Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-10
Meeting Of the State Board of Agriculture,
Manufactures and Mining.
AZ bradford, Tuesday and wednesda,
February rs and 10.


The meeting was called to order by Col.
John b. Mead. M. II. Chambcrlin of Brad.
ford was elected president; Jonathan John.
son, vice president. Hon. Roswell Farnham
gave an address of welcome.
DR.. ]. b. 0msby of Bradford read
paper on "Thc Horse" which paper we hope
TO give in full.
j. b. Mead followed with remarks on the
Importance to Vermont TO regain the repu.
tation she once enjoyed, Of having the best
horses in the country, the horse for the fam
lily, professional man, or farmer.
Thursday afternoon.
@. Horace Hubbard followed COL Mead
aud impressed upon the audience the fact
that this is farmers meeting, and that all
who have thoughts aud ideas on the subjects
presented should feel free to speak. He be-
lieved that the horses to be prohtably raised
are those adapted to all work lively in sin.
gle driving, aud kind and patient in work
hardy and enduring. Tho horse that come
nearest to this ideal is the Morgan horse. He
has pair Of Morgans that have been thor
oughly tested in hard work, with heavy loads
as well as in constant service and long drives.
The bones Of the Morgan horse seem to be
hard, Of fine texture and not liable to disease,
great muscular development and powerful
nervous organization to keep the machinery
all in operation. He had seen some 6ue re-
suits from cross of the English Hunter on
the Morgan, and it is his opinion that the
blood Of the Hunter which possesses qualities
so similar to the Morgan. will cross well
with them, giving an infusion of new blood
while retaining and intensIiying the qualities
so desirable in the horse for business, farm
work or gentlcnen's driving These are the
horses that sell the best and are the best to
keep.
Jonathan johnson of Bradford stated that
in 1880 the Woodbury. Morgan came to
Bradford, soon after the Bulrush Morgan
came and the stock of these horses has been
bred there ever since. The Woodbury.
Morgan went south, but Bulrush died 10 this
vicinity. These horses were never noted for
flannel bandages about their legs. No horses
could excel them in style. These horses
left good stock which has been crossed and
recrossed. We ought to have such again in
this vicinity.
Col. X. Farnham said that horses are not
raised in races but in families, and while
families are for time preserved they soon be-
come disseminated as but few of the colts
are kept entire until their excellency is
known. 1t horses were kept entire as in
Arabia, France, or Normandy then we could
select and use the best as stock horses Now
ifa Morgan stallion is kept in the neighbor.
hood and tall western horse is introduced
the farmers are likely to leave the Morgan
aud try cross with this different family,
especially if the price is no higher.
@. Horace Hubbard, member Of the board
was called to speak upon "The Grass Crop"
While he would not exclude the raising of
all other crops, he would make speciality Of
grass. Farmers in his vicinity make a
practice Of raising from four to six acres of
corn, aud put the manure OF the farm upon
this crop. Yet the product of the farm de-.
creaseS year after year. My own experience
is that cannot pro6tabIy raise wheat, and
have also abandoned the raising of oats,
| continue to raise hoed crops but seed with
out grain and plow sward after haying.
and reseed to grass alone. Topdress
moist land when there is a good sod,
but not after it is bound out unless it is too
rough TO plow. A ueighbor Of mine one
spring lacked sufficient seed rye for field
and sowed corner with grass alone. The
increase of grass during the succeeding eight
years paid much better than the rye crop.
would renew grass fields by topdressing
grass just after haying or by invorting the
sod and mauuring and reseeding. would top
dress as soon after haying as possible as
then it shades the roots that have just been
exposed to the sun by removing the crop
and it also invigorates tho roots to send up
a new crop. -Four years ago found to my
regret that was not increasing my grass.
| used to buy grain and buy hay and raise
grain. used to cut thirty tons of hay a
year, but in four years have doubled my
hay crop. This year | had when drawn In
seventy tons of hay that doubtless cure sixty
tons, Some fail in topdressing because the
good grasses are not there, the crop has been
white-top or worthless grass, such land should
be powed aud reseeded. II manure is not
sufficient for light dressing, use ashes as a
fertilizer ashes are the most reliable aud
lasting fertilizer we can buy. | have a field
OF "a acres that is at some distance from the
house and has been exhausted by successive
cropings. Last fall plowed 10 acres Of it
and put ON five acres, ten loads Of manure
to the acre. Further | used ashes, plaster,
Brighton fertilizer, and seeded to grass II
acres. Then it froze up and part was un.
sown, but shall not raise grain on auy Of
it. In regard to the time of sowing grass
seed, it is advisable to SOW early in the fall
if convenient 80 as to get good start before
winter, yet find that it may be sOwu in
November with good results l would not
SOW clover in the fall as freezing is apt to
kill the roots. If herdsgrass is sOwn early
in fall it gets the start Of the clover which is
sown the following spring. Glover is very
desirable grass. Orchard grass pleaSes me
we'll, is pourishing and eaten greedily by