Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-05-10
Good sturdy Common Sense from ~
leading Agricultural Journal.

NaOntl NhuTuN A0mmoh NRhAf -
leading Agricultural Journal.
IT Applies TO VERMONT As WELL As TO MAINE
rTrom the Maine FarmerI
First of all comes the question Of bread
And here the Maine farmer should ask himself
can l obtain bread for my family cheaper
and easier by growing wheat or 10y growing
some other crop in place Of wheat, which |
can exchange for flour And in answering
this question he must take into consideration
what his soil and opportunities are best fitted
for. what his market is. and what his best
chances would be for disposing Of the crop he
would grow if he didn't grow wheat But on
one point in this line OF thought let no mis-
take be made Bread for his family is one of
his first wants and he must get rid of the
idea which has taken possession of so many
farmers in Maine during the years that are
past that we cannot grow wheat rs well as
any other crop-with IA suitable preparation.
it needs clean culture and liberal manuring
these however. not only insure good yield
of wheat. but better succeeding crops and
finally higher standard Of farming. With
such facts regarding the yield Of wheat in all
parts of our state the past season, ns have
been published in our journal during the
present winter-it would seem that no one
need hesitate to make wheat leading crop
for 1873 and what ever else the farmer sows,
he should bv no means fail to SOW wheat!
Connected with this question of bread ms
well as the feeding of our farm animals. is the
growing of corn. Shame on us that We are
50 lnzy as to purchase corn Shame on us
that We loaf away our time ut village stores.
and borrow money to purchase western corn
Shame on us. that with "a soil whose capacity
for the production of this grand crop has new
or been fairly tested in its general cultivation,
we have to work at something else than farm
ing to scrape together the -. 30. 600 which
goes out of the state to pay for purchasing
corn Think of 1t for II moment and 10y
thinking of it, determine that good field of
corn shall be one of the corner landmarks of
the seasons work. 1t Is pre-emnently the
crop for all parts of Maine. 1t never riots :;
the Colorado bugs never eat it II is free
from all kinds Of beetles and horers and bugs
which SO prey upon our other crops; it is a
safe crop to grow it never goes back on
the man who gives it three faithful hoeings in
a summer il Is sure to give an abundant re
turn, and il fact il does not yet appear to
what Il large yield it is capable Of attaining
where well manfred and well taken care Of
Therefore by all means plant corn, this kin &
of the cereals
The dairy business in Maine is one Of its
leading interests. and when farmers are favor
ably located for carrying milk to a cheese fac
if this plan is to be followed, care must be
given to the selection of cows, and attention
TO their feed must form a leading object with
the farmer. 1t will not pay to keep ordinary
COWS and give them poor chance. If good
profit is to he expected from them. Very
likely cheese factories have, during the past
few years. been built i'll localities where there
was not large proportion of good mich COWS
consequently they have been something OF
r . 4
cess it must come about through the changes
which have been indicated.
Why should not the growing of cattle re-
ceive more attention than it has from ouI
farmers during the past dozen years We
know very well, it will be said that We can
not compete with the West in this particular
But we do not propose to. There is II cleaI
and positive profit in the growing of cattle
upon the farm, other than that which comes
from the cash they bring. But our farmers
have got out of the way of growing cattle
just as they have got out of the way of grow
ing wheat and raising corn. And why Nc
body can exactly tell. Yet our butchers senC
10 Natertown for their best beeves about
Christmas and New Years 1t makes some
work to raise cattle, and so farmers don't keel
them. Yet cattle are the foundation of goot
farming the world over. Why, We don't be
gin to have the working oxen in Maine tina
We had twenty years ago, nor the numbers o
other cattle. When our Aroostook count,
farmers sell from four to five thousand hea(
of cattle, and twenty thousand head Of sheeI
yearly and make money 10y it-why canno
farmers in other parts of the state do til,
same
Attend to the home resources of fertihZn
ton. The enormous amount paid ont b,
Maine farmers alone for the different kinds o
commercial fertilizers would thoroughly as
tOnish us if the accurate figures could be Oh
tamed Low estimates call it S32j, 600:
would he safer TO call it $500, O0O, and thi
WE are inclined to think would be much be
low the actual amount. There is great risl
in using these fertilizers some are good, per
hnps, but it has been found in other state
that there is great fraud and deception il
their manufacture, and the actual worth !
not found in the article. Better ten time
over depend upon the farm yard, the compOs
heap, the home resources of every Hyailabl
kind. Let nothing of this nature go to waste
let everything be saved, and what is pai
out for commercial fertilizers may be spen
for other objects.
Think for n moment of the course our peO
pie (the great majority of them have beel
following the past few years First We se
what they have been buying Corn. wheat
pork, hams, shorts coal beef, manure and al
most everything else Now what have on
farmers been selling: Hay, That is nbou
all. A few potatoes, perhaps but chiefly ha
the crop of all others which they shoul
consume at home. How have they lived
by putting their farms into savings banks
and trusting Providence 1t is time such
course was stopped, and now is the moment
above all Others to look these facts squared
in the face and get ready to change them.
part of this change must be made this year o
grace 1878. Are you ready for the question