The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-18
Farmers Institute at Waterbury.

address was by Dr, Cutting, upon 1.-THE Pres
ent Prospect of Agriculture in Vermont"
He spoke Of the drawbacks and advantages
of the present day, showing that farmers
were selling highereaud paying lower than
thirty years ago, and that railroads, tee-
graphs, telephones, sewing-machines, and
even oleomargarine, had benefited the
farmer, and If they did not individually BEN
eft every one they were fixed facts that
would exist in spite of us, and hence we
should not fight them, but get every advan-
tage from them possible We get more for
fat cattle by having the rough talow used
for artificial butter, as it makes a demand,
and If that butter can be made, as claimed,
at nine cents per pound it is a very poor
quality of butter that completes, and if those
as do make such butter would change their
business and do something they are better
adapted to, or make better butter, it would
prevent sheriff's sale, perhaps for a life
time. Different prices were contrasted and,
with the exception of labor, all shown to be
an advantage to the farmer. After this adj
dress Mr. Wheeler of Waterbury Center made
some excellent remarks upon the maple
tree as sugar-producer. DIR. Cutting also
discussed the subject, and the conclusion
reached was that shallow tapping gives
whittier sugar and low tapping the most sap;
that sap drawn within reach of the
ground did not show any great difference in
the amount of sweet, but sap from limbs
was sweeter, but much less in amount
This was the result of Mr.. Wheeer's ex-
periments DIR. Cutting had only made
from the trunk, and showed what slight diff
ference there was in favor of low tapping
1t was admitted that all buckets should
be covered and kept sweet and clean
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Thursday afternoon Mr.. Lane spoke on the
Feeding of Farm Stock" His opinion
was that raising and feeding farm stock
leads every other agricultural industry in
the state-in fact, other branches of farming
are merely incidental to this. This industry
is capable of extension, but this extension
will depend largely on the intelligence and
practical knowledge with which the bust
ness is pursued. He believes the most i'm
portant and profitable branch of farming in
the future will be in raising farm stock and
in the production of meat, WOOL milk, but
ter and cheese from this stock. An increase
in animals and an increase in animal prod
ucts means an improvement in our system
OF farming, large crops, and better farms.
Farmers should understand the relative
value of the various fodder and grain crops
put on the farm, the amount and proportion
of food elements they contain, and how
mixed and fed to produce profitable results.
When the farmer has decided what he wants
to produce, he should understand what kind
ana amount of food nutrients will give the
best results. The constituents of ami
NAL bodies must be derived from the
food they consume. They must be nour-
ished and renewed by digestion and as
sanitation of the same elements in the fod-
ucl gwen nv ClOD Cdll lHTlNt WITHOUT a
sufficient supply of each of several elements
of plant growth. They cannot live on any
one OF these elements, nor can they grow if
any one is wanting. What is true of plants
is also true of animals. Food that does not
contain albumen can sustain animal life but
a short time; neither can food containing
nothing but albumen sustain life. Food con-
tanning both the albuminoids and carbo-
hydrates will sustain life, but if fed out of
proportion to the wants of our animals will
n or 70 orr nr Whan tha
farmer decides what he wants to purchase
from his farm stock he should understand
the kind and proportion of food nutrients
that will give the results desired, and in
what forage or grain these can be obtained,
and how mixed and fed. Young growing
animals need food containing larger per
cent of digestible albumen than maturer
stock. Sheep producing wool and cows pro-
ducing milk need larger per cent of albu-
men than the horse or OK, producing labor. If
the nutrition ratio is too wide. like feed of
straw, there is not sufficient of albumen to
give perfect digestion to the excess of carbo-
| hydrates in the straw, if the nutrition ratio
| is to narrow, like pea or linseed meal, there
! is not sufficient of the carbohydrates to give
| digestion to all the albumen. Roots should
| never be fed with straw or a poor quality of
hay, but with good early-cut or clover hay,
or in connection with those meals rich in al
bumen. Corn-meal should be fed with good
| hay or clover, but not with straw, unless
meal rich in albumen is fed in connection
| with it. Oftentimes slight change in the
relative proportion of food nutrients, without
| changing the cost will change maintenance
ratio to producing one Mr.. Lane gave
| experiments illustrating this point. He gave
| his practical experience in feeding horses,
cattle and sheep at some length, and closed
| his interesting and profitable lecture by adj
vising farmers to shape their operations and
| keep the kind of stock best adapted to their
soil, locality, taste and kind of fodder crops
raised. The object of the stock farmer is to
obtain the most valuable returns from his
crops, and best maintain and increase the
fertility of his farm. There is in every kind
and breed of animals those which, with the
best of care and feed, will not pay cost of
keeping. Such animals should be wed out
from every flock or herd, and only such be
retained as will pay profit on their feed
An interesting discussion followed this lee
| ture.
THURSDAY EVENING.
In the evening Dr. III. A. Cutting gave
lecture on " Farm Experiments" which
was well received and many questions were
asked, but lack of space prevents any alb
stract being given.
FRIDAY MORNING.
f. d. Douglass gave lecture on Grain
Raising in Vermont" He said the present
outlook for Vermont agriculture is not en-
couraging. Western competition with west
ern over-production and cheap transporta-
ton, is factor in the competitive problem,
which we cannot afford to overlook Our
markets are broken down, prices for nearly
all agricultural productions are very low and
labor high. There is general complaint
that farming does not pay. Low prices
tempt farmers themselves to buy agricul-
tural productions, which they should raise.
The result is constant outflow of money
from the state, which must be stopped, If
we would succeed in avertng financial ruin.
We as people buy millions Of dollars
worth annually which we ought not to, and
fail to raise and manufacture as much more
that we might, If the intelligence and enter
prise of the state were directed in the right
channels. Vermont should raise her own
grain. This is not conclusion based upon
theory, but upon well demonstrated facts.
What is true of an average Vermont farm
is true of the whole state, if the same en-
terprise and skill were employed upon all
farms. The state is but the aggregation of
individuals. Mr. Douglass pointed out the
sources from which the necessary fertility
is TO be derived, the natural aids which the
Vermont farmer has in his work. Showed
concusvely that the larger the crops raised,
the greater the amount of plant food Sc
cured, that the failure to cultivate properly
and the waste of plant food supplied by
growing crops, were the true causes of de-
terioration. He said we must systematic
our agriculture, organize success as in other
callings. A system should be adopted which
is within the reach of all; one which is in
expensive and which will pay from the out