Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-19

+ either they or we are fools. Men who liz
in the immediate vicinity of some city {
: large town, and have, possibly, an acre {
: more of land, with plenty of money
l. pay bills, and with help at their comman
D gong round with their carts, like sctvcl
gers, gathering up everything in the shar
OF fertilizers for their acre, thereby hal
!; vesting marvellous crops; these are ne
the men we want in Vermont to give L
: lessons in farming.
The fact is, we have been agricultural
p theorzed beyond endurance-not that w
, ignore theory or science altogether, for
enters more or less into all our plans an
labor on the farm, whether we recooniZ
it or not. But our chief objection to thee
rists is, that they are so constantly teach
ing what is impractical, and good dea
that is neither lawful or expedient. 1t i
OF lar more Importance that we be read
Tor sugarlng. to tap in season and atten,
diligently to sugar making, than it is t,
stop to settle the question as 10 whethe
the sap goes up from the roots or come
down from the top of the tree. Be sure tt
get the sap, whichever way it goes O.
comes, and settle the other matter after, i
| J VIZ wv 'tnAIOuo W huO".
! If you have been successful in any
branch of farming. don't let science anC
theory steal in and interrupt that success
Some farmers are great on theory and very
small on other matters. The more theory
the less success rs farmers, is the rule
we have come to rely altogether too mucl
on some patent method, some sugar coated
easy chair style Of farming, and although
our farmer school masters do not mean tc
teach heresy, it is nevertheless dangerous
| We believe some of our farmers o-day
are enduring financial embarrassments in
consequence of following after these
strange QheOrizing) gods Some of us
nave been educated to rely on the expert
ments of others, without making any of
our own, when we should be our own ex-
perimenters. Every farm in Vermont
ought to be an experiment station, carried
on and managed by its owner. These are
the experiment stations and agricultural
colleges we believe in-such as need no
state aid In spite of theories. rather than
because of them, very many of our farmers
are making slow but sure progress in I'M
proving their farms.
We are told that there is no royal road
to fortune or fame; but there is Il royal
road to success in farming, and in travel
ing That road no trespass is committed by
using another's patent. All we need to
learn is what we already know.
The great cry of the farmer should be
more manure, and along with that cry
should go every possible effort to make
more of it. Manure is money as emphat-
lcally us time is, and every ones idea of
economy is to save money-then, bv all
means, save money-then, by all means.
save your manure. There are no t9c0
ways IN which farm would sooner be over
taken with poverty than this one way of
waste OF manures. Give us plenty of
manure, and you may have all the patent
fertilizers with the patent men thrown in
TO assist yon. What we want as farmers
Is something practical, something within
our reach; not possibility or probability,
but certainty; not fertilizers at forty to
sixty dollars per ton--no three dollar
recipes for Sparhawk and Billiards. meth,
Oh, but Il will to do what we knoac. Every
successful farmer will tell YOU his success
IS IL result of liberal manuring and thor
ouSh tlllage. Of course we cannot pur-
chase manure unless our neighbor sells, |
ana he cannot buy unless We sell, and |
neither of us propose 10 do it; therefor
the necessity is laid upon us TO save and
make.
When about fifteen years old hired out
TO nelghbor for four dollars for the
month OF November, after which was to I
DO chores for my board and 90 to school
through the winter. During that month
| was directed to cart out-drt, as called
II then, from lane used for driving COWS
TO and from the pasture, and spread it on
the mowings. 1t seemed all he time to
me as though my employer had no other
motive than keeping at work. When this
was done my business was 10 draw turfs
md soil and dump in the lowest spots in
he barn yard, hog yard and round stable
ioors, or wherever the cattle trod the
most. Looking from Il different stand
)ont now, l think earned him four times
our dollars per month. Now it was well
Known and even talked about, at that
'arly day, by other farmers. that Mr.. AL
en- was not only good farmer. but the
'est around there, and it was well known
hat his barns were always full. What
eemed to be secret then is no secret t
low. 1t was simply saving what others
wasted, and before the days of patent
But we can do better than this {
believe 1t is not extravaganza to say that s
" doing rs well as we know how we may t
ouble the bulk of our manure heaps every l
ear by using muck, rotten sods, or even q
ommon soil, suitably handled, to mix
Win our stable manure rs absorbents to t
axe up the gases and liquids. To do this S
Is not necessary TO study the analysis of c
ur SOILS to learn what particular element
lacking or predominates-good, we'll t
ottcd manure will never quarrel with any !
rop you may use it for. Even our chem t
'al farmers tell us, sometimes reluctant 1
:, what we all knew before, that stable d
nj barn yard manure, not damaged by
'aShing OF too much exposure, contains
very chemical element necessary to the -
foWth OF all farm crops; and for us, ii is is
ISL ms valuable as it would be if we could ST
I'VE the chemical names for its paris. II
l have not practiced to such extent rs II
feel qualified to lay down any set of f,
Hes or TO recommend any system for hi
hers TO follow with reference to making a
anure, but will say what every one will Is
ldorse, namely; that just in proportion cl
the use OF manure, good cultivation, az
'od management, etc, will be our crops. &,
have plans of my own not vet carried hi
10 entire practice, but in II degree to fin
nvlncc me of success when more cen fir
ally adopted We could name farmers Il,
and out of town who are gathering bet, 70
crops each succeeding harvest those FIR
10 use patent manures and those who do !.
t. AS II rule, those who are using fertili. g
RS are of the slip.shod style, who, by neg. :,
It OF their farms feel pressing necessi. :.
of doing something to stimulate IA crop, "
'reby giving temporary relief to their
,rn out, sick lands to
We rather incline TO the homnpatbic me-
lool in medicine, but not in farming. th
land doctor will ever be able TO carry bn
lcentrated fertilizers enough in his sad. ly
bags to help the farmers very much. on
the language of the English PRAYER co
,k, we say, from all such Good Lord. wi
liver u.s." Give us your plain, induslri. or
). practical, common sense, and, if Won :,
ase. " old fashioned " farmers-suc6 as b
Nv how to make the best possible use of d,
ans within their reach farmers who az,
get useful schooling by observation Ne