davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
ChIcLens and Chicken Raising,

Chickens generally sell for as much at three
months old, during the spring and summer,
Us they do during the next winter, at six to
eight months old, as during the latter season
the large city markets are generally over
stocked with spareribs, backbones aud the
like from the pork packing establishments
Three bushels of meal, says the Gnguge
Bulletin, will keep eight hens and one hun
dred young chicks the first month four
bushels of meal will keep them the second
month, and five bushels will keep them the
third month, or until the chickens are Of
good large frying size, and are in good con
dition for the table, and will sell at almost
any railroad town for 81. 80 per dozen at any
time during the summer or fall and during
the spring and early summer, before there
are many spring chickens in the market,
good ones, such as these, often sell for a
much higher price.
Don't imagine, the editor of Farm and Fire
side says, in speaking of Chickens fit to
eat, that it makes no difference how our
Thanksgiving chickens have been brought
up. Don't suppose that they will be good
anyhow. Chickens have been carefully
dressed, deliciously stuffed, and yet they are
not fit to eat. There was flavor about
them that no soda rinsings could cleanse and
no seasoning conceal. These were chickens
that had picked up their living around pig
sites and other unclean places. chicken
may be spoiled in dressing it to cook. II
killed with full craw, and allowed lie for
several hours before it is drawn" (or the
internal organs removed) it gets an unpleas-
ant flavor. Fowls should be caught and shut
up without food for twelve hours before they
are beheaded. Then the craw and the intes-
tines will be empty, and the task of picking
and dressing will be greatly lessened Old
fowls are not necessarily tough, only cook
them long enough. They are more tender
twenty -four hours after they are killed, than
if eaten Immediately.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
Agricultural.
The Hay and Late Forage Crops.

The Hay and Late Forage Crops.
The practice of cutting hay early seems to
be gaining ground. The weight Of authority
appears to be strongly IN favor of carly cut
hay, the late carefully conducted experiments
Of Prof. Sanborn of the New Hampshire Ag-
ricultural College standing almost alone on
the other side. II was once the practice to
continue haying on many large farms till the
last of August, and in some cases, even into
September. Indeed, we have heard of the
first crop being cut after few flakes of snow
had fallen. In the absence of anything bet
ter, hay cut at this season has served the pur-
pose of keeping cattle alive. On some of the
mountain lands fair quality of grass may
be cut very late, a thick growth at the bot
tom keeping green till after the hard frosts in
the fall. In consequence Of the drouth, an
early growth, and agrowing practice Of early
cutting, considerable portion of the hay
crop was, this year, secured in June, and
more than half the remainder by the 10th of
this month There will be very little of the
first crop to cut in August
II the weather has been unfavorabe for
growing grass, it has been very favorable for
curing hay, and the quality will be above an
average. The quantity is variously estimat-
ed by different persons at one-half, two
thirds, or an average crop. Probably the
actual yield, by weight, is not far from two
thirds of an average, but taking into consid-
Grafton the quality, its value is above two
thirds of mn average 1t will be used with
more care, and go farther in feeding than is
anticipated On most farms, however, there
will he q necessity of providing late forage
crops to carry the cattle through the winter.
There are no farms that need be dependent
entirely upon the hay for wintering the stock.
There are few, if any, that cannot yet be
made TO keep their usual number of cattle
through the coming winter, and keep them
well not on Western meal, but on the prod
ucts Of the farm, when that is believed to be
best
We hope that no farmer that is short of
hay will fail to read, If he has not already,
the article by j. U. Lamphear of jamaica in
the last number of this paper. 1t appears
from his experiment and the statement of
others, that oats or barley may be sown in
August with the certainty of producing a
good forage crop if the ground is properly
prepared. To these crops that are not in
jur,d by frost may be added rye, which il
sown before the first of August may be mown
in the fall and used to supplement the hay
crop. Though of slower growth, perhaps it
would be better adapted to light or sandy
soils
Flat turnps have been raised successfully
by sowing the seed between the rows of Early
Rose potatoes in July. When the potatoes
are dug the turnips are ready to take posses
sion of the field. Though highly recommend
ed by some writer's, they have never been
cultivated to any great extent in this part of
the country. Whatever their nutritive value
may be, so much would be saved in hay by
raising and feeding them.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

Two things we would advise before going
into any branch of special farming First,
study carefully all the details and count the
probabilities before you make or attempt any
radical changes in your plans. Second, do
not give up the old until you are sure of the
new. In other words, let the change be grad
ual. Some years ago d. NJ. Ferry grew six
hundred bushels of onions on an acre, for
which he was offered $3.50 per bushel, max
ing the snug sum of 81, 800 from an
acre. A farmer who heard of it and knew
no more about onion growing than he did
about Sanscrit, planted five acres of common
corn land in onions, the next season, the
seed costing him 800. He didn't grow
bushel of marketable onions. Had he stud
led up the subject and planted the first sea-
son an eighth or fourth of one acre, he might
now be successful onion grower, whereas
he INDUCES in profanity at the smell of an
onion.-OhiO Farmer.
1t is well. Waving the profanity and the
excellent moral, we are glad to learn that the
man raises no more onions. We do not con-
slider the man that makes two onions grow
where one did before exactly public bene-
factor. II these bulbs are not a relic of bar
ism they should be. How persons with any
respect for their own or their neighbors' OIL
factories can tolerate onions, is an unexplain-
ed mystery. The sweet fragrance of flowers
is evsnescent, but the vile odor of onions re-
mains in the household and with the family
that has partaken of them an unaccountable
length of time. They have no parallel in
the vegetable kingdom, and only one in the
animal, the AeplitiS americana.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

Between the COW and the butter maker,
however, there is point which cannot be too
carefully guarded-the way in which the
milk is drawn from the COW and handled be-
fore it reaches the milk room. A very large
part of the poor butter made, results from
the milk being spoiled before it is even
strained. One lot of butter examined at the
fair showed this at once it was not fit for
any use as food. Some, on tasting it, would
have said animal odor." Perhaps so, but
not from the COW. If the COW is healthy,
and has had good food and pure water, there
can be no odor or taste to the milk in the I'D
der at all Objectionable. Nor will there be if
the milk is then drawn from a well cleaned
udder by a clean mixer, in pure air, and
kept away from all sources of faint. Others
would have said this butter was ''cowy."
Don't lay such a charge TO the poor COW; she
did her part faithfully. The butter we COM
plain of is not cowy 1t is horsey or piggy,
or, worse yet, filthy The cow-keeper and
mixer are the persons TO blame. Let every
butter maker who has any regard for the rep
utation of his or her product insist upon ev-
cry possible precaution being taken by the
mixer TO keep the milk pure and clean. No
really good butter can be expected if the milk
is taken from an unclean bag, or by mixer
with dirty hands or clothing, or if the milking
is done in a filthy or ill-ventilated stable or
the milk allowed to stand, even a short time,
surrounded by impure air. 1t is the greatest
mistake TO suppose that if dirty or foreign
matter gets into the milk, careful straining
will remedy the evil; the object may be re-
moved, but the faint remains. 1t must also
be remembered that there are invisible things
as sure to spoil milk as those We can see.
There are now improved implements which
greatly protect the milk, guarding against
carelessness and accidents, but nothing will
take the place of careful, clearly milking
Report IF Hampshire Committee on Butter
mud IiIessS
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
PECEN1x AND RECORD AND FARMER 49, 1880

or club, or hotel, in which IL is eaten il has
less than one quarter Of an ounce Of salt to
the pound and thus none Of the finer and
aromatic odors are lost. 1t is made from the
milk of healthy Jersey cows, who cat only
the sweetest food, drink the purest water,
and breathe the clearest air; are carded and
brushed and carefully bedded, and are always
treated with gentleness. 1t is made from milk
which is Immediately removed from the sta
bic, though the stable is daily sprinkled with
gypsum and has no manure cellar under or
near it it is made from cream which has ris-
en- in less than 3G hours, in clean tins and in
a clean atmosphere; it is granulated and brined
or washed in the churn, and worked with the
greatest care it is always kept cool, but new
err touched with ice, even on the table The
COWS, the milk, the cream, the salt, the tins,
the butter, are all kept clean and in an odor-
less atmosphere. Country Gentleman.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

We are sure that the readers of The Far
mer-at least all who followed its advice and
held their wool-will welcome the news we
last, and really sooner than we anticipated.
All our advices from the leading Eastern mar
kets accord in that tine stagnation of the wool
trade has been suddenly disturbed and an
active demand has succeeded the recent in
difference everywhere manifested. The
Economist of last Saturday says: after
twelve weeks of inertia, Influenced by bold
effort to depress the value of wool and wool
ems, and thereby demoralize the market for
both, we begin to see the first CLEAN of light
on the distant horizon" Our Boston CORE
spondents say There has been q marked
change in the condition of the wool market.
The dullness of the last four weeks has been
succeeded by animation aud activity" The
Associate Press reports say the demand is &C
tive, though values have not materially in
creased as yet. But this will naturally follow,
and rapidly, in the wake of the improved de
mand. From all We can learn, the sudden
animation does not proceed from any materi-
al improvement in the wooden trade, but as
the Boston circular puts it, from "a move
ment among manufacturers whose stocks
have become somewhat reduced and who
fear that the recent severe decline will be fol-
lowed by a sudden rise" This accords with
the views we have all along expressed in
these columns, based upon the fact that
stocks in the hands of manufacturers were
small and that as soon as these gave signs of
exhaustion, the market would improve. = ohio
Farmer.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
Fall Seeding Of Gras. with Oats.

While viewing the large beet field of Mr..
Warren, our attention was called TO a field of
English grass seeded in September last, from
one. half of which hay had just been harvested
at the rate of some two or more tons per
acre, while on the other half the yield was so
small that it was almost impossible to cut it
with scythe or machine. These two parts
were alike in character, and had been treated
precisely alike, as stated by the proprietor,
with this exception that portion where the
grass was stout had one bushel of oats per
acre sown at the time of seeding to grass
The oats made sufficient growth during the
fall to afford a good mulch to the young
grass during the succeeding open winter
What little snow fell was kept from blowing
OF, and the alternate freezing and thawing
of the surface was, in great measure, pre-
vented by the slight covering of oat leaves
which, after hard frosts, fell among the
young grass. Mr.. Warren formerly worked
farms in Upper Canada where this practice
was found quite beneficial, and he believes it
will prove equally so here in New England
The extra cost is a mere trife, while the dead
stalk and leaves finally act as fertilizing ma
terial for the grass crop. We consider the
experiment one wen worthy of trial by others.
". r. Farmer.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

The market for evaporated fruit and the
prices obtained, have been so profitable in
the past as TO merit attention, and the fact
that tirst-rate article can be produced by
the farmers themselves at q trihing cost for
the necessary appliances, bids fair to soon
revolutionize old methods. On recent visit
to Pennsylvania, one of our staff, as usual,
personally examined the eyaporator and its
product, manufactured by American Drier
Co, of Chambersburg, and We strongly in
dOrse its claim. AS a cheap, portable evap-
orator for farmers use it is the best we are
acquainted with. The evaporation of fruits,
berries and vegetables by improved methods
is essentially an American idea, and the prod
uct has already acquired respectable dimen-
siOns in our export trade. 1t would be diff
cult to make even an approximate estimate of
the annual value Of our fruits and berries.
Were they as carefully utilized as are our 9TH
er crops and the statistics relating to them as
accurately tabulAted the magnitude of the
fruit business Of the country would astonish
even those who think they are well acquaint
ed with it.-Rurdl Neie Yorker
A cheap eyaporator for drying fruits on a
small scale, especially apples, may be home
made at cost Of only two or three dollars,
which is great improvement on the old
method Of stringing on tvine and exposing
for a hy roost, or on any of the ordinary
methods Of drying. Will J. ]. Green tell US
what be knows about it in these columns?
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

The owner of pile of manure found that
although it was under cover, yet the water
had pressed out and stood in pools around its
base. When the pile came to be removed he
WAS astonished to find the interior so dry. 1t
seems that sand had been used largely as an
absorbent, and its great weight and lack of ca
pacity for holding moisture caused all the liq-
uid in the pile TO be pressed out. Sand is
easily obtained and is clean, but We question
whether, upon the whole, it is best to use it
unless it is mixed with straw or some other
absorbent Experiment proves that dry turf,
muck and straw will each absorb and retain
about two and half times their weight of
water, while sand will hardly take up its
weight of moisture. We know of a farmer
who uses cut straw in connection with sand in
his horse stable, and afterwards uses the
whole in the gutter behind his COWS. This
makes a kind Of manure which does not be-
come dry, and aside from its fertilizing prop
critics, it has mechanical effect upon the
soil which is not its least advantage. Il.
Homestead.
The amount OF water that any absorbent
may take up and hold. of course depends
largely upon its dryness, whatever the sub
stances used. 1t is said there is no great loss
without some small gain. The present
drouth affords an excellent opportunity to store
dry earth and muck to be used in the stable
as an absorbent.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

INITIALS on FRUIT.-Did you ever see a
name printed on q growing apple, pear or
peach No. Well, if you wish TO have that
pleasure, this is the way to obtain it While
the fruit yet hangs green upon the tree, make
up your mind which is the very biggest and
most promising specimen of all. Next, cut
out from thin, tough paper the initials of the
name of your little brother or sister or chief
crony, with round speeks for the dots after
the letters and the letters themselves plain
and thick. Then paste these letters and dots
on that side of the apple which is most turned
to the sun, taking care not to loosen the hold
of the fruit upon its stem. As soon as the
apple is ripe, take OFF the paper cuttings,
which, having shut out the reddening rays of
the sun. have kept the fruit green just be-
meath them, so that the name or initials now
show plainly. After that, bring the owner of
the initials to play near the tree, and say
presently: why, what are those queer
marks on that apple up there 7" You will
find this quite pleasant way to surprise the
very little ones, aud, of course, you can print
a short pet name as easily as initals.-.St.
Nicholas
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

Some of the New England agricultural
journals continue to discuss the value of ZEN
silage," or preserved green food, as though
there was not the slightest doubt of its value
and of the great results which must follow
the general adoption of green eattle-foOd for
winter use. We can only say that it is TO be
hoped for the benefit of farmers generally
that it will prove all that is claimed for it
over the dry fodder. But it must be remem-
bered that only one persona gentleman of
wealth, residing in Massachusetts-has so far
adopted it and has taken upon himself to
pronounce upon its great success. He alone
has done everything in its behalf that has
been done. The system is of French origin,
but We have yet to learn that it is
largely favored in that country neither do
We see that it has found its way yet into Eng
land, where, one would suppose, it would
prove of very great value GeTmdHt0lrn Tel
graph.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

LEMONS AND THE HoT WEATHER. Some
body who appears 10 know all about it writes
positively that it will draw the sting out of
hot weather to understand the right use of
lemons. Most people know the benefit Of
lemonade before breakfast, but few know
how it is more than doubled by taking anoth-
er at night also. The way to get the better
of bilious system without blue pill or quin-
inc is to take the juice of one, two or three
or more lemons, as the appetite Graves, in as
much ice water as makes it pleasant to drink,
without sugar, before going to bed. In the
morning, on rising OF at least half an hour
before breakfast, take the juice of one lemon
in goblet of water. This will clear the sys-
TEN of humors and bile, with mild efficacy,
without any of the weakening effects of Gallo
mel or Congress water. People should not
irritate the stomach by eating lemons clear !;
the powerful acid of the juice, which is al
most corrosive, infallibly produces inhamma-
ton after while, but properly diluted so
that it does not burn or draw the throat it
does its full medicinal work without harm,
and when the stomach is clear of food has
abundant opportunity to work on the system
thoroughly.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

The CosT OF TILLAGE.-Other things be-
ing equal, that land which is titled with the
least expense is the best land. 1t is not the
size of the crop that determines the profit in
farming, but the excess of the income over
the outgo. If it costs more to keep a corn
field perfectly clear from weeds than the value
of the increase of the crop caused by that
culture amounts to, then, so far as the corn
crop is concerned, such excess of corn is a
loss But the influence of the care bestowed
on one crop upon those that follow it, must
not be overlooked. 1t may be the best sys-
TEN that grows a certain crop at loss in or
der to raise succeeding ones at profit. The
value and cost of tillage, in well established
system. depends very largely on the time and
place that it is dOne.-Amerio1R A0TieuitV-
nit
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
sorghum sugar Experiments.
Extract from wyatt Aliens speech on the Agri
tural Appropriation BILL

Extract from Wyatt Aliens speech on the Agricul-
tural Appropriation BILL
An appropriation is asked for this bill, to
continue the recent experiments made by the
Agricultural Department in the manufacture
Of sugar. Since the days of John Adams II
has been known to the American farmers
that both molasses and rum could be made
from the juice of the corn-stalk; and twenty
years ago hundreds of unsuccessful efforts
were made to manufacture sugar from sorg-
hum. But failure attended every effort until
the government, by oft-repeated and costly
experiments, established beyond peradven-
ture that there is but little less crystalizable
sugar in the juice of of sorghum, than in the
sugar cane of the West Indies and after
carefully conducted experiments in the labo-
ratory Of the Department, the computation
has been made that less than one-fifth the
cultivated area of Illinois. if grown in sorg-
hum could be made to produce annually more
sugar than we import. Nay, more, sir, the
unquestioned conclusion has been arrived at,
from successful experiment and legitimate
computation, that Illinois might produce and
crib her millions Of bushels of corn, and
from the stalks manufacture annually more
sugar than we have ever imported in single
year. To my mind, sir, this is one Of the
grandest discoveries of the nineteenth centu-
ry, and should immortalize the parties who
made IT,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
VERMONT VALLEY RAILROAD.

r..,5s.7 lO ra IS ont on tbs is road vii
E:::si.ssiss y. leave BBATTLkBoh0 for ali
5-AA--a-poin North al $3.50 =. N .,
$3.50, 5:4O and 10 go ?. m.
The 10 80 p. train Is express for Montreal via
White River Junction) with sleeping car attached.
The l0:3Oa. m. train is mail train for Montpelier,
ST. Adams. Rutland, Burlington Montreal, the Pet.
sumpsc road aud the White Mountain
The Z 40 p. IL. train is mail train for White River
Junction and Rutland.
Tue 80 IN. train l. express TO white Mountains,
Newport and Quebec.
Trains leave BELLOWS FALLS for the South, con
meeting with the Connecticut River line at Bratteb0-
TO- follows: Montreal express train at 80 a.
mail and accommodation 9 10 q. m: White Mountain
aud New York express at 2:45 r. mail and accom-
mediation. go +. IN.
The 80 a N. train arrives in New York at u 100
the 9:lO m. train a; 545 ,. m; the $3.50 and
go =. ID. train az 1880.
Athese trains make close con ectlon with Boston
Albany K. r., both east and west Of Springfield.
% MULLIGAN, Superintendent.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

OF digestion with Hostetters Stomach BiteTs, ned
cine which removes hAtulence, heartburn Irregular
ty Of the bowels poverty of the blood aud all shitng
harassing perplexng symptoms Of dyspepsia, as we'll
their cause. A conspicuous change in the appear
well in the feelings Of rhose who use the
Biters takes place the distressing symptoms disap
pear, and the stomach, Liver aud bowels TeAssume
their function in fun force and activity. The hag-
gard appearance Of the cOuntenance and salOvness
Of dyspepcs are suppanted by healthier look, and
as the food is assmiAted, the body acquires sub
Appetite, without which food does COMPARE
lively little good, is restored and the nervous system
refreshed with much needed slumber, through the
use Of this medicine which is also beneficial to per-
sons Of . rheumatic tendency, and an inestimEble
preventive q fever and Ague.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16
TIL ELARGEST, RICHEST & cheapest
STOCK IN THE STATE,

All Departments are now
full, and the assortment is
complete, with the latest
novelties Of the season; and
as a large proportion Of this
stock was contracted for
previous to the late advance
in prices, I shall be able to
offer many lines Of goods be-
low manufacturers and i'm
porters' prices.
WOuId ddUise all persons UhO
hare Dry Goods or Carpets to buy
this season, to make their pHrchdS-
es early, as all classes of goods are
SOLD up UerU close in first hands,
and cannot be duplicated at pres
ent retail prices.