davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20
Fall Fertilization.

We are in the habit oil fertilzing our land
in the spring for our summers crop, aud If
it is iudiciously done, it is a success. But
there is another principle which have ex-
perimented upon, that | am pretty certain is
of greater advantage; it is the application
Of manure in the fall rather than in the
spring or summer, and for the reason that
it favors the plant during the winter, when
it 80 much needs IT, IL serves not only as
protection, which is considerable, but helps
in the vigor which it imparts to the plant.
Plant growth must continue during the
winter or the plant dies and it frequently
dies from what we call exposure, when, un.
der the same circumstances (of exposure),
the plant, with the aid Of a stimulaut, might
have survived. My experiments lead me
to this conclusion. The vigor Of the plant
is increased, and according to the extent of
the increase will be the capacity Of resistance.
A plant in poor SOIL having little growth,
must have corresponding small measure Of
growth during the winter, which reduces it
at the best to very low state, and little
beyond this destroys the plant.
Hence our poor and exposed knolls suf-
fer most If rich, there is less effect from
the frost and the drying winds. To feed our
grass lands and wheat fields in the fall,
therefore, must be benefit and this we 6ud
to be the case. The best time to feed u
meadow is after the crop is removed or any
time during the fall so that it is early enough
to start the growth. Once started, the
stimuant will not yield its hold till it has
accomplished its purpose with the plant,
which will be done the following summer,
in the meantime favoring it during the win
ter. 1t is our rich or 'wel.mauured soils
that are the warmest soils, the live Soils
that have the most vigor they will stand
tho most abuse, aud life is tenacious in them.
Let us, then, manure our land not only to
grow our crops, but to keep them through
the winter. II is benefit to our grape
vines, our berry bushes, strawberry plants,
shrubs, trees, &C., as well as our wheat
fields and grass lands. Impart the fall
feeding and forcing the growth then will
be established, and with the first chance in
the spring will put forth, little earlier for
the stimulant, aud bearing up the better un-
der the first severe weather; it is help all
through, aud loss nowhere il the manure
Is on hand, as IL certainly may Us Well 10 Us
work on the land as to DO in pile, or scat
tered about around the farm. But even if
a fertilizer is purchased, there is but the
slight loss of the interest on the investment,
the benefit, hold, being much more than
this. | have seen some fine effects on late.
sown timothy, the stimulant sustaining the
young plant against severe weather, which
it seemed almost impossible to withstand.
In all cases the application should be made
early enough, so as to have its influence on
the plant 1t will be sure not TO relax its
grasp however severe the winter may be.
Cor. Country Gentleman.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20
Moulting.

The season Of moultiug, that is, the time
when birds discard the old plumage and take
on the new, is the most critical in their ex-
isteuce, both because Of the time of year in
which it occurs, and the demands which are
made upon the system.
The frequent losses Of birds at this season
have caused the experienced fancior to give
the extra care, both in food and shelter the
case seemed to call for; and he always re-
CARDS it as a season Of rest from egg-produc-
ing.
The extreme heat of summer is in itself
debilitating. The system of the bird is re.
laxed, and scarcely more food is taken than
is necessary to sustain life; so it is notice.
able that birds beginning early in the sum
mcr to mout, are long out Of plumage, and
it often happens if an epidemic prevails
among poultry, they are the worst sufferers.
In the early autumn the worst foe Of the
moulting bird is dampness. The poultry
keeper is apt to forget that the extra ventila-
tion the heat of summer made imperative,
is now not only unnecessary, but injurious.
lie forgets that the muggy days of autumn,
with the heat so dcblitating, the damp so
penetrating, and the cold so chilling, are felt
as keenly by his fowls as by himself
Many poultry men advise the addition of
a tea spoonful of the douglass mixture"
daily, during the mouting period, to the
drinking water Others think the simple
sulphate of iron sufficient; others again pro-
vide water in iron vessels at this time. All
unite, however in advising more than the
usual allowance of meat plenty of lime,
bone dust, or burnt shells and bones, and an
occasional feed of hemp seed.
The douglass mixture is simply the
solution Of one ounce Of sulphuric acid and
ons.half pound Of sui phate of iron in two
gallons Of water. 1t is used by those fan.
ciers who consider "the ounce of prevention"
necessary, as some people take a regular
course Of medicine spring and fall "for fear
they might be ill.,"
For our poultry, no such dosing is needed.
Give fowls pure air. quarters clean and free
from vermin, runs sheltered from sun, rain
and snow, pure water often, and in shaded
place, with good nourishing food, permitting
them always to have free access to lime, or
burnt bones, or shells, and our word for it,
fowls are better without than with mix.
lures" of any kind.-FancierS' Journal.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

Fowls in confinement, when carelcssy, or
overied, often suffer from an enlargement of
the crop, sometimesIto thrice its ordinary size.
The Fancers' Journal says the remedy is
very simple, and where the fowl is a valuable
one it should be applied, seasonably. An at
tendant should hold the afflicted subject
firmly, while another person should make an
incision at the under edge of the crop skin,
transversely, and of sufficient length to clear
the crop out clean. The trouble is caused
by undigested food that has caked in the
crop. After emptying the sack, the skin Of
this opening should be closely sewcd up again
with fne white mot coored) silk and if the
bird be placed by itself afterwards for a
week or two, and fed upon soft food, it will
usually recover without further trouble. If
neglected beyond certain time, this stoppage
in the crop will destroy the fowl, Of course.
But the suggested remedy Is 50 easily man
aged, that if the hOn is worth saving, the ex'
pertinent may be made successfully by any
one who can use needle and silk handily.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

The Rochester Express tells "cock and
bull story" Of a lot of eggs packed in salt
and thus kept over winter, by the wife of
John w. Coming, sergoant-at.arms of the
New York senate, which upon opening in
warm weather were found to have made
some advance towards incubation. They
were sent away and deposited amid an ao-
cumulation of coal ashes, contents of straw.
beds and other debris at roadside Now
Mr.. Tappenden who lives near, milks his
cows close to this place, and one morning,
while 50 engaged, heard chicken crying,
the cry coming from the rubbish. On going
there he found little fellow calling for his
dough, which he took home and fed. A few
mornings after he found several more, aud
for a week thereafter went regularly to the
place and carried away newly hatched chick
ems, until ho had procured large brood,
nearly all of them doing well.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20
Roup.

A letter from an English breeder to the
Fauciers' journal tells what pains is taken
to prevent rOup in pigeons, 1t does not say
it in so many words, but it is evident that
an equal degree of care is necessary with
poultry as with pigeons
My DEAR Mr.. WADE:
A prominent inncier writes me as follows
"Onc Of my pigeon pens seems to be infected
with roup birds in that pen are always
subject to it. A yellow discharge comes
from their nostriIs aud mouth which is very
difficult to cure. What should | do with
it and how should the birds be treated ?"
| will answer the above questions thro ugh
the Fanciers' journal, hoping my letter may
be of some use, as the above subject has
troubled almost every tancier, especially in
the fall of the year when pigeons and fowls
are moultng, or about to mout.
First of all, the house must be made quite
secure against damp and drafts-without
these precautions no cure can be found.
There must be also supply of pure air.
aud to get pure air without drafts, the room
should not be too low over head for the num-
Der of birds kept in it.
To disinfect the room after the above con-
ditons are secured, thoroughly scrape out
every particle of dirt aud dust. Then with
IL whitewash brush wash over the whole Of
the floors, walls and ceiling, and the outside
aud the inside of all boxes with hot water
with which there must be mixed when hot,
a quarter of pound Of carbolic acid to
every three gallons Of water.
Next make a wash as follows take un-
slaked white lime enough to make two gal
Ions of whitewash mix one-fourth OF a
| pound OF -four Of phur with crude petro.
eum oil to the consistency Of thin batter ;
put it in the bucket with the lime, add two
gallons Of water, boiling from the kettle ;
add three ounces OF carbolio acid after the
wash is made, and again thoroughly wash tho
place with this wash and give the place a
third coat of whithwash, made of lime and
water only, on tho third day after the sec
ond washing, The first two washings should
succeed each other as quickly as possible.
The first washing with carbolc acid and wa
ter should by no means be omitted, as it PEN
etrates deeper than thicker wash, and de-
stroys infection and the eggs of insects,
which are too deep for the thicker wash to
reach.
Tho carbolic acid use should be the com.
mon fluid acid, such as is sold to use on
ships, at an English shilling or twenty-five
cents a pound. The "carbolic powders,
"disiniccting powders" etc. generally advcr'
tised, are weak preparations of little aciC
mixed with burnt clay, air slaked lime, ve-
netian red, etc propose to give what my
experience has proved to be the best mode
Of treating the diseased birds, by mex
steamer.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

John W. Gloss says in the Michigan Far
mer that he has discovered remedy for the
canker worm. They winter in the ground /;
the females cant fly; she lays her eggs on
the trees. At three feet from the ground
the rough bark of the trunk is scraped of
six inches in width, and tarred, the female
can't ascend and no injury can ensue. But
the tar (pine) must be kept soft by repeated
applications. The worms appear the last of
May or the first of June, and the whole bus.
iness of propagation is over in couple Of
days. We would advise every one to hesi
tate to apply tar to the trunks of trees, hav.
ing known a whole orchard destroyed by
tar.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20
An Utopian Dream.

Mr. b. f. johnson, rcgulnr Illinois cor.
respondent of the Country Gentleman, in
dulges in prophesy sometimes, and shows a
good hand at it, Here is specimen,
If it were permitted me to look into the
future, md repeat what | saw, | should say
Within twenty-five years, perhaps in half
that time or less, | should be able to report
that found vast majority of iattening cat
tie to be full-boOds of some wel-recognized
race that they were fed from their birth
up to the highest point consistent with health,
fat and growth; that they were mature at
from twelve to fifteen months, having live
weight equal to the best two aud three. year.
olds Of the present time-that they were
slaughtered on, or within a few miles, lis.
tancc Of where they were fed that the
quarters were packed and transported in such
a way as to require no exposure until they
were ready to be offered for sale in the mar.
kets Of the old world that the tallow, hides,
horns, hair and eatable portion Of the vis-
cera were utilized to the utmost and finally
that the remaining ofa was manufactured
into fertilizers and returned to the soil from
the product and herbage Of which these cat
tie were made. No more feeding for three
or four years in succession; no long driving
in the heat or through the mud and miro
no brutal carrying; no more jamming in
cars no more hunger and thirst, pain aud
fright, for days in succession, the horrible
close of a short but peaceful, useful and in
nocent life; no more excessive charges to
carry that which useful and valuable at
home, becomes nuisance, filling the gut
ters Of the crowded slaughter houses in tho
suburbs of populous centres, and finally a
general recognition of those humanitarian
truths in regard to the handling of domestic
animals intended for food consumption, which
are found singuarly in accord with econ
omy and profit.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

AMERICAN CATTLE FOR EURopE.-The
Springfield Republican says that since July
Of this year, from $50 to $50 head of Amer
lean cattle have been landed at Glasgow,
and, one week, they brought an average of
of G33 each. But the business in dressed
beef and mutton will probably supersede
this Since the 9th of June, from 100 to
2lO carcasses OF beef have been landed aud
sold, per week. Already the importation
at Glasgow has exceeded l,250,000 pounds.
The New York butchers complain that the
price Of meat is kept up by these expectations,
but of course such result can only be tenn
porary. Export always tends to keep up
the price Of the home product but is soon
offset by increased supply, 50 long as it is
possible to increase it, We export wheat
in immense quantities, for instance, but we
raise it in immense quantities, too, and it
may be doubted ii it is any dearer than it
would be five exported none at all.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

holds in solution certain mineral substances
like lime, while in ordinary boiling, where
we simply wish to cook the meat in the best
way, and not to remove the juice in which
the flavor and richness consist, hard water is
the best.
From what has been said, it will appear
that meat is composed Of water colored with
blood, 6brin aud fat. A thin piece Of lean
beef may be washed in clean water till its
color is entirely pure, only white. mass of
fbres being left. These are the muscles of
the living animal and the whitened mass is
called fbriu, and with its mixture Of fat con-
stitutes the substance of the meat. In highly
fed aud fattened auimals the fat is often col
lectcd by itself in various parts of the beef
as the suet in and around the bones, Or de-
posted in large masses under the skin, in.
stead of being evenly distributed through the
fbrous mass Of muscular tissue, producing
what is called wall marbled beel.-MaSsa.
cduSettS Plougbman.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

SETTING RAspBERRIEs IN ATUMN,-Purdy's
Fruit Recorder gives the most successful
planting of raspberres as in autumn, by the
following mode The young plants were care
fully set, the roots well spread out, and the
mellow earth which covered them beaten
with the hoe over the plants to show where
they were. AS soon as the ground frozc in
winter, wagon load Of manure was driven
over the plantation, and a shovelful placed
on each beaten spot Early in spring the
whole surface was narrowed which scat.
tered the manure and mixed it with the soil,
This melowed tho soil, and destroyed tho
weeds that were just ready to come up,
leavinga clean surface till the young rasp-
berries were half foot high.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

TnE VALUE OF AN EXpERrNENT.-Mr.
Conrad Wilson, well-known agriculturist,
tells the following story in the Rural New
Yorker "When l was little boy on my
fathers farm, once made little experiment
on my own account, and carried it through
secretly, for the purpose Of enjoying the sur.
prise it might create. With this view, as
soon as father got through planting his corn,
| selected and marked off. unknown to him,
a small space near the center OF the field.
To each stalk of the corn planted on this
space gave special attention, for the pur-
pose Of finding out how much each grain
planted could be made to produce by giving
it extra manure aud extra hoeing. When
the corn was gathered, the difference between
my pet stalks and the rest Of the field at
tracted my fathers attention, and | re-
member how puzzled ho was in trying to
account for it. When at length disclosed
the secret he instantly inquired how much
extra work and manure | had applied
Tell me this exactly, said he and | can
tell the value Of the experiment. l told
him had simply doubled what he had given
to the rest of the field. After comparing
the result with the rest Of the field, he
found that his yield was at the rate of a
bushels to the acre, and mine at the rate
Of SO bushels. Now, said he, if extra
culture and extra manure are good for the
single stalks, it must be good for the whole
crop. So the next year he adopted my
plan for the whole crop, and found that
the gain was even larger, by several BUSH
els, than in my experiment; and he also
found that the cost of each bushe was
reduced to six cents"
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

FRUIT AND GAME IN ARoosToCK County
MAINE.-Rev. II. M, Keep of Dalton, Me-,
writes to the Vermont Watchman that ZAP
pies and plums are be coming plenty among
us, and will ultimately extend to the most
northern limits Of the state. Wild fruits
that are plenty with us arc mostly strawber-
rios raspberries, b!ueberries and cranberres,
At Fort Kent, if l should offer two cents a
quart, | could get a thousand barrels of rasp-
in two weeks, and tho same of blueberries,
1t is hard to conjecture how many thou
sand bushels are never harvested even by the
birds aud bears. Trout fishing holds out re-
markably, on account Of the extensive breed
ing grounds in the wilderness. A single
brook Fall brook, twenty miles above Fort
Kent, has yielded twenty barrels year for
twenty years, about half a pound weight
each and it would be interesting to know
how many thousand partridges went out OF
those woods last year.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

Apples are scarcely worth picking for the
manufacturer Of cider except to be used for
vinegar. The cider will not sell for enough
to pay for the labor and cost. But there is
way in which farmers can realize a good
result from cider apples, by feeding them to
stock. Begin with small quantity, say
four quarts per day, and it may be increased
gradually to all the animal will consume,
dividing the daily feed into two or three ra.
tions
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

We have received a copy Of the catalogue
of the Standard Burr Stone Mills of Edward
Harrison, New Haven, Conn, These mills
range from the cleaning, grinding and boiling
mill with 20-inch burr stones and three to
six horse power for wheat, and the heavy
standard grinding mill with 3O.inch stones, 10
to 40 horse power, capable of grinding 30 to
SO bushels of corn an hour, to the twelve inch
mill for farmers use, from one to fire horse
power. The reputation of the Burr Stone
Mills of Mr.. Harrison is established by many
years Of successful use.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

The Bussey Institution Of Harvard Uni.
versity, located at Jamaica Plain, Boston,
announces that hereafter its Bulletin, giving
the results Of experiments and Investigations
in agricultural questions, will hereafter be
published at 10 cents per part of about 100
pages, and that Mr.. John Allyn, 80 Frank.
lin St., Boston, will publish the same.
Five parts of the Bulletin, forming the first
volume have already been published, and
they form an exceedingly valuable addition
to agricultural literature.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

Do not let the stock come to the barn be.
fore their winter quarters are in readiness
No money or labor is expended on the farm
with moro profit than that devoted to maxim .
stables and sheds warm, dry and comfortable
Stables should be so warm that the manure
will not freeze. Open sheds, When used for
night shelter for stock, of any kind should be
air tight on every side but one, and the open
ing there not too broad and high. Ther
with good bedding animals will rest there
with comparative comfort.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

The Germantown Telegraph is of the opin-
ion that the new system of inauguratod by
the bureau Of awards Of the Centennial COM
mission aud which it believes will hereafter
be known as the american system, COM
pairing an article with the highest known ex-
cellence which similar articles already
achieved, is great advance in the system
Of awards at public exhibitions.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

CUTTING BACK TREES Es-Probaby the i'll
success OF most Of those who fail in getting
fruit-trees well started arises from the mis-
cradle way in which they are set out. No
young tree should ever be set in grass, nor
should the land be seeded to grass until the
trees are in bearing. The holes should be
large enough to let every root lie straight
Where the roots were bruised and cut by the
spade in taking up they should be cut off
smooth with a sharp knife Fine dirt should
be carefully worked among the roots with
the fingers, so that when job is done no air
holes or cavities are left around them. And
finally, every branch should be cut back,
at least one.half of the last years growth,
in order TO maintain balance with the
shortened roots. This last is a thing very
rarely done, yet it is essential to success. \
Western paper says, where a farmer had set
out one hundred apple-tree in autumn, and
was advised to cut the shoots back to coun-
terbalance the necessary cutting Of the roots
in taking them up, he declined In the win
ter a COW broke in and cropped the tops of
twenty-five or thirty aud the winter being
severe, these and few others were the only
trees which survived. The others had more
top than they could carry and they did not
grow. We do not, however, recommend the
eow-prunug for general adoption.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

f. Il. Elliot says that for twenty. Eve years
he has advised the sowing of grass seeds, for
lawns or fields, alone without grain to shade
it, and he is satisfied by the experience Of
these twenty-five years that his former notion
that young grass needs grain to shade it was
q mistake.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20

Coon AS "RUM SWEAT. A. j. Kinds
Of Patchogue, l.. l., writes to an agricuItu-
raj paper of a new system of fertilization he
has devised, equal in originality to an air
pump for raising cream, lie says call sub
stances as lime, potash, etc, teaches, conse-
quently they are to be applied to the surface
of the soil; but ammonia evaporates and
nine-tcnths is entirely wasted as applied in
the ordinary way. Now my method would
be to tile your land or drainage; then cover
a large kettle placed below the main filings !;
into this kettle place your guano, or any
ammonated manure, put in water, heat it
up and drive the steam through these filings.
This will warm the ground, keep it moist,
aud save throe-iourth of the manure"