The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-09-04
Editorial NOtings.

Hlreu u6lp, anu uOWH Ill NOTlH OdIO-
lima the planters are seriously perplexed
because the negroes are emigrating
westward. If the army of the unem-
ployed who lie around in the city
saloons would settle in the country
towns and reform, they would become
the owners of the farms and useful
citizens" We fear that the heavy
emphasis that must be put upon that
single word, REFORM" will nullify the
force of all the rest of the paragraph.
Saloon bummers are the worst of all
farm help; and their reform is about
the most hopeless of all things.
THE VALUE OF BRAN.-An exchange
says that "wheat bran is excellent to
make cows give large mess of milk,
but for the butter-maker it does not
furnish the requisite material. The
cream from bran-fed milk rises slowly
and is hard to churn. When the but
ter is made it will be pale rather than
the golden yellow from the cream of
cows fed ON corn-meal. Bran should
be fed to young, growing stock rather
than to cows. 1t is rich in phosphate
and makes an excellent manure" The
trouble with those who fail in feeding
bran is, that they feed too little meal
with it. When they feed well-bal-
anced ration, of which bran is a part,
they will find the milk all right.
SEED POTATOES questioner in an
exchange says: GAS an experiment
this year l planted whole potatoes in
two rows. The seed used was about
the size of small hens egg. The rest
of the pieces was planted with cut
seed. The whole potatoes were planted
three days earlier than the cut seed and
the vines are one-third larger" and
asks, "Can any one explain the mat
ter?" We doubt if any one can, for
the mere difference in the size of the
seed will not do so. We have got as
heavy a growth of potatoes from single
cyeS. IulS SedSOu, DIS We eNeI saw lIOn
whole potatoes. The only exception
we note is, that while all the rest of the
potato may be cut to single eyes, it
will not do to carry it too far with the
I" seed end" or to use small potatoes
for cutting, and if the same-sized seed
was cut as was planted whole, that may
"explain the matter"
POTATOES "RUNNING OUT. Col.
F. d. Curtis, at a recent agricultural
meeting in New York, remarked that
Washington county IN. " has worn
out the Hebron" This is a pretty
severe reflection on Washington county
farmers. But we doubt the truth of
the statement, as broadly as it is given.
The Hebron is one of our most vigor-
Gus potatoes, and is relied upon by
more farmers of our acquaintance than
any other sort for their main crop.
MULCHING.-At the same meeting,
the question was asked. " Will simple
mulching give us more corn and fruit
than cultivating;" and Horticultural
Professor Bailey of Ithaca replied:
"Never. Cultivation and fertilizng
are the best of ALL" Undoubtedly they
are good enough; but, as regards fruit
trees, we find mulching quite as good
as cultivation. But it makes a big
difference what you mulch with. We
use pea and bean straw, very freely.
The soil beneath it grows dark and
very friable, as the mulch decays, and
the trees make a vigorous growth, and
bear heavily.
Is IT A FACT?-An exchange says
that: " AS a rule farmers look older,
for their years, than almost any other
class of individuals. Yet farming is a
healthy business with the pure air, ex-
hilarating breezes, bright sunshine and
freedom from the noise and tumult of
the city. These influences tend to pro-
mote health, strength and activity, but
the farmer, with all these helps to pro-
long life and with an abundance of
good wholesome food, quite often be-
comes old in appearance and feeling
while young in years" Now there is
little doubt that hard, persistent bodily
toll, beyond the limit of endurance,
will age any man rapidly. But it does
not so much affect farmers as it does
the laboring men in other avocations
if our observation is correct. We are
sure that it does not pay any man to sc
overwork himself; and no farmer who
has brains, and uses them, need cripple
himself by hard, manual labor, in these
days of Misunderstanding.
LowLY LIvEs.-The Tribune quotes
the Rev. George T. Bowling as saying
"Let us stop teaching our boys tina
their careers will be failures unless