Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-03-07
Board Meeting Mt Washington,

was appointed chairman who, after brief
remarks, called on NJ, w, Davis, of
Westminster, TO addrt IS the meeting on
1.-The work of the board" Mr Davis said,
we come among you as plain farmers not
scientists. We come with the result Of
our experiments and the knowledge we
have gained from the oXpeli iments OF
various farmers throughout the state. We
come TO have II talk with you because
agriculture underlies all other industries
and professions, and as il wanes depopula
ton and desoalion cnsues.
In travelling up and down the state il is
the aim of the board to awaken though,
among the farmers and raise an interest
in the occupation Of agriculture; q make
them better pleased with the farm; to
dissipate the 100 prevalent custom OF
grumbling at the hard lot of he agricul
turist, and by so doing make the home
more pleasant, thus inducing the boys to
remain on the farm. OEe Of the main
things which it has and is the object ofthe
board to inculcate is 10 sell much and buy
little. Raise more corn and save the
thousands of dollars that are annually
paid for western corn.
In furtherance of this maxim it is he
design to give the results Of experiment
in fertiliz itiOn, planting, and care of crops
as well as how to select the best animals
and care for them SO as to secure the best
results. One great work of the board has
been to try and lift the farmers out Of the
old ruts and stop the little leaks in the way
of expenses, by urging care and attention
| TO business, care of cattle, Tools and build.
Ings. Another point on which it is sought
to awaken thought is education. Not the
education which frs young men and
women to be mere nonentities in the work
of life, but TO practical, everyday educ uion
which fl 8 them to become workers in the
great field of the wotld. 1t is also urged
that the forests be taken care of, and
especially those grand OLD NAPLES, in
whose lite blood the state has an increas
ing source of income, which, if rightly
fostercd and cared for, will constantly
increase, so long as 40 900 people emigrate
10 this country every week. These are
few Of the many items of wolk which the
hoard undertakes to accomplish among the
farmers of Vermont and if they succeed in
any one point there its labor has not becu
in vain.
General Stephen Thomas said that until
he was fifteen years Old he lived on IL
| ltI uuu llltt Ill ttiC plSl tWo NC1tS llc
had fourd that experience of great advaE
Ige to him Farming was different nov
from what ii was then and the difference
was caused partly by the influence Of
boards of agriculture and partly by the
f,rmers thinking more. lie told how
farming was carried on in these primitive
days and compared the method used then
with that of the present day under the
light ofscience and more extended thought
la closing he returned thanks to the board
for the work it was doing in the state, and
IN behalf of the citizens of Washing OF,
and vicinity extended TO its members II
hearty welcome.
Recess was taken at this period until 2
O'Clock Z. NJ, when several written
questions having been handed in, they
we're read and discussed by members of
the board and persons in the audience.
The first, "IS it profitable to bu n green
wood?" was very effectively and prompt
ly answered in the negative The second
(Which harrow shall the farmer purchase,
the Acme, La Dow, OF Randall?' Mr..
Davis gave the preference 10 the Randall II
harrow us doing the best work. General
Thomas used one and was very enthusas.
tic in its praise, saying his had paid for
itself three times over in tho three years
he had used it, and no farmer could afford
to be without one. 'Ilow deep should
potatoes be planted, and sh ould they be
cultivated with II fiat surface or hilIed upp"
was the next query. Mr.. Pember gave
the method in vogue in this section of the
state as being the fiat or shallow planting
system, and the cultivation TO be without
hilling. This he said had given the best
results in the western part of the state
and in New York Mr.. Davis believed in
planting in furrow and hlliug, us did
General Thomas, that style giving better
results with them than fat planting. This
was partially explained by the fact that
in the section to which MIR Pember
referred the soil was moist, while with
General Thomas and Mr.. ID wis the land
was dry.
The last query was, "What kind of
potatoes are best to plantp" which was
answered by saying that it depended on
what kind the market demanded. "Snow
Flake" and Beauty of lIibron" for the
table, Early Rose for the market.
The topic for an address by Mr.. Pember
was annouced, 1.-The Dairy He said he
was aware that it was an old subject worn
threadbare by much discussion on the
platform and through the public press,
but still he knew that the farmers had not
reached that perfection in the dairy that
they should. To be sure tie dairy product
had Increased TO great extent in the last
few years, and was now in fact king of all
The agricultural productions, the butter
product alone exceeding that of both cotton
and wool combined. The dairy interest
had spread out so that localities formerly
supposed to be incapable of producing
butter and cheese were now the leaders in
that industry, citing the state of Iowa as
an example.
The butter from that section is quoted
first in the market, and in view of this it
behooves the dairymen of Vermont to be
up and doing, if they wish to keep in line
with these lew competitors. There has
been great progress in the dairy interest
in Vermont, rs no one can doubt when
the quantity of butter produced and the
quality is noted; but the limit in these
directions has not been reached, and now
that the west is such strong competitor,
it should be made S udy how to make
butter which shall bring the best price,
In order to do that we must mtke the
best article in the market, and TO do this
| buO tttth hiuot poFih AlV huol
have a herd of cows from which all the
poor animals have been weeded out, and
those retained must be treated with the
utmost care, and fed with scrupuous
regularity on such food rs will make the
flow of milk large, and keep up the
standard of its butter mixing quality at
the same time. There is no particular
breed of ws that cin be commended
for all places; the soil and location should
be considered in selecting COWS, but a
thoroughbred herd il not indispensable,
rs good butter can be made from any
cows if they have proper care, but not so
great quantity from some rs from Others
He was urgent that the dairymen should
use care in feeding, and in answer to a
query, said he thought it better for the
COW to keep up the regular and full flow
of milk all tho time when feed was low,
as it tended to increase the quantity and
quality when there was good forage.
A spirited discussion ensued, partici.
patei in by Messrs. Pember and Davis,
of the board, Messrs. Holden, of B,rre,