The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-02-20
FARMERS MEETING AT JOHN
SON.

johnson, last Tuesday afternoon, and
continued until Wednesday evening.
The attendance throughout was quite
large, varying from three to five hun
dred at each session. Every attend
ant seemed satisfied with the influence
of the meeting. We are compelled to
condense our report very mu' h, but
hope some future time to give some OF
the papers in full. Where we have
given no report of paperiti is because
we hope to secure it for publication.
At half past two the meeting was
called to order by Mr.. Fassett of the
Board, and Robert Christy, of john
son, chosen President and II. A. Wa
terman, Vice President. Mr.. Christy
said he would reluctantly accept the
position, relying on the generous conn-
sci and assistance ofaall interested in
the meeting. Prayeryas offered by
Rev. B. F. RattrSy and song rem
dered by choir led by Mr.. |. L.
Pearl. Mr.. II. A. Waterman then
uttered some brief and appropriate
"First words" of welcome. He said
that Education was the greatest boon
that could be conferred upon any one,
and those who gave it to society were
the greatest of benefactors. We are
here to learn what science teaches and
experience confirms to learn how to
decrease our expenses and ease our
tolls, how to increase our products and
add to our happiness. He hoped this
meeting and all others held by the
Board would tend to make our state
as good state to immigrate to as
Douglas had declared it to be to emf
CRATE from. The first paper presented
was by DR.. II. p. Wakefield of Nor
risville-subjcct: Fertilizers" He
confined his paper principally to the
saving and preparation of manures.
Nature moves in a circle. Plants
grow, bud, blossom and decay, re-
turning to earth to be again taken up
and the process repeated. If the
plant when grown is not allowed to re-
turn it's borrowed clements to the soil,
the soil must become exhausted. Ma
nures, therefore, lie at the foundation
Of successful farming. Save every
thing that will make manure. Locate
the barns not with special reference
for the folks that live down stream.
The liquid manures are great loss if
not secured. Dry earth in great
quantities should be used as it will Sc
cure two good results. 1t will destroy
bad odors and become an absorbent of
liquids. 1t should be used freely
about the clubhouse, hog pen, hennery,
&c. He emphasized the value of the
manure of the hennery. No farmer can
afford to purchase fertilizers if he neg
lect the fallen leaves, corn butts, &C.,
&C., which, when all saved will make
Il large amount of manure in the ag-
gregate. Remember the bones and
ashes. Break the bones and add a
little sulphuric acid. Let none neg
lect his garden-there is profit as we'll
as pleasure in it. When you have
saved all and yet have not enough you
may try commercial fertilizers. Ifone
cannot reach the ideal in these things
he should not fail to do the best he
can and the results will amply repay
him.
j. Fl. Mead of West Rutland fol-
lowed with what Methodists call an
exhortation to press home the truths
already listened to. He said that one
half the manure that might be saved is
wasted. What would be the condi-
ton of our lands if this waste had
been judiciously applied to our now
ings? He advocated stocking down
in the fall without cropping and rec
omended the use of three pecks or
over of seed to the acre. Manure
well. We break up poor soil, manure
it some, but are sure to crop out all
that we put in and then wonder that
the grass does not do better. He
would pillow in manure only on clay
soil. BY using much seed we get
more leaf and less stalk. He had cut
four tons to the acre. DR.. Spaulding of
Barre had cut six crops one season the
aggregate growth of which was 104 in
ches. Mr.. Mead was followed on the
same subject by Ora Paul of Pomfret.
lie said pasturage was about the only
agricultural pursuit of the first ten
centuries of the Christian Era. Then
denser population and the wants of
advancing civilization demanded grains
and grains soon made manures neces-
sary. The usual custom Of giving the
soil only the solid manures was a mis-
take. Not that solid manure was not
good but there was not enough of it.
Nine-tenths of the farmers to day do
not save liquid manures. They must
do it. They can do it with absorb
cnts. On side hills pillow in green
crops. He thought it was better to
feed more grain than to buy CONNER
clal fertilizers, owing to the return
therefrom in manure, and he substan-
tiated the opinion by statistics. To
secure success he recommended first,
to increase quality; second, make
more judicious application, and third,
give better tillage. O. M. Tinkham,
agricultural editor of the Vermont
Freeman, was then called on for a
song, to which, after q little joking
(his inevitable prelude) he responded.