Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-08
AGRICULTU RAJ,


Have only one thing to sing or cay.
The dust dear Fellow, Is all in your eye,
Which nobody can deny
AGRICULrU RAJ.
Mr.. A. W. Cheever, eIitor OF the New
England Etr7per was in Burlington last March,
and visited the stock farms of Col, Cannon
and L. S. Drew of which he writes thus
pleasantly in the Nc,c England Eorrter of May
18th:
STOCK FARM OF COL LrGRASD B. CANNON.
We have spoken of the stock on this farm
before III our report OF the late meetings OF
the Vermont Dairymen's Association, where
Mr.. Taylor was called on to give an account
of his methods of management. The farm is
situated several miles south from the city of
Burlington, and for the opportunity of visit
ing It, we are indebted to Mr.. Taylor, who
made up u small party, including Dr. Cressy
and two OF his pupils. Alter pleasant
hours ride over good road, and between
double row of fine farms and country resi-
dences, we were landed at the farm, which
consists, at present, of 425 acres OF PLAIN
and rolling land. The soil is somewhat
clayey, as shown by the roads, but is COM
paratively easy to work, and is natural graas
use, about one hundred and sixty tons of
very clean Timothy hay, perhaps we ought
not to say about, Tor set OF platform scales
for weighing loads at the entrance to the
grounds would indicate that there is no guess
work here. Nor do We find any guess work
at the barns. The cattle number in all nifty
head, twenty of which are full blood short
horns, of the best strains to be procured IN
the country, the balance being high grades.
We never could whittle our pencil so that it
would write very learnedly about princesses
or duchesses, or pedigrees but We found a
3-year-old bull here, which, if We mistake
not, cost the Colonel $4,000 in gold, and
several COWS and heifers TO match, and which
give twenty quarts of good milk per day, by
honest weight and measure, and one little
heifer seven months old "Louan of Shell
burne," which exceeded in beauty anything
we ever saw in this breed before. DR.. Loring
would say ''she looks like an Ayrshire" as
all good cows do TO him, and she was very
unlike all the pictures of shorthorn animals
We are in the habit OF seeing in the books.
The aim here is to breed COW that shall
stand high on the record, but, at the same
time be perfectly healthy, and OF tendency
for milk production rather than beef exclu-
sively. The great unsightly humps and
punches of fat, which We sometimes lind laid
on over the hips and rumps OF some of the
shurthorns, making them look too clumsy to
be comfortable, were not observed here to
any marked degree, especially among the
more choice home-bred animals. At the time
of our visit nearly all the animals were in a
large, open yard, well Uttered with straw, and
where they were leisurely walking about or
living quietly chewing their cuds i'll the warm
sunshine; and SO kindly are they all treated
by their attendants, that of the whole fifty,
not one could be found to show the least fear
of man, whether an acquaintance or q
stranger, but many Of them would follow us
about in our walks, asking as plainly as ac-
tions could ask, for a stroke or pat OF the
hand over their smooth, pleasant faces. All
the animals, while they live, are treated by
their keepers as though the golden rule
applied as well to animals as to man.
The barns which are substantial and COM
modious, are pictures of neatness and COM
fort Few of the prisoners III our penal III
stitutions, We fear, fare as well as do these
animals with theiriwholesome food, pure air.
and clean beds. Twice a year every animal
is thoroughly washed all over in tobacco stem
tea, in which is mixed one and half ounces
Of carbolic acid. This keeps them entirely
free from all kinds of external parasites.
They are fed three times per day by the clock
every time; no animal is kept waiting for its
food beyond the usual time, and no more is
given than will be eaten up clean. The hay
is cut and slightly moistened with warm water
and little bran and meal sprinkled on. The
proportion for each animal averages twenty
two pounds Of hay, three pounds of bran,
and one pound OF meal per day-not a heavy
feed for animals of the size. From expert
ments which have been and are being made,
the proprietor Is Of the opinion that these
large animals, on account Of their quiet dis
positions and hereditary tendencies for lay
ing on flesh, can be kept quite as cheaply
per animal as some Of the smaller but more
nervous and restless breeds.
The stables are partly underground, but,
though warm. are not dark nor damp. The
walls are SO thoroughly built, and the doors
and windows SO well arranged for protection
from outside influences, that the tempera-
ture during the whole winter, from Novem-
Der to March, has scarcely varied more than
sixteen degrees, ranging from Six below
freezing to ten above, even when the ther-
mometer In the open air indicated twenty de-
grees below zero. No fiie heat is used for
warming the stables, nor is steamed food in
very good repute here. Part of the animals
are tied with chains, and part are confined
between stanchions. Both methods are
liked, but chains are considered, upon the
whole, preferable Straw for bedding is
used very freely, and the cattle are as clean
IN WlIttI Us III summer, Wnen At pubthft. III
pleasant weather water is given III the open
yards, but in stormy weather il is carried to
them in their stalls.
Our time being limited, were obliged to
cut our visit short and leave before half the
questions were asked which might have been
discussed with profit. Just as We were leav-
ing we were introduced to the fine, black
stallion Mambrino Chief, an animal of supe-
rior blood, and superb way of carrying
himself, especially for one of his years. On
our return we called few minutes on our
friend, l.. s. Drew, at his beautiful residence
and stock farm at South Burlington, where
we paid our respects to young drew" the
handsomest colt two years ago, We ever saw,
and who hasn't lost anything by age also
Express" another son of WAIKIKI Chief, -
the idol of the Horse Stock farm, and whose
sudden death, perhaps, more than any other
one thing discouraged and broke up the com
pany.
Mr.. Drew breeds Ayrshires, and hare, also
we found n heifer with a face almost human
to look at, so full was it of intelligence and
beauty. His cows stand high on the books,
and are equally good at the pail His horned
cattle number thirty, horses and colts, TWEEN
ty, and merino sheep, fifty; averaging last
year clip of eleven pounds and ten ounces
each. Grain il largely raised here and straw
and corn stalks constitute liberal proper
ton of the fodder, though one feeding of
good hay Is given each morning. Two quarts
of meal and two quarts bran fed to each
COW daily, in addition to the coarse fodder.
The stock is IN excellent condition, and SO
tame that one can hardly keep clear of II cir
Gle Of heads and horns while passing through
the yards. Just as we are leaving drummer
Girl, four-year-old chestnut mare is lend
out to say good bye to the party. This lady
is of the Gold drop" and Amasa Sprague
stock, and is great fayoritc Of her owner,
as well she may be.