Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-01-31

sewage and buying meal and shorts they
keep 65 cows and supply all the milk need
ed He sometimes makes butter in Winter
but not when he can sell his milk at 30
cents per can OF s4 quarts. unless he can
sell his butter at over 40 csrts per pourd.
lie sets his milk in siI-quartpsus IN
room where it will not freeze. for twelve
hours then puts it over hot water and brings
the temperature up to about l9O degrees,
when 1t is again set away Tor twelve hours,
when it is SKINNED. which takes out all
the butter and leaves poor skim-milk. in
deed We cannot all follow the same meth
od., but we can all, to the best of our
ability, work in our own sphere
In reply to the question. how best to re-
store the fertility Of our pastures. he said,
Keep more stock than the pastures would
carry, and feed them meal and shorts;
bran Is rich in potash and phosphate Ofllme.
and its value has not been appreciated, and
it is a reflection on the intelligence OF our
people that they had spent so much to take
out these valuable ingredients from our
food.
Col. Sprague said be had found great
benefit in having shade trees on the high
portions Of bis pastures where the animals
would leave their droprings which would
be washed down. and asked what was the
relative value OF the manure by analysis.
to which Mr. Whitaker answered that they
would vary largely with the quality OF the
feed given.
Col. Sprague gave the results OF an Eng-
lish analysis which gave the manure OF
sheep as yielding SO per cent OF value, the
horse So, the COW 81. and pig % per cent.
and here it Was found the manure OF the
pig which the gentleman clissed as the
best, shows a. more than two hundred per
cent poorer than that of the sheep.
Mr.. Whitaker followed with talk
showing the uncertainties of accurate chem
cal results a. determined by analysis and
instanced a man who one year found great
benefit from the application Of phosphate.
and the second year showed no sppreciahle
benefit.
DR.. Hoskins asked whether the lack OF
benefit might not bs retersble to the ab'
sence of other necessary ingredients.
Mr. Whitaker replied that he thought
not, as other manures were applied as well.
Mr.. Peck asked how We should know
what ingredients were lacking IN our soils
to perfect the crops. Mr.. Whitaker re-
piled that the only way he knew Of was to
try it and see. Analysis of soils to show
such lack was entirely inadequate, a. not
only were certsin substances necessary, but
must be present in certain conditions.
Mr. Vail, of PJmiret. asked whether
dairy cows at distance fron the
city were as exhaustive ct soils,
as those near 1hero milk Is sod
Reply: They are not, for the mineral
constituents are largely left behind
Mr.. Iinkh han said he WAS forcib!y remind
ed by this discussion o! remark of Dr..
Sturteyant at the National Agricultural
ssWa IA tnntr m r ia r IN
lie had been studying his for ten years.
and did not feel on speaking terms
with it v aud talt IN some cases on his
land manure applied bad in some
instances apparently decreased the
crop" lie WAS satisfied the discussion on
manurrs had served the purpose OF showing
how little We know Of them and their best
application, and how much We had to learn,
ii indeed it was not one of those things as
Dundreary says which no foilih can lind
out" Ia reply to the question. Can land
worth 800 p,r acre be prottably used to
pasture dairy cows ? he said he thought not.
0 Will the iced which will make u pound
of beef, fed to good mich COW make a
pound uf butter? A. don't know.
EVENING SESSION.
The gathering was called to order at 30
and was opened by the introduction by the
President, Of Col j. b, Mead, State Superin-
tendent Of Agricultural Affairs. Col. Mead
said he would Just give picture. In 1871
there was appointed a Board Of Agricul-
ture, since when there had been four. Al
about the same time this Association was
organized, and now Us he was going about
over the State he was constantly meeting
men who had told him that they dated their
increased interest in their work 20 e-ane'
thing they had heard arsome meeting OIL the
Board. or this Association aud IN the meet
ipx, no i,ad Ieiu, the attendance had been
excellent, which shows the good results
achieved by the former Boards and this
Association lie had constantly met men
who had estimated the good resulting from
these meetings as greatly, infinitely, above
what they have cost. lie spoke Of the
awakening enthusiasm in farming which
should extend We: more widely. for there
were still farmers who were not practlciDe
advanced farming There were farms with
inferior farm buildngs; barns giving bet
ter shelter for stock and facilities for saving
and preserving manures were needed. There
we're now many deserted farms ; the question
| How to feed our soils and our cattle, to stOI
the exhaustion, to reclaim the worn ou
| lands was Il most important one. lt i
| especially ~ with reference to our pastures
| Ii is no hard matter with modern science II
bring up our meadows. How shall We re
store and preserve the fertility Of our pas
| lures? An important question for US to solS
is, How to obtain the needed fertilizers at a
lower rate than We now do ? Farmers ar
now buying fertilizers at IA cost which VII
only allow them 10 get their money back
We must have them 50 they NAV b
applied with large margin OF profit. III
was sure that with the application Of prope
fertilizers in an intelligent way, that ther
was no such thing as worn out iarm.
was question whether it was cheaper t
buy or raise corn. lie believed 1t c)uld b
raised in Vermont cheaper than 1t could
bought. lie wished the farmers would not
the results they secured. and give eac
other the benefit Of each other experience
lie wished to remind the farmers that the
are all part aud parcel OF the same great In
terest of the State, and the interest oi on
is the interest of all, and an increasing In
terest will secure increased benefits. Let
not be said that Vermont had lost her pre-,
tige as dairy State, or an agricuitdra
State and he did not believe that wester
water and western climate were eqla!
that OF Vermont and if we are awake to on
interests our advantages will be patent
Dr. lloskins said he agreed with Colont
Mead, that We must get our fertilizers chea
enough he had bought 4 carload OF pho:
pilates at time Tor his farm OF twelS
acres, but now he had given up buyin
| tka, t,,n ht,vh le had not
faith in the formula manurcs, not but the
are genuine but they cast too much. an
now he is buying ashes and bones, which b
makes available by burning and pulverlzini
and for nitrogen he buys sulphate I
ammonia, and the ashes and bone suppl
the potash and phosphoric acid.
Mr. Whitaker said DR.. Hoskins was O
the right track and commercial fertilizer
cost too much. Oi all the humbugs in tt
world there was no greater than thst. An
man could tell by an analysis what an
, how much of fertilizerssit it was necessary
apply to his land to produce certain crop
be doesn't know what fertility Is lying do
mant in the soil. Science and experlmer
should 90 hand-in- hand, for experience
science and science is experience. With a
science and experience there are many que
tions we are unable to answer, and lad
asked him to-day question which had &
him that was why he heated his milk u
, to W degrees after setting it away f
, twelve hours, instead of at once a. soon
! drawn. lie could only say he could get mol
cream 50, and he was not certain OF Il
, reason whv--the fact was certain.
, Some discussion was had On the walt
. of ashes. Mr.. Whitaker assertir
that there was no soil but VIII
would he benefited by ashes a
piled, while others thought there were sjl
which did not show any apprtclahlc bcneI
from application OF ashes.
, Dr. IloSkins explained his meth,
Of makirg bones available, which was
/, burning them in the stove and pulyeri
. ing them, when they are easily and prof
ably applied.
, Mr.. Whitaker said he sent the ammOn
9 up chimney by that method, which he h,
| to buy in Boston To replace.
Mr.. f. q. Butler, OF the Vermont Far
: Machine Company, Bellows Falls, read
n PAPER on the drawbacks to successful dair
= ! a al Ia, ..,,,niins Ia. l.