The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-06-22
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED By ALBERT CHAIRMAN
Meeting of the Vermont State Board OF
Agriculture Mt South Londonderry,
Tuesday and Wednesday, June ~

Tuesday and Wednesday, June ~
and II. 1917.
The meeting was called to order by
Ora Paul of Pomfret, member of the
Board of Agriculture, who briefly ex-
planned the object of the meeting.
On motion, j. s. Martin, Esq. was
chosen to preside and Josiah Pierce
was elected vice president.
The president opened the meeting
with an eloquent address of welcome,
that ably explained the importance of
the calling of the farmer and the great
dcsirability of moro thorough educa-
ton to enable those engaged in it to be
able to advance in their vocation to the
highest stage of usefulness. The histo-
ry of our country shows that we have
made and are making great improve
ments in all vocations, and this is true
Of farmers as well as others.
The great exchanges of commodities
of the present day are wonderful in
comparison TO those of former times.
The great increase of tools and labor
saving machines is truly marvellous.
In modern agriculture, chemistry has
become important, teaching us what
to feed our lands to make good the vast
draft we have been making upon them,
TO produce the crops we have been TAX
ing from them. Commerce has learned
to supply us with the vast amount of
phosphates that we need to support the
large drafts we are taking from our soil.
Far too many of the sons of farmers
are constantly leaving the farms to en-
gage in other, and what they vainly
think are easier and more honorable
callings. The other callings by this
have already become crowded and vast
numbers are being crowded out of en-
ployment, and thus whole army of
idle people are tramping around our
country. The remedy for this must be
higher and moro perfect education for
the farmer and thus an elevation and
ennObling of the farmers calling.
Thus must we make that calling more
attractive and inviting to all farmers
sons and others.
After the address of NJ. Martin. A.
Chapman read paper entitled, "a Plea
for System in Farm Accounts" After
which discussion followed. Mr.. Brooks
Of Londonderry, thought ii would not
pay to keep a very elaborate account. but
he thought it did pay TO keep an &C.
count all receipts and expenditures.
Mr.. Jaquith thought it very desirable
that more minute accounts should be
kept by farmers; he thought they would
all be benefited by it. Mr.. Brooks
thought that even small farmers would
better know whether their farming
paid Or not if they kept good system
Of accounts. Mr.. Chase, of the Board,
thought from his experience that mi
mute system Of farm accounts did not
pay for the common farmer. Mr.. Payne
would like to know, if the farmer keeps
an account with an acre of corn and the
figures proved that it was at loss, the
next year it was in potatoes at loss,
then in grain at loss and lastly in
grass at loss, what was the farmer to
doP Mr.. Chapman thought the ac-
counts kept would prove that the far
mer could not follow any such system
for great while without making seri-
Gus inroads upon his capital. If in such
a case Ignorance is bliss then per-
haps it would be "folly TO be wise"
After this discussion, Mr.. John H.
Mead, Of the Board, read paper upon
"Grnss," with which the exercises of
the afternoon closed.
Tuesday evening, the first paper was
an excellent poem read by Johnny Ly-
on Of South Londonderry, upon ''Riches
and Pleasures of Rural Life
After the poem, Rev. &. w. Wheeler
of South Londonderry, made an excel
lent, able address upon THE Duty.
Spirit and End of Labor
After this address, Prof. Peter Collier
of Burlington, and formerly the secreta-
~ of the Board, gave an entertaining
and instructive address upon the "Gen-
cral Principles of Fertilization" This
subject lies at the bottom of the foun-
dation Of agriculture. The cry comes
up from all parts of the land that the
fertility Of our lands is becoming OK
hausted and that this foundation is be-
coming weakened.
All of our soils are composed OF
combination of vegetable and mineral
substances, and these are in very differ
cnt proportions, as the soil varies in
different locations. The soil receives
its support or new supply of nutriments
from the air, the earth and the water.
There are two elements of the soil
that are likely to be exhausted, these
are phosphorus and potash. If these
are not present in the soil the plant will
die although every other element of
plant food may be present in large
quantities.
If we burn an hundred pounds of
wheat, we shall always find about two
pounds of phosphoric acid and more of
potash. Ii one continues to raise crops
Of wheat on the same field, we must
gradually exhaust it of these constitu-
ents, as surely as VIC shall il we have
Il thousand dollars in the bank on
which We are constantly drawing five
dollar checks. Take the crop of pota-
toes: this crop rapidly exhausts the soil
of potash, and it has been found that
heavy crops of this esculent can be
raised on lands that have ceased to pro-
duce good paving crops. by heavy
crop Of ashes.
A man in the northeast part of the
state bought farm on which potatoes
had been grown for q good many years,
until it would not yield more than fifty
bushels to the acre. BY very heavy
coat of ashes, il had been made to yield
from three to five hundred bushels per
acre, and the farm had finally been made
10 pay for itself from the crops raised
upon 1t, and when the last payment was
made, the former owner offered to buy
it back at an advance of one hundred
per cent. from the original price paid,
although real estate during this time
had gradually declined in value.
We must attend to the condition of
cur soils; deep, thorough tillage is very
import Mt. Thorough tillage with little
manure is Deter than good deal of
manure with poor tillage.
The plant must have enough mois-
lure, but not too much, therefore drain
age may be profitable, or irrigation may
be made to pay.
Rotation of some Kind is much
be 10 recommended TO prevent too
rapid exhaustion Of our soils. Some
our lands may be exhausted of some
constituents that would prevent ii rails
ing paying crops of wheat, but still we
can raise clover, the stubble and roots
of which may enable us TO enrich the