Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-23

has last refuge in the devotedness and
unselfsh patriotism of the farmers of the
land. If these fall, then long good
night to freedom! But they will not fall.
The stake is too CREST and dishonor and
chains are too much worse than the price
brave men have to pay in delenceof their
rights.
Pardon me, while make acknowledge
ments--as | do from my heart,-for the
kindness and indulgence have met with
as your presiding officer for SO many years.
| cannot recall single unkindness, one
harsh Judgment, one uncharitable word in
all that time. l have uniformly received
the most generous construction and the
readiest co operation in all my efforts to
benefit the state through the labors of this
association. How many delightful and
profitable hours do ok back upon from
this platform! The sage experience, the
lively discussion-the fraternal greeting
and farewell, rise up before me in pleas
ant pictures of kindness and manly inter-
course. Over these comes the pensive
hour of sadness at the absence of some
familiar and honored forms that are pain
fully missed from the scene. Sadness
comes over us as we look to the vacant
place once occupied by our fellow men,
Der, and an honest and honored fellow
citizen. Horace H. HoXie, of Milton. He
has gone to his rest, after life of useful
ness TO his town and this association. In
justice to his memory, let us here acknow-
ledge that we never saw in him listlesS
or IN Improbable member, he was never
without some valuable suggestion. Long
may lis memory be cherished, and his OK
ample cmulated.
Let Inc close with my most earnest en-
treaties that you will not only preserve
this organization, but widen and popular
ize it more and more, and strive to educate
the farmer and dnilyman up TO II higher
plane. The education needed is that which
would qualify the dairyman for all his re-
latlons and duties, both as farmer and IA
citizen. We want such schools us shall
combine theory and practice, science and
art labor and study, and simultaneously
teach the head to devise. and the hand to
execute. We want such system of ply
steal and intellectual training for our sons,
rs shall develop The man in the symmetry
and glory of true manklnd-a system
which shall couple the mental exercises
Of The schoolroom with the invigorating
labor of the field, then science will pour
her sunlight upon agriculture, guiding
and cheering her on to nobler discoveries
and grander and higher achievements
LApplause,]
The association then adjourned for din
ner.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The session was opened by music from
II male quartette-The Greeting, very fine
" rendered.
After this Mr.. Cheever of the Mew Eng
land Farmer was announced, and com
menced by saying that after he received
the invitation from the secretary to speak
here, he saw notice that he was to tel
how he kept thirty.one cows on twenty
five acres Of land. Well, in the first place
he didn't do it. He had now only thirty
animals, having sold one within II few
days, and had two more fattening, whicl
he should soon dispose of, leaving hin
twenty-eight cattle.
lie takes account of stock the first o
April each year, and in 1872 he had four
teen headlight COWS, four young cattle
and two horses. In 1S73-fourlcen head
in 1S74-Iifteen; lS75-seventeen; 1876
twenty-one; 1o77-twenty-live, and 1873
neutrality-suspicious. double the number HI
had when he began.
He believed with the good soil we hac
in Vermont an acre of land should keep
COW, and farm Of one hundred acres o
good tilhge land may be made to keel
one hundred animals.
The best grass land he had was
swamp where the previous owner one
got stuck in the mud, and had TO be haue,
out by his neighbors with II rope. w
mistake in tiIling TOO many acres, il
spreading our capital ont too thin, owe
too much surface; and the course 1t
would suggest was TO take the land neares
home and bring it up to the highest condi
tion of fertility, and then 90 farther back
1t would be found necessary in keepin,
a large number of animals that the usu,
practice must be changed. The method
of farming commonly in use kept the farm
at wolk only two or three months in tn
year. 1t takes but about two months t
grow n crop of hay, and three to grow
corn or grain. Our pastures were wol Ike
more, but with less profit. His own prac
tice was to put in crops for summer feed
ing, and his aim was to put in winter ry
in the fall, on all the land he had cultivat
ed during the summer. Usually the win
ter was the hardest season of the year t
get through, and in the spring the cattl
come ont poor; and the season from hay t
grass was most trying one. In his lc
cality winter rye will give fair swat
when cut for green feed, from the Sth t
the 18th of May, and he then commence
to feed it to his stock, gradually increasin
it till they have all they will eat, thong
he gives Il little earl y cut lay almost ever
day in the year. This bridges over III
season when COWS come out "sprin
poor" and lengthens the green feediD
season. Before the rye blossoms, he cut
all there is remaining unfed, and cures
for hay. lie sows rye at least at thre
different times in the fall, which will max
some difference in the time of its gcttin
ready for cutting in the spring. The fir.
thing in the spring, spring rye is sowr
which is equally good for fodder, but wi
last in cutting but n short time. Dat
sowed at the same time will ripen littl
later than spring rye, and these he SOW
on old ground or on sod, as may happier
and by blowing thoroughly and manurin
well, and working it in well, oats may
grown us well on sod as on old land. Ban
ley is an excellent crop for feed, and i
California is one Of the leading articles fo
soilng, and has increased value, rs it ma
be grown as Il spring or fall crop. Gras
should be cut early, and if it be all of on
kind, it is hard to get it all CIT before som
of it is damaged He would therefor
recommend sowing grasses ripening =
widely different seasons. Orchard gras
and June grass are the two earliest Varit
ties, and with clover ripen about the sam
time; and he would have a good crop {
these to be cut two or three weeks befor
the other hay crops; and to secure 200
crops of these, must have the best of 600
rich moist land, when two good crol
could be raised every year. The secon
crop Of both orchard and June grass
very leafy, and makes the very best of ha,
With the first crop of this grass in til
barn early in June, you have your havin
where you can drive it, instead of its drI,
ing you; and can take advantage of ever
favorable circumstance. and have fou
weeks for finishing the later grasses.
, vi fodder corn-uses both sweet an
, western, and he begins planting the latte