Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-09-27
agricultural department,
VERMONT FARMS.
NOTES IN REGARD TO THE FARM OF GEN
WILLIAM w. CIRCUIT.

""o' 10 AZ "SAOi JuoS 6"NhOAihS W VIZ
reins. He had taken charge of the old
home farm with determination of max
ing it productive and if possible
profitable piece of property.
visited it again August 9Th. 1880,
and find the improvement still going on.
1t is probable that the barns will be filled
this year with the hay and grain of the
farm. The barns are two of thirty-six
by fifty feet each, and one fifty by one
hundred and twenty feet with basement
and stables below the grain and hay
floor. The farm includes three hundred
and fifty acres. The stock is thirty
seven COWS, from ten to twenty young
cattle, eighty sheep and dozen or more
horses and colts.
My special object in visiting this farm
was to learn of the effects of very
large amount of earth that was taken
from where the old barns stood and APP
piled to the soil. Under those old sta
bles to depth of five or six feet, the
earth was carted away rankly smelling
of ammonia and full to repletion with
the manurial elements absorbed from
the drainage of the stables for many
i En1 hok ~ h.
farm a good send off by increasing every
crop to which it was applied, and es-
pecially the grass where it was top
dressed. 1t is likely that much larger
quantity was as valuable.
The saving of liquid manures is the
subject of constant care The basement
floor beneath the stable is cemented, and
dry earth is used as an absorbent.
There is one basement stable where
young cattle are kept, and underneath
1t is trench that is cemented to hold
the liquid manures that percolate through
euo noOT. MS tTeucu Is ulieO VIII
muck, sawdust or other absorbents, and
emptied and filled once year. In the
center of his barnyards is a cistern to
hold the wash of the barnyards. The
application of liquid manures is still
under consideration with a view of saw
ing, easy handling and even distribution.
This farm has southern inclination
from its wood-crowned hills through the
pastures, fields and meadows to the
river. 1t lays warm, yet in those gently
descending fields the oozing of cold
spring water prevented cultivation and
gave wild grasses sure foothold. The
former owner had stone walls TO divide
the fields. The General decided that
both water aud walls must be put out of
sight; so last year system of ditching
was pushed vigorously, and mile or
more of underdrains were filled with
stone, and the land greatly improved.
This spring about one hundred and fifty
rods of ditch has been dug, and await
either stone or tile. The ditch is about
two and half to three feet deep, and
varies in width according to the need Of
tile or stone. The cost of digging was
from twenty-five to forty cents per rod,
mostly done by one man, who is now
helping in the farm work, while ditch
ing by the job he paid board.) Bounti.
full crops of wheat are showing the
benefit of last years draining, and the
open drains and others that are planned
show the careful study that has been
given to the matter. AS we walked
about, the General grew enthusiastic
over prospective buried walls, smooth
fields and large crops.
l would especially mention one field
of eleven acres in fodder corn. The
field was underdrained, plowed and ma
nured. The rich manure from the base
ment was evenly spread by Kemp's ma
nure spreader; it was pulverized with
Butler harrow and marked for rows
eighteen inches apart; western corn wa,
dropped and covered by hand at the
rate of three bushels per acre, and nov
a dense growth of foliage covers thu
ground and promises a maximum yield
Probably there is not another as gooC
and as large piece in the state. Wha
will he do with it? He will make
pit in his barn basement l5x45 ant
perhaps fifteen feet deep, and when tn
corn has approached the frost line, car
it from the field to the barn floor ant
run it through cutter worked by hors
power, and the green juicy mass will b
trodden solidly into the pit, or silo, an
preserved and fed. according to the ne1
system of "ensilage." General Grou
visited DR.. Bailey at Billerica last win
ter to see the stock that was fed upo
this ensilage, and was so we'll please
with the results that he immediatel
began preparing to supplement his larg
crops of hay and grain with enslage
fodder corn. There are several othe
noteworthy points in his practice I
farming, but having respect to yor
space | would close by mentioning son
of the leading ideas that will be illu
trated on this farm. Have good stool
{ abundance of food, save the manur
apply it to good soil to nourlsh profitab