Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-03-16

that maple trees should be tanned nea
the ground TO get the most sugar; that a
fertilizers should be sown broadcast: tba
It was desirable to spread manure whe
the snow was on the ground, as the rain
In spring dissolved and rendered availsbl
the plant food which was retained by tn
soil instead of being evaporated or washe,
Off, as many supposed; that diseased trees
especially the plum trees produced th
most fruit, bat would often die after a yer-
abundant crop, not from overbearing, a
the question indicated, but from diseas,
which forced the tree in bearing and alst
took its life
The audience was large and appreci
ative.
SECOND DAY.
The meeting was called to order by tn,
chairman.
M. W. Davis, member of the board, ad.
dressed the meeting upon THE Cow and
Her Feed. " The two leading agricultural
interests of Vermont are now and for the
present will be the COW and the sheep
The COW is a machine and noble one,
and she must be cared for and treated ac.
cordingy. would select COW in weigh,
about one thousand pounds. and best suited
for milk, "heese or butter, as the use
should determine; but in general would
select a COW of fine. thin skin, small neck and
horns, good digestive organs, large milk
veins, full, large, broad udder and yellow
skin; If for butter the Jersey as rule
if for cheese, Holstein or AYRSHIRE, though
there are good, yea, extra natives, which |
would not discard; the kind of food is
OF much Importance; grain and soil in
summer for the production of milk in
quantity and quality; rye, clover and corn,
hungarian, oats, etc. cleanliness in milk
ing; purity of locality in setting milk
churning before milk coagulates; wash
ing butter in brine water, working as
lightly as possible, 80 as not TO break the
grain of the butter; salt to taste; work
but once; pack to suit customers The
average number of pounds of butter to
the COW in Vermont is some one hundred
and forty pounds, which does not leave
profit; should be three hundred pounds
and then will pay; and l expect YOU to
struggle for this standard, or even better,
and this industry will pay and seem par
allel to the sheep industry somewhat.
This was followed by the address of Mr..
Howe, which will appear in full in a future
issue.
The meeting in the afternoon was called
to order at 2 p. NJ, and Prof. Sabn gave
an address upon Practical Application
of Scientific Facts"
He said that the scientific fact that
glucose or grape sugar could be manufac-
tured from starch had caused great
industry to spring up from it that in real
ity produced one-ffth of the sugar used ;
and yet it was fraud upon the consumer,
as glucose possessed little sweetening
power, and yet was used to adulterate
sugar, or to sell in place of it to confec-
tioners and others; but as it was not less
healthful than cane or maple sugar it did
not become as criminal as adulterating
with poisonous substances.
In the application of science to agricul-
ture there were some difficulties in the
way, yet the first agricultural chemist,
Liebig, advised the using of guano as a
fertilizer, and the getting of it had now
become one of the great industries of the
country, showing in its great sale some
thing of the benefits derived from it; that
it was thus by the application of scientific
facts thus promul gated that our advances
hid many times been made, and he urged
the farmers to make use of thought, and
as far as possible use brain work with
their labor, as that was the way to succeed.
He gave also the analysis and worth of
yard manure as compared to fertilizers,
showing the worth of ashes compared
with potash to be from twenty to twenty
five cents, and yard manure about one
dollar load. He urged the farmers to
prepare their own phosphates, as we'll AS
most of their fertilizers.
AS the train on which the professor was
obliged to leave arrived. tho questions
upon his able address were answered bv
the secretary.
Col. Franklin inquired about oleomar
garine and its probable effect upon our
dairy products.
The secretary replied that it was true
that to some ex ent it took the place OF
dairy products, and some farmers utilized
the oleomargarine cream by putting it
with their cream in very warm weather
and thus making better product. While
lie would not recommend any one to adul-
terate food, this was not an adulteration
as by analysis it was the same AS our
dairy product, and if we could improve
our butter by its use he would recommend
it; but would advise caution in its trial.
He described the process of manufacture
and the neatness of the factory and its
employees, and thus illustrated how it
became serious competition that farmers
should wake up to, and would have to
make more perfect dairy butter or this
inlnsiru un1lI Hanraooa ii ha orioae ahto;.
ed. Yet this production has limit, as the
leaf of tallow could not be obtained with
out the death of the animal.
This discussion was followed by an ad-
dress by Mr.. Putnam of Grafton upon
" Reading as means of education"
which will appear in full in future issue
The evening session was opened by n
paper from Mr.. Houghton of Towhshend
upon THE Farmers Education" which
will appear in future issue.
This was followed by an excellent ad-
dress by Governor Farnham, who said :
After the very valuable information upon
the different branches of agriculture that
have been given you by the several mem
bers of the board, shall attempt to add
nothing in that direction; but think it
may be of use to us to consider the ulti-
mate result of our agricultural life upon
this people. Those who have spoken to
you have told you how you may turn off
the products of your farms more cheaply
and at a greater profit; but behind this is
question of more Importance than dol
lars and cents-the question of the educa-
ton and civilization of the people. The
highest moral excellence and true stability
of character are to be found neither among
the abject poor nor the luxurious rich, but
among the middle classes, such as make
up the bulk of the farmers of Vermont.
Their surroundings are such as to make a
people peculiar in all those characteristics
desirable in any country. We can boast
of a population as industrious, frugal,
honest and intelligent rs any to be found
in the country, and it is made up of those
independent men who own their farms,
small though they may be, and who work
on them themselves with their children.
The speaker illustrated his ideas very
fully. by going into the incidents and
labors of the farmers life, and their infu-
ence upon himself and his children. lie
claimed that no other business or manner
of life tended to make men and women of
so high standard of excellence as the
life of the Vermont farmer.