davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

question of the profit Of cooking meal for
mich COWS is one which every man can set
tIo for himself by trying it, great deal bet
ter than any man can tell him. Let him
give the same rations every day except that
the meal is cooked every other week,
weighing the milk and butter 1t must not
be supposed that the question is for ever dis.
posed Of by an experiment of two weeks
duration. The longer it is continued the
more reliable will be the results.
Roots on the other hand incr ease the flow
of milk without adding to the oil. Some
roots lower the proportion of oil or butter il
fed very freely. They give tone to the sys.
tenn and assist is digesting dry food. Roots
and grain are best fed together.
An acre of turnips grown last season on
the farm of the editor of the FARMER, is
estimated to have cost less than ten cents per
bushel in the cellar, including use of land,
manure, barrel of phosphate, and labor.
Sow them early in june on sod land we'll
manursd and plowed in. If ten loads of old
well rotted manure are narrowed in after
blowing, and narrowed three or four times
with week between the crop will be greatly
benefited. In the absence Of old manure
some concentrated fertilizer should be applied
in the drill to give them a start. No crop
pays for superphosphato so we'll as turnips
Sow with hand drill, IA boy can SOW an
acre in an hour after the superphosphate i.
is soWn,) three feet and half apart. Cul.
tivate them soon as the plants are large
enough to follow the rows. Weed them be.
fore the weeds start, and do not fail. Then
it be done quickly with hoe. Otherwise il
is slow, lingering back-aching job. Leave
the plants ten inches apart. Two good hoe.
ings are ususally enough if the weeds that
afterwards start are pulled out and the
cultivator is kept going. Do not fear to
hurt them with the cultivator If a leaf is
broken off now aud then it is no great loss
Top them with sharp hoe. Pull them
with hook if the ground is not wet the
jolting of loading and unloading will clean
them enough.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
The Germans and Their Agricultural
Schools.

In an address by Col, Theodore Lyman,
before the celebrated Norfolk (Mass.) county
agricultural society, he said Of the people of
Germany they have, perhaps, more knowl.
edge than all the rest of th3 world together.
Prussia proper has ninety colleges, acade-
mics, and schools Of agriculture, in which
every branch is taught with extreme detail,
including crop.raising, grape.growing, horse
and cattle-brooding, fshculturo, drainage,
ioresty, and the care of bees all these in
addition to original researches in chemistry
and in other pertinent sciences, OF these
colleges the four highest have eighty profess
orships,and those OF lower degree are pro.
portonally supplied. One academy, that of
Proskan, has attached to it 1900 acres of
tillage and forest. The little duchy of Baden,
with population less than that of Massa.
chusctts, has twenty agricultural establish.
ments aud, in the entire German empire,
the people are taught nearly on this scale
Perhaps some one will ask, What has this
vast network Of scientific schools brought to
pass 7 What has this army of highly edu.
Gated and spectacled professors to show, in
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
For the VERMONT FARMER
Making and Saving Manure.

Perhaps the making and saving of manure
will be looked upon, by some, as a very
hackneyod theme. True, it may be so.called,
but, at the same time, it is equally true that
it is one Of those subjects upon which there
needs to be given, "llne upon line, precept
upon precept," for it is, emphatically, one of
the very foundation stones Unsuccessful farm
ing. No matter how rich and fertile any soil
may be, constant and repeated cropping, with
out return, will sooner or later, make 1t un.
productive. We all know this to be trite,
and experience, especially among western
farmers, proves it equally true. The teach
ings of the various agricultural papers upon
the matter under consideration have had
very much to do in bringing about the great
change for the better, in developing and hus-
banding the resources of the farm. The
change, in this respect, is not imaginary it
is real, as any one with an eye to observa.
tion can very readily perceive.
To illustrate From 90 to % years ago.
when the writer began farming "on his own
hook" it was the custom for the Indian
wheat hulls, made at the grist !, mill a mile
away, to be run into the stream to get them
out of the way. No one wanted them they
were looked upon as nuisance. The writer
was subjected to no small amount Of ridicule,
when he first began the practice of drawing
them to his farm for litter and bedding.
Now the demand for the hulls made at the
same mill is so general that they are not
only kept well cleared out, but, at certain
times, the miller is able to sell them for a
small price
The same change, in regard to the saving
Of forest leaves, can be noticed. Ten loads
of them are saved now where one was a
score of years ago. Not long ago farmer
would have been laughed at, if he was found
digging and hauling muck from the swamps
or "bog-hole," then regarded as nuisance.
Now it is justly regarded as one of the great
est conscrvatories Of what may, by labor, be
turned to wealth. The same Of saw dust and
shavings They were formerly considered
worthless for the purposes of manuring, and
so they we're, aud are, to certain extent in
and of themselves. 1t is when used as alb.
sorbents Of the liquid portions of manure,
that their real value is apparent. A case in
point; a progressive farmer used saw dust
freely for bedding and an absorbent of urine !;
so freely that when used on the land it had
the appearance of being simply aud only
saw dust. "What good do you think that is
going to do your corn ?" was the inquiry OF
his skeptical neghbors, as he was placing
the same in the furrow. The sequel dem.
onstratod the wisdom of its use. The corn
where it was used was fully as good as where
the manure was orthodox
Still there are some men who refuse to
learn. Several times every week 90 by
the stable door of man who keeps horse,
and uses no bedding. Hulls, saw dust and
shavings near by to be had for the drawing
few rods but not bushel does he use, and
most likely never will. lie must keep in the
old rut. D. Il. AvERILL.
Nortifeld, VI.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

exchange for their apparatus aud salaries
Already have said that German officials
keep a sharp eye on their penny's worth.
Being themselves well scrimped, they are
determined that nobody else shall grow too
fat, or get pay without full return. A
Prussi ian cmploye who should leave his post
and run to Berlin to look after politics aud
Offices would first be discharged and after
wards clapped in prison. Sometimes think
that little Of such tyranny might have a
wholesome effect in our country.
The case before us makes no exceptions to
the rule of thrift. These professors have
earned their wages. They found a country
that produced scanty crops Of oats, barley
and white wine. To-day they show you
an abundant crop Of everything their soil and
climate will allow. Cultures that we're fee.
BILE, such as those Of wheat and sugar-beets,
have grown to grand proportions; waste
lands have been reclaimed forests planted
grown and cut according to rule. Nobody
there dares sell false manure with the
argus eye Of professor Of chemistry on him.
1t will not avail him to publish ten.dollar
analysis from private assayer. The gov
ernment chemist says: "Empty cut your
bags here and let me examine their contents.
If you have been swindIing the farmers, to
Jail you 20 !"
Are we speaking Of a land naturally fer
4ie and of a iavoring climate? Not 80.
North Germany is dreary plain, the grav-
ely, sandy bottom of an ancient lake. South
Germany is rugged with mountains. The
climate, over good part Of the entire re-
gion, is damp, chilly and termented by black
winds. But preserving and intellectual
people have kept on learning that lesson of
Morthor Earth; and she has plenteousy re-
warded them according to their deserts.
Here are guide and encouragement to us
poor occupants Of country that long ages
ago was subsoiled by the glaciers and a
glacier, let Inc tell you, is plow that SUBJ
soils a little too deep, and brings all the
gravel and rocks to the top. Our German
cousins, however, are every whit as i'll off
and yet they make the crops grow. 1t will
not do to sneer at such shows Of fruit and
vegetables as we to-day have seen. But let
us all in all honestly confess that we are
partial farmers, working much by rule Of
thumb doing some things extremely well,
and failing childishly in others. Our agri.
culture is nowhere thorough and well pro.
portoned. Here is man who will raise
prize strawberries, and his apple trees, hard
by, will be full of caterpillar webs. Another
exceis in onious, while his starved potato
field is buried with weeds. In these respects
our transatlantic friends do better You
may start from Florence in Italy aud walk
miles along the valley of the Arno, without
seeing fruit tree cut by insects or a weed
in vegetable bed, or square yard of arabic
soil without some crop on it.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
Bran as a Feed and Fertilizer

There can bo no doubt that bran possesses
very considerable fertilzing properties.
Chemical analysis shows that it abounds in
phosphatos, aud, in fact, contains most of the
elements which the wheat grain possesses
According to table which has been wild ely
published, aud which We presume is approx
imately correct, the manure from a ton Of
bran is worth little more than Sli, which
would make its manurial value something
more than zoe per 100 lbs. Still we should
not think Of using bran directly as a fertii-
zer, for tho much better way is the common
one Of feeding the bran aud using the ma
nure thus made. No doubt considerable Of
the bran is utilized in the animal, aud espe.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
Care of Cows.

VIM McNall writes to the N. 4. Home
stead that some farmers are always having
bad luck with their COWS at calving time and
they seem to think Providence is against
them. Care and experience will prevent
great deal Of our bad luck. Two or three
OF my neighbors lost cows by allowing them
to drink all the cold water they wanted
soon after calviug. One lost a COW in this
way; he put his COW in an underground
stable to calve, very damp, the walls covered
with ice ; the COW never got up and soon
died. She had cold chills, and weakness;
no medicine did any good. A German had
a COW about coming in; he thought she
needed strength, so gave her about all the
corn meal she would eat he came very near
losing his COW, have used strong boneset
tea, red or black pepper in it for some of
these troubles with success. The better way
when your cows time is about out is to put
her in a stabls by herself, loose at night;
especially would give but very little meal
for week before calviug; bran, potatoes,
roots, etc are better after calying give no
cold water for two or three days, take off
the chill with hot water, stir in a little bran,
pallful three times a day after that you
can gradually increase the meal without
danger,
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
WHOLE NO. 279.

cially when it is fed to mich COWS. This is
by no means lost, for either meat or milk is
worth much more than the bran. Besides,
the fertilizing material, in passing through
the body Of an animal, absorbs the various
dead matter thrown off from the body, and
is, besides, partially prepared or cooked
by animal heat, so as to be more readily SOL
uble as plant food.
Dry bran in the soil, unless in very wet
and warm season, will not become freely SOL
uble and fit for use by plants. The expert
ment has been tried of using raw corn meal
as manure for corn, but we believe it has not
proved profitable. Bran is less promising
material for manure than corn meal, as it
decomposes less rapidly and contains less
nitrogen.
Whenever bran can be bought for $40 to
S22 per ton, it is profitable feed for mlch
cows, aud in similar quantities for idle
horses aud growing stock. Horses working
every day need stronger feed, but for horses
lying idle in the stable bran has an excellent
laxative effect, keeping the bowels in good
condition and preparing for higher feeding
which should always be commenced as the
working season approaches.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

The centennial grounds, two miles from
the city of Philadelphia are to be so made.
quately provided with means of communica,
tion that there has been much anxiety on the
subject. The Pennsylvania state grange has
taken the matter in hand, and engaged a
large tract of land at Elm Station, about six
miles distant from West Philadelphia, and
four and half miles from the depot in front
Of the main entrance to the centennial
grounds, where they are erecting cheap struc-
lures which will afford accommodations for
24O0 people, at fifty cents for each meal and
the same for lodging. A basket lunch will
also be furnished to those who wish to take
it along with them to the show. The Penn.
sylvania Central will carry and return for
ID cents, and one way for ten.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
DANIEL. KIMBALL.
For the VERMONT FARMER
Treatment of Calves.

There is no stock upon the farm that will
make better returns for good care than the
calf; nor is there any more sadly neglected
when its real demands are taken into account
The first year is a very important one 10 the
life OF neat stock aud if this is suffo red to
pass without the best results, the creature
will not readily recover, and often will never
do it, If the calf is made to shirk for itself
among herd of cattle, fed upon straw, coarse
hay and cOrn.iodder at any time of day
when most convenient and its hair taught to
turn towards its nose, it will be but little
heavier in spring than December lst, when
it should grow as rapidly in winter as in
summer.
Born and brought up upon the farm, but
for many years cultiVating but few village
acres, my farming operations are circum-
scribed so that | seldom raise but one calf
it is barely possible if | had ten they would
grow up into scalawags, but not likely for
if ten should prove too many, the number
would be reduced to fit the treatment. There
is an old adage that reads thus "What is
worth doing at all is worth we'll doing" and
the calf is one of its truthful witnesses
Whatever the business on hand, it always
pays best to do it we'll No profit is born
of neglect.
My calves-I mean my calC-is allowed
to suck about one week, then taken from the
COW and taught to drink There is gener.
ally little difficulty in teaching them at THU
age Sometimes one will be found so obsti
nate or foOlish-calves are not proverbia
for their good senso--that several days will
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

As new remedy for parasites on domes-
tic animals, we would advise that they be
sent to state political convention. Ifevery
louse, tick and other insect together with the
poor creature on whose blood they prey Is
not smothered, then set the editor Of
the FARMER down as no judge of the virtue
Of tobacco smoke.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

STEAMING FOoD For CATTLE-The editor
Of the New England Farmer, sums up his
conclusions in regard to steaming food as
follows:
If one has considerable quantities of course
or inferior fodder to work up, and wishes to
make up for its inferiorty by the use of
grain, and if the principle object is selling
milk by measure, without special regard to
quality, and if the number of COWS kept is
large, say twenty or more, and one expects
these conditions to exist several years, it will
pay to purchase good steam boiler and
cook the feed for the COWS ; but if the num-
Der Of animals is small, the quality of tho
very best, as when the object Of feeding is
anything but making milk for market, he
had better make his stables as warm and
comfortable as possible, and feed his hay
whole and raw, rather than incur the expense
and extra labor necessary for steamlng food
We also believe that many who have adopt
ed steaming and have, at the same time,
made their barns warm and comfortable by
tighter covering, or by the fire from the
furnace, or by both, and have also warmed
the water drank by the cows, would find it
not little puzziing to decide just now how
much Of the improvement in the condition
Of the animals, the increase in the amount
Of milk, and the saving Of fodder is due to
stcaming or cooking the food, and how much
to the general improvement in the care and
management of the animals which usually
accompanies the introduction of steamer on
the farm.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14
For the VERMONT FARMER.
Value Of Grade Shorthorns.

Doubtless you have seen the accounts Of
the late shipments of fresh meat in the car
cass from America to Liverpool and London
which is done by refrigerator. fitted steamers,
and the beef arrives iu good order at all
seasons of the year. English journals re-
port 375 tons as being received with salts.
faction. Three hundred carcasses of beef
and 100 carclsses of mutton were shipped
from New York last week in two steamers.
The Price of the best beef In the carcass in
London is from 10 to % cents per pound,
best carcasse' of mutton 20 to 22I cents per
pound. In New York the best of beef II
to 10 cents per pound, and mutton sells for
the same price as beef. There Is pros
pect of cattle feeders making the business
remunerative hereafter.
London requires 100000 pounds of
beefper day. | have no doubt of the profit
Of placing 1000 carcassos of beef
on the English market each week, provided
we can give them such beef as they require.
How shall this be done2 II. l.. Harrison,
secretary Of the New York state agricultu-
raj society, says Shorthorn grade steers are
made to weigh l,5O0 pounds, live weight, at
three years old-whle common steers at
four years old weigh only 200 pounds with
the same keeping. This Is the case. as
| have no doubt, taking statements from
western cattle feeders of both classes of cat.
tie, and my own experience. Therefore il
one.half Of the cattle in the United States Of
the common kind were killed and their places
we're filled with one-fourth the number Of
Shorthorus, there would be more value for
practical purposes than now.
DANIEL. KIMBALL.
North Clarendon, March 26, 1876.
a private note from our venerable friend
informs US that although "hived" since last
fall, he is now able to resume his wontod
visits to the barn, and greetings with his fine
herd of Shorthorns. As his letter indicates
his zeal for the Improvement of cattle, and
faith in Shorthorns for that purpose is in ne
wise abated by his long months of sickness
lie has our congratulations on his GONZALES
ence, aud best wishes for permanent rostora.
tion to health aud activity.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

The celebrated stallion, Rysdyk's Ham,
bletonian, the sire of Dexter and many other
fast trotters, died at Chester, Orange Co.,
N. Y, March 26. He was 27 years old,
and the income from his services was very
large, as fee of $500 has been charged the
last ten years. He was sold when about
three years old for $3.50.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

A correspondent of the FARMER at War
ron inquiries if the keeping qualities of butter
would be injured by setting the cream
which rises ats high temperature mot hav-
ing conveniences for cooliug) in cold spring
until ready to churn.
There is no objection to keeping the
cream cool enough to prevent rapid develop
meut Of acidity. But it will not do to keep
it so cold that it will become bitter before
sufficient acidity develops. That would give
the same Objectionable results that are some.
times met with in winter Perhaps Mr.
Fassett or some other reader of the FARMER
will answer more definitely
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

DO bees gather honey, or make it, is the
question that now vexes the scientific mind.
Prof. Riley the eminent entomologist, takes
the latter view.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

A correspondent to the Country Gentle
man recommends sowing mixed grain. To
the quantity of barley to be sown on an acre
add four quarts of fax seed, and four quarts
Of spring wheat.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

Monsieur Peupion, estimates as the result
of experiments that the pickerel devours
over fifty times his own weight of other fish
in year. And yet some people would pro-
tect this cannibal by law.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

BIG Jaw AND ITS REMEDY.-The Live
Stock thus speaks of this disorder This is
more properly called "dilation of the jaw
bones" In horses it is sometimes called
"big head !" it is a bony tuner, in which the
interior of the bone is absorbed, sometimes
leaving a mere shell of bone divided into
cells, containing purulent cheesy matter.
This is supposed to be caused by deficiency
Of phosphate of lime in food, rendering the
bones deficient in this most important ele-
ment, and the following prescription is often
given with good result Phosphate of lime,
q oz.; powdered golden seal, . or; powdered
sassatras 3 OF; powdered ginger , OF; oat
meal, 4 lbs; mix. This will be divided in
sixteen parts, one given in the food every
night This will have a tendency to restore
the missing elements in the bone. And the
general diet should be food rich in phos-
pilates. You may get your phosphate Of
lime by boiling beef bones in lye or wood
ashes, and after it is reduced fine, wash with
water and give a small quantity daily in
food. The first thing to do surgically is to
open it and let out any matter that it con
tains. Having removed the matter, inject
the cavity with weak pyroligneous or weak
carbonic acid, This will cleanse it and ren.
der healing possible.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

other large school buildings, most of them
in degree controlled by religious societies
as are these mentioned Will any of them
be available for farmers school ?
u. H. JAMESON.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

Our old friend G. S. Hubbard, SO Church
st, New Haven, Conn.,, supplies our kitchen
with the "ladios favorite dish-washer and
pottage tongs combined" very neat and
useful article, very appropriately named
which can be used to advantage for great
variety of purposes, all of which be will ex-
plain on receipt of postal card, and will send
the article itself post paid for 80 cents.
Get one for YOUR wife.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

The Reading, Pa, city council has passed
an ordinance prohibiting the use of spring
balances and steelyards for weighing meat,
poultry and provisions.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

Mr.. NJ. Stalker, the superintendent of the
Iowa agricultural college farm has made
experiments IN cooking food for swine. lie
fed fifteen pigs in lots of three of equal age
and size, four months, the last two months
all they would eat of the following
food with the results thus stated
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

A farmer may become a great fool but
fool is never great farmer.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

He does not state how much each each lot
consumed.
Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-14

Communications for the Agricultural Department should
be addressed to the Agricultural Editor at Springfield, VT