Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-17
Agricultural.
More Of she vermont Agricultural ne.
mort.

during the years 1Ss1.S2 forty-four public
meetings, not less than two nor more than
five being held in any one county. The Sec
retary's report of these meetings is comprised
in So pages, and contains the substance of
the points brought out in most of the various
essays, papers and discussions. The subjects
are taken up singly as, first, fertilizers, and
the facts and opinions brought out in the adj
dresses essays and discussions at every meet
| ing held in the state are noted in brief. The
additional subjects thus treated are dairyine
the renovation of pastures, silos and ensilage
sugar making, birds aud insects, the hay crop,
the corn crop, and feeding. This arrange
ment of the pith of the matter obtained at all
the meetings of the Board during the biennial
period covered by this report under the heads
OF single subjects is a valuable feature which
the secretary has given to the work. As an
illustration, the subject being fertilizers, the
Townshend meeting is thus reported:
MIR. Newton remarked that he drew out his
manure in the winter, spreading IL on the
land, as he found by experiment that it was
much better to get out manure in the winter.
Dr. cutting remarked that this was the true
method, as three inches of soil would take up
all the plant food contained in heavy coat
ing OF manure, and it would not leach or run
off as it was supposed it would.
MIR. Bliss inquired if the manure would not
leach If spread on side hill with ice under
it.
DIR. Cutting replied that there might be
cases where 1t would, but he had not met with
them, as the soil was SO good an absorbent of
plant food that with the usual amount of frost
it did not wash Off neither would il leach in
to the soil as some supposed
MIR. Bliss desired to inquire about manurinp
side hills.
Mr.. Goodwin replied that he believed il the
best practice to manure in winter
Dr. Cutting advocated the same said il was
mistake to suppose that the various ele.
ments of plant food were likely to evaporate
into the atmosphere, and the only question of
loss was from washing, which was one of
small moment, and from what had been said
ne trusted all the farmers would try expert
ments for themselves and find out for their
own case which is best and act upon it.
Mr.. Bliss inquired if he would nut on his
manure for corn crop in fall or winter,
Mr. Goodwin replied that he would. and he
believed III putting all manures on broadcast
ana narrowing in well, but not blowing under
Prot. Sabln gave an address upon 'Practi
cal Application of Fertilizers, "substantiatino
the ideas previously expressed. He said
further, that in the application of science TO
agriculture there were some difficulties in the
way, yet the first agricultural chemist, Liebip.
ADVISED the using of guano as fertilizer. and
the getting of it had now become one of the
great INDUSTRIES OF the country, its great sale
showing something of the benefits derived
from it. 1t was by the application of scien-
tiic facts thus promulgated that our advances
mad many times been made, and he urged the
farmers to make use of thought, and. az far
as possible, use brain work with their labor
as that was the way to succeed. He gave the |
analysis and worth of yard manure as com
pared with fertilizers, showing the worth of |
ashes compared with potash to be from 90 N |
20 cents, and yard manure about 81 a load
he urged farmers to prepare their own pbos.
phates, as well as most of their fertilizers.
And points, facts and opinions brought out |
at other meetings throughout the state are
similarly reported under the same head with
other subjects, as they appeared at the seye- |
raj meetings, in their appropriate places.
Inc volume opens with handsome colored |
frontispiece of wild flowers such as ara found |
In Vermont, of which DR.. Cutting contributes
descriptive article. The secretary has also
articles on insects, on forestry, on farm homes.
on plant growth and fertilization, on all of
which subjects his scientific KNOWLEDGE and
skill as naturalist enable him to speak in.
'truetively. The article on plant growth and
fertilization occupies % pages, and is illus
rated by engravings of the roots and fibres
d various grains, grasses and vegetables
How the plants feed from the soil through
me little mouths of the rootlets, and from the
atmosphere through the leaves, is, SO far az
'ur present knowledge extends, fully explain
'u' ana the means of supplying artificial
plant food or fertilizers is treated at length.
table of prices of various fertilzne chem
Gals is given, together with the apalvsis of
everal commercial fertilizers as conducted
y Prof. A. H. Sabin chemist of the Bur-
ngton agricultural college, and their value as
measured by these standards. Dr. Cutting
ayes several formulas for preparing pbos-
mates, one of which is as follows:
Take 200 pounds of bone meal (dust) the
ner the better Sift, if you can get a fine
eVe, so as to save 100 pounds of the finest
Ut the coarse part of it into a tub or hoy
nd wet with water until it is moist it will
IKE three or four pailfuls then slowly add
70 gallons of sulphuric acid, which weighs :
least ~ pounds to the gallon. Stir contin- :
ously; 1t will foam and boil. Let il stand ,
hours, then add another gallon of acid as
efore, and while it is hot so that the lumns !
reak easily, add the other 100 pounds of bone =
cal. This will then weigh about $50 pounds.
Id to 1t Immediately 1850 pounds Of dry !
am woods dirt, muck, or, if these are in =
'nVenient to get, you may add sand, though q
ike woods dirt or muck best. This. of =
,urse, has been previously pulverized and J.
tied. Should you choose, put all together .
* perfectly, and you have q ton. II has .
st you about IS, and, as far as my expert +
ents go, and others that have tried the same =
ny, 1t is equal to any ton of heterogeneous .
ftlilzer used. use about 200 pounds of a
Is to the acre, and find it as good as anv a
ftlllzer ever used costing $40 a ton. y
ID It better than bone cut with sulphurie =
I'd until It contains - per cent. of soluble y
losphoric acid, such as Prof Sabin in his y
dresses has put down as the most valuable y
arrived at this formula by experiments =
ainst reason, as the chemist would saw
1t, as'l have explained, it is Just the mixture
at Is acceptable TO the little rootlets of va n,
'us plants. Next to this find from ~ 10 81
o pounds of bone dust to the acre. without al
y preparation except to mix with dry woods ii
RI SO 1t can be evenly distributed-sa $50 m
unds OF dust to 500 pounds of loam-and "a
en- apply broadcast as before, putting this ~
lount on two acres.
q