Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-03-06

After the meeting was called to order the chair
man introduced Secretary Charles Glib, of Alb
bottsford, ?. O., who spoke on " Canadian Ilus-
bandry" The speaker sketched the farming of
the Province of Quebec He said the St. Law
renee Valley was formerly rich wheat-produc-
ing region, but now under the Catholic Canad-
ans, it was merely thstle-bearing tract Thirty
years ago the French Canadians drew the manure
and dumped it into the river. The soil of the
French part of the Province is blue clay. The
water is not good--and this of course is u him
drance to stock-raisng The great fault of that
region is slovenness in doing the work The
farmers have too much land for their strength
He thought Canada could be help to Vermont
in Embarrassing, for her apples are not surpassed
anywhere The address was very interesting in
deed as giving some insight into the way they
" farmed it" in Canada.
The chairman then introduced Professor Collier,
of the Agricultural Department at Washington,
who spoke concerning the work OF that depart
ment The Professor complimented the Vermont
agriculturists and expressed his delight at being
among his friends again. lie said be knew but
little of his topic. The Commissioner of Agricul-
ture was invited to be present, but could not
come The Department has not done what it
might, but is doing better under the present COM
missioner 1t has been in the past an object of
ridicule The present commissioner has gone to
work to make it worthy. The speaker gave
humorous description of the former blunders made
In the Department, and the former method of its
working He said the commissioner thought we
could raise our own sugar and thus save consid-
cradle. So of tea. Tea has been successfully
raised in our country. The Department is max
in tn intrn tha taa II il
possible to supply the home market with the best
kinds of tea from our own production. They are
now trying, through the laboratory, to find the
essentials in preparing good tea We import
about one hundred million pounds of sugar. The
Department is trying to improve the manufacture
of beet sugar. So of the fbrous plants-hemp,
for instance. So of cork The Department is
trying to raise the cork tree. The immense work
carried on is not to be compared to the small ex-
pense of the Department-which, by the way, is
much smaller than that of any other department
As far as his work is concerned the Profess
SCR said he had just begun an analysis of twelve
native grasses from Texas. Several of them look
though they would be an addition to our
grasses here. If they bear the test, the seed will
be distributed and thus supply the failure in our
own native grasses. We have from fifty to one
hundred native grasses scattered about New Eng
land, OF which we know but little These ought
to be analysed and the Department should do it
He had made an analysis Of the American sumac,
and found it AS valuable the foreign. In Vir-
ginia, he said, fungoid has attacked the sweet
potato. The Department is examining this fun
gold and also studying insects in relation to ag-
riculture. lie said there were no secrets in the
Department. He thinks its work is a worthy one,
and considers that it would be a great injury and
loss To the farmers to have it hindered. The Pro.
lessor was listened to closely, for he is well in
formed in matters of this kind and his observa-
tons are of value to the farmer.
Professor Seely, the Secretary OF the Board was
called out by the chairman. He expressed his
sense of the success of the meeting. Fourteen
meetings had been held the present winter, in
thirteen counties; they are pleasant to remember.
Said this closing a sort of " love feast"
There has been purpose in the meetings, which
he thought had been accomplished. He said the
Board had done what it could, and now asks a
generous criticism of its work. He closed by ex-
pressing thanks to all who had helped make the
meeting success
The following resolution was unanimously
adopted: ResolUed by the citizens and farmers
of Vermont, That we appreciate the efficiency and
zeal of the members of the Board, and hereby ex-
press to them our thanks for past labors and
especially for this meeting carried TO such a sue
cessful issue"
Thus closed the Montpelier meeting of the
Board. No one can deny that it has been a sue
cess The farmers of the state have come out in
large numbers-the attendance increasing daily
and doubtless they have reaped rich reward
and will carry the influence of the meeting with
them into their daily work, striving to do the best
they can-laboring honestly and energetically to
produce the best, and that alone.
The press was well represented at the meetings
reporters from the St. Adams Messenger, Rutland
Herald, Burlington Free Press, Woodstock Stand
ard, Record and Farmer. Freeman and Argus
were present-besides representatives of Boston
papers.