davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

Wool AND Wool PRoDUCTS.-The in
ternaLlonal exhibition of sheep. wool and
wool products, under the auspices oil
the Pennsylvania state agricultural
society, will be held in the permanent
agricultural building, Paramount PARK
next September. 1t is said by the officers
of the society that the money realized al
the fair held last year will enable them to
offer unusual premiums for all classes OF
stock and machinery. Replies to circulars
and letters addressed to prominent stock
growers throughout the country already
indicate that the exhibits already in the
buildings are packed close together. The
aggregate of prizes to be offered is Si0.-
600, including $500 for cattle, $1,000
for horses (racing prohbited). $1,000 for
sheep, 5000 for swine, 81 800 for poultry
$4,000 for the dairy, $1,000 for tools. i'm
plements and machinery, $1,000 for state,
county, club and individual exhibits OF
farm orchard and garden products. and
$1,000 for wool and wood products and
other manufactured goods. The sheep
prizes are, for ilocks $50 and $3.50, for
ram and five of his get $3.50, $500, etc.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02
I" The POiafn Bng.V

Those who took comfort in the belief
that the striped-coated visitor from Color
ado had not come to stay, are not likely to
get much consolation by the opening of
the spring campaign, for he has never been
present in such, numbers, or shown so
strict an eye to business and such untiring
industry as this spring, and those whose
early paintings are already up are having
the benefit or bother of his ceaseless at
tention.
We rather pity those boys under sew
enteen years old who have been deluded
by the college trustees into planting
"early rows" of Early Rose, for now
they turn their backs up to the sun in the
morning before school and industriously
seek him out, aud drop him into the old
tin pan with a little kerosene in it, and
when they have gone over the piece and
turn back toward the house with that pro.
found satisfaction which comes of con-
seriousness Of work well done, how soon
and entirely it departs when he finds four
more bugs on the hills he had picked two
from, and if that boy don't think some
naughty thoughts he would make good
hero for a Sabbath school story book.
We have tried Paris green and pest
poison or London purple, and like the
latter much the best. 1t is equally effect
i've, and holds in suspension better.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02
A Cold Wet May,

Mr.. Vennor, with two showers and the
mercury cavorting about among the nine
ties.
Mr.. Vennor says he has given up the
business of prognosticating the weather,
as it "takes too much time and money!
We should think SO; it must have cost
much time, ssand some money, to have fig.
ured out such a result, and then have il
prove like this. There is an intelligent
system of forecasting the weather fol
brief periods, and the weather bureau OF
the signal service has it in very excellent
operation; but this foretelling the seasons
six months in advance gives pretty poor
results, whether Vennor's "science," the
goose bone," Or the thickness of corn
husks form the basis of the prophecy.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

CovERED,-We are informed by DR..
Bailey, of winning Farm" that ensiage
is not new discovery of M. Goffart's, or
even French or German discovery at
all. That the ancient Romans constructed
silos or vaults in which they preserved
fruits. vegetables and forage in their green
state by subjeoting them to pressure. The
system of ensilageis now and long has
been practiced by Mexican farmers, to
whom this method was doubtless taught
by some learned Spanish Catholic monk or
priest who through spirit of adventure or
religious zeal for missionary work, was
induced to accompany the Spanish adven-
turers which thronged to that country
upon the subjugation of the Astecs by Cor
ties and his followers. Without doubt the
idea was seized upon by the French during
their recent occupation of that country,
carried back to France by them, improved
upon. and its great utility demonstrated.
1t is often said there is nothing new under
the sun. In this case. that which we
believed to be an original discovery of NJ.
Goffart, proves rather to be one of the
"lost arts" which after being unused for
centuries seems to he destined 10 reyoIu.
tlonize modern agriculture. Massachusetts
Poughnaan.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

TRANSMITTING TREEs.-I planted 8
lot of seeding spruce and balsams ter
years ago, in a very stiff or heavy clay
soil. In three or four years | transplanted
half of them, which operation oot-pruned
| both those that were removed and those
that remained. The job was well done.
and nota tree lost. Fibrous roots were
made. and when am setting them, ball
of earth envelopes the roots, and never
lose any trees. One year ago took III
nice spruce, six or seven feet high, and
left it standing on the sod with nothing to
protect it but the ball of earth, and it has
remained there ever since, and is still
sound and good, although we had the
worst drought l ever saw. We can put
one OF those trees in wagon and drive
twenty miles; the tree will Stand straight
up, and be sure to grow. But you cant
do this with trees grown in the sand;., the
dirt would fall off and the roots would get
dry, and have to be kept moist, especially
those of large trees. | have successfully
moved trees twelve feet high with u ball
of earth that would weigh POO to 300
pounds. Some people, in giving direc-
tons for transplanting say dig the hole
a little deeper than the tree stood in the
nursery. But this won't do in a heavy
clay soil, unless the ground is well drain
ed, because the hole will fill up with
water and drown the tree even fish
may be drowned. But in removing trees
from clay soil to Il sandy soil the advice
Is good because it is impossible to drown
tree in any well-drained soil. Some
times, in planting, set the tree on the
surface of the ground and fetch soil to
cover the roots, and very seldom lose a
tree.-E 4. RoJy, in ~ Y. TriJ4ne.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

TIE CnURN AGENTS ARTFUL DODGE.
Mr.. q. w. Bronson, Vernon Centre,
n. Y, describes in the Utica Herald the
ftvorite process for selling patent churns.
It is Just about so:
The agent calls, wishes to introduce
his churn into the neighborhood, and will
test it on the spot. He knows the merits
of his churn and understands his
business. The farmers wife brings for
ward the cream jar. holding sixteen
quarts of cream. Now, says the agent,
we will stir this cream up, so as to make
all fair, Now he takes off four quarts,
very carefully measured, puts it into the
churn sure, for on this the the whole thing
depends. He then puts four quarts into
your churn, takes four for himself and
gives you the last four quarts, and says,
now that is all fair. Now he will pro-
duce Il thermometer, TO see that the
cream stands at about 600. The point he
is to settle at this time is, which churn
will make the most butter out of the same
quantity of cream. Each runs his own
churn; each is called churned at about
the same time. 1t is taken out of the
churn and carefully weighed when 10 and
behold the new churn has 1t pounds
more butter than the farmers churn.
Farmer gives certificate, buys the new
churn, and the agent goes on to work the
same game on the next neighbor. if the
certificate is not enough. The question
is. how was the result obtainedp The
solution is this: the agent had the best of
the cream Notwithstanding little stirring
The best cream is at the top. the next best
the second four quarts which the farmer
gets, the third the agent, the fourth
nearly all leopard milk, which the farmer
gets hence the result. The farmer gets
II new churn as good as his old one and
perhaps no better, worth five or ten dol
lars, to pay for his lesson on churns."
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

WASH FOR FRUIT TREEs.-A corre-
spondent of the Fruit Recorder writes as
follows:
notice in recent issue a number OF
recipes for killing the cooling moth. |
have tried various remedies on my orchard,
some of which have been suggested by
scientific men. will now give you my
experience with them. My orchard con-
sists of trees ranging from one to fifty
years of age. and | find the oodling moth
ready for attack at any age. Last year,
when pruning, made wash of my own,
and tried it with good results. The fol-
lowing ingredients compose the wash
One quart Of lime, such as is used by the
plasterers in white-coating one peck oil
leached wood ashes, two pecks of COW
manure, one quart of soft soap. and one
large tablespoonful of Paris green. wet
the mixture thoroughly, to make it like
paste, beating it thoroughly until it be-
came tough. | added twelve quarts oil
water, or enough to give the trees a thor
ough coating. find, on the old trees so
washed, that the old bark is dropping of
and leaving the new bark perfectly smooth.
On all the trees | have washed see per
feet Improvement.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

One OF the rules adopted by the Ohio
board of agriculture is as follows:
Exhibitors in the live stock depart
ments will be required to display over
each stall OF pen occupied by their stock, a
placard containing the name, age and
breed of the animal occupying the stall or
pen, and also the name and postotlice ad-
dress of the owner. The placard will be
furnished and filled up at the secretary's
office"
We commend this rule to the managers
of all fairs, and would earnestly urge it,
adoption. 1t will largely do away with
the great annoyance of asking questions
on the part of visitors, and answering
them on the part Of exhibitors. Where
placards are not allowed until premiums
are awarded, exhibitors lose most of the
value Of the exhibition to them, for moi
half the people find out who they are
Many will not inquire, and many who dc
get no satisfactory answer. We have
experienced this annoyance many II time
in attempting to take notes for a report
The idea that committees must not know
whose stock they are examining ought tt
be exploded with such force that the piece,
could never be brought together again
Put men on committees who will give the
awards to the meritorious animals and no
to their owners.
The above from the Ohio Furmcr We
would be glad to lay before the officers Of
every fair in Vermont. Many exhibitors
have such cards, and many Of our socie.
ties cards carry on them the information
sought on most of the articles. One OIL
the biggest humbugs in the whole fair bus.
mess is the designation of certain articles
by number only, as butter and cheese for
instance. on the presumption that the
judges do not know the exhibitors of the
article.
We will venture to say that we do not
believe there ever has been an exhibit of
butter in New England, certainly not in
Vermont, in which some of the Judges
did not know and could not identify some
of the manufacture they were Judging.
In live stock there is no pretense to Sc
cresy. The owners are known, and show
their stock. and whether the assumption is
that judges of butter and cheese are less
likely to be honest, and so must be kept in
ignorance. or whether butter makers are
more likely to bring undue influence to
bear, either is reflection on one or the
other, and the practice altogether useless
and ridiculous.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

TARRING FENCE Posrs.-A CORRESPOND
ent of the Country Gentleman writes as
follows: have tried turring fence pos S,
and seen it tried by others great many
times, and my experience is that near the
surface of the ground Othe difficult place
to keep sound) the preservative effects
OF the tar are completely neutralized in
from one to two years by the action of the
soll-wet and dry. saw some oak posts
treated with covering of hot coal tar set
in July, 1869, which completely rotted off.
aud the fence had to be rebuilt in 1877
The location Of this fence, however. was
such that it was subject to frequent changes
of wet and dry.
1t occurred to me, some wears aoo. that
after applying coal tar it would be GOOD
plan to burn it off, thus producing "a char
red surface, which will resist decay under
all circumstances. set some white cedar
posts in this manuer in 1875, and they are
rs sound to-day near the surface of the
ground as when set, and since then have
followed the practice up quite generally.
l cover the posts thoroughly with hot tar,
being careful to cover to some inches above
the surface of the ground, then pile up the
tarred ends together, six or eight in "A pile
and set fire to them, turning them over, if
necessary while burning until the entire
surface is thoroughly charred. 1t is better
to apply the hot tar, as it enters all the
cracks and checks and also the pores of the
wood, and some of it remains under the
charred surface.
1t will not do to treat green posts in
this manner, as the confined moisture soon
rots the posts from the inside, but can
see no reason why dry post 50 treated
Will not last great many years.
In the experiments which have been
made with coal tar applied to the wood.
work exposed to earth and moisture, it has
been found important to heat both wood
and tar to cause it to enter the pores, and
this is doubtless effected very efficiently
by the charring described in the preceding
report of experiments, Simply applied to
the surface of wood exposed above ground,
coal tar has been found to do more harm
than good. Where we have used it for
wood at the surface of the ground, proper
~ driven into the pores, it has made it
last in some instances twenty years, when
without this protection it would not sur
vive five years.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

tried the Stockbridge fertilizer las
year on bed of onions. and raised large
crop. | cannot say it was all owing Il
the fertilizer, because | used two barrels
Of salt and four barrels of ashes. Thi.
year have tried hen manure. bought
twelve barrels Of hen manure at cost OF
twelve dollars. l sowed that hen manure,
and it did not cover the piece over, II had
sowed two barrels of salt on the whole
plece,) and | took two boxes of cotton
seed meal and sowed that on broadcast
the same as the hen manure. The result
Is that l have on the cotton seed men]
bigger onions than / have on the her
manure, and the growth on the whole field
is bigger this year than it was last. 1t is
monstrous growth.
Another thing l will say. do moi
think we appreciate how much value there
is in ashes. This year, took the grass
of OF rather poor piece Of land and turn.
ed 1t over, and sowed on part of it Hun
garian grass, and on the other part buck
wheat. took four bushels of ashes and
scwed it on the Hungarian grass but left
strip about two feet wide to which did
not apply the ashes. On that strip, there
was hardly anything, but whore the ashes
went, have monstrous growth of Hun
garian grass. served the buckwheat in
the same way and where the ashes went,
the buckwheat had great growth; where
they did not 60. the growth is not half as
large. So / think we ought to make more
account of ashes than we do.-Henru, in
PZ0ugltY9dn.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02
BEST Nom o, INCREASING swA1

/ BEST MoDB OF INCREASING SwARMs.-
There are many bee keepers who disprove
any mode Of handling bees that checks or
controls their natural tendencies. Conse-
quently they favor only natural swarming.
Now desire to say that unrestricted nat
ural swarming is the most Improbable
system Of increase that can be practiced.
If fact know of no one thing which is
practiced to any extent that is so thoroughly
undesirable and so far behind the times.
Even the box hive and birthstone pit do
not prove their advocates so unwise as are
those who allow this mode of swarming.
Those using the box hive might control
swsrming TO the extent that sufficient
honey would be secured to warrant the
application Of the birthstone match.
A little over ono year ago | suggested
this motto: "Keep each colony supplied
with laying queen at all times" Now
desire to make strong assertion, and
ask bee keepers to consider it. With a
knowledge of what state, | affirm that if
this motto were observed, the amount of
honey produced throughout the country at
present would be more than double from
the same number of stocks. When two
or three swarms are allowed to issue, the
old stock is without laying queen from
fifteen to twenty days. This fact alone
makes unrestricted natural swarming en-
tirely undesirable.
Time and space will not allow me to
mention the many disadvantages of the
practice referred to; but | hope that nv
assertions, given as the result of thorough
investigation and actual practice, will lead
fhnsa tpho han aOf alFaaIty dana -,
vestigate the advantages to be gained by
the more advanced methods of increase
Many maintain that one swarm should be
allowed to issue, and all after swarms be
prevented. In some localities and some
seasons this may prove satisfactory, but,
all things considered object to any nat
ural swarming. There are several modes
of artificial increase which in most seasons
will prove practicable, have found that
it is necessary to adopt some system that
will suit all seasons, for we cannot deter
mine in advance what the season will be.
| shall therefore recommend, as the best
mode, that of forming nuclei and building
them up to full stocks.
In this way the queen may be reared from
the best selected stock. Then one comb of
brood may be taken at time from origin
al stocks, until each nucleus is built in a
strong swarm. The place of the cards OF
brood removed from original stocks should
be supplied with empty combs, or frames
filled with foundations. The practical
benefits to be gained by this method could
not be enumerated in single article
They can only be attained by IA thorough
study OF the subject through the various
publications in which practical bee culture
is made plain.-Pres. l.. G. Root of The
Northeastern Bee Keepers Assocjationi
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

JOHN STEWARDS BUTTER METHOD
John Stewart, OF Iowa, has made a
fame as a butter maker that is not confined
to this continent. In 1873 is he took
away The highest honors at the great St.
Louis fairs; in 1876 he carried off tbs
gold medal at the centennial exhibition
he was equally fortunate at the royal
agricultural exhibition in London, En-.
gland, in 1870; in 1873 he took the first
premium on October butter, and at the
same fair in 1870, he took twelve pre-
miums. Recollect, too, that this butter
was made in Iowa. 1t has been but few
years since the mention of Iowa AS a
dairy state would have elevated the nose
OF an eastern dairyman at an angle Of A.
degrees. Things have changed in this
behalf. thanks to John Stewart, and many
Ike him, who have achieved triumphs
IN butter and cheese dairying, which have
shown the country and the world what
the west can do in this industry.
Mr.. Stewards method in making butter
is contained in pamphlet issued by him
in the interest of making good butter.
He begins with the treatment of the COW
She must have a warm dry stable. and be
fed literally with ground corn, oats and
barley mixed in equal parts. He discards
the use of turnips and oil cake, but
emphasizes the necessity of plenty of
good hay and water. He discourages the
use OF wooden pals, employing tin, which
must be thoroughly scalded before using
the receiving can is set in cool water. II
cellar is used for setting the milk, he
would permit nothing else in it, keep it
well whltewashed, and attend to the ven
lllatlon. In his opinion, milk is injured
II chilled too much in cold weather, or if
II reaches too high temperature in warm
weather. When the weather is warm he
surrounds the pans with water as deep
as the milk: milk will keep sweet thirty
SIX hours ut il temperature of 62 to G5
degrees. He does not permit cream to
thlcken in warm weather before it is
taken off; skins sometimes in twenty-four
hours, and again at forty-eight hours,
according to the condition of the cream :;
does not keep cream longer than forty
eight hours before churning; churns every
day, If possible, at Il temperature of SO to
90 degrees in summer, and 62 to 60 in
winter; draws the buttermilk before the
butter forms in mass and washes it
with clear cold water, or brine. which is
better, until the liquid runs clear, then
gathers and works it thoroughly, using an
ounce OF salt to pound of butter; sets it
away for twenty-four hours. and works all
the milk out, giving dash of cold water
occasionally.
In packing he uses the best quality of
tubs soaking them twenty-four hours
before packing; packs closely to sides and
bottom; and fills the tub level full,
puts on clean bleached muslin cloth
saturated with brine. and layer of wet
salt oyer that, puts on the cover, fastens
with three strips &c Irvine, and the butter
is ready for shipment. Butter made in
this way brings good price.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-02

TRAINING HEIFERs TO M1LK.-This is
sometimes called "breaking." but the term
is too harsh, and suggestive OF ropes and
clubs. While opposed to harsh treatment
in training heifers to milk, we do not
approve of feeding her on sugar and sing
ing to her, while we waste hours, days
and patience in overcoming her dislike OF
the milking process. 1t is better to lay
aside both sentimental and heroic notions,
and take business view of the subject.
With but one or two heifers it is easy
enough to pet them into perfect docility,
but this plan will not apply in large herds.
when heiters must be caught up after
they drop their first calves and handled
while in IA semi-wild state. The point to
be accomplished is to teach her that you
neither mean harm nor foolishness but
simply business. To accomplish this you
must be reasonable, firm and patient; nd
nit that she has not got much sense; is
UNNECESSARILY fractions and foolishly
timid. Prepare yourself to meet these
failings with those human qualities which
are apt to overcome them. The best
practical method 10 accomplish this that
we have ever seen was the following: Put
the hcifer in stanchions between two old
quiet cows. A strong man sits down TO
milk her just rs he would m old COW.
She is not apt to make flank movements
because those old cows are there, and she
has II wholesome respect for them. When
she lifts her foot to kick the strong left arm
of the mixer meets the blow half way,
and returns Immediately us though nothing
had happened. In fact, the mixer should
proceed Just as if he had MIXED her
thousand times, and pay no more attention
to her gyratons than is necessary to pro-
tect himself in the prosecution of his work.
With this treatment, she soon learns there
is nothing to be gained by opposition.
and quietly submits. The best regulated
diaries are those where the COWS are treat
ed with firmness, made 10 know their
places, and keep in them. A COW is as
easily spoilt with over indulgence as with
too harsh Northumberland and Home,