The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-02-10
Agricultural Department. a
CoNDuorED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Meeting of the state Board ofAgricui'
ture at Lunenburg, Tuesday and
xIalanadar Inn 40 mud al.


ture at Lunenburg, Tuesday and
Wednesday. Jan. 80 and 81,
Tuesday afternoon the meeting was
called to order by Prof. Seely. Chas.
w. King was nominated as chairman
and elected. On taking the chair Mr..
X. made some interesting remarksf e
Hon. ]. Brooks made the opening
address.
Farmers are as intelligent as any In
the state. Essex county, about seventy
miles long, made7up of-mountains and
ponds, made greater increase in popu-
iation from 1860 to 1870 than any other
county of the state. The farmers are
really very in informed as to their bust
dess. Meetings of this kind are. very
profitable. He thought there should be
meetings and clubs In every school dis
trict. There should be greater interest
in farming and all should come out to
attend these meetings. Farmers should
all be taught to think, Did not think
farmers should all be scientific chemists.
Although farmers in majority go to
the legislature, but little legislation Is
done for their interest. The report OF
this board should be in every school dis
trict.
A Chapman read paper upon farm
accounts.
Discussion-Mr. Carlton kept cash
account, but no farm accounts,
Mr.. Thomas commenced when he be-
gan to work for himself to keep jour-
nal, and meant to know just where he
was aud what he was doing every day.
Found this practice grew upon him, his
journal was much more complete now
than formerly, Believed others would
find their profit in this way. Thought
he knew Just how much it cost him to
live, and whether he was making or los
ing money. Thought farmers should
take yearly inventory and strike bal
anoe and know Just where they stood.
Mr.. thought VIC. should depend
upon our memories. .ANt
The chairman thought we should
teach our children to keep the accounts.
Prof. Seely asked how much the aver
age farmers income was In Essex
county.
The chairman stated that he thought
that farmers were improving and that
they really were making some money.
A vote was taken expressing the opin-
ion that the farmers on the average in
Essex county were making 800 each
yearly. ..l ST. ~
Mr.. Carlton thought there might be a
doubt whether the farmers in Essex
county were making as much, except
they had some bonds or other property
on which they are realizing some profit.
= DR.. Cutting gave an account of expen-
ditures and receipts on lot of ten acres,
showing that the latter exceeded the
former nearly hundred dollars.
Thought that good deal of money
was expended for improvements that
increased the attractions of home or the
capability of the farmer for future profit.
Mr.. Fasset would recommend that
we give our boys some interest that
would in turn interest them, and they
would learn to keep accounts.
Prof. Seely made very interesting
address upon doubling the products.
Tuesday evening Mr.. Town of Lam
caster, n. H., member of the Board of
Agriculture of that state, read paper
upon "The Resources of Coos county,
n. H." Mrl-r0 w~l
The work of the Board of Agriculture
is to awaken an interest and arouse all
ambition by showing them the resources
of this county.
After an interesting introduction of
the history of the settlement of Coos
county, Mr.. Town gave the statistics of
the extent and value of the real estate,
population, and value of farm products,
according to the last census. This Mr..
Town gave as very nearly the same as
Essex county, Vt. Dalton raised $500
lbs. of hops, worth $4,000; there were
in the county thirty manufacturing
establishments; the growth of timber
was worth $3.50 900 per year, and would
be exhausted in twenty years, but the
annual growth, which was very rapid,
was equal to the consumption. Potatoes
are great crop and very profitable in
Coos county; many acres yield 900 bush
els, and one crop of $50 bushels of was
noted. There are in the county thirty
mills, making 1925 tons starch annually.
1900 bushels wheat raised in the county,
about the same as Essex county. He
thought that with proper cultivation
winter wheat would be best to raise in
Coos county, but at the present time
spring wheat does best for this latitude
and climate.
There has been raised in this county
six acres of wheat that averaged 80 Ia
bushels per acre.
There has been raised in Essex county
two hundred bushels shell corn Oh three
acres, at cost of forty cents per bushel.
There have been crops of eighty-fve to
to ninety bushels of oats per acre. There
was good deal of wool raised in Coos
county, but dogs kill many sheep, and
the tax on them does not pay for the
sheep they kill.
Mr.. Town was asked, can starch fac
tories pay the present price for potatoes?
Not good marketable potatoes. A large
portion OF those raised are coarse, un-
marketable potatoes. Potatoes can be
raised from fifteen to twenty cents
bushel. Would plow up green sward,
manure in the spring, harrow well. On
Connecticut river intervals sowed seven
bushels oats per acre, on 8 l-2 acres the
crop averaged eight-five bushelsper acre.
Would take good, stable potatoes, and
cut large potatoes into four pieces, and
very much, broad, fat hills. Would not
vary in different soils.
Hon. j. w. Crawford, Earning in
New England for Profit" viii it pay?
No one cares TO expend his labor with
out profitable return. The answer TO
this question is the incentive to all the
enterprise and business of the country.
Our youth leave the farm because they
think farming don't pay. 1t is not be-
cause tho soil of the Connecticut valley
is not rich and fertile. A poor farmer
was intorrogated as to- what he raised and
sold. Nothing of any consequence as
farming don't pay" We have too many
farmers who buy too much and raise
nothing to sell. There is over 5000 900
due the merchants Of Lancaster from
farmers about there. Too many of our
farms are let to tenants, and they pursue
the skinning process. An enterprising
farmer will take one of these farms and
by industry and an enlightened hus-
bandry bring it back 10 make tia model
profitable farm. The farmer should
select a good, liberal piece of land for