Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-01-17
Farmers Meeting at White River
Junction.

Grass Question"
He set forth the character and number
our grasses-considered herdsgrass Il
best of all, and clover did not botanical
belong to the grass family he considert
it next to herdsgrass for hay.
He said there was much in seedir
properly; that it should not be covered tt
deeply, but he would recommend harrow
ing and rolling. His effort is specially
raise good grass, and he believes the tin
king.
He believes the protection snow affort
is of great advantage to the grass crol
He would never allow a field to be CT
that did not produce ton to the acre, bu
would top dress or turn over and re-seec
If this could not be done would fence int
pasture or allow it to grow up into wood
land. No good farmer would be satisfies
with less.
The curing of hay is of great impor
lance; should not be cured too much
Would recommend hay caps, which.
taken care of, Will last lifetime; woul,
recommend hay caps five feet square.
Homer Vail of Pomfret top dresses lant
for several years, but thinks it best to turf
over and re-seed. Has never failed o
getting good catch sowing in the fall
should sow in August.
Mr.. Ruggles of Hartand sows II pounds
clover seed and 9 pounds herdsgrass seet
two square inches and three herdsgras
seeds TO Il square inch, which he calls best
Finds by experiment that the best seed b,
could get contains over 100000 foul seed
10 the acre.
C. B. Ballard of Hartford would Away
pillow and restock, never top dress. Would
pillow in August and restock at once with
out grain and never fails to get a goot
turf. Can, however, stock with wheat ir
the spring with success.
The president remarked that in hi.
experience top dressing was the best, ant
he had increased his grass crop very much
Took farm that did not cut ton of goot
hay and now had not ton of poor. His
grass crop was satisfactory one, and ht
believed in top dressing.
DR.. Cutting advocated top dressing ir
winter; gave statements and results O.
experiments.
Charles B. Ballard of White River
Junction spoke upon ensilage and feeding
He remarked that M. Goffort commenced
his experiments in 1852, in France: thai
DR.. Bailey of Massachusetts tried the
experiment in this country, and he was
one of those that put in silo in Vermont
and was now one of the 80 that felt that
the silo was the right thing for this state.
Some of the reasons were, that farm labor
was high and less labor was required in
this method.
Would plant his corn for cnslage from
the 10th to the goth of May. The corn
should be well cared before putting it in
silo, and it can be raised and put in at one
dollar per ton. Would plant with machine,
cultivate with Thomas smoothing harrow
twice and then use cultivator two or
three times.
Fertilizers used, 10 loads of yard manure
to the acre and plaster and ashes. Raises
from 10 to l8 tons to an acre which he
thinks an average crop in this section
Plants, as best, Virginia corn called the
dent corn or Sullivan white. Feed with
cotton seed meal and believe it good, also
corn meal with same.
Henry Dunbar of Hartland, has found
ensilagc good thing to fatten cattle.
Gives y quarts of cob and corn meal in
connection with enslage, TO each. When
he commenced feeding the cattle they
weighed Nov. l, $3.50 pounds; Jan. they
weighed $40 pounds.
Fed ensilage to July 10Th, and began
feeding ensilage in ten days after he but
it in when they shrunk in milk some, but
gave more and held out better in the fall
han usual. Cattle have done better since
fed ensilage. do not think it cost 81
per ton in silo. Considers three tons equal
10 one ton of hay,and the average yield IS
.ons to the acre.
L. A. Hazen of Norwich: his experience
s the same in import rs Messrs. Ballard
md Dunbar.
Samuel Hutchinson of Norwich says his
llo has in every way equaled his expecta-
ions. He puts in so tons.
Mr.. Ballard invited the board to visit
lis silo, which they did and report as fol- |
ows:
His farm contains 700 acres, and the
buildings on it are insured for 1922, 900.
He put in 500 tons of ensilage and is
Is head of COWS and heiters |
which he feeds entirely with ensilage and
neal. The meal feed is Is cotton seed
nd 2-3 corn and cob meal lie feeds TO
ows in milk 3 quarts Il day in two feeds
i - quarts each. Several cows are
I'd entirely on ensilage without meal are
OF in milk but are fat enough for beef,
His cow stable is in the second story is
0 feet wide and 13S feet long; he ties ON
9th sides and every stall is ventilated in
pF l,n
1ird story, and every COW has her own
9parale feed; each COW has two feeds of
nsilage of 81 pounds each per day, with
he meal feed at the same time.
His stable, if not the very best in
arrangement, is one Of the best on the
and his cattle are looking finely ,
Tough they have not had lock of hay !
lis winter. He has sold 10 head of Jer !
ys the past season for over $3O00-two a
which were sold for $500 each. His +
'st Jersey bull is fed entirely on ensilage !
I'd is as sleek and handsome AS on the ;
st green feed of a pasture ;,
The milk and butter is consumed, and b
IS been for the past three years, at his -
tel and restaurant Mt White River June 81
m and his many guests can testify to its n
"ihJ' lICNiOuS W luis IL WAS SOlu at Il /,
On figure TO the American House, ..
'ston. .
He has sixty acres ready to plant the h.
ming spring to cure for ensiIage, and he !,
gong to put in another silo ut Il large
m recently purchased in Canaan, n p,
In his ensilage he cut and put in four 7,
es of sweet corn used for the hotel and ..
the balance and put it in the silo and it lii
If the best quality. ~,
lis silo is 81 feet long, 20 feet wide and If
feet deep, and holds 800 tons. He uses he
orse to tread it down, and puts blanks dc Ie
II and two feet of saw dust from his w
house, and is taken from the enslace W. W.
BED his cows. His ensilage is of the ", W.
quality, and there is no doubt that it IL
uperior to anything else. IN
TUESDAY EVENING. sF
RI
IN assembling the secretary spent II nc
Q time in talking upon Farm Labor" of
r which Byron p. Ruggles OF Hartland co
| paper on "Muck as Fertilizer" m
Gu, being short and of present interest,
lclosed in this report and reuds as the
)ws: ma
MUCK AS A FERTILIZER us(