Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14
FARMERS AT BRANDING.
THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE HOLDS
ANOTHER MEETING.
The Farmers Talk at Random and EN-
press Their Opinions on the Adam
doned Farm Busincss-Somc De-
clare it Humbug, Others that
it snot all "A HumbuG.

hearty welcome. The work of the board
has always been fruitful of good. 1t is
saying old and none the less true for being
old, that farming is the basis OF all other
industries. Without agriculture what will
become of commerce and manufacturers:
1t underies all other bus mess.
This country and this business brings out
the best men this country ever knew. We
hear too much said about abandoned farms.
1t is true that last year was poor one for
majority of farmers, but there is an ebb and
flow in any business. There is no earthly
reason why farms should be offered for sale
for Just what the Improvements actually
cost There has been Il great rush for the
West and the Western country has been
built up by the energy, wisdom and capital
of the East and it is no wonder there should
be reaction here. Farmers should study
more carefully their work; work with dill
lgence and practice economy. ir. Chaplin
responded in his usual happy manner.
1t being so late it was suggested the
regular paper for the session should be
postponed till the afternoon and that any
subject he discussed which was interesting.
Mr.. Smith of the Board suggested the seed
ing of meadows to grass and the most econo-
mcal time for doing the same. Spoke OF the
manner of the farmers i'll the White River
valley sowing their grass seed i'll the corn
fields at second time of hoeins and adyo-
eating level culture of corn in any event
Mr. Chaplin of the board said the natural
tendency is to hill up the corn--unless it is
kept perfectly level 1t would not be practi-
bic thus to sow. In his section there was
no trouble in seeding with any kind of
grain if sowed thin enough; one and one
half bushels of oats per acre would be
enough.
Mr. Sumner of Brandon, said Killing
up corn is out of theory but not out OF
practice; every implement is calculated to
make a hill: corn well hilled up will not
stand the drouth nearly so well as perfectly
level culture. Corn does not need the hill
to support the stalk; it will stand the best
and recover quicker when no hill is made;
too much killing will destroy the corn if a
drouth follows. Never had sown grass
seed with corn, but could see no reason why
it would not be practicable. | nave no faith
in our new craze of abandoned farms.
Think it would be hard to find any aban
doned farms that were in any way produc
tive. They had better be allowed to grow
up to woods again than to try to make
farms of them. Think the scheme a hum
bug.
Mr. Chaplin said: live in a town where
there are some abandoned farms, and some
of them can be made, with little expense,
quite productive. 1t is not all humbug.
He had seen Swe1es west of the Mississippi
river also in Florida, and in both places
they were considered first-class Inhabitants.
Mr.. Winslow of Pttsford gave his expe-
rience in level corn culture, and very much
favored that kind of cultivation. Said it
nd nd
Rev. Mr.. Lovett, Brandon, said; Plant
ed corn on ridges and by hoeng made it
level; there came up a spontaneous growth
Of red top, which cut good crop of hay
the next year
Adjourned to afternoon.
At the afternoon session of the Brandon
meeting, Milton June in the chair, NJ. w.
Davis of Westminster, member of the
Board, gave his paper on Corn is king. -
He said: There is no crop which has such a
variety of uses. Rice feeds the most people,
but corn is used in the greatest variety Of
ways, both as food for man and beast.
il can be raised as far as AZ north lati-
tude You can change it by crossing and
breeding same as you can live stock. 1t
adapts itself wonderfully to the place where
it is raised. Dent corn from the Southwest
would in few years become flint corn in
the East and "vice versa"
Corn is self-fertilizing. Seed is the item
of Importance To raise a good crop seed
must be dry before frozen; prefer a small
stalk and small cob When land will not
cut more than one-half ton per acre, plant
to corn. The slower will be worth as
much as the hay. 1t needs warm land and
! advise putting on the manure in the
winter and not blowing till time to plant.
Corn takes very little fertility from the
soil. Needs to be cut soon as glazed. II
each farm in the State raised 50 bushels
more than what it now does we should not
need TO buy any. We now buy about
1900, 900 bushels Of corn aud pay $l27,-
900 for commercial fertilizer.
Stock Breeding.
At the evening session c. NJ. Winslov
said: No man has any right to embark in
any kind Of stock breeding unless he has q
pational love for that peculiar animal,
man who raises either calves, pigs or colt,
must be interested in them Vermont ha
made herself famous in raising horse pc
culiar to New England, viz: the gentle
mans driver. Our horses originally camt
from Connecticut and Massachusetts,. On,
hundred years ago a horse called by tn,
name of his owner Justice Morgan wa.
brought into the State and crossed OF
the stock of the State and from this eros
sprang our present stock of horses. The
Wrench coach horses are at present attract
ing considerable attention. They are some
what similar to the Morgan only larger
Our Morgans should be bred larger and cal
be made so by careful breeding They MAJ
bot on account of their nervous Temperament
be the best for the track, but they are tn,
best general purpose horse. Morgan horse
are noted for their intelligence. Brain il
horses is worth as much as brain in men
colts can be kept as cheaply as steers after
one year old. want horse with pedi
gree; not particularly standard bred, bu
TO know he springs from an ancestry Of goo
disposition, An ugly sire or dam is liabl
TO produce stock with the same impeachment
II may not crop out in tho first or seconc
generation but Is liable to at any time will
its progeny. The most important period il
the life of a colt Is the first six months af
ter weaving. Begin to break a colt as sool
ss it is day old, catch the colt, it will neve
forget it. Halterbreak them while young
and accustom them to being handled.