The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-12-25

grain. Ihls Is very apt to be the case
where grain or milk have been sold
from the farm for long series of years,
and only straw and hay used as food
for stock. Glover hay makes rich
manure alone; other hay needs grain
fed with it.
HOME MIXTURES. The Ne,C Eng
land Farmer thus calls attention to a
serious error in an article, a part of
which we recently copied in these
columns: " In Professor Phelps article
on Home Mixtures recently pub
lished in these columns, he said the
farmer might save from seventy to
eighty per cent on the cost of his fertil-
izers in the spring. This sentence is a
little vague, and the professors idea
more explicitly stated-is, the farmer
might purchase at from seventy to
eighty per cent of the cost of his fertil-
izers in the spring, the single materials,
when at their lowest market price. !"
Seeing manifest mistake, we supposed
it most probably to consist in the addi-
ton of ciphers, and so made it six to
seven per cent-which, however, APP
peared much too small The true saw
ing of twenty to thirty per cent coin
cides very nearly with our own results.
IMPERIAL EGG FOOD.-An analysis
of this much-trumpeted article has
been made, with the following result:
Moisture and organic matter. .O5
mineral matter. 95
Nltroseh LOO
Carbonic acid equivalent to $50 per cent carbo-
nate OF lime) "a. W
Phosphoric acid equivalent to IA to II per cent
The pepper in the food furnishes a
portion of the organic matter present,
and analysis and examination with the
microscope show that the mineral por-
ton consists very largely of clam and
oyster-shells Ohe carbonate of lime),
and bone or other phosphate material
substances, the former of which can
be bought for fraction of a cent per
pound, and the latter at less than two
cents. The food undoubtedly contains
material that most poultry men wisely
feed to laying hens, but there seems to
be no good reason why it should cost
more than a small fraction of fifty
cents per pound, or why it should be
purchased in pound packages, as though
it were especially valuable, when it is
mixture of ordinary, cheap substances.
PROXIMITY to MARKETS. -" With
our close proximity to the best markets
in America there is every incentive for
the young to engage in agriculture,
where, by the appreciation of energy
and knowledge of the science of farm
ing, success will attend every labor
This is hopeful sentence uttered by
DIR. Twitchel at the meeting of the
State Board of Agriculture at Fitchburg
this week." says the NeW England
Farmer. This would be much more
true, and proportionally more encour-
aging, if our New England railroads
would recognize the patent fact that
New England farmers are small pro-
ducers, compared with their western
competitors; and that in order that
they should reap just advantage from
their proximity to markets they must
have low rates, not only by the carload,
but in smaller quantities. A system of
what we have called "freight express
age" is the crying need. Great dis
patch is of minor importance com
pared with cheap rates on single barrel,
box and bag shipments. The railroads
that will start such method of trans
portation, by which the farmers of New
England can reach all the manufacture
ing towns with their products in any
quantity, large or small, at low cost,
will do more to develop our agriculture,
raise the value of our farms, and keep
our young men on the farm, than any
or all other existing means to that end.
And they will also be surprised to find
what an immense business it will de-
velop in a very short time. But, as
with cheap postage for parcels, this
will be opposed, tooth and nail, by the
regular expresses, which have a power
full "pull " on all our railroads, because
nearly all their managers hold express
company stock.