Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-08
FROM WILMINGTON.

SOME OF THE INTERESTING AND Practical
THINGS WHICH THE FARMERS OF THE TOWN
TALK ABOUT.
At meeting of the Wilmington grange,
held January 2Gth Mrs. E A. Fitch read
selection entitled Nothing but Work, " after
which the following question was discussed
The application of manure does it pay the
farmers OF Wilmington to buy commercial
fertilizers -
lecturer Z. 4. Fitch opened the discussion
by saying that the general opinion is that our
farms are growing poorer, and asking what
shall be done to keep up the fertility. He
spoke first of the application of manure, say
ing that some apply on the surface while 9th
ers pillow it under some manure in hill and
others broadcast. He used to pillow under for
potatoes, but now applies it on the surface
and harrows. He thought much of the fer
tilty was lost by blowing under but what
would not answer on one farm might do well
on another. He thought We should not pillow
under Oh hill farms. He did not favor ma
nuring potatoes in the hill would spread on
the surface and harrow in Would do the
same for oats and thought it would answer a.
well for corn, with perhaps a spoonful of
phosphate in the hill. We must experiment
with our soil and learn what it needs. before
We can know whether it pays us to buy forti-
lizers. He illustrated the course pursued by
many farmers by comparing them to a sick
person who sends for doctor and takes the
medicine prescribed if he gets well. he
thinks the medicine cured him. So with the
farmers if they use phosphate and get good
crop, they think the phosphate did it. We
throw away money when We buy phosphate
that our soil does not need
S. B. Barnard thought we could not afford
10 buy commercial fertilizers, unless it was a
little to start the garden. We cannot afTorI
to pay the freight on so much of 1t as W.
do not need. A great part of the weight i,
sand, and that is as cheap here as where the
phosphate is manufactured therefore We
ought not to pay $40 for freighting ton here
The time may come, however, when we can
afford to buy it,
L. G. Boyd said that we ought to save what
We have; he thought farmers were very waste
full He doubted if we could afford to buy
commercial fertilizers Said that one would
not have to 60 great way to find farmer.
who house their manure under the caves Of
their barns. He thought we should use dry
earth, muck, sawdust, leaves, or anything that
will absorb the liquid manure, which is as
valuable or more 80 than the solid He AZ
plies much of his manure as topdressinp or,
his moving. The grass crop is the main crop:
therefore We should do what we can to maxi
it good one. We lose if the manure is M.
piled just before a dry time, the ammonia
cooperating but if it rains the strength is
washed into the ground and the roots get the
benefit. We must apply the manure before
the grass has all run out there must be some
roots to enrich. He remarked that we MIGHT
as well apply hair-restorer to a bald head as
to apply manure to grass land after the roots
were all dead
j. II. Stowe could not say whether it paid
to buy commercial fertilizer or not He had
experim ented some had used it on almost
all crops. One year used Bradley's XII on DO
tatoes they came up a week before the 9th
ers, and kept ahead some time, but after a
while he could see little difference and when
@Nn NNNaA nNN AAbAANs II succeeded llLLlB better
on corn. The next year he used Goes phos-
phate applied it on grass and could see no
benefit, and had very poor results with field
crops Some Pacific guAno used did well on
corn and extra well on turnips He realized
the best results from blowing under his ma
nure in the fall
N. ID. Mann used Stock bridge corn-fertilizer.
had very good success by applying 40 or 30
loads OF manure to the acre and spoonful of
the stoekhridge fertilizer in the hill. Corn
grew eight feet high and yielded 70 bushels
20 the acre. Next year he used Bradley's III
and Pacific guano Bradley's grew corn fast
est in the early part of the season later could
see no difference. Frost killed the whole field
the last of August Used same on potatoes
Bradley's grew them twice as fast but could
see no difference in the fall. This was on
clay soil aud rather wet
Geo. Convey thought commercial fertilizers
paid il rightly applied thought they increas-
ed crops one-third or more thought thew
paid in the extra growth of fodder and also
because easily applied
j. nj. Bassett used commercial fertilizer ON
potatoes, both on wet and dry land. II did
extra well on dry land, but was of little bene-
fit on wet land Where he used no phosphate
the potatoes were small He secured the best
results by putting his manur, on after plow-
ing, and narrowing it in. He thought some
failed in using phosphate by not mixing it
with the soil sufficiently.
At the meeting held on Saturday evening