Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-23
Rural Topics.
HEN MANURE,

ih"iO 10 SS'ioclJ - ldIul Ou WHICH, pOul
try is not kept, but on large number o
farms no provision whatever is made fo
the preservation of the droppings, which
are the most valuable manure on the farm
and should be carefully saved and mixeC
with land plaster, road dust or dried mucl
and applied to the corn and garden crops
When we see farmer purchasing super
phosphate and other commercial fertilizers
before he makes and saves all the manure
he can on the farm, it looks as though he
did not understand his business. The
hens, if properly managed, will certainly
add considerable to the product of the corr
field; hence, all who keep fowls SHOULD
carefully look to this product from then
as one of the profits.
BONES FOR POULTRY.
The feeding of bones to poultry is /;
good plan. l have practiced it considera
bly, and do not hesitate to recommend the
practice to all lovers of well filed egg
basket; formerly used to burn them, bu
more recently find that the bones unburn
ed are of much more value, as there i,
meat and grease on them that is lost wher
they are burned.
ROADSIDE WEEDS.
In this state we have law compelling
all landowners to cut the weeds within the
boundary Of the road twice a ycar-once
in June, and again in August, and if every
state had such Il law, it would be of great
value. This law has been in operation
here but two years, and already we can
see the good effects of It.
POTATO BEETLES.
This varmint" has been here eight
years, and the prospect is that he has come
TO stay, although it was said by those who
protested to know that they would not re
main long; but people have learned how
to deal with them, so that they do not
cause so much alarm as when they first
appeared. This year they are very much
more numerous than last in this locality.
IMPROVE THE FARM.
| have sometimes thought, when | have
been looking over certain farms, what
little faith the occupants must have in
farming rs business, if one is to Judge
by the condition of the farm, and by the
little or no effort that is put forth to i'm
prove it. Now | am firm believer in 40
riculture rs Il business, though it is slow
way, perhaps, to get rich, if one reckons
riches entirely by the number of dollars
one is worth, which do not, for do not
believe wealth to consist entirely of gold.
but that it consists partly in the beauty of
ones home, and in the comfort that is en-
Dyed rs one passes along. do not believe
n farmers selling out and moving to
he city or village, as many do when they
grow old, for where can people take more
comfort than on the old farm where they
nave spent II greater part of their lives,
md where their children have grown up
'round them, and, it is to be hoped, have
settled near bya Hence, my idea of i'm
proving the farm is to bring it 10 the high
est state of fertility, and constantly make
permanent improvements, always looking
owards that time when old age will come
upon us-if we should live to reach that
line, which every one, of course. hopes to-
And if the homestead is improved and
rs it ought to be, the children
specially the boys, will be far less anxious
o leave it for the city; this, think. |
know.
i Nv i"ob lilbC L wa III luC HUIllc vi lllN
ooyhood, | could not but feel badly to see
many of the once nice farms now deserted
and turned out to pasture or left to grow
up to woods, while scores of the young
men, as they reached their maturity, were
leaving for :" down country" or, if they
wished to farm, for the far west, where
they would encounter many times more
than they would have had
if they had remained on the old homestead
or bought one of the old and deserted
farms near by, which could have been
bought at low figure. have seen many
men who have been west. and after n time
were glad to come back, who would have
been hundreds of dollars better off if they
stayed at home; and | also know of some
who would be glad to come back if they
could get the money to come with.
+. II. ID.
Corning, Steuben Co., N. Y, D
June ID, 1880.