The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-25
State Dairymen's Association.
Continued from Second Page ]

W bu0tSUuN tNtlllnR SStSSlbH Ol'OnON WIN
apaper on Enslage by Mr.. l.. T. Hazen
of Hazens Mills, N II. Ensilage he said,
was invented in France by August Goffart,
and treatise by that gentleman was trans
lated into English in 1879. Mr.. Hazen recon-
mended wood silos, double boarded with
paper between, and the more perfectly the
air is excluded the better. He thought that
slos of masonry were liable to inlure the ST.
lage that came next the wall. lie believed
corn to be the best and most profitable crop
for slage and that it should not be planted
too thickly. He plants in rows three and
one-half feet apart and allows six inches
space between the stalks in the row After
the corn comes up he goes over 1t with
three days until it is from four to six
inches high. He then goes through the
same process with Cultlvator as long
as possible without breaking down the
young stalks. In filling the silo he advo-
Gated cutting into two pits-into one the
first day and into the other the next, and so
on until both are filed. He then cuts and
puts into the pits about two feet OF straw
and on top of this places dry muck. When
the straw and muck are taken off he uses
them as bedding for his cattle He was of
the opinion that ensilage had come to stay.
He did not think it best to feed ensilage
alone, but with hay and meal. With ensil-
age put in slowly and not trampled too
solidly, heat will be developed which will
kill the bacteria producing fermentation
and leave the ensiage of brown color
Treated in this manner it gives forth
sweet and pleasant odor and is entirely free
from acidity. He had often known of en-
silage that had become sour and was in such
a condition that it could not be fed to mich
cows without communicating the milk and
butter. BY the use of ensilage the POSSIBLE
ties before the farmer in keeping stock are
almost without limit: he thought one might
keep a COW to each acre of arabic land In
reply to inquiries Mr.. Hazen said that, after
the ground was prepared, his ensilage cost
him 81 .05 per ton. He was in favor of en-
sling the corn before the ears were formed.
Mr.. A. w. Cheever of the NelC Engtdnd
Farmer was the next speaker. Taking
FERTILIZERS " for his subject, he stated that
he could rarely arise before an audience
without written paper and not feel Pc
culiar in his left side, but there was no au-
dience in the world before which he could
stand and feel as if he was talking to his
own folks more than before an audience of
Vermont dairymen. He should base his re-
marks on his own personal experience and
give his present opinion and conclusions.
His idea of a fertilizer was to feed the soil
to bring the land back to its original condi-
ton. In some soils it should 60 great deal
further, for there is some very poor land.
Barn-yard manure is often spoken OF as the
standard fertilizer. Barn-yard manure has
lust about the same yard-stick measure OF
quantity that load has of quality; it
tells nothing. Plant-food can be furnished
without stable manure for commercial fer
tlizer is simply plant-food and not
stimulant as alcohol is a stimuant to man,
and in that respect there is no such thing as
"stimulant " in the farmers medical die
tiouary. When he first used commercial
fertilizers he followed the manufacturer
advice and put a tea-spoonful in hill-lust
as the patent medicine man directs his patient
to take tea-spoonful at a dose-and the re-
suit was that it killed every seed where twas
put and he had only the bag in which it came
to pay for the outlay for the bag and its con;
tents. The successful use of commercial
fertilizers depends largely on the man. 1t
will not do to use them to raise weeds; and
man must be a good farmer to use them
profitably. The quality of the soil has much
to do with the application of fertilizers;
they should be applied to the good land
prominent idea which has stuck to him
all through is that stable manure is the
cheapest manure the farmer can use-that
is, if he has the means with which to buy
stock and feed for it, For one to buy a
worn-out farm and bring it up by the use of
barn-yard manure alone looks like long,
tedious process but by the use of COM
mercial fertilizers a farmer can get a crop
the first year and thus raise material with
which to keep his stock. In this way they
make an excellent lever with which to start
up a rundown farm. On his own farm he
aimed to keep stock of manure on hand
and would use it near the barn rather than
at distance. He had at times used COM
IDtTcldl lldDuTtS Oh SOlllt VI HIS ldllb NIltI
he had plenty of manure in the cellar, be-
cause it was cheaper to buy the commercial
than it would be to hire the barn-yard ma
nure drawn out. Whether the fertility of
the soil can be maintained by commercial
fertilizers alone was discussed, and Mr..
Cheever said if one plowed under crop of
stubbe twice year he thought it could.
The friable condition of the soil is main
tanned by the stubble independent of any
fertilizing value. In buying featilizers he
,c,ht = hast for farY 70 apI
buy for cash, and thus, so far as possible
get the benefit of the wholesale price. He
favored the application of quick manures
to hoed crops and barn-yard manure on
and rich in fertility as a sort of guarantee
for the future crop. During Mr.. Cheever's
address several questions were asked anG
answered, and the interest manifest in the
subject seemed to be general.
THURSDAY MORNING.
A committee of tbree-conssting of Gen
eral Stephen Thomas of Montpelier, Mr.
Douglas of Whiting and DR.. Hoskins o
Newport-was appointed to draft resolu
tons on the death of Hon. John B. Mead
former president of the Association, wht
subsequently reported the following which
were passed by rising vote
Whereas, The Vermont Dairymens Association
since its last meeting Colonel John b, Mead, ex
en- has paid ne last debt Of and de
Of his skin and ability as an agriculturaist, his ex
celent qualities citizen and statesman, and II
time of war as a soldier; therefore,
Resoired, That in common with his fellow citizens
in general and the members of the Grand Army o
the Republic, OF which he was an honored member
depore his death public calamity. As
statesman he was sagaciOus and painstaking, clea
in his comprehension of the needs Of the stat
and vehement in defending and promoting her in
terest and her honor.
Resolred, That to his widow, Mrs Laura X. Mead
and family. we extend our most sincere sympathe
in their bereavement.
ResOlred, That the secretary he directed to trans
init copy of this report and resolutions to tn
widow of the deceased.
General Thomas, in submitting the report
paid an eloquent and fitting tribute I
Colonel Mead, his old friend and comrade.
William r. Sessions, Esq, secretary G
the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture
took the platform and addressed the meet
ing. He said he remembered Genera
Hooker's order in a forced march" Pu
the Vermonters in front and keep the lin
well closed up" He had felt that Vernon
farmers were well ahead in their business
He referred to the excellent results
breeding, as shown in Vermont shee
and the Jersey and Durham cattle Som
authorities claim that the breed has
stronger influence on the product than til