Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-12-21
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AT
GREENSBORO.

Inc FARMERS OF greensboro ana VI
cinity are realizing that this is pro-
gressive age, and that the farmer
must 'catch on'' to this spirit of pro-
gress or he will get Cleft in the race
for the prize that intensive farming"
Gas one of the board of agriculture
puts it)is sure to bring. This observ-
alton is brought out by the large
gathering of farmers, and their wives
and daughters at the meeting of the
Board of Agriculture held here the 10
and 10th, inst. Notwithstanding the
stormy and inclement weather, the
three sessions each day were largely
attended, and much interest manifest
ed. As to be expected, there were in
dications of prejudice against theoreti-
cal or gentleman farmers, among
those who were ignorant of the COM
position of the ''board,n but before
the close of the meetings every one
could see that the members of the board
were practical farmers like them
selves, and were as ready to receive as
to impart knowledge, and we are sure
that the many went home with a new
and realizing sense of the dignity of
farming, a new desire to Improve from
the old methods, thereby increasing
the quantity and quality of their pro-
ducts, and consequently realizing bet
ter prices and larger profits than here
tofore. At the opening session Tues
day a. m. at Cong. church, j. B. Cook
aI0 oh
spoke upon increasing the fertility of
the farm; he emphasized the fact that
we are cultivating too much land
"Intensive farming" was his watch
word. Save your manure, there is too
much waste. Have more succulent
food, feed more in your barns Let
your old rocky sterile hill pastures
grow up to forests; build silos. Do
not feed down your meadows in fall
or spring, and much more in the same
strain. Mr.. Stanford is large dairy
farmer and evidently knows by eXpe-
rience what he is talking about. One
hour was proftably spent in asking
and answering questions by the farm
erS present.
At the afternoon session, after an
organ solo by Miss Lila Tucker, Mr..
Rollin G. Smith took as his topic,
e'Feeding farm Stock" He also is a
believer in silos and early cut hay,
oats, barley or any of our cereals, ,ripen-
ed grass has lost it's best feeding quail
ties. His whole talk was full of hints
to the farmer whose vice is late hay
ing. AS was to be expected much di-
versity of opinion was manifested as
to the best methods employed, in the
discussion after the regular speaking
was concluded, must be produc tions
of good.
The evening session was occupied
by Victor I. Spear of Braintree, who,
after music by the choir, spoke of the
advantages of VT" and he certainly
showed up our State in no unenviable
light, making it seem like flying in the
face of providence to leave our good
old Green Mountain State, thinking of
improving our fortunes.
The Wednesday morning session
was enlivened and enriched by the wit
and wisdom of VIM. Chaplin Esq. of
Middlesex, whom some of his admir-
ers call the Abraham Lincoln of Ver-
mont. After an organ solo by Miss
Tucker, Mr.. Chaplin talked in his
quaint and witty way about farming
in VT, the old ways and the ne w ways,
its needs to make it more productive
and profitable. The farmers need
more faith in their calling, assert their
manhood, their rights, both political
and social, so they may be able to Sc
cure more equitable adjustment of
freights, which now wo rks so injustly
against them, we want better roads,
better schools than we now have; we
want we'll endowed academies in every
county. Mr.. Chaplin is evidently
the apostle of John L. Edwards on the
academy question, as he calls him the
best man in Orleans County Except
his politics.. Mr.. Chaplin impresses
his hearers as one who is thoroughly
in earnest, and who has unbounded
faith in Vermont and it's future. The
forestry question was considerably
discussed at this session, few giving
their experience IN preserving Unem.
III. S. Tolman told how he judiciously
cut his fire wood for many years past
from about six acres of land, and now
has over thousand sugar naples from
four inches to one foot in diameter, in
thrifty condition.
Perhaps the most interesting session
of all was that of Wednesday after
noon, when Prof. Cooke of Burlington
talked about maple sugar and the
bounty question. He threw much light
on many points that heretofore had
been dark to the sugar maker. One
thing was made evident if Prof. Cookies