Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-02
Questions and Answers.

Questions and Answers.
Ed A. Barnard, editor of the Montreal
Journal of Agriculture, writes: You say
mo American superphospbate is worth more
than half as much as good dung |? In what
proportion do you mean Surely not ton
for ton" No. cost for cost. Dung usually
costs about six dollars cord, and good
superphosphate sells for about six dollars
barrel. We think we are very moderate in
saying that a cord of good dung will give
double the profit to the farmer, in any crop,
that he could get from barrel of the best
brand OF superphosphate sold in this coun-
try. We believe that an artificial fertilizer
could be made one-half better and sold one
third cheaper with good profit to the
maker, il the cash system and direct pur-
chase were customary. But how to break
up the present manner of doing the business
is problem. Our farmers are too cramped
for ready cash, generally, and too indisposed
to do business in business-like way, TO deal
in the right way with makers of fertilizers,
or of implements. They need a business
education more than any other class, unless
it is the clergy.
Mr.. Barnard says we are "quite right
about the so-called grades What we want
is weight of animal, quantity and quality
of food consumed and pounds of butter and
cheese-or meat--produced, for three or
four generations, as well from the male an.
cestors as the dams. Let the pedigrees of
the future give US an honest record Of the
above points, and the name of the breed or
the breeder may be of less consequence.
But how shall we obtain honest records -"
We do not believe there will be much diff
Guilty in getting honest records when well
bred herds are to be found in every town
ship, and fancy prices thus become folly
Of the past. Nine-tenths of the money spent
in this country for fancy stock at fancy
prices has been money thrown away,-or if
recovered, only so by continued system of
Misrepresentation, not dishonest merely be-
cause the breeders believe what they have
been told, but is not so. The introduction
of foreign stock into this country in advance
Of the introduction and diffusion of knowl-
edge as to the right method Of producing
and keeping up the improvement, was Of
very little benefit while with that knowl,
edge it was unnecessary, because with that
knowledge we can produce better stock for
our use than any foreign sort. Bakewell
was shrewd farmer, with wideopen eyes
and good brain so were the Ceilings 30
were Bates and Booth, and the Dc zens of
other men who have improved the focks
and herds Of England. But there are plenty
of Yankees who can do the same thing.
Our own Hammond, who made the Yer
mont Merino, was quite their equal and all
we want is the demand, now already arisen,
to give US American herds of cattle as we
have American sheep, swine and horses.
The English breeders were not msgicians.
Their results can be duplicated and i'm
proved upon, and will be,-indeed already
have been.
Mr.. Barnard says, referring to wooden
silos al am just devising wooden silo
twenty.six by twenty-six feet, divided into
four compartments thirteen by thirteen, and
all twenty feet deep. Who will be kind
enough to give me full details respecting
strength and arrangement Of timbers ]
want 1t extra strong, as timber will rot, and
want my building to last as long as possi-
BILE. shall have lean-tos, as stables, on
each side OF silo, which must help to make
it stronger. An immediate answer will
oblige."
We are afraid we cannot give Mr.. Bar
nard an immediate answer. 1t is now some
six weeks since we asked from our readers
descriptions of wooden silos, and the only
response has been one from without the
state. Dear readers, we do our best to
answer all your questions, and our columns
show that they are many. Don't you think
that out of the ten thousand who probably
read this department more than one might
have given us response to this important
question of how TO build wooden silo I
We know that there are not many such
slos that have been long enough in use to
be we'll tested, and perhaps that is the rea-
son those who have them are slow TO answer
our inquiry. But they can at least tell US
how they find it as far as they have got.
G. w. S. of Montpelier writes upon the
wood silo question, complaining that he has
not gained the necessary information. lie
asks, "Does the bottom need to be cement
and stone floor; does the space between in
side and outside boarding need filling, and
with what, il necessary What is the
proper time 10 fill silo, and would warm
weather be injurious Would it ferment OF
otherwise ipjure ii too much time is used in
flling3 What number of barrels of dry
dirt would be required TO the square OF
ten feet 2"
Now here are good lot of questions, and
We wish we could feel anyway sure that
you, reader, would take the trouble to tell
G. w. S. and the rest of US what you know
about the matter. While waiting, we may
say that we know OF wooden silos with stone
and cement il,ors, with cement alone, and
with nothing but boards or plank laid upon
the ground also one now building with
heavy plank floor laid upon floor timbers
framed in the usual manner. Without ex
perience, we yet think II we were con
structing such silo we would make II all