Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-09
Agricultural.
THE BOARD or AGRICULTURE.
Last weeks Meeting at Putncy.

Last weeks Meeting at Putney.
As promised last week in our general re.
port of the farmers meeting at Putney, we
now give a further account of the proceed
ings briefly noticed in our last
The first speaker was NJ. W. Davis of West
minister, whose subject was announced as
WASTES of the Farm" He believed that the
chief cause of failure to make farming profit
able might be traced to an inattention to the
little wastes and leaks which in the aggregate
amount to enough to make the difference be-
tween success and failure. The leaks were
so many he could only mention part of them.
Among them was the loss Of the liquid por-
ton of stable manure by neglect to use alb
sorbents; unhoused manure poor stock that
pays less than the cost of keeping poor, cold
barns want Of care and exposure of farm
implements, etc. Because of these wastes
farms are deserted He believed well man
aged sheep husbandry to be a very profitable
branch of farming. School districts on the
hills had run down and had to be given up be-
cause the sheep had been taken of the farms.
We have a breed Of sheep in this part of the
Connecticut valley for which there is an in
oreasing demand at high prices Raising
them to supply the demand for this improved
breed in other parts of the country is now
and will continue to be profitable business.
He advised greater care in the selection of
stock especially COWS. The poor cows in
dairy might overbalance the profit of the good
ones. 1t was waste to keep poor COW. He
thought the mixture of the milk of different
breeds sometimes affected the butter product
s,,;,, T., ,;,,Na hov
warm, well ventilated stable a cold, uncom-
Portable stable was one OF the worst of wastes.
Extravaganza was another waste that of late
was becoming prevalent among farmers.
There was great loss from not housing and
taking care of farm implements and machin-
cry. The wastes of the house are valuable
fertilizers, and should be saved but instead
they are often left where they endanger the
family, and doctors bills are the consequence.
He advised farmers to raise their own grain
instead of purchasing it it was a waste to
buy what we could raise ourselves
MIR. L. Il. Towle, member of the Board
having recommended in his paper on the
renovation of pastures stocking with sheep
as a means of retaining pastures too rough
for cultivation, the chairman called on L. T.
Corser of Dummerston, who has had q sue
cessful experience in the sheep business
Mr. Corser replied that he was plain farm
err, who knew no Latin if he attempted to
speak, the educated young men might jeer
him. He could thank God however, there
was no mortgage on his farm. He had bought
it and run in debt for it when farms were sell
ing much higher than what the present gene
ration of young men can buy farms for. He
had paid for it, and he did it by work. He had
worked more than eight hours day, and more
than ten, and every farmer must work if he
makes farming pay. Bringing the boys up to
spend their time at the village and to drive in
two-wheeled sulkies, and the girls to dress and
think they are fine ladies', above work, won't
pay for n farm nor keep the mortgage of of
it. Ten or twelve yards used to make his
wife dress now some of the women look
as if they carried ten or twelve webs. When
the farmer and his wife and the boys and girls
think they can do Just as these protected folks
do, and try to put on their style, the farm
goes on a mortgage Young men could buy
these farms that are now offered for sale SO
cheap, run in debt for them, and pay for
them easier than he had paid for his, if they
would work and live as he had done. The
government doesn't support farmers they
have to work and take care of themselves.
Young men had come to think they could hire
out on q farm and get their wages without do
ing much work. He had got up in the morn
ing, done all his chores, and come in to break
fast to find the hired man abed. Hired men
were a waste. One reason why boys left the
farm was because they were brought up to
lean on the old mans staff till they couldn't
be self-supporting on farm. He had tried
to bring his children up to depend on work
for a living. He kept large flock of sheep
and had furnished his girls with a spinning
wheel. He had made keeping sheep profita
BILE. Sheep improve some kinds of pasture
because they are death on weeds. They make
the hills where they lie very rich, but the low
lands are not improved except by their de-
stroying the weeds. He could buy good
pasture cheaper than he could reclaim poor
one.
j. c. Newton of Bratteboro spoke of the
renovation of pasture by city millionaire
The lot was beside a road on which Mr. New
ton was passing when the work of retaining
was commenced. 1t was very stony pas
ture you might have walked across it with
out stepping off the stones A few years lat
er he was passing the same place, and noticed
that the work had been abandoned when only
about one-third of the pasture was cleared.
He inquired why the whole lot was not clear
ed, and was told that the owner hadn't money
enough to do it, He was worth So 600, 600.
Another auecdote of the same tenor was
keeping his pastures and fields tidy and all
the brush and young trees cleared away but
after long life spent in hard work, he had
little to show for it, Passing the house of q
neghboring farmer, in company with this
man, the wealthy owner was seen sitting leis-
urely on the piazza. "That man" said he,
"made money by sitting in the shade. While
was hard at work clearing my pastures of
the sapling pines, he let everything grow ;
aud he has lately sold thousands of dollars
worth of pine timber l am poor and he is
rich"
Mr.. Puifer of Putney inquired how to de-
stroy wild carrots and running blackberry
vines. They were serious trouble to him
about as bad as mortgage on the farm
Mr.. Osgood of Brookline recommended
plowing and picking out the roots and burn.
ing them He thinks running blackberry
roots penetrate the soil about eight inches
How to get rid of brakes was among the
questions discussed. 1t was recommended by
different speakers to NOV, to pillow, to apply
manure, to pasture with hogs
Mr., Cutting of Westminster had not sue
ceeded in destroying brakes by blowing the
sods were hard to subdue in that way. He
piled up lot of brake sods in his barnyard
ten years ago they We're not rotted yet
Mr.. Davis did not believe that many pas
lures would pay to reclaim by blowing; he
favored pasturng with sheep. He has milk
farm with pasture that used to keep about
ten cows. He has improved it by soilng, so
that he now keeps 20 to %.
Mr.. Corser of Dummerston had tried ma
nuring to kill brakes, and found that it in
creased the crop-of brakes. He could grow
very stout brakes with plenty of manure.
A gentleman, whose name we did not learn,
spoke of having seen pasture which grew
white clover, while all the fields around it
grew June grass. The owner had pulverized
and distributed the manure left on the ground
by the cattle, and had sown on ashes.
Hon. E. Nj. Goodwin of Hartland, member
of the Board spoke of sos and ensilage. He
had no silo, but had had good opportunities
to examine them. He was inclined to believe
ensilage might be used at a profit Silos need
not be so expensive as was at first supposed.
On some accounts a silo built of wood, above
ground, was preferable. There was less labor
IN feeding it, and his observation had led him
to believe that it kept better silo of a size
sufficient for an average farm need not cost
more than $50. The majority of farmers
who have tested ensage say that it does not
affect butter injuriously. It was quite posi-
bic that silos were to become of more impor-
lance to tho farmer than wa ara yat