The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-15


We must nail our ilag to the mast. II
is question of resistance. We have
got to compete with the West, who now
send butter to operate against our mar
ket. Mr. Smith cnlivcned his speech
with one or two personal anecdotes, and
concluded with an appeal to the ladies
to stand up for the preservation of our
agricultural interests, even as they aid
ed the cause Of the country IN the late
war
j. IL. Mead, of West Rutland, gave
good practical talk on "Cultivation of
production of hay in Vermont at one
million tons, or three for each inhabi-
tant. Yet this is less than one ton to
creased to two.
ID. b. Webster, of Plainlield, spoke
on "Setting milk and o. $. Bliss. of
Georgia, followed on the same subject,
both advocating the merits of their IA
vorite tin milk coolers for the remand
er of the afternoon.
The hall was filled at the closing ex-
crcises in the evening. In the absence
Of choir, the ladies sent in small
reed organ, with a request for songs
from Mr.. Tinkham, who responded by
giving the adventure of the Normandy
maid, and Robin Rough, "Sung as a
duet" with a single voice.
President Pitkin read practical pa
per on "Thc Fodder Crop giving
minute rules for its production. lie
spoke Of the composition of different ar
tices of fodder, and read table oftheir
relative value. lie would cut grass be-
fore it blossoms, plant and sow more,
and not send West for food. Also pillow
WORKOUT lands, without using manure.
Abial Davis gave his experience in
bringing up his farm in Marshiicld.
Professor Perkins, of Vermont Uni
vcrsity, delighted the audience for half
an hour with a lecture on inscct-dcstroy-
ing animals. The inscct-pest can be
greatly relieved, but perhaps not cradi-
Gated. The skunk, whom all shun, is
useful, if it keeps away from ben-roosts,
by eating great number of insects.
His bite, however, causes most terrible
hydrophobia. sixty cases of which are
known. Mocs are very beneficial;
think a positive benefit Also the
jumping-mouse. The birds are the
best insect eaters. They fly, like the
swallow, from fifty to one hundred and
fifty miles per hour, and like the eagle
the swallow will continue sixteen hours
on the wing. Not half 4 dozen of our
Vermont birds are injurious. The cx-
ceptions are Canada and Blue Jay. The
crow and blackbird are in dispute.
Owls are beneficial, catching for their
young, hosts of rats and mice. They
have three broods annually, and have
been observed to take a rat or mouse to
their nests once in every ten miutes.
Wood-pcckcrs, misnamcd sap-suckers,
for their bcaks are so constructed that
they cannot suck if they would, go for
borcrs; especially Il striped borer that
will remain three years in tree. The
black and white wood-peckcr will clear
currant bushes of insects, when kero-
senc will not. As rule. the trees most
attacked are the hcalthicst. All the
Vermont wood-pcckcrs are useful. The
robin is the most misunderstood, be-
cause he eats few cherries. But we
could not raise fruit if it were not for
the birds, insects would be so thick.
We must keep Il debit and credit ac-
count with them. The balance is large
ly in their favor Most of the year The
robins live on insects, not cherries. a
young robin cannot live without insects.
The robin saves much more than he does
harm. He is an early-riser, and goes
for the cut-worm, which is then at
work. The wren eats numberless eggs
which produce little insects. The rice
bird eats the rice, but they have more
than once saved cotton crops at the
South by destroying the cotton worms.
whom they follow in their ravages.
During the locust-plaguc at the West in
1888. the black birds went for the Chop
pers' and drove them away. Professor
Perkins detailed the habits of the bob-o-
link. He thought the crow was injuri-
Gus, because it robbed the nests of use
full birds. The jays named kill other
birds. He concluded with an interest
ing description of the way toads go for
garden insects. He named bird found
in warm climates and in England, which
eats garbage, and has been known to
swallow n cat whole, which was found
in its gullct, with several minor animals,
undigested. The meeting closed with
tIn uGnn1 no scana of x-ntac nf tbopl-1