davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
"Granger Legislation"

The Minnesota legislature, which adj
journed Saturday, was granger body
and met with whirlwind of talk about
establishing farmers rights, but it
really did little except pass conserva-
tive railroad law substantially like the
one in this state. The demand for an
"open market" for wheat gets only a
clause compelling the roads to take all
grain offered, while the provision for
negotiable warehouse receipts was
killed.-SprinGfeld Republican.
Ignorant journals like the Republican
(for no journal is well-informed which
is not far better posted about the great
industry of the land than our esteemed
contemporary always begin by assum-
ing that the farmers are going to make
fools of themselves as legislators, and
then record them as "doing little
when they frame and pass reasonable
and effective laws, such as public
opinion approves and the courts sus-
tain. The flutter of fear in the cities
about granger legislation " all comes
from the ineffably stupid twaddle of
papers like the Republican. The farm
ers are not going to hurt the country.
They are the biggest part of it them
selves, and have understood both their
rights and their duties in America from
before that time when the embattled
farmers " of Concord fired the shot
heard round the world" 1t is a shame
that a newspaper, standing so well in
other things as the Republican, can en-
ploy no writer with knowledge of, or
sympathy with, agricultural interests.
1t seemingly judges the whole farming
interest on the basis of few weeks
summering among those Massachusetts
chill farmers " which it is so fond of
depicting as the scum of the earth. We
hoped that (now Mr.. Perkins has left
the Republican, we should see no more
such folly on its editorial page. But it
seems to have whole team of donkeys
in its sanctum.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

the other three are gooseberry bushes.
The rose grew well and budded. /
watched it day by day, impatient to see
the first streak of yellow. 1t proved to
be pink-very pretty, to be sure, but
not yellow. could write quite a chap
ter about my husbands experience with
fruit-tree agents. Now, when these
worthless call upon us, as they often do,
their well learned lessons, which they
recite so glibly, fall on unbelieving ears,
and they go away no richer than they
came.
Some one has asked for a good way
to make brown-bread. Here is mine:
One quart of sifted corn meal, one pint
of canaille or rye meal, one pint of sour
milk, one tea-spoonful of soda, one-half
cupful of molasses and warm water
enough to make it thick batter. Steam
three hours and bake one hour. JAP.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
The Connecticut Experiment Stations
Report for 1884.

Among its very many titles to the
gratitude of the farmers, not the least
of the things that stand to the credit of
the Connecticut Experiment Station is
the promptness with which it issues its
Report, so that the purchasers of fer
tilizers may have the benefit of its
guidance at the season when they are
deciding which make to choose. And
the farmers of Connecticut so regu-
larry await this Report, and so rely
upon it, that the manufacturers are
compelled to compete with one another
in the grade of their goods sent to that
state. In other states this is not so.
Particularly in Vermont, the analyses
have not been printed until too late to
be of any advantage to the farmers
Our Estate Agricultural College" is
paid 100 a year from the agricul-
tural fund of the state, and has in ad-
dition an allowance of IS to pay for the
material used in making the analysis of
CdCh lClliilACI, WHICH 10 lllOTc Ildu IL
costs. Yet the analyses made are ut
terly unreliable, and in addition the
president of the college recently told
the members of the Board of Agricul-
ture that he would not make any analy-
SEES this year, because he was not paid
enough! Mr.. Lane, of the board, told
President Buckham that he would make
a serious mistake in such a refusal, for
the Legislature took fully into considera-
ton the vast sums of money that have
been paid to the college, and the small
returns made for it, in fixing the rate
voted for analyses. But DR.. Buckham
has so much confidence in the indiffer-
ence of the farmers to their rights in
this matter (and has such good grounds
for it in his long experience) that it is
doubtful if we get any analyses in Yer
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
Washing Day.

Mr.. Editor:--I was much pleased
when / found corner of our paper de-
voted to the interest of the household,
and l find it growingin interest every
week. Many pleasant and helpful things
have been said, but / believe no one
has mentioned washing day." so I,
who have had good many years. ex-
perience in trying different ways to
make this dread day easy, think have
found it, and will tell my less fortunate
sisters how it is done:
AS l usually wash on Monday, col
lect my soiled clothes Saturday evening.
Put sufficient cold water in tubs to soak
the clothes. then add two tablespoon
fuls of kerosene oil Chose using hard
soap can use in the same way) to quart
of soap, and make strong suds. Put
in the cloths and let them remain till
Monday morning. OF part of the
clothes are very much soiled | use a
separate tub for them.) l put on the
DOilCl DO Cdily do pooolDlc anu WIluS OuI
the clothes, for they need no rubbing
unless possibly some very much soiled
bands. Twas told to just "sozzle them
up and down little" They need to
boil but few minutes; rinse and dry
as usual. Let some one who wishes an
easier way of washing try it, use the
boiling suds to wash colored clothes.
Now for the ironing. Bring in the
clothes; if perfectly dry, sprinkle just
enough to dampen alittle; fold smoothly
When ready to iron lay folded, coarse
clothes, sheets, towels, underwear, etc. =,
on the table and just smooth the out
side, and hang up. They will look just
as well and be as comfortable to wear
as if you had spent hours smoothing out
every wrinkle of coarse starched things.
Table cloths and many other articles
cannot be ironed too well.
There are plenty of people who would
think this very shiftless way of IRON
ing; but am not talking to them, but
to those who are obliged to make the
most of their time, and may, by so do
ing, get time for rest or to read book
or paper which would otherwise go I'M
read. SARAH, East Cabot, VT.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

mont this year, or at any rate any of
value, or in season to be useful, even
If correct
We do not know, and have no means
of knowing, whether the leading fer
tilizer makers send as good goods to
Vermont as to Connecticut. There is
no reason why they should, except
their honesty, or their prudence, for all
attempts at control in this matter are
so far delusion and a snare. But our
farmers send such set of penny-wise
and pound-foolish Legislators to Mont
pelier, and are themselves so behind
the times in regard to their own inter-
ests, that nothing better need be ex-
pected. 1t was hoped that the oranges
would aid in diffusing knowledge and
organizing effort in behalf of agricul-
tural interests, and in several states
(notably in Maine, where the support
of the State Agricultural College and
the establishment of an experiment
station are due entirely to the grange)
these hopes have been realized. In
Vermont, the oranges have done very
little in this direction. 1t is said that
agents of the railroads, and the college,
control all grange action. This may
not be true, but appearances indicate
nothing to the contrary. We know
very well that we do not increase our
popularity with influential" peo-
pie by speaking our mind about these
things, but somebody is needed to do
it, and we are able and willing to stand
up, if we stand alone, in behalf of what
is right in this matter. We have done
so for fifteen years, and sadly confess
that we have seen but little good result
from it, so far But lit is long lane
that has no turning"
According to the Connecticut Report,
the estimated values" of the fertil-
izers most used in Vermont that were
tested in Connecticut last year are as
follows:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

These figures are based upon " the
reasonable retail price I" of these ele-
ments, when bought in ordinary fertil-
izer materials, such as sulphate of am
monia, plain superphosphate, and the
like. There has been considerable
reduction in these estimated values by
the Connecticut Station, and they are
not any too low yet. But if the reader
fully understands that the estimated
value of each fertilizer is based upon
the retail value of its materials, he can
easily understand that whatever is
asked for any particular brand more
than the estimated value is simply what
the manufacturer charges for miring
them together Therefore, if the farmer
can do this himself, cheaper, he ought
to do it. Mr.. j. J. Webb of Hamden,
Connecticut, is quoted as follows in
the Report in this connection: For
several years have bought chemicals
and mixed them myself, and always
with profitable results. This year l
sent the chemicals to the experiment
station for analysis, and also the mixed
phosphate. My mixed phosphate cost
me, including freight and labor, 1886. 20
a ton, and the station valuation was
$4S.54. bought four tons of pure dis
solved bone, seventeen to eighteen per
cent phosphoric acid, at $26.50 per
ton, one ton of muriate of potash,
eighty per cent muriate guaranteed, at
S35, and one ton of sulphate ammonia
at $62.50 Thus the total cash cost of
the six tons of chemicals was 1908 so,
or 1892 per ton. The freight (by
steamer) and labor of mixing brought
up the cost to $36.50." Mr.. Webb pull
verified his potash and ammonia salts
on his barn floor, mixed in the plain
phosphate, and sifted the whole through
coarse SIEVE, and says: " The goods
were in better order for sowing than
any phosphate l ever bought"
Now while we must remember that
Mr. Webb had water freight, which
does not make any difference in charge
between one ton and ten tons (while
every railroad in Vermont makes from
one hundred to two hundred per cent
difference), yet he got fertilizer
worth $4S for $37. If he had
bought Quinnipiac for $40 it would
have been worth only S32, or Brad
ley's for S42 it would have been
worth but S35, or Buffalo for SAB it
would have been worth but 1872, or
Bowker's for $40 it would have been
worth but 800. Averaging these differ
ences we can see that these "best "
fertilizers cost the buyer an average of
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
An Experience with a Peddler.

Mr.. Editor Mrs. Granger's expert
ence with currant bushes reminds me
of my own. Several years ago bought
six currant bushes of fruit-tree agent
three of them were to be the large
Cherry currants and the other three
were to be white currants. / also had
of the same agent house rose. 1t was
to be a yellow one. l had never had
one of that color, and no one else around
here had one, so thought it would be
quite rarity. The bushes came in due
time and were carefully attended to.
Three of the currant bushes bear the
small old-fashioned red currants and
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

BISMARCK, with all his bull-headed
ability, has good many childish streaks
in his character. One of them has been
his desire to emulate England in her
financial and colonial policies. To carry
out the first idea he demonetized silver,
ridiculous move for a poor country
like Germany, and very questionable
one, in the opinion of very able English
publicists, for country possessing even
the financial predominance of England.
But Bismarck was bound to be " allie
samey Englishman," and now he has
received a petition containing eight
hundred signatures of commercial and
farming associations in favor of the re-
establishment of bimetalism. The pc
tition dwells upon the injury to the
economic progress of Germany result
ing from the continued rise in the value
of gold and the depreciation of silver
coin, in consequence of his demonetiz-
ing scheme. 1t was Bismarck's throw
ing S140,000,000 of silver, withdrawn
from circulation, upon the bullion
market, a few years ago, that caused
the sharp decline in that metal, thing
unknown before, with either metal, in
the whole history of money.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

A PENNSYLVANIA paper says there
is scarcely farm in Burks query,
Berks] county to-day that would sell
for more than the improvements in
buildings and fences would cost. This
criticism would justly apply to many
other older sections as well as to Penn
sylvania." So quotes and says the high
protective Boston Cultiuator, but it does
not tell its readers ho,o it is that farm
ing falls so low, in the midst of great
industries that demand high protection
in order to live. These are things that
ought to set men to thinking, for if
neither agriculture nor manufactures
are doing well under the coddling sys-
tenn of the last quarter of a century,
perhaps it would be best to try more
bracing treatment.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

THE New York San says much of the
fine comb honey exhibited in glass
boxes in New York city merely repre-
sents Yankee skill. The comb and the
honey never saw bees. They were
manufactured by human hands, the
comb of paraffine or beeswax and the
honey, which is also false, blown in by
machinery. We hope New York city
will monopolize all of this class of
honey.-BOston Cultirator.
The Cultivator, claiming to represent
the Yankee farmers, does not know
enough of this great farm industry of
honey production to be aware that
the SUMS statement is a lie out of
whole cloth. 1t was started by the
chemist with whom Loring replaced Col
lier in the department of agriculture
"for joke" as he now explains. 1t
is to be expected that this wicked false
hood will keep on its travels in the min
compoop press for the next hundred
years, but the agricultural paper that
does not brand it at sight is no true
farmers paper.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
Waterbury Center, Vt.

ONE of our correspondents (and they
are getting to be exceedingly numer-
ous) says: "You say you are radical,
but you are not half radical enough for
me-" and signs himself can old abo-
litionist." Well, we have to draw the
line somewhere, and we draw it at the
point where radicalism merges into
folly. This correspondent does not
seem willing to stop at that point, and
would treat corporations as unjustly as
the worst corporations treat the people.
But the American people have always
been too magnanimous to deal in re-
venge. Those who wanted to hang
jeff Davis and disfranchise every lead
ing southerner for life, now want to
hang Gould and Vanderbilt, and destroy
all oppressive corporations. This is not
the American spirit, it is not the spirit
of democratic liberty, it is not the spirit
of the Christian religion. A firm, calm
determination to check evils and right
wrongs, in the way that will not pro-
duce greater evils and greater wrongs
characterizes American politics, and
marks off this nation from every other
nation that has before existed. This is
the true spirit, and the only spirit that
will give us genuine and enduring re-
suits
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

flies, ETC., and in addition to this, sap
should be strained twice at least before
entering the evaporation. Sap should
be boiled the same day that it runs.
When reduced to the density of eleven
pounds to the gallon, it should be
strained through wooden strainer,
settled, and be poured off for market,
or, be sugared off. To retain, then, the
light color and fine flavor, so desirable
in the products of the maple, we must
exclude all outside influences.
TIMOTHY WHEELER.
Waterbury Center, Vt.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

PRESIDENT PDPE of the Maine Pomo-
logical Society, in his recent address at
the winter meeting in Gardiner, said:
4" In conversation with one of our lead
ing fruit-growers, few days since, he
related his experience in keeping apples
in barrels and in open bins in the cellar.
There was loss in decay of fifteen per
cent in the apples barreled, while
those in the bins were perfectly sound
and bright. He urged us to bring this
before the people, as it would be of great
importance to those storing apples. "
We should be very glad to have the ex-
perience of Vermont orchardists on this
point.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

THANKS to the interest taken by the
good women who read this column we
have accumulated quite a stock of
recipes for cooking, etc, all of which
shall appear in due time and with
proper regard to variety. Do not be
discouraged if your contributions do not
appear at once. They are all gratefully
received by the editor.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
ADVERTISEMENTS.
Spring Medicine

When the weather grows warmer, that
extreme tired feeling, want of appetite,
dizziness, languor, and lassitude, af1iict
almost the entire human family, and scrof-
ula and other diseases caused by humors,
manifest themselves with many. 1t is i'm
possible to throw off this debility and expel
humOrs from the blood without the aid of a
reliable medicine like Hoods Sarsaparilla.
81 could not sleep, and would get up in
the morning with hardly life enough to get
out of bed. 1 had no appetite, and my
face would break out with pimples. bought
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

At no other season is the system so sus-
ceptible to the beneficial effects of a re-
liable tonic and invigorant. The impure
state Of the blood, the deranged digestion,
and the weak condition of the body, caused
by its long battle with the cold, wintry
blasts, all call for the reviving, regulating
and restoring influences so happily and
effectively combined in Hoods Sarsaparilla.
floods Sarsaparilla did me great deal
of good. I had no particular disease, but
was tired out from overwork, and it toned
me up" Mrs. G. Z. SIMMONS, Cohoes, N. Y.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

THE Springfield Republican of March
8, in an article on Trade says;
Union Pacific is rather shaky in its
legs, and when the granger legislators
of Kansas began the other day suit to
annul the Kansas Pacific consolidation
job, the company came to terms with
out ado" We call the attention of our
esteemed contemporary, the Maine
Farmer, to this, in confirmation of our
own statement that the Western rail-
roads have been soundly converted
undergrangerism, to belief in " God
in Israel who is their master.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

Where two analyses of the same fer
tilizer are given, we have taken the
highest " estimated value" This "es-
timated value" is based upon the fol-
lowing rates for the constituent ele-
ments of the fertilizers, viz
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25

say 80 more than their value, while Mr..
Webb's home mixed was worth $12
more than it costa total difference
per ton in favor of the farmer of
TwENTY-oNE DoLLARsl This would
allow the farmer to be charged four
dollars more per ton on freight than Mr..
Webb paid, and yet have clear profit
(over his work in mixing) of seventeen
dollars per ton.
OF course, if farmers were as smart as
they ought to be, they would club to-
gether and buy warranted materials by
the carload for cash. In that way the
freight would be about four dollars a
ton to Vermont stations, but If even
two tons less than carload is shipped,
the railroads will charge you eight dol
lars TOMAS punishment for being
too poor to buy carload Those who
live on Lake Champlain can get water
freights from New York (and ought to
do it) about as cheap as Mr.. Webb got
his. The following are recent quota
tons of fertilizer materials, in the large
cities, for ton lots or larger, cash:
Per 100 Pounds
Sulph ammonia, "a to 25 per cent ammonia. 80 90
Nitrate soda, IS per cent pure............... go
Cotton-seed meal, to per cent nitrogen..... 20
Fine ground bone, rs
Plain superphosphate, Is to IS per cent soluble, 90
Suiphate of potash, 80 per cent pure......... SO
Muriate of potash 80 per cent pure........... so
1t will thus be seen that at present
wholesale market prices, actual potash
costs in muriate potash, 3.17 cents a
pound; in sulphate potash, 4.61 cents a
pound. Nitrogen, at the present whole
sale market prices of nitrate soda and
sulpbate ammonia, costs in nitrate soda,
14.4 cents per pound; in sulphate am
monia, Is cents per pound, while phos-
phoric acid, in its most soluble form,
in plain superphosphate, costs 81 cents
per pound. With these datait is easy to
reckon the actual value of commercial
fertilizers, and not be misled by es-
timated and so-called approximate valu-
atoms.
1t should be added that muriate of
potash must not be used in potato
fertilizer, or they will cook "soggy."
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
agricultural.

sH- This department is wholly under the control
of the agricultural editor, T. H. HosKINs, MD,
Newport VT, and he alone is to be held responsible
for the opinions herein expressed.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
Desirable Farm for Sale.

Said farm Is situated one mile south of Plainfeld
Springs, on the main road to Chelsea, containing
about two hundred acres, some fifty of IL being re-
claimed meadow extra grass land, most OF which is
work. Keeps about thirty Ave head Of cattle;
splendid sugar orchard of one thousand trees Wood
and timber easy of access Also the stock, hay,
grain, farming and sugar tools, and about twenty
Ave cords OF dry stove wood with farm II desired.
For twenty years II has been my aim to improve
this farm for pleasant home, but circumstances
and health make 1t absolutely necessary to sell
Possession given at any time. j. Z. LADD.
PIaindeld, Vt, January 10, 1885. s3-tf
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-25
Gbe 9ousebulo.

" Communications for this column should be
sent to the agricultural editor, DR.. Hoslins, at
Newport, Vt