The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-03-17

Aftcr the address of Mr.. lIasscliinc.
Prof. Sccly, of Middlebury college, gave
an address upon "Plaster and Ashes"
In answer to q question, Prof. Seely
said lic thought plaster would last about
three years. Ashes were very lasting.
4 ease was given where leachcd ashes
-pirad thickly, had shown marked Of.
feet for lillv Years. lie would not mix
'hcmlcid manurcs. lie thought the No
"a Scotia plaster was more uniform in
good quality than the western. He did
not think il possible that plaster would
lose lis good qualities by age. BY using
lime or ashes in compost heaps, the
potash. etc, released the ammonia. and
they were actually damage to the ma
nurc.
&. .Cady. of Middlcbnrv, had used
Il great, deal of plaster on clav or clay
loan, with excellent results and great
benefit. He had experimental with diff
fcrcnt quantities, until he concluded that
about n bushcl. or 100 lbs. to the acre.
was the best quantity. He had used
plaster and ashes on corn, and plaster
alone side by side, and got the best re-
suits where he used the two together.
lie sows plaster on oats and wheat, and
receives good results; sowed lust as the
grass and grain got fairly started. Had
used hen manure and ashes, and ashes
alone as dressing for potatoes. in the
hill, on the potatoes, and as a top-drcss-
ing after they were up, and got the best
results when they were put in the hill.
Thursday afternoon. Rev. Mr.. Nor
gan, of Bristol, opened the meeting
with a few remarks upon the use of
lcachcd ashes, that he had experimental
with extensively, on gravclly plain land,
also with phosphate of lime, which he
thought was excellent on nearly all
crops.
Mr.. G.. G. Cady, Of Middlebury. next
made an address upon Glover"
Glover had interested him very much
for few years past. lie had raised
clover extensively. as II means of EN-
riching the land. As it is usually raised,
it grows coarse, and il is hard TO cure
it. lie would SOW a half bushel of
herds grass, and six TO eight pounds of
clover per acre on good land. On Door
CT land, he would use half buslicl of
clover seed; the crop will not look as
large, but it is easier to cure, and of n
finer, better quality. Land sowcd to
clover and dressed with plaster will
give much better crops fgrass after the
clover has died out; in such cases the
ground IS left light and porous by the
effect OF the clover roots left in the soil.
Before many years, more farmers than
now will be practicing soiling. Glover
is an excellent crop for this. BY this
process we can keep much more stock
on the same amount of ground than we
can by pasturing. In curing for hav.
he had learned by accident that clover
could be put in much grcencr than has
generally been practiccd. lie had filled
n barn with clover when il threatened
to rain, in very green state. lie had
feared the hay was spoiled. When he
came TO feed ii, he found the top was
musty, but the rest, after the first LAYER,
proved excellent his stock ate il much
better, and his cows increased in their
milk very materially. His sheep never
did as well upon any other kind of hay
rs upon this. He had continued TO prac-
tice getting in his clover very green
ever since, with the most satisfactory
results. lie had sailed some that he
got in green, and left part unsalted
and the latter kept green and sweet af-
ter he had taken off the first LAYER. lie
was convinced that TO be safe in putting
in hay so green, the barns must be tight :
ii would not do to put il in so green i'm
a stack, or i'll loose barn with cracks.
Hay or clover put in in this green state
settles together very close and hard.
lie thought il injured the future crops
very much 10 cut the second crop OF
clover for hay.
In answer to a question, he said he
sowed grass and clover seed very liberal.
ly, and his crops ofgrass convinced him
that il was best to SOW with liberal
hand. In cutting clover for soiling, he
had found sometimes, when his cattle
had refused the clover when first cut
they would eat it with great avidity
ailer it was , wsl ybI esf results o. ssl
ing with wheat, barley and rye, not as
good when he had stocked with oats.
The next paper was read by Mr.. j.
II. Mead, of the Board, upon Grass
Culture
After reading the paper, in answer to
a question, Mr.. Mead said he had prac-
ticcd top-drcssing in August and Sep
tembor, preferred TO get it sown i'm All
gust. He uses his coarse manure to pillow
i'll for corn and potatoes, his fine and
compost for top-dressing.
After this paper, Mr.. A. Chapman. of
the Board, read an address upon .Root
Culture" which closed the exercises for
the afternoon.
Thursday evening, the first paper was
read by Mr.. Ora Paul, of the Board,
upon "Ilomc Productions"
After Mr.. Paul read his PAPER, n dis
cussion arose upon some points noticed
in the paper.
Mr.. Fassott, OF the Board, said we
must not take too much credit for the
high average of our crops per acre in
Vermont as compared with other states,
as II costs so much more to cultivate an
acre here than in the Western states.
Mr.. Chapman thought if Vermont
farmers would take the same care, and
be at the same expense TO fit their wheat
lands that they did in western New
York, we could very materially increase
our crop per acre. lie had been told
by Iowa farmers in 1873 that they could
not sell their wheat and corn for enough
per bushel to pay for the cost of raising
them that year.
Prof. Seely would like TO say word
in fayor OF the advantages of Vermont
as an agricultural state. The nearness
to market was great point In her IA
vor.
Mr.. Searle thought he and other dali
rymen could not afford to raise corn.
Ii took land that could not be spared
from the grass area, and the corn cost
more than we could buy ii for.
Mr.. Chapman would like to ask Mr..
Searle if he had ever kept an account
with his corn crop so he could tell how
much IL costs per bushel to raise It.. He
would say where the BOARD had held
meetings about the state, every farmer
they had found that had kept an account
with his corn crop, had found that It
had paid to raise corn. In every in
stance the report was thar it cost less to
raise il than western corn could be
bought for. There was much land that
could be plowcd up and made to return
more fodder nor acre than when In