Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-18
A Gain Of loo pounds in Boz daYs-or y


ly three pounds day.
In answer TO a question by Mr.. Thayer of
Guilford, Mr.. Lane said that cattle could not
be fed proftably up to four or five years of
age. Young animals were the most profitable
to feed. His neighbors had raised number
of calves that had been sold for $40 or more,
each. They we're given food similar to that
which made his l200-pound calf.
Answer to a question by gentleman from
Vernon; Cotton-seed meal is not good for
pigs; Prof. Sanborn tried it, and the pigs
we're killed. Mr.. Whitman of BATTLEFRONT
quired for the best feed for sheep. Answer
by Mr.. Lane One.thrd each, by measure,
of bran, oats and corn. For sheep he prefers
whole corn to corn meal.
Mr.. Loren P. Smith gave short lecture on
True economy in buying food, treating the
subject in its relation to chemical science and
illustrating by charts. the composition of var-
GUS grain foods, and comparing their nutritive
value, as shown by chemical analysis, with
their cost He recommended corn meal and
bran as an economical grain food but in his
neighborhood malt sprouts, costing SIP per
ton, was much the most economical food, &C.
cording to its nutritive value, to feed as a mix
ture with other grains. He believed it nearly
equal to cotton-seed meal, which sells at his
place for S27.50 per ton.
1uS luehllOu VI tue value OF COD meal was
again discussed, and the majority believed the
cobs alone of some value, besides their effect
as dilutent when ground with the corn.
Mr. Davis, in answer to a question from
MIR. Bradley, said that the kind of stock which
it was best to keep depended upon circum-
stances. Durbams were best for beef Jer-
seys were the best COWS for butter, notwith.
standing all the ridicule and complaint about
the cats catching the calves. For working
oxen he would like to see nice Devon steers,
in place of the old broken-down horses with
which some farmers undertake to do their
work. Dealing in, trading or swapping old
horses or affecting the fast horse, was mis-.
cradle practice, and unworthy of any Vermont
farmer.
The admirable lecture of Secretary Cutting.
on FERTILIZERS and fertilization" Thursday
evening, should have been heard to be appre-
ciated. We shall give some of the principal
points of this lecture in future number of
The PHd.NIX. At the conclusion of his lee
ture DIR. Cutting was piled with questions for
more than half an hour. A full report of
these questions and their answers, together
with those following during the remainder of
the meeting, would make this report too long;
we are therefore obliged to omit most of them.
MIR. Alexander asked if he would put no
manure in the hill for squashes. Dr. Cutting
would not manure even squashes in the hill.
Does manure evaporate and lose its ferlilizing
properties by exposure on the surface Ans.
No; that is an old-fashioned idea. You
cannot possibly evsporate the mineral ele
ments of the manure they would be left if
it were burned.
Mr.. Goodenough of Brattleboro asked
What keeps up the fertility Of land at a cost
OF GO cents per acre DR.. Cutting replied
AFTER finding what the soil needed and sup.
plying it in proper quantity, have kept it
fertile with 60 cents worth of phosphate per
year.
Mr.. I. B. Taft used to pillow under manure
bat, having left part of a tobacco field in the
fall with the manure on the surface, he found
tue plants 80 much better on that partthat be
has since applied manure near the surface.
he considers three loads applied in the fall or
winter, on the surface, Of as much value as
four applied in the spring and plouRhed IN.
der. DR.. Cutting said More than three for
tour-nearer three or four times as much.
Mr.. Goodenough inquired In what form
would you apply phosphate Ans.-Ground
bone dissolved in acid or, if the land needs
potash, bones dissolved in ashes. Bones
should be prepared with ashes three months
before being used.
EK-Gov. Holbrook endorsed the idea that
manure plowed in was not as valuable as if
ePPneu on tue surface. lie had found very
great advantage in the use of some kinds Of
muck. That formed from hard wood was
most valuable that from pine and other soft
woods was not valuable. He had found salt
in small quantities good fertilizer. He had
had some experience in retaining land by
ploWing In green crops had plowed in two
crops OF buokwheat and a crop of rye on a
piece of poor land with extremely favorable
results.
MIR. Sargent of Brattleboro called on DIR.
Cutting to tell how he redeemed poor soil so
that 1t produced three tons of hay to the acre,
without blowing. Ans.-Harrowed and SOW.
ed grass seed found what was needed and
supplied 1t, Did not apply more than 1--WE
loads Of stable manure per acre.
Mr.. Alexander said be had been a farmer
Tor 80 years At 80 be knew about as much
about farming as one of his oxen. He left a
tOO-aere farm in Guilford, and has since cul.
uvated four acres getting 5000 profit nsy
acre. He fertiliEes his ground for sonSsbes