Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-23
Maj. Josiah CIRCUITS Farming
Enterprise.

0IOuG III DERBY anu eAaLHInCu hlo
farm buildings, his stock and his
farm and brief article on the same
may be of interest. The home farm
is situated in and eastward of the
village of Derby Center, and former
ly was the old Benz. Human estate
The tillage land is comparatively level
and lies chiefly on the north bank OF
Clyde river, though the large home
dairy pasture extends across the river
southwark. The soil, like that OF
most of the farming lands in the vi
cinity, is deep and good. A heavy
subsoil prevents quick drainage and
adapts it well to grass and grazing.
Two or three miles away, the Major |
has 800 acres ''back pasture lands,
mostly pasture, but affords sugar
bush of 5000 thrifty trees. This he
calls ''maple park" In all he has
ranch of over 600 acres of land, al
most all of which is good. The grass
and tillage fields are very nearly lev
ell and quite free from stone and en-
tirely from waste places. During the
eight OF ten years which the farm has
been under the careful and intelligent
management of the present owner,
great improvements have been made
in the buildings and stock, on the
! lands, and in the amount OF crops
grown. So great has been the in
crease in manure and fertilizing ma
terial that at present there is a super
abundance, and hundreds of loads
are waiting the summer blowing of
large areas where it will be used for
the next years crop. The hay crop
is being gathered, and is not only
excellent in quality, but prodigious
in quantity. The grass is mostly
timothy, red top and other fine grass
es, with slight sprinkling of clover.
1t stands thick and grows very tall.
Twelve acres are put to field corn,
the better caring of which will go to
the corn crib, while the unripe and
small ears will go to the silos with
the stalks. We noticed large oat
fields and areas put to turnips and
other root crops. Some commercial
fertilizer is used under the corn.
Top-dressing of the grass fields is
practiced, though the result of this
method of enriching is not so salts
factory on these lands as on some
other. The pastures are amply suf1i-
Gent for the stock, which improves
| in growth and in flesh during the
grazing season.
The farm is stocked with dairy
COWS, all Jerseys, and with horses.
Fifty cows are MIXED at present, and
they are the best looking herd we
ever saw. They have been selected
for their good milking qualities,
: though many of them are fine bred,
and club book animals. A recent
; test showed that only eighteen
pounds of milk are required for a
pound of butter. In the winter season
less quantity is required. A Cooley
= creamer is used, and the butter pro-
, duct is large and commands good
price in market. About twenty heif-
er calves are being raised, while there
are large number of yearlings, etc.,
. coming to milking age.
Major Grout is breeding horses to
, some few years since a very fine
5 Norman Percheron stallion and has
, a promising get of colts in this line,
; but the horse died year ago and he
is broken up, somewhat, in this breed
inc. He has several fine mares which
are being bred to the Wilkes and 9th
! er blooded animals in the Edwin
: Bates stud, and has some very prom
ising colts. A pair of Percherons
s were recently sold for $3.50. The
! number of horse kind at present is
thirty. The breeding is all intended
: to be in the line of good blood, but
good animals are considered of more
Importance than Understanding pedi-
grees.
: AS must be inferred there are large
barns and stables, which have to be
If constantly enlarged to keep up with
t. the increase of fodder crops. The
barns and stables are arranged both
for convenience and for the comfort
V of the stock. The COWS are tied by
the common stanchion, but are bed
: ed, ordinarily, and have sufficient
e light and air. The horses have stalls
$ and are we'll cared for; the colts are
) both in pens and in stalls. Ample,
high boarded yards are made where
|. the stock is turned out for air and eX-
= ercise in winter. There are grain
e bins. root cellars and silos, here and
/ there, which show that the animals
:, have something other than hay dur
e ing the long foddering season. The
IT whole matter of chores is in careful
= hands and everything is well fed and
. we'll tended. Much of the manure is
:, drawn out in winter time.
: We noticed that new and commo-
J. dious carriage, harness and water
y sheds and buildings are being put up,
Is while big addition is going on to
one of the long barns. The drinking
> water for the animals is heated dur
= ing the cold months.
; The dwelling house is large and is
!. one of the almost palatial residences,
which were found here and there,