Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-03-02
THE runl INGTON w. PRESS FRIDAY. MARCH 2 1883
THEFARMERs' COURSE.
"The Philosophy of Farm Improvement"
by Hon. =. u. DOuglas.

by Hon. +. -. Douglas.
The 10Th lecture in the winter course for
farmers attracted about the usual num-
Der to the experiment station Friday af-
ternoon Prof. Alvurd of the Massa-
chusetts Agricultural college WHO was TO
have spoken was unable to he present he
canse of illness and Pr, sident Buckham
introduced Hon. f. y. Douglas of Whit
ing who Was to have spoken earlier in the
course but who was several times unavoid-
ably prevented from doing so. The sub.
iect of the lecture was "The Philosophy
of Farm improvement" Mr.. Douglas
said that most of us can remember the
time when we secuted the idea that phil
osophy and farming would so together.
But we are now coming to believe that
successful farming calls for brain as well
AS muscle. We must know the reason of
things. the why's and wherefores, What
system of farming shall we adopt in this
Champlaiu valley? The productiveness
of our soil is uneXcelled. But what are
the facts in the case Real estate is very
low and many farms are sold to-day for
about what the mpr1vements cost. There
is no good reason for this state of things.
We ought to get out OF the old ruts. We
want system that will Keep our young
men. We can levolutionize farming with
out much expense.
Letus consider what are the conditions
of success The feeding and producing
qualities of this soil can be mechanically
changed, so that the roots viii 90 deeper
and drought and frost Will not damage
the crops. The pillow must he freely used,
so as to stir up the hard and compact soil.
The plant food too must be increased and
how is this TO be done BY less waste of
manure The selection of crops IS on inn
portant point and one to which but little
attention is usually paid We should Sc
lect crops that will change the mechanical
quality of the SOIL that have the greatest
feeding qualities that draw the deepest
from the soil and that bring the
best returns by the ton, or those of "A rank
habit growth. Clover is good to renovate
old fields. The manurial value of a ton of
clover is worth IS IS, when compared with
the average cost of fertilizers Two tons
to the acre amount to 81 So worth of plant
food. Il, as claimed the roots are worth
as much more, we have S3504 worth of
plant food. The feeding value of clover is
Sl3 % per ton, or s21,l0 per acre, with two
tons to the acre, which is to be added
to the manurial value as plant
food. Every crop, as well as clover, has a
manurial value, and the cheapest way for
the Vermont stock farmer IS to raise his
own fertilizer Feeding for manure
and one that has of en- been overlooked.
Stock should be fed literally, up to the
point where over -teeding begins. The
pillow should be the basis of improvement
on all farms. 1t is sometimes best to raise
crops that are Theoretically diStaSietul.
The manurial value of cotton seed meal
Is S2S o., and Of a ton of corn but s. "a.
We must make the farm eltsustainlng,
but there may be exceptional times when
IL Is best to bay, but whatever is bought
should be in the shape of stock food.
Plant food is our stock in trade. Gather,
save and finally apply it. The first con-
dition of success is Intelligence A herd
of dairy cows by the exercise of intellect
on the part of the owner can be
brought up to point OF eX-
$40 year to keep a COW, which is an av-
elage amount, 800 pounds of butter will
cost the farmer at the rate OF Is cents a |
pound 200 pounds Will cost at the rate of
20 cents. But with the cost of Keeping Il
COW brought down to $25, as it should be,
butter Will cost the maker but cents a
pound The sour milk and manure will
pay for the labor, and with butter sold at
20 to % cents pound it is an easy matter
10 figure up the profit. But with a COW
producing only 1870 pounds Of butter it is !
Just as easy to nLure up the loss.
Farming can be made pleas mt rs well |
as an intellectual calling and the two
qualities 20 hand in hand. When this is |
done the price of land will ris4, the farm
porous, farming will be an elevating ami |
moral pursuit and our boys will stay in |
this grand Champlain valley instead of
going West as they are low doing.
President Buckham announced that |
Prof. Alvord would speak March ,.