop without any stimu-
liant. He speaks Of slur on the above fer.
tilizer by Mr. Spaulding From my experi-
ence in using it and from observation where
others have used it, l consider it an unmiti.
gated humbug,
About one year ago Mr. Ballard came
into this place and advertised free lecture,
the subject being to show US how "to make
four blades Of grass grow where one grew
before" He told a very plausible story,
backed up by several printed certificates.
The result of it was he closed by selling eight
or ten receipts for the making Of his agricul-
tura wonder at three dOlla rs each, and be-
fore he left the place he sold several tons to
one Of our merchants, taking horse in pay.
ment for the same. Myself with the others,
was one Of the dupes. l manufactured and
used according to directions about seven hun.
drcd pounds. Now for the result. used
it on greeuswsrd broken up the same spring.
About oue-half Of the piece | planted with
corn after spreading broadcast a fine load Of
yard manure and narrowing the same in with
a cultivator harrow putting one.half pint Of
the fertilizer in each hill with the exception
of ons row. That row did not put any
fertilizer in. The result was, never could
see particle Of difference from the time it
came up till it was cut up, and when came
to husk it could discover no difference.
OD the portion that planted with potatoes
put no other manure except one-half pint
of the fertilizer in the hill. The result was
little better than with the corn though
nothing to brag Of. Forty bills with the fer.
tilizer did not produce but about six pounds
more potatoes than the samo number of hills
without it. 1t did not pay tho trouble even
at the small cost of ten or twelve dollars per
ton. II may we'll be classed with rails
ing crab-apple trees, patent scythe sharp
eners, lightning rod and foreign cloth ped.
dlers and other h'Gmbugs of the day, with
which farmers have been duped,
BY the way, notice that III. w. b.
has at last rendered tardy justice to that
Jersey heifer. hope tha, by another year
when she proves to be one Of his best cows
he will dignity her with a more respectable
name than "sneaking brute" saw las,
fall proof of the principle laid down by
DIR HOskins in regard to the grating of fruit
"that stock into which we grated influenced
the character Of the fruit" A neighbor
grated some Summer Harvests into tn,
meanest kind Of bitter-sour crab.apple stock
The result was an inferior apple with none
OF the characteristics of the Summer iar.
vests except being early. noticed last ial
or summer you recommended the scraping o
steers horns you said you would scrape then
on the side toward which you wished to turr
them. l, at the time, called to mind steer
owned by neighbor its horns stuck out
forward with tendency to lop down; h'
scraped them SO that they turned up anC
made respectable set Of horns. Afte
reading your piece | inquired of my neigh
Dor which side he scraped them he said h
scraped and CREASED them several times dur
ing the winter they were two years old O.
the under side. II any one is unfortunate
enough to find his calves, or other stock
lousy, good washing with buttermiIk som
warm, sunny day will clean them out.
j. II.
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