Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-23
State Board OF Agriculture,


The attendance at the meetins a. last Burke,
| wednesday, February 10th, was large and the
| meeting successful. Mr.. Bradley Ingalls, pre-
sided The subject of fertilizers was taken up
and Mr. Harlow Coe gave experiments with guano
and manure from the hog-pen, with nearly the
same results. Mr.. T. p. Allen found that the in
crease of his crops had paid the first year the cost
Of the phosphates. Mr.. Kenerson thought they
were usually applied too homeopathically for best
results Mr.. Ward used commercial fertilizers.
but advised farmers to make reservoirs under
their stables and save the liquid manure. 1t
should be kept under cover until carted to the field
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the opening of the afternoon session. Mr.
Goodwin read paper upon the value OF the hay
crop, showing the different kinds, the amount
produced and value. He advised the use Of ten
pounds of timothy, ten OF red-top and six of
clover to the acre lie expressed the opinion that
clover going to seed exhausted the soil more than
the removing of the aftermath. He would apply
all manure to the surface, whatever the character
or inclination of the soil. Mr. Davis Of the board,
on the contrary, advocated blowing in manure
about five inches and mixing it with the surface
soil. Mr.. Goodwin thought clover should be cut
when about one-half turned brown, and timothy
after first blossom. Mr.. Davis would cut clover
when lodged, and would rake in seed by hand
where for any cause 1t was killed, that all the
ground might be occupied. The committee ap-
pointed to visit the farm of w. W. Grout and in
spect his silo reported that the farm contained
about three hundred and thirty acres OF these
one hundred and fifteen acres are moving and
tillage, one hundred and forty pasture and the
balance wood land. In his barns are seventy
nine head OF neat cattle, one hundred sheep and
fourteen horse kind. The silos are under the
barn One is forty-two feet long by eleven feet
four inches wide and thirteen feet deep inside
The smaller one is eighteen feet long, same depth
and width as the above, being about eight
feet below the stills OF the barn. The walls are
eight feet thick, built OF concrete, cemented in
side. The two cost about $500 Raised ten acres
of fodder corn on sod land plowed and twenty
loads OF stable manure to the acre applied with
the patent manure spreader. Thoroughly har-
rowed and planted in drills twenty inches apart
but owing to late planting and the drowth, got
hardly half crop Began to fill the largest slo
October lst, and finished the 18th, at an expense
OF eighty-seven cents per ton for cutting and put
ting into the silo, The fodder in the silo settled
about one-fourth in bulk. The amount from the
A cubic foot after being pressed averaged sixty
pounds, Their fodder was cut by horsepower,
three cuts to the inch. Trod hard when filling.
Covered with two inches oat straw Upon this
boards were placed and loaded with stone twenty
inches in depth. Opened December Goth. Feeds
about twenty-five pounds to each animal on an
average once day. Cut straw wet with hot
water. and two quarts OF shorts added for each
nj lau
the day. Fifty pounds of ensilsge would be q
days feed II fed alone The cattle are look ing
thrifty; is feeding flock Of one hundred sheep
with four hundred pounds of ensilage and one
feed OF hay with about one hundred pounds of
shorts, sheep and cattle eat il readily and do
we'll. Horses do not like it, Butter made from
milk OF cows fed with ensilage had no unusual or
lowed this report Mr.. Goodwin was not sure
but that the farmers of Vermont might yet be
brought To adopt the system Of ensilage, but his
advice was that they should be cautious and not
rtfsh into this new system until It had been more
thoroughly tested
EVENING SESSION
At the evening session Mr Davis addressed the
meeting upon the dependence of the professions
upon agriculture. Mr.. Goodwin asked, Why is
Il that young men 70 westY He went there him
self once but could not stay; liked Vermont the
best What could we do to keep our bows on the
Iarm2 Thought II we could keep the girls the
boys would stay. Should Interest the boys In the
Affairs OF the farm, give them patch OF land to
cultivate or calf to tend, and thus get them in
.erested. Mr., Davis thought corn meal too heavy
\ feed for cows, fed alone, for dairy cows, and
would mix with some lighter food. lie urged
farmers 10 raise more corn and not buy so much
o save the waste Of the barn and keep up the
fertility 10 educate themselves to better under
'tand their calling lie thought our system Of
'chools wrong, and that our children do not get
,uch an education rs they need, After vote OF
hanks TO the board, ME meeting adjourned.
THE German Reichstag opened on the 10Th in