The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-01-14
Farmers Institute.

| The hall was fairly well filled. The weather and
travelling being rough but few were able to attend
from any great distance. During the past six years
every Institute held in the County has been small,
owing to the same causes. The following speakers
were present from outside Of Waldo Co: Sec'y
Gilbert, j. NJ Deering of York Co.. S. l.. Holbrook
of Sagadahoc, d. ii. Thing and j. E. Brainard of
kennebec. The meeting was called to order at
1870 A. NJ. by D. b. johnson of Freedom, member
of the Maine Board of Agriculture from Waldo Co.
M. b. Hunt of Belmont chosen Chairman. Mr..
D. b. johnson presented the first paper of the day.
He compared farming with other professions AMI
said that as rule farmers do not put enough brain
work into their business to raise it to the dignity of
a profession. knowledge was as necessary to far
mers MS to any other class. No farmer can do much
In way of progress who changes his aims and pur-
poses often. There is habit Of making known
only the successful experiments ON the farm. The
failures should be published AS we'll. While it was
necessary to have diversity of for income,
it was necessary to give requisite care to each dc
partment. There are good chances in Waldo Co.
for farming and plenty of poor chances. If farm
ing is not good business here the fault lies largely
with ourselves. Statistics were given to show that
we have quite great natural advantages as other
do not put products into market in as good
shape as we might do. lie did not believe in sell
ing hay but would sell butter, cheese, beef and
mutton and save fertility at home and freight also
| to a large extent.
Farmers in the western part of the state ask more
Cor their hay than we sell it for because they get
better pay by feeding it. Mr.. johnson said he did
not care where the worlds supply of hay came
! tb.r.t matt ia tn
IN Mass The cost of raising ton Of hay depends
| on soil, &c. 1t costs more comparatively to raise
a ton to the acre than tons He believed in
rotation of crops, his plan being first year to corn,
second to wheat, then three years to grass. Mr..
johnson closed by reading an interesting letter
from |. G. Libby Of Burnham.
In the general discussion which followed the
above it stated that of hay takes from the
soil fertilizers that it would cost IS to replace Mr..
Deering stated that in his opinion hay used on the
farm cost 500 hay sold cost s9ss, manure worth
$4S3.
| Had fed hay to steers and received $l7 per ton
hut get such result must aim at carly maturity
| Would use meal with hay.
A talk on corn culture followed-Scc Gilbert
and others taking part. Mr.. Gilbert gave descrip
to plan; an acre per hour by their use. They drop
! the and phosphate and cover the and
firm the soil at one operation, The "Bings'' corn
planter is the best Costs 80. The machine drops
hills in, IS in, or 36 in apart. The kernels are
dropped about inch apart in exact line with the
row, and the cutivator would work up very neal
the corn and but little hand hoeng need be done
| Corn came up better than when hand planted. Did
not think it any saving of labor to the Thomas
smoothing harrow small areas. Mr.. Dcering ;
| remarks corroborated those of Mr.. Gilbert. He
added that he gave his land level culture and sow
ed grass seed on his corn field i'll July or August
and passed between the rows with small harrow
filled with short teeth standing backward. This
stirred the earth and covered the seed. In the
spring when the ground very soft he drove the
| corn stubble t. a level with hand maui He a.
ways got hcaV. crop Of grass the year following
his corn. His land intervalc on clay loan
Did not know how the plan would work on light
| land.
| A noon recess of forty five minutes was taken.
The first paper of the afternoon session VA.
allow To increase the stock the farm" by j. NJ
| Deerins- He commenced by saying that three
| fourths Of our exports were of agricultural pro
ducts; that although all industries were interviewer
farming was the balance wheel that stock was til,
| leading branch of farming, as beef milk butter
cheese mutton and wool are all resultant to say
nothing of the "waste products" meaning manures
that he knew from experience that the liquids from
a stock Of cattle were worth as much the solid,
SO called, thata large well fed stock meant gooc
manure and large lot of it. He gave the value D.
stock i'll manure at sl3,27l 1873. Annual incom,
93,lis,G00 These figures are gratifying, but whcr
we consider that there is but one COW and Oh,
sheep to every fifteen acres of land it is easy +,
that very little concerted effort would douhl,
the income very soon. Would raise calves ant
plant corn to feed stock. 1t was quite a. humilia
ting 70 buy western hay to buy corn. lie hlt
raised 1000 bushels of corn in IA year.
Should plant p acres next year could produc,
it for 50c. per bush. If one man in every towl
would set the example there would soon be .
change for the better in this respect. Thought Ii,
could raise more grass after corn than after an,
other crop with the same manure. On one acre o
ground planted corn years and seeded down, Gu
~ tons Of hay last year. Liked corn and roi
meal for feed. Recommended cotton seed meal a
adding to the value of the manure heap but want
Cd to get pay for that sort of feed iii mink soll
Thought pho>i hatc~ cost the farmers too much
better to increase stock-cc;r up good lands
make three blades Of grass crow where on,
grew before. Mir. Deering then alluded to the pres
ent low prices for beef and other farm products
and said: If prices are low in Maine they are Iuv
elseWh here. Western Stockmcn get from , to , ct.
per ID, for cattle Frcight- are against them. II j.
not much low prices that hurts tile farmer. IL
unequal eNchange-whle what they have to sci
rules low, what they buy il higher III proportion
If profits are small, 90 larger business. DID
milk business in connection with beef. Was feed
ing 100 animals this winter from crops raised oi
100 acres of land Had kept an account with h
COWS 10 years. The herd averaged qts per da,
for the whole time besides the amount used in tn,
families and that fed to calves. Cost per annuu
per $49.G2, Net income per COW 443.0l. IIa,
paid better for their hay than any shipper could do
Hay rcckoncd in estimating cost Of keeping at ) /
per ton; grain at market prices. Is now feedin!
80 steers for beef. Has confidence in profits
Would feed with literal hand. Old oxen vii
hardly pay to feed at present prices. Good bre,
steers and early maturity are what is wanted
Animals that cut up well in the valuable part
Weld the profit. Thought it to be true policy t,
have cattle ready to sell at amy Time but in Jul,
prices usually best. Believed that c;pit;l
invested in the farm may Yield 10 per cent inter
est. In speaking Of different breeds he had faiti
in the Jerseys and Guernseys only for butter
Thought highly of the Poed Angus and IIolstein
for general purposes and beef the tyrshirps I'd
milk and preferred Shorhorns and Hereford. fo
beef He was experimenting with ensilge- Ii,,
been opposed to it. Thought the silo had come t,
stay. They had doubled il two years in England
There were 10 silOs in his town Knew :, ma,
who with aid Of silo feeding 30 animals from
30 acres of light soil. Had raised p tons of cree,
corn fodder on one acre of ground. Cost 50 0s ne
ton in silO
Mr. \. |. Prown asked if silos would be profit
able the generality of farmers in the State AN,
said there was no doubt but that they were 50 [,
some. 1t costs something to raise corn fodder flo
ensilagc alone, but the corn fodder from ycllov
corn costs comparatively nothing.
: In reply Mr.. Dcerng gave the result of fcedin.
en-ilage to - steers for 30 days. The ration pc
day for each steer was 30 lbs. ensilage 5 lbs ha,
and DTS. corn meal. The average gain was tw,
lbs. for each animal per day. Reckoning - 30 DC.
ton for ensige, $40 per ton for hay and meal Il
market price the cost of beef was D, e. Der H.
secretary Gilbert added that there vas no war
rant for going wild over silos He did NOT thinl
the sio men would get ahead of others Land M
which ensllage was raised needed feeding ever,
year, but grass lands need be fed ONLY once in 81;
years 1t was complicated question at the pres
eht time MT Holbrook said that it was his opin
ION that ehSiia$e cost more than hay according t.
IT'S value lie thought the silo was adapted t.
hShl sous Where the production of hay cNpen
slVe nut That on really good land if the intensive
Hon