Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-24
AGRICULTURAL.
The vermont Agricultural Experiment
ainiinm.


the $i5, 900 appropriation from the United
States became available The station was
established in 1886 the legislature Of that
year making an annual appropriation OF
$500 for that purpose. One-half OF this
sum was received in December, and pre-
paratory work was begun at once. The
legislature at its last session placed the Sl5,-
600 appropriated by the United States in
the hands Of the University of Vermont
and state agricultural college, to be used in
continuing the work Of the station already
established in connection with the univer-
sity. The amount is sufficiently liberal to
insure first class work in all the lines of in
vestigation yet we should not expect too
much at the beginning, or he too severely
critical if it appears that the teachers
themselves are also learning. The bulletins
and reports that have been sent out from
the station up to this date contain much
that is of value to the farmers of Vermont,
and in future, as those in charge OF the sta
ton become more experienced IN conduct
ing experiments, results of still greater
value may be expected. Ten years hence
the facts that will have been disseminated
from the sixty experiment stations OF the
United States will be of immense benefit to
agriculture-a benefit which will not he
confined to those engaged in agricultural
pursuits. but will be shared by all classes
for all are dependent upon the products oil
agriculture for support The Vermont sta
ton, we hope and believe, will contribute
fair proportional part towards this result
The experiment farm was taken posses
sion Of year ago this month, and, unior-
tunately, the crops were mostly put IN TOO
late for so cold and wet summer, and
were in most cases injured or entirely ruin
ed by the early frost, thus giving station
infdels chance to carp. But it is hardly
fair to condemn the managers for calculat-
ing upon season of average length
The station farm contains lO4 acres, and
is situated in South Burlington, about 3t
miles from the station building in Buring-
ton. 1t has been fitted up in good shape,
and equipped for experimental work. Inc
stock consisted at the date of the report OF
three horses, II pigs, 10 cows and three
calves. Special attention will be given to
the dairy. that being the most important
agricultural interest of the state. The sta
ton has good practical record for its dai-
ry product for the first year. The report
states the average product of butter per
COW as not far from $50 pounds. The ave
rage cost of the cows was $40, the Jersey,
Durham, Guernsey and Ayrshire breeds
being represented.
Quite extensive experiments are being
made with fruits Thirty varieties OF ap-
pie trees have been planted, 10 of pears, 10
of plums, 1G of cherries, 80 of grapes, 10
Of currants, seven of gooseberries, II OF
blackberries, 81 of raspberries, two of dew
berries, "a Of strawberries The special
design is to test the hardness, quality and
productiveness of the different varieties.
A large number of the different varieties
of vegetables were tested the past year, and
the result is given in tabular form. EXper-
iments were also made with large number
Of forage plants. The director says Some
crop which shall produce with small
amount of hand labor a large amount OF
fodder during midsummer and early fal
has become an urgent necessity, and thu
station has grown quite number of plants
which gave more or less promise of yield
ing the desired result Of these, the mos
promising are barley, Japanese buckwheat
some of the ensilage corns, and prickly
comfrey. Some of the ensage corns yield
RI 1 =
duced at the rate of 30 tons to the acre
with perfect ears foot long" Prickll
comfrey, the director thinks, is worthy o
an extensive trial 1t was grown on tn,
station farm at the rate of about nine tom
of green fodder per acre, three cuttings o
the leaves having been made. The com
frey is propagated from root cuttings, which
are set in rows three feet apart each way
The roots set at the station were obtaine,
from the sanitarium farm at Clifton Springs
n. Y, where the plant has been grow
with remarkable success, the maximum
product there being claimed to be 80 ton
per acre The roots were set on the sta
ton farm June l6, and the first cuttin
was made August 10. The leaves are Gu
10y hand before the stalk begins to grow
All but one Of the eleven station COWS at
the leaves readily and that one soon learn
ed to like them. New leaves began
grow as soon as the first were cut and tw
more cuttings were made after the first o
the 10th of August. "The early frosts di
not seriously injure its growth, and the foe
der was still in good condition in October
some time after corn and Hungarian ha
been harvested on account of the approac
of cold weather"
The leaves of the prickly comfrey resen
BILE those of tobacco in size and shape. II
roots are not inclined to spread, but renal
year after year in the hills where they al
planted and it is expected that the ere
on the station farm will be at least twice
large the present season as that grown fro
the new cuttings last year. The create
objection to the plant which the static
finds is the labor of cutting, which has
he done entirely by hand. We believe tn
comfrey was recommended as a forage plal
years ago, and tried to some extent, b
failed to attract much attention. Perha
new methods of growing and using it mi
prove it to be valuable acquisition.
The station has a well-furnished labor
tory, and has done and proposes to do
large variety of work in that line. Besid
the analyses of fertilizers licensed for ga
in the state, a large number of other chez
zeal analyses have been made, includii
= l., &. 4 -.
licensed fertilizers, eight of muck, 10
water, two Of ashes, one each of groul
limestone and fish scraps, two each of DO
meal and potash salts, 1862 of milk, Is
cream, 80 of buttermilk, II of butter, Al
five of insecticides during the time cover
by the report. The tests of skinned mi
and buttermilk from the creameries show
that there was an average loss of at lei
one pound of butter to every ten viii
were saved. Experiments are being ma
at the farm to test the effects of vario
feeding stuffs over the quantity and quail
of the milk, methods of setting milk
cream, and methods of testing the quail
of milk and cream. Experiments are a
being made with ensilage, the results
which will be given in future bulletins a
reports. About six tons of apple pomG
We're preserved as ensilage with peri,
success, and the station recommends it a
valuable feed to be used in connection W
other folders. 1t was fed there to co,
each having ten pounds day-ive pour
in the morning and five at night.
|
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