Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-04
State Board ofAgrIculture'

A session of the board of agriculture,
and mining. was held at
Orwell, at the town hall, Tuesday. January
25th, with q good attendance. 5. Ii. Bas-
com, of Orwell, delivered an address of
welcome. after which George kimball, OF
the same town. spoke OF Farming rs
Profession"
This was followed by an address by M
C. Horace Hubbard on THE Grass Crop"
The speaker said that grass was the most
important crop for farmers in Vermont,and
he would give few of the results OF his
own experience, rather than consume the
time with fine-spun theories. Oar success
lies in the better cultivation OF the we'll
known grasses rather than in introducing
new varieties. Our mistake Is In making
grass secondary to grain. We iertiiize our
ground, then plant one hood crop, ai.ef
which We sow grain. stocking down Win
grass al the same time. Our two crops
take back all the strength we have added
to our soil, leaving nothing for the grass.
If we only raised the hoed crop and then
sowed grass alone the additional grass
raised would equal the value of the grain.
| have tried this way. | first tried removal
ing farm with two crops before my grass
and found that it was uphill work; the
grain crops cost me all they were worth
and had not one penny for the use OF my
land. lrhen tried grass alone and have
doubled my hay crop in four years and
| think this gain will continne. You are
more sure of good catch" by sowing
without the grain, because II Your hoed
crop has been properly cared for the SOIL Is
fine and soft. which is necessary for grass
roots. Timothy and red top may DC s)Fn
at any time. but clover does best sown IN
early spring before the frost is out. L have
sometimes waited several days for favora-
bic weather to sow grass seed, but IND
that by mixing with it sawdust, first wet
ting the sawdust. | can sow in heavy gales
of wind.
Top dressing is of great value to land
favorable to grass. The best time to top
dress is Immediately after haying. small
quantity of manure to the acre, carefully
pulyerized and evenly applied OSer num-
Der of acres, is a more judiciOus application
than the same quantity of manure literally
applied to halt the land. have always
found ten loads to the acre liberal allow
ance, and five is great help.
Clover Is, all things considered, the most
profitable grass 1t draws great deal OF
nourishment from the air, and when the
roots decomposc they make valuable food
for other plants. especially wheat. IL Is
the best food for all stock except horses.
Timothy or herdsgrass Is held IN very high
estimation by many. but, think. is over
esti mated In Windsor county very few
farmers sow redtop and timothy, but rare
ly get good yield, probably because the
timothy, being the more vigorous plant,
crowds GU. the other. June grass Is val
liable for hay, bat yields very light crops.
On light land it does better than any other
variety, and cows thrive better on IL than
anything else. Orchard grass have tried
a little and ike. | once s0wed that and
June grass and clover together, and bad a
very heavy yield. Mr.. Cheeyer, OF the
N1r ENGLAND Farmer, says orchard grass
is the most valuable variety he raises. 1t
needs to be cut early, and positively must
not be left till July. Il Is excellent Tor
pasture. Hungarian grass Is an excellent
supplementary food, when pastures are
short, as is also fodder corn. Close tall
feeding is great injury 20 meadows, II
is safer not to let the cattle into them az
all Close moving hurts meadows also.
1t cuts off the circulation Of the sap and
exposes the roots these work more injury
with coarse than with fine grasses. The
speaker concluded with lew remarks
upon cutting and curing hay, advocating
early cutting. not too much drying, and
the use Of hay teddeIs, which he thought
as great an assistance gs moving ma
chimes.
Col. f. S. Stowe.l. u Cornwall, q read
paper on The Coming Horse OF Vermont.
Great numbers are daily becoming convlnc-
ed BY sad experience that breeding horses
for speed alone is Improbable. and that
farmers, as q class are untitled to raise small
trorting stock Vermont has enjoyed great
loan for the fine horses bred IN her Dor
dols. ii. Vermont Morgan was bred before
the days of scc&:a. WHEN travel was ny stage
and IN private couJsJ a-c'. Irf the Morgan
answered these purpu>l- ie' 4s...f soil
Now, however, tie uses Tor wilca Ne must
breed are entirely changed. and our prac-
tice must change 10 meet the demand Pc
great market for which horses az --c
quired Is gentlemen = driving horses ia 49,
large cities Business men. confined IN
their Offices mos, of the time, take their re-
creation in drives in the suburbs some dis
lance out, and foT this purpose, strong
steady horses who can do their twelve or
fourteen miles an hour easily, with occa-
sional bursts Of speed. are reg uired. flr
this purpose no blood Is 80 good gS the
HambleIonian and Clay. As large II rot
larger per cent. Of those horses prove Ia;
enough for the turf than Of anY other
breeds, consequently the risk OF breeding
them is almost nothing While you get
your five per cent. 1.-THE average NUMBER
Of fast horses, the ninety-tiye per cent. re
naming are sure of q market at remunera-
tive prices. On the contrary III breeding
small stock for trotting purposes only,
which has been 50 ruinously followed IN
Vermont, if you get q large price Tor your
five trOtting colts, the other ninety-tEc are
left on your hands almost worthless. YER
mont can easily regain her los: prestige II
her breeders viii work steadily Tor the
market which now exists. instead of follow
ing the example of their fathers who were
breeding for a market long since gone.
The evening exercises opened with an ad-
dress By Peter Z. Pease. Of Burlington, on
''the increasing danger Of mistake IN the
choice Of a vocation /: was careful
consideration Of the relations Of producers
and consumers. and contained glowing
description of farm life in Vermont a. seen
by the speaker. in comparison with city life
and life IN other places.
The evening closed wiki an address by
Prof. Edward Conant. Of Randolph, super
ntendent of public education. on The
Education Needed By the Farmer. and
Where to Get It..