The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-15
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
state Board orAgrIculture at Marsh6eld.

zero, the Board left johnson. and rode
thirty six miles on the Portland and Or
densburgh railroad to Walden Heights
and thence nine more in covered stage
sleigh, though Cabot, TO Marshfeld, ar
irving in season for an excellent carly
dinner at the Spencer House, the land
lady of which did herself great credit
both in the culinary and every othel
department during the whole meeting
Her praise, as well as the good thing
on the table, was in every ones month
There was good attendance Thurs
day afternoon in the hall of the hotel, a
the opening meeting. Levi w. Pitkil
was called to preside, and John b. Pix,
chosen president. PRAYER was of
fered by Rev. Mr.. Pitkin. Congrega
tionalist. President Pitkin spoke of tn,
organization of the board in 1870.
was then called the State Board of Ag
riculture, Manufacturing and Mining
He spoke of the meetings that hasrpee-b eci
held and the good woeliS they have done
by papers aud discussions, eliciting the
Mutual exchange of ideas among farm
ers in different sections of the state. Ii
costs the state about $4,000 annually
he remarked, for its legal knowledge
which is, was about TO say, thrown
away. Yet for the benefit of the great
and leading interest, and of those or
whom the burden of taxation falls, 80.
500 is reluctantly voted. With this
meagre sum, the farmers complain not
They have taken hold of the work with
a zeal worthy of their calling. Great
good has resulted, and great interest
been awakened in gaining knowledge
of how to farm successfully. Hundreds
of young men are ekeing out a mere sub.
sistence for want of better knowledge.
This gained, we shall not be obliged to
throw our real estate on the market
lie hoped this meeting would result in
practical benefit to all.
DR.. j. @. A. Packer, of Marshfield,
read a valuable paper, entitled "Deatli
in Milkpail." Typhoid fevers prevail
in the cold climate of the north temper
ate zone, he said, but never above the
latitude of 46 deg; never among the
people of lIudson's Bay, or the Esqui-
maux. He described its pccuiarities
The American Indians in their native
state were free from it, but fell by thou.
sands after becoming partly civilized
1t is blood disease, originating from
impure air. Ii has come from the milk.
pail. Prof. Low, of Cornell University
found in cream taken from the milk
sold by neighboring milknan q
large number of living organisms. lie
Investigated the cause, and found that
they drank 10 pure water, but only
from stagnant pool. With micro
scope he detected these same organisms
in water taken from this pool. lie put
some of the organisms in milk, and they
took possession of il. lie also found
them in the blood of the cows. From
this we can learn the necessity of furn.
ishing our cows with pure water and
keeping privics, cess-pools and drains
clean. The products of sick rooms are
often thrown out from the very door
The typhoid and other scourges can be
prevented by looking after these. Mr.
Fassett asked the doctor if the milk of q
nervous COW left its effects on the hu.
man system? The doctor thought il
might affect the system.
Mr.. Skinner, of Plainfield, read pa.
per on "Lifc and Nourishment." in
which he considered the laws of nature
as applied TO the animal and vegetable
Kingdom. The laws progressive life
are more apparent in the former. The
paper abounded in botanical and scien.
tific names. Nature, he said, gives
bountifully to vegetable and animal life
and in return only asks the refuse, OIL
excrements, arising from them. Prof.
Cressy has said that many diseases in
man and animals arise from imperfect
food. Mr.. Skinner said his "Agricul.
tural Trinity" was, first to save all your
manures, second prepare all your man.
ures, and third apply to the proper crops
your manures. Last fall he saved ten
cords of manure for bedding. The soil
like the mind, is unlimited in its capa-
bility. He noticed the increasing ten.
dency of population to large towns and
cities, and commended that Vermont
could raise as good butter, cheese, crops
end animals as can be found in the
world. The dissolution of mans or.
ganism furnishes the commencement oil
a higher life to come.
The comparative value of leaves and
sawdust for bedding and absorbents
was discussed. Mr.. Tinkham thought
leaves made good manure, but made in
different bedding. Mr.. Skinner pre-.
ferred saw-dust for bedding, TO keer
cattle clean. Leaves were valuable il
the pig pen especially. Five of his rs
sex pigs would stir them, and make
them look sick. He worked them over
for corn. Mr.. Chapman considered
them good. lie packed them in ole
barrels, and used on heavy or moist
land. They were better than saw-dust
A. Il. Smith, of New Haven, preferred
straw for bedding. At present prices
1t was cheap. lie had been successful
with what leaves he had used, but new.
er gathered only enough for his turkeys
to set on. Mr.. Skinner said saw-dust
rs a manure was only valuable in the
liquids it retained. Manures housed
or cemposted, had double, if not treble
the value of that thrown out of the sta
BILE.
Ora Paul gave a paper previously no
ticed, on "Manures Manufactured OF
Farms" The discussion was continued
on their evaporation, decomposition
effects of the sun, and mode of applica
ton. Mr.. Skinner would invariabl,
apply to the surface; never plowed ii
but twice, six or seven inches, with lit
lie benefit. Mr.. Fassett spoke of tho
danger of basing operations on singl,
experiment. His experience in apply
Ing had gained him little information
lie did not believe in evaporation. Yol
need not be scared to pillow in eight in
ches; if you do not get the result tn,
first year, you may the next. Messrs
Morse, Olmstead, Chapman, Smith
HOLSTER and others gave their expert
ence. The latter used one hundred
cords OH ten acres, blowing in. Hi
land is clay and sandy loan. He get
heavy corn. Next year he plows in AM
seeds down. Mr.. Getchell has turne,
nine inches, with poor results. Nov
he and neighbor keep near the top
land, a dark loan. neither gravel, san,
or clay. Mr.. Smith thought spreading
on top, and re-seeding next year, wa
bad; he would plow IN. Mr.. Chapma
said old lands in Maryland plowed on
foot deep produced fine crops; mex
year it produced forty-five bushels c
barley to the acre. Deep blowing alon
did it. Mr.. Bisbee, of Moretown, ask