Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-02-03
LXI, NEW SERIES VOL. XXXIII.
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULrURE.


The farmers meeting under the direc-
tion of the State Board of Agriculture met
in New Haven on Thursday and Friday
last. Owing to the heavy storm the meet
ing was not largely attended, but it was
success, and the interest manifested was
excellent.
The meeting opened Thursday after
noon with an address of welcome by Prof.
HoffnaRle of New Haven, which was fol-
lowed by remarks by Prof. w. w. Cooke
of Burlington. In the evening Prof. Cooke
read paper upon "FertiliZng by Feed
ing" His remarks were more particular
ly directed to the muscle aud fat produc
ing qualities of different articles of feed
for instance, that straw had one of muscle
to 20 of heating producing qualities, hay
one in nine and cotton seed meal one in
four. His opinion was that to get best
results in feeding one should combine
such properties as will make the ratio
to 515. A farmer would not expect to get
very good results from feeding
straw alone, neither cottonseed meal
one of these is too wide ration, and the
other too narrow mix them together and
they will do better. The first will pro-
duce helt, and the other fat or flesh. The
feed that is best for the production of milk
is also the best for butter. The food
should be relished by the COW and be
healthful, to be of the most use. If the
COW does not like her food that fact will
milk. The early green grass is as near
perfect a food as possible, and farmers
| should endeaVor to have their hay rs near
ly like that as possible. This can be best
done by encouraging the growth of white
and alsike clover and making early into
| hay. The longer grass stands before it is
cut the more grain viii be required to
| make the ration complete. The more OF
these clovers there are in the hay the less
grain will be required We can get a
larger amount OF feed from an acre OF
corn than any other crop and at cheaper
rate, but it is not perfect food OF it
self. An important consideration is the
raising Of the corn on the farm to make it
the cheapest, as there will be the fodder
in addition to the grain
If feed is to be purchased it will be of
interest to know that Western corn is the
dearest and linseed or cotton seed meal
the cheapest, if to be fed to cows along
with the timothy Ray. If hay is worth
Sl2 per ton, then corn will be s22 80 bran,
S2O.S0 gluten meal, s32 60; oats, $40; bar
ley, 500. 50; cottOnseed meal, 50 linseed
meal, S3O.SO. These are the feeding values
of the different Einds of feed. 1t Is gen
orally conceded that about 50 per cent. of
the fertilizing value of these feeds when
given to milch COWS is found in the
manure.
The following are the commercial val
ues as found III the manure OF hay 81,
corn meal 81 50, bran Sl1.42, gluten meal
Sl327, oats 500 barley S62l, linseed meal
: SlI4S, cotton seed $22 i3.
Owing to the small attendance the
meeting did not organize until Friday
forenoon. Mr.. S. b. NJ Cowles of New
Haven was elected chairman and made
interesting Introductory remarks. Mr.. H.
w. Vail of Pomfret read paper on
: Wastes in Dairylng." He said there
were 30 daires in the State that made 300
pounds of butter to the COW and the aver
age was 125 pounds per COW. 1t cost
twice as much to make butter from 125
pound COW as the 800 pound one. Every
COW had capacity above which she could
not pass. Care should be taken not to
over feed, causing a waste of food. His
dairy had doubled its product by feeding
II pounds of hay, pounds of grain and .
of cotton seed meal in place of his old
feed of 20 pounds of hay and o of grain for
full COW. He said that feeding food in
the barn yard would shrink a COW every
time.
A discussion then followed in which
the topic of whether winter butter
netted as much as summer made. Mr.. X.
c. Smith of Pttstord said in June, the
month which yielded the best butter of
any month of the year. brought the farmer
the smallest returns. September and
! October made butter did not sell for what
winter made and creamery butter did. He
thought there would be revolution in
dairy interest in the State that we send
away too much hay, that when converted
into butter it would pay far better.
Mr.. William Chaplin of MiddleseX read
: paper at the afternoon session, his topic
being, "Farming as it is and should be p
He said we had TOO few flrst-cass farmers
: and too many poor ones. Among the few
necessities OF a good farmer were First
good farm buildings. We have many eX-
travagant and expensive barns but more
poor ones. Cows should have warm
stable where manure would not freeze. 1t
paid to borrow money, if necessary, and
invest 1t in warm stable
In regard to farming tools he said there
should be reform in the patent right
business. 1t was hard enough for the
farmer to buy tools without buying the
right to use them and when bought they
should be taken care OF. Our grass aver
age, of ton to the acre, was too low. 1t
. ought to be doubled OF corn onr aver.
age per acre was only 36H bushels and il
ought to be raised TO So OF potatoes il
was only ll5 bushels but it could easily
be 200 bushels TO the acre. In the maple
sugar industry we lead the United States
averaging 345 pounds ITO the farm
conclusion, we are what we make
of legislation. We should use ever, every
. means to make ou rselves familiar witt
our work. Then we will build up and
increase the power of our grand old Greer
Mountain State.
As Mr.. Davis of estminister was un
able to be present on account of the storm
Mr.. II, c. Smith of Pittsheld delivered
t the evening address. 1t was one of the
q saddest sights, he said, while travelling
through the hhe hill towns TO notice the
tumble down appearance and deserted LOOK
: of many an old farm place, which was once
< the scene of busy farm life The Wes,
9 with its allurementS had drawn many OF
> our sons, for true it was that westward
the star of emigration takes its way. But
said the speaker, is it too much to say thai
( the tide will some day turn eastward He
n touched upon some OF the leading crops Of
the State. Grass WAS the king of Yer
mont. We bought one-half the corn We
4 consumed, substantially all the flour ant
: 100000 worth of commercial fertilizer
2 We should sell less hay, raise more corr
{ and enrich our land with home products
. He. said to raise good crops of corn the lanC
a should be well prepared The best fodder
corn in his experience was StowePs ever
e green. lie thought that newly cut hay
( would produce better results than fodde
| corn. He liked the plan of stalling cow
n re Ia fl,.aGt lnip