Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-18
Agricultural Meetings.

was very good, so mucn 50 tuat lne oNeH-
ing session held till past 10 o'clock.
The next morning the editor accompa'
MED the superintendent and Mr.. Sanborn
to the fine farm of Lawrence Brainerd,
ESQ. Mr. Brainerd has in his barns about
one hundred and twenty head of cattle,
and supplies milk to St. Adams. His herd,
like most of Franklin county stock, is
largely Ayrshire, and for their purpose,
are most excellent; but they are not what
we lave been used to for butter making,
and when, in reply to the question of Mr..
Brainerd, "What is there that | can do TO
make better butter?" we said. :" Get better
cows" he said, - know that; but l chiefly
sell milk"
For supplying milk or making cheese
we believe the Ayrshire COW to stand
unrivaled, as the Jersey for butter Or the
Hercfords or Shorlhorns for beef
The meeting on Tuesday was at Fairfax,
where a large audience met the speakers,
and Il most lively discussion was started
by Mr.. Towle's paper on " Sugar" and
tin tubs and wooden tubs, and pans and
eyaporators were discussed.
We have supposed the merits of tin
tubs to be such that their superiority was
generally conceded, but we have been
somewhat surprised to find that some of
the largest and best sugar makers in the
state prefer wooden tubs, and these paint
g inside and out.
And again some urge against evapora-
tors; that the sap is heated too hot, and
the maple flavor is thereby injured and
partially destroyed, though some of the
better sugar makers, notably the Fosters
of Cabot, use evaporators, and while we
have never used one, we have always
wanted one and thought them the best for
making the first quality of sugar with the
least possible cost.
One instance was cited where three
hundred pounds Of sugar was made in an
evarorator in one days boiling, and not
over half cord of wood was used in the
process. OF course the quality of the
wood used will have an important effect
on the amount consumed.
Wednesdays meeting was at East Fair
field, where large audience was in at
tendance, and the Methodist church in
which the meeting was held was filled
with an attentive audience of men and
women, old and young-one Of the d" first
class " meetings, and here the same fact;
concerning sugar and sugar apparatus
were brought out many preferring wood
en- tubs; but we think there are other con
sideratons which enter into the matter
which make the tin tubs desirable. They
are more easily cared for as TO cleanliness
and gathered and distributed with less Ia
Dor.
Mr.. Lyman Newton read a paper at thi.
meeting which so nearly meets our mine
that we print it entire. 1t brings out the
point of different classes of education re
quired for different purposes; that mar
who knows his business is to that extern
educated.
The meeting on Thursday was at Shell
don, and in spite of bad weather-a thav
which made sleighing minus quantity
and slush and mud plenty-the attendant,
was very good, though it looked not very
encouraging when the meeting opened
but the vestry of the church was well fill
ed in the evening, and the attendance gooc
in the afternoon.
Sheldon, twenty-five Or thirty years ago
was one of the first towns in northern
Vermont, perhaps the best, st. Adams ex
certed. But Il series of disasters hav
seemed 10 follow it. A dishonest cashie
absorbed the funds of the bank and mad
himself scarce, and the bank was forced II
wind up, but paid its depositors in full
Then the "Springs excitement came OF
and crowds Of people focked to "Sheldo
Springs" and about every house in tow
had boarders. This induced the buildin
of hotels and large boarding houses, bu
soon, from various reasons, the rush wa
over, but the debt, which was to have bee
paid from the profits of the summer board
ers, was left unpaid and widespread disas
ter followed Then, or perhaps befor
this crash, the town bonded itself in aid O
the railroad, and as usual the stock i
worthless and taxes are high enough t
make it up.
So times are hard and farmers ar
respondent, and the lookout Is rattle
gloomy; but they have good soil, and il
some way or other agriculture must flour
ish and pay in the long run for the intelli
gent, careful, frugal farmer
The meeting on Friday was at Enos
burgh Falls, in the hall of the Quinc,
house, and there was very good audi
ence, and an intelligent and interested one
We noted present G. S. Fassett, Esq
member of the late state board of agri
culture, E. d. Mason and o. S. Bliss
president and secretary of the dairymen'
association.
In the afternoon Mr.. Sanborn gave hi
methods of feeding, fertilizing, raisin!
crops, etc.
President Mason gave Il talk on tn
dairy. in which he advocated making NOR
cheese and butter in Vermont.
Mr.. Bliss spoke on cream raising, il
which he referred to most of the prevail
ing systems in use. The Cooley process
was originally close setting system, bu
there were doors in milk which it was de
sirable to get rid of, and their later appa
ratus had device for raising the cover
little, and they claimed there wer
enough odors to render the water offensv
in three days. If this were SO, he woul'
like to know what became of the odor
which were condensed on the under sid
of the cover and dropped down into tn
milk.