Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-17

The New York Hour gives the following
brief account of its object: The experiment
station is farm, fully equipped and Offered
by the state, and set apart for the purpose of
making experiments with fertilizers and orpi-
nal manures, soils, waters milk, cattle food
etc. II examines seeds that are suspected of
adulteratIon, or that are imperfect in any way:
1t classltes and reports upon all the various
weeds, aud makes studies of the different in
sect pests, while not forgetting to name the
insects that are beneficial to the farmer 1t
Is evident that IN this way, through scientific
investigation, body OF Information can b..
procured which soon becomes Of the utmost
value to every farmer, aud which he could
not possibly afford to alta u, If he could by
any means attain it for himself.
In the single matter of fertlliZars-whic
are described as Commercial" because they
are manufactured for ale-the benefit which
the Connecticut experiment station alone has
done is incalculable. Hundreds and thous-
ands of tons of worthless stuff had been sold
to farmers before careful experiments proved
their worthlessness, under names of attractive
sound, that can no longer be sold to farmers
who keep abreast of the times, and which are
therefore, virtually driven from the market
Even the relative value of fertilizers that are
good is a point desirable to know, and the ex
pertinent station gives it, crediting the exact
proportions and kind of matter that enter in
to each, so that all who will may know about
them and make no mistake
New York Connecticut and Ohio are among
the few states that have established the ex
pertinent station, aud the second annual re-.
port of the latter has just been issued. It's
experiments the past year have been especial
ly thorough with reference to wheat and corn
culture, and are extremely interesting to far
mers everywhere. Those relating to wheat
were published in September last in a sepa-
rate bulletin, and were widely circulated be-
fore the present harvested crop was put in
The experiments were not simply confined to
comparative tests of varieties, or yields of
definite areas under the influence of different
methods of culture and different manures"
They include, as WELL careful study of the
quality and vgor of the seed the growth of
the root; 'the result of checking growth in
one direction in order to stimulate at anoth-
er the effects of self and cross fertilization :"
the best time and condition for performing
the various processes of planting, manuring,
cultlvating, harvesting and marketing the
treatment of insect enemies and diseases A
study of climatic conditions, etc. All these
matters, so far as they can be- are well tabu-
lated and accompanied by literal text in ex.
PLANTATION thereof.
The station takes into consideration, also,
potatoes and garden vegetables, grasses and
forage plants, and fruits and flowers. Its
work upon the dairy and upon forestry is also
given, so that nothing which concerns the
farmer has been left undone. Fifty analyses
of different kinds have been made, and over
400 kinds of seeds have been tested during
the past year A great variety of grasses,
weeds, grain, fruit and vegetables have been
received from farmers to be named and iden-
tilted, and answers have been giveL in every
case. In fact, the station is a natural bureau
for inquiry, and wherever it exists it expects
to be serviceable through private correspon-
dence to the great constituency which it rep
resents Its monthly bulletins and yearly re-
ports are accessible to all, and agricultural
papers and the press generally circulate its
conclusions on all subjects to which it is de-
voted.
Other things which it does are to investi-
gate and suggest remedies for rust, smut, mill
dew to show the effect of different rations
used to fatten stock, and the effect of the
same upon the various dairy products and
the susceptibility Of different breeds to differ
ent influences. All the processes of setting
milk, separating cream, making butter, and
the diseases of horses aud cows, come within
its province, Nor is drying and preserving
fruit forgotten. The farmer is also told a
very necessary thing in this age of rapid and