St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-03-04

| we tound ~ head OF neat cattle, 81 be-
ing cows and heiters coming in in the
spring, 100 sheep and ii horse kind.
! The silOs are under the barn. One is
42 feet long 10y ii feet, 4 inches and l3
feet deep inside. The smaller one is Is
! feet long, same depth and width as the
above, being about feet below the sills
of the barn. The walls are 8 feet thick
| built of concrete, cemented inside. The
two cost about $40O. Raised ten acres
| of fodder corn on sod land plOwed and
80 loads of stable manure to the acre
applied with the Patent Manure Spread
er. Thoroughly narrowed and planted
in drills 30 inches apart, but owing to
late planting and the drouth, got hard
ly half crop. Began to ill the largest
silo Oct. |, and finished the 18th. at an
expense of 81 cents per ton for cutting
and putting into the silO. The fodder
in the silo settled about one-fOurth in
bulk. The amount from the ten acres
was nearly $50 tons. a cubic foot after
being pressed averaged 60 pounds. The
fodder was cut by horse power, three
cuts TO the inch. Trod hard when fill
ing. Covered with two inches oat
straw. Upon this boards were placed
and loaded with stone 90 inches in
depth. Opened Dec. 20. They are feed
ing about p pounds to each animal on
an average once a day, and cut straw
wet with hot water, and two quarts of
shorts added for each animal once a
day constitutes the entire feed for the
| day. Fifty pounds of ensilage would
be days feed if fed alone. The cattle
are looking thrifty is feeding a flock
of 100 sheep with 400 pounds of ensilage
and one feed of hay with about 100 lbs.
of shorts sheep and cattle eat it readi-
ly and do well. Horses do not like it.
After looking over the barns and stock
we were invited to the house, introduc-
ed to the ladies, where well prepared
dinner awaited us. Butter fIom the
milk of the cows fed from the ensilage
was on the table, and your committee
was not smart enough TO detect any un-
usual or unpleasant taste. After din
ner came an imprOmptu farm chat that
was much enjoyed by all. We were
strongly invited to visit the farm again
in a month or 40 and compare the stock
with its present condition. Your COM
mittee were very favorably impressed
with the ensilage system of wintering
stock and think it may be so simple
| feed as to bring it within the means of
the average farmer of the county.
Mr.. Goodwin was not sure but that
the farmers of Vermont might yet be
brought to adopt the system of ensi-
lage, but his advice was that they
should be cautious and not rush into this
new system until it had been more thor
Oughly tested.
EVENING SESSION.
Joel Jenkins in the chair. Remarks
! by Mr.. Davis of the Board upon the re-
lation of Agriculture to the profession.
Agricultural prosperity means the pros
perity of all, all are dependent upon it
and should be interested in it.
Rev. Mr.. Folsom believes that Yer
mont has not seen her best days.
Thinks money paid out for fertilizers is
not thrown away. Thinks we can raise
as good cattle in Vermont as anywhere,
saw the best cattle at the County Fair
that he ever saw. Sees in the Vermont
farms fertility, which with proper care
will not run out.
Mr.. Peck thinks Vermont excells any
other state in its agricultural produc-
ton.
Mr.. Goodwin of the Board. Why is
it that your young men go West? He
wont there himself once but could not
stay liked Vermont the best. What
could we do to keep our boys on the
farm Thought if we could keep the
girls the boys would stay. Should in
terest the boys in the affairs of the
farm, give them patch of land to cul-
tivate, or n calf to tend, and thus get
them interested.
Mr.. Davis OF the Board read an ex-
cellent paper upon "Adaptation."
Mr.. GOrham inquired in regard to
feeding dairy cows? Mr.. Davis of the
Board thinks corn meal too heavy
feed alone; likes corn and oats, but
thinks oats too costly; can't afford to
feed them much. Thinks shorts good
with the corn.
Mr.. Goodwin uses sawdust for bed
ding and absorbent in the stable. Ev-
cry farmer should test his cows to see
whether they were worth keeping.
Feeds corn and cob mixed. Wants his
cows fat when coming in. They will
lose flesh when in milk on good feed
| then he feels sure he has got a good
COW.
Mr. Davis likes horse bedding and
manure for bedding and absorbent
in his COW stable. Urged the farmers
to raise more corn raise their own and
not buy so much. Save the wastes OF
the barn and keep up the fertility OF
| the soil. Educate themselves to better
understand their calling. Thought our
, system of schools all wrong; our chill.
dren could not get such an education
as they needed. A vote of thanks wal
rendered the members of the Board fol
| their efforts in making the meetings in
terestiug and profitable, and the meet
ing adjourned.
Woman's Grievance