Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-25
OH 9ree Dress.
VERMONT CROPS.
General Crop Reports From all
Parts of the State.
An Encouraging Prospect, Despite
the Backward Season.
Something OF Interest 10 all Farmers
and the General Public.

Something OF Interest. to all Farmers
and the General Public.
Wcpieseut below brief reports from near
ly every part of the State as 10 the present
condition of the crops and general crop pros
poets. As will be seen, the outlook is on
the whole an encouraging one The hay
crop most important one in Vermont
gives every prospect of being immense. The
cereal crops are, generally speaking, doing
well, Encouraged by the high prices which
have recently prevailed, the acreage of pota-
toes hls boon largely increased, ani the out
look for the crop is thus far favorable. OF
corn it is yet too carly TO speak. The gentle
men who have favored us with the reports
given bnlow-and to whom we are under
great obligations for their courtcsy-ranli
among he lest known and the most progress
sivc of Vermont farmers, and their reports
may be depended uponas accurate and faith
full, Arranged by counties, the reports are
az follows'
Chittcndcn County.
Ricimond--Thcrc will be nearly double
the amolnt of potatoes planted this Spring
that there was last. About the same breadth
of oats sown and rather more barley The
prospect is that there will be somewhat more
corn planted than last year. On the VIM. 5.
freeman farm fifteen acres OF potatoes arc
being planted Grass has not wincrhilled.
There is every indication OF a prosperous
season, although the Spring is rather cold.
Cattle will get their living as early as last
year.
Bolton-'The season is backward. Hay is
very SC rec and high, but the grass crop looks
as if it might BE- extraordinarily good. Large
quantities OF potatoes are being planted. The
quautity OF maple sugar, this year, is very
small and very poor quuli,y-prooably moi
over one-third the usual amount made.
CAarIotte-Acreage, fully up 10 that of las
year; oats the leading crop, but goot
breadth of cora, wheat and barley; potatoes
largely raised. The season is little back
ward, but grain appears TO be covering well
generally. Prospect fair for grass. There i.
good deal of growing seeds for seed houses
and foreign Shipment. Taken in all, the veal
promises to make q good average for hay
grain aud fruit.
ShelJUrH-Although farmers have not YET
finished sowing, the acreage Of grain vii
probably be about that Of last year. Thu
Spring has been unusually cold and back
ward, and consequently outdoor work OF al
kinds is much behind. Meadows and pas
lures are Just starting, but appear to hav
wintercd well. A large hay crop may b
confidently expected. Potatoes will be large
ly planted, but the acreage not as great u
last year. Corn probably about an average
Beans will not be very extensively planted
1t is yet much too early to.asceitain anythp
in regard to the fruit crop. a large numbe
of force feed grain drills are beng bougll
this season, aud also other agricultural i'm
plemcn.s.
Jericlo-The leading crops are oats, corn
potatoes and wheat. A very little rye i
raised. About the same number of acres o
each will lie sown as last year, with the ex
ception of potatoes, of which there viii b
quite an increase The season as compare
with former ones is very late. We have ha
only one day this Spring that could possbl
be called warm--May 10Th, when the mer
curry stood at so degrees. The general Gro
prospects are good, especially for the ha
crop. Newly stocked land is looking fairly
Fall seeding rather better than earlier. TheI
is some complaint that the clover in ncwl
seeded pieces was win,er-kiled, excepting
the vicinity of the fences where the sno
was drifted. Farmers are still feeding the
diaries A few have turned out their ysun
stock. Pastures are looking finely and onl
need few days of warm weather 10 giN
the grass start. Burbanks Seeding is Il
principal potato which is beng planted fl
which there is a great demand, us they a
rather scarce.
Addison County.
1FhHiHg-Thc season is late, but not y
uniuvurab'c. The Winter was favorable f
grass and Winter grain and the soil left
good condition for crops. Grass winter
well aud the prospect is good smi
amount of Winter wheat was sOwn becau
of the severe drought in the Fall. Somewh
more Spriny wheat sowp, but not enough
make up deficiency. Oats were sown me
than usual and were got in in good com
tion. Rye is never much sown and less Ii
Fall than year before Barley, about 4
same-never much sown. Corn and poi
toes will be about the same planted as Ii
year.
Ferris5urgh-The leading crops in Il
part of the county are oats and hay. Il
few Of our farmers plant more than four
five acres of corn, though some plant fro
8 to 12, and | have heard of one man,
day. who intends to plant so acres on gre,
sword From that hear there will he INT
acres planted TO potatoes than usual. Thu
is about the usual acreage under tillage,
though comparatively little blowing W
done last Fall owing to the late drought,
has been made up this Spring. II is n
dry, cold and backward, but it is too ca
to even guess concerning general crop M
pects Meadows are looking well, that
have winterod well, and if we have pie
of rain in the last half of this month and
June the hay crop will be good. The lii
Winter grain have seen looks fairly well
Co,nwaH--Tbe season though late has b
favorable for seed time. On account OF
excessive drought of last season that CO
Ill N,,t. al In, -,
possible to pillow clay soils, and for this rea
there was much less than the usual amo
of ploughing done in the Fall. Fall plou
ing of CLAY and muck soil Is desirable
the frost of Winter and Spring may pull
ize and mellow it. For this reason | thl
there will not be any more oats, barley,
Spring wheat sowed than usual, although
Spring has been favorable and much of
land has been ploughed this Spring that far
could not do in the Fall. For the past
wears there has been a gradual increas
the production of their crops, especially
and wheat. The Winter wheat crop N
looked better. This is getting to be an
portant and profitable crop in this par
The Champlain Valley, although the crop
ed last year on account of the open Wi
and Spring of 1881 So. From all the fa
could gather, am Of the opinion that
Winter wheat crop of 1881 in this town
vicinity averaged 40 bushels per acre al
had been good crop for four years prev
The raising of corn is on the increas
this vicinity and think this is the cas-
the State. In years past there have been 4
good farmers that have advocated ra
other crops and purchasing corn that
was not a profitable crop, that 1t was {
omy to raise ether crops to sell, to
money to purchase Western corn. The
and a half million bushels Of corn bro