Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-02-27
Others, when the meeting adjourned to
Thursday morning


hHi''lftr
THURSDAY MORNING.
The cold weather of the previous night
had rendered travelling more agreeable and
the attendance was large
Col. J. b. Mead. State Superintendent of
Agriculture, and Prof Sanborn of New
Hampshire, arrived on the early morning
train The meeting was called to order and
the chairman announced that the exercises
would commence with prayer by Rev Mr.
Bill, of Hampton NJ f. church Music fol
lowed by the quartctte President Parker pre-
scnted DIR. T. II. IIoskins. and announced
AS his subject. Work Upon the Small
Farms" DR. Hoskins said
The great cry of the country is for capital.
All through tie West as well as East there is
the same cry. Eastern men are asking for
more subsidies, and our churches are re-
sorting to ''fiuangclsts, even coming Il new
word for such purpose. Our New England
ancestors developed their lands out of their
own resources. It's pretty poor pork that
wont furnish the fat for its own fry.
The spirit Of speculation has taken hold
Of agriculture. lie refcrrcdto foreclosures on
mortgages and how many farms were under
mortgage; too many of them bad policy to
run in debt too deeply by purchasing large
farm with small amount ofmcans to pay He
described the method and result of such I'M
wise action. He was asmall farmer. Although
Il regularly admitted physician, a bodily in
jury made him enter into farming. He at one
Time owned as much as fifteen acres of land
but had good opportunity TO sell off five
acres and did SO.
Give him ten acres and he would grow upon
it grass enough to support his wife and
family lie could live and grow rich upon
forty acres of land by growing strawber-
rics. lie recommended growing Strawberries
and currants. hut never had any luck growing
raspbeIrcs. Farmers should raise their,
own seeds He raised many
vegetables and onions. One acre
of fruit will pay more clean profit than many
of our best farms it was desirable TO he with
in mile of "A village on railroad line. Mr..
Cheever of Massachusetts keeps p COWS on %
acres and sells his butter at - cents per pound.
He intended to purchase As acres of land
and rival Mr.. Cheevcr in dairylng Large
farms deplete school districts and lessen op-
portunities for school education % farms
could combine and by determined effort raise
tho standard of their butter equal to any
creamery. A man in debt is not mp tn tho
ideal of free man in New England. He
regretted the emigration of young men to
other States better to buy small farms with
their small means and steadily work up
ward If not familiar with farming
better to hire out TO some good farmer
and learn how, first. Never would send u
child designed for work. to a college or
literary school, In rearing stock, not one
cent for blood and pedigree, but buy for the
actual value of the animal The question
was asked how best to apply ashes Reply.
If ha1 rNlnptx al tbapl / would COW
broadcast otherwise drop in the hill. Coal
ashes is valueless, worth nothing at all; would
spread ashes on the top after corn or pota-
toes came up.
Discussions followed, participated in by
Hon A. T. Smith, Col Mead, DIR. Haskins,
and several other gentlemen in the audience.
Music by quartette followed, after which
meeting adjourned till o'clock p. M
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
The meeting opened at ? O'Clock with the
largest attendance yet had, and the interest
In the meetings seemed steadily increasing.
After music the chairman introduced Prof.
Sanborn. of New Hampshire, and announced
his subject. ''IIow shall We recUperate our
Farms" The speaker said this could be
accomplished by system by feeding stock
by manure by rotation of crops and by
the liberal use of agricultural machinery. He
related by system of experiments how to
grow a steer for profit advocated rearing
large breeds of cattle to grow with profit :;
must have a good steer to commence upon !;
a pound of food in well bred steer will
make more growth than in poor one. lie
compared two cows !; one gave 20 pounds OF
milk, the other 30 pounds, then increased
feed and ratio of best COW was increased.
You can't afford to feed a poor steer would
select large breeds because surface will in
crease faster. To obtain most profit your
steer should be matured Young. The high
est profit in n steer is obtained at two and a
half wears old \ 1000 pound steer con-
sumcs about Il pounds per day to make him
keep even, neither gaining nor losing. Can
make pound of growth on a yearling al
about Onc-half the cost of that on a
two or three year old. 1t costs more
as the animal grows older to
make pound Of beef. A l, 100 pound steer
at two and half years old consumes ~
pounds per day and 4 four year old costs as
much again to make the same again. Steers
at two years and half old should
weigh from |, 200 |, 800 pounds. He advised
purchasing cattlc-food and feeding upon the
the farm: advised saving oat straw and
feeding some with meal cited careful ex-
periments where clover hay and straw
gave equal results in fattening cattle, with
the best hay Clover hay contains an excess
of flesh formers Our Agricultural colleges
should make these experiments they should
be made experimental stations for the benefit
of farmers Farmers canu chemical fertillz-
ers at a profit and ought to do so save freight
by use of chemicals Wenecd more potash in
our sale manures every plant contains at
least IA materials buy crude chemicals and
Won yet more concentrated fertilizer. Care
must be- used in the use of chemical fertilizers
if too strong, it will kill the plant. Tillage is
the cheapest source of manuring can multi
ply crops in Vermont 20 per cent by thorough
tillase open your soil to the action OF atmos-
pheric influences. He recommended rotation
of crops; England has thus increased her
production wonderfully. The top root of
clover goes down ) or six inches and brings
back the fertilizer; use agricultural machine
nv. 1t is hard to compete with the West in
this. but we must meet steel with steel; the
time coming when we shall do most of our
farm worl, with machinery. He believed we
can yet Use sulky ploughs and cultivators in
Vermont.
EVENING SESSION.
Meeting opened at . o'clock with music
from the Poultney Brass Band, Amos J.
Rogers ESD, leader They discoursed excel
meetings The fine Hall was crowded to its
full capacity, while the small boys lined the
edge OF the speakers platform.
President Parker, called the meeting to
order, and introduced Col. John Is. Mead,
State Superintendent of Agriculture. and
remarked, I'VE have kept the best wine for