Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-07-03
Secretary of Vermont State Board
of Agriculture and Bradley Fer
tilizer Company of Boston.

As am in receipt of numerous letters
of inquiry about a suit brought against
me by the Bradley Fertilizer Company of
Boston think best to answer those in
quiries through the press; and will first
say that such suit has been brought re-
turnable to the United States court at
Windsor. AS to the query why suit has
been brought by company that has been
benefited rather than injured by my lee
lures? as has SO often been expressed 20
me, and by a company for whose benefit
l have allowed an address to be made by
their agent before one of our meetings,
which / published and distributed, can
only be answered on the ground that all
do not know when they are well used. |
have of course, tried to do my duty as
secretary of our board of agriculture and
in so doing have urged farmers to depend
upon themselves, and by experiments as
certain the needs of their soil and use
just what that soil required, and not pur-
chase commercial fertilizers unless they
could gain more by SO doing than other
wise. | have aimed to do my duty and
my whole duty by the farmers in this re-
Spect. In answer to questions, | once re-
ferred to what | heard and saw when | at
one time visited the offices and works of
the Bradley Company; but my statements
were not as set out in their writ. To this
they take exceptions, and bring suit; but
| Will say to the farmers of Vermont that
/ expect to be able to fully prove every
assertion | have made in my lectures.
OF course | have sometimes given an
opinion in relation to different soils meth
DDS of feeding, ETC., which further eXper-
iment may show to be incorrect; bnt in
those cases and all others | have urged
upon the farmers and still do so urge that
those opinions about fertilization or plant
feeding should not be accepted until prov
en- in experiments made by themselves,
which experiments | have always urged
at the beginning and close Of my remarks
on fertilization. [ have had no malice or
feeling of illwill againt any firm, vendor
or party that have manufactured or sold
the different fertilizing materials to the
farmer; but have fearlessly and truthful
ly portrayed as best / was able the result
of experiment and investigation as under
stood by me; and when asked to prove
the same in court of justice shall do so
as / best can, and l trust and believe such
proof will be of a character that will be
acceptable to the people for whom and
with whom l labor; and if acceptable to
them it will doubtless have to be Satisfac-
tory to my prosecutors. The position of
secretary of the board of agriculture was
not one l asked for or desired; but when,
through the urgent request of many, ac-
cepted did so intending to aid and pro-
tect the farmer and his interests in every
available way. Perhaps truth coming
through a court of justice will have great
er weight than otherwise, and is needed.
No one can foreknow the future, but
have full consciousness that Ihave only
done as the law required of me: that is,
to use my knowledge, judgement and ex-
periments for the advantage of the farm
ers of Vermont. Those who have SO
faithfully labored with me can testify to
my work, and those who have heard me
speak can use their judgemedt upon my
remarks. That perfection is in humanity
1 do not claim; that my teachings have
been infallible do not expect; but they
have been faithful and honest, and l shall
be able to show them when required.
HIRAM A. CUTTING,
Il