Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-01-07
Farmers Meeting at Coventry.

Farmers Meeting at Coventry.
This meeting was held as announced,
Jan. I'd and Sd, at the vestry of the
Cono'I church, there being present of the
Agricultural Board all the gentlemen
whose names appeared upon the pro-
gramme The meeting proved to be one
of growing interest from beginning to
end, and upon the last evening the vestry
was closly filed. Each session was well
attended and we think very pleasant and
profitable. At the opening session on
Wednesday morning, Mr.. William Bar
rows was unanimously chosen president
of the meeting and filled the position very
acceptably until the close of the meet
inos Mr.. Barrows also gave the adj
dress of welcome, extending a cordial
welcome to all and expressing his pleas
ure at being permitted the privilege OF
having the Board meet at Coventry, also
hoped the ladies and boys would avail
themselves of its privileges.
Mr.. Smith of Pittsford then gave us
paper on the subject, "What shall we
raise Oh our Odlu uC he1O NN'NS
to talk aoith US, not to us. Spoke of his
regret as he saw the sad picture of so
many farms vacated, in many instances
only the cellars and shade trees left to
mark the spot where once there was
nice farm; and in other instances the
vacated buildings in ruined condition
owned by non residents, the fields OF
which have only become pastures ana
grown up to weeds and bushes. lie
spoke in particular of four large farms
that joined each other, thus vacated,
the hay that was cut being sold off and
of its injurious effect upon its school
district, community and state; said any
farmer should leave his farm in as good
state as when he came upon it; said the
growth of timber often helped to pre-
serve the fertility of the soil, and help
the crops in various ways by protecting
from winds, and thus causing natures
covering, the snow, to remain on the
land better; said raising and selling po-
tatoes was selling your farm by the bush
ell; should double our corn and barley
crop. Gave his process of manuring for,
and raising corn, both field and fodder
corn; liked the evergreen for fodder the
best. He gave the statistics of the num-
Der of bushels of different grains raised
in our state, but considered grass the
best CROP Mr.. Chaplin then opened
the discussion, relating some of his ex-
perience farming. Said he commenced
with only 211 acres, now owned 1000; the
land had always been too poor to bear
a mortgage. His best crop was his
crop of boys had succeeded much better
farming than swapping horses.
Mr.. H. Story said he doubted fodder
corn being a profitable crop, thought
it better to;cut rowen. Mr.. +. b. True
thought fodder corn Indispensable in
many cases; thought the silo would pay
any farmer spoke of dairy of 10 cows
he visited, and it's care. Mr.. Davis
would raise small varieties of corn for
fodder liked barley cut green for fod-
der for mich cows; liked the plan of
cutting a NOW of choice hay very early
and letting it lay and ripen in the NOW
over one season and use it early the
next season for dairy.
On Wednesday afternoon the session
was opened by Mr.. Cleveland of Coven-
try, giving his experience in caring for
his stock. He practiced feeding hay
| twice day and meal once, this to be
given always after watering in the fore
| noon; to his three year old steers that
I, lot N the SnPinU
he gave a peck of corn meal. He sold
| 40 three year olds last spring that aver
aged 1860 lbs. Thinks his present herd
will average about the same; believes in
| feeding meal freely. After asking Mr.
! C. some questions, Mr.. Vail of Pom
| fret favored US with his paper, the sub
| iect being ''The Dairy" He considered
it one of the growing branches of indus
try, and as profitable pursuit as other
| business, considering the time given and
amount invested. He felt there was
much more to learn and great success to
follow. To have perfect dairy there
must be the right man, the right cow,
and the right feed; he lkened these fac
tors to a pair of shears, one blade TO be
the COW, the other the feed, and the hand
the man, who cuts for the cow-one as
| necessary as the other. He likened the
COW to a machine on manufacturing to
convert different produce into milk; said
it would take three years to find out
what a COW can produce; considered
| young grasses the best milk producing
| feed. and spok Ike about the different feeds
that were best to produce heat and flesh
and consequently how to feed to get the
best results in milk, balancing one food
with another. He also gave his eXper
fence with his dairy, how he fed and
cared for it, other gentlemen spoke ol
some of the different points to be con
sidered in selection of cows. Mr.. Bar
rows and Richmond said they fed then
coarse feed and meal; Mr.. Barrows' dali
ry averaged 80 dollars to COW, figuring
in the calves and pork. Mr. Richmond
has made for the last few years from
1913 to 227 lbs. of butter per COW; Mr.
Smith favored winter dairying, and gave
his reasons.
The evening session opened with mus
| ic. Mr.. WlnSlOW then gave us paper
subject ''The most profitable horse.
Much depended upon the market, anC
thought for Vermont what he called gen
tlemen's drivers usually the most sough
for; considered the soil, and air anC
rocks in Vermont the best place to rails
desirable horses; thought the chances
better in breeding this class of horses
| for if you didn't succeed in getting
trotter or even a gentleman's driver, they
would make good farm horses; a goo
weight was from $50 to 100 lbs. woul
look carefully to select as breeders, onl
such stock as was sound, good DISPOSE
ton and constitution and to know some
thing. Said in raising colts don't IT,
; to raise too cheaply; begin to educat
early, but carefully. Mr.. Winslows pa
per was very we'll received and ont
would have to hear it to appreciate 1t.
2 Mr.. Williams and Davis then followe
up the discussion. Mr.. Williams spok
of his interest and pleasure in good hors