The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-28
Boarding ArOund---FOurth Period.

Mr.. Edttor:-Having received many in
quiries lately from people in various parts
parts of the state as to what had become of
the = Transient Boarder" of the WATCH
MAN, rise to explain that still live;
that | still travel with the agricultural
troupe that we are travelling up and down
the state, " seeking what we may devour,"
at two dollars day, and that so long as the
state pays the expense we shall try to eat
all that is set before us, though some of the
beefsteaks are more fit to shoe a sled with
than for human digestion
We have all got our little piece to speak
and 6" tell it Der and DER, each in his 'cus-
toned place" Brother Cooke tells of " The
Benefit OF Cooperative Creameries y;
! Brother Smith: The Cause of Agricultural
Depression -, Brother Vail, " Ensilage and
Cow-feeding -; Brother Sanford, Saving
and Applying Manures -; Brother Spear,
4" Profitin Keeping Sheep y; Brother Chaplin,
"Proft in Farming" These topics with
various digressiOnS into politics, religion,
morals, mirth and melancholy, form the
staple discourseS at all meetings so far
The discussions by the people are by far the
best part, for somebody is apt to tell the
truth, and that is what we all want.
Our first meeting was at Swanton, fine
thriving town, where we had a fair attend
anCe and a lively interest in the creamery
question. 1t appears that the creameres,
as heretofore run in Franklin county, have
not yielded to the patrons much if any over
$50 per COW per year. That, of course,
doesent pay, and majority of dairymen
seem dissatisfied with that method. The
board had great help at this meeting from
Senator Adams Captains Brown and jew
EFT, Rev. L. j. Ranslow and many others.
Here we found fine manufactures of many
coloIed marbl a suspender factory, also
| many historical relics of the old Indian set
! Element at the mouth of the Missisquoi and
the subsequent French village, fort and
miss onary station that had an irregular ex-
| stence here from 1911 to 1851. AT EnOS-
burgh Falls, the headquarters of the patent
medicine industry, the same week we held
a two days meeting with medium success
The weather was cold and the meeting par
took largely of the weather. Here are many
factories putting up many remedies for the
diseases of man and beast. But we don't
! propose to advertise for them. They are
abundantly able to do that for themselves.
! In fact, it seems to me that advertising and
| alcohol are the main factors in the business.
On our next voyage we fetched compass
| by way Of Montpelier, Wells River, St.
Johnsbury and Barton Landing to the
ancient aud honorable town of Irasburgh
! Though somewhat deserted and discour-
! aged, this is a grand old town yet, and we
had good meeting, thanks to the good
| people of Irasburgh, Coventry, Albany
! Barton and other towns, who came out in
| spite of the thermometer AT fourteen below
zero. At Craftsbury, December IS and 49,
! we udtl one Vi lub DtSI meetings OI int sea-
son-considering the weather-a good intel
| ligent and cheerful audience. A comfort
able and homelike hotel with things on
! the table all eatable, fine music and all eX-
cellent arrangements were elements of
success that "A storm could not defeat
Here we had the pleasure of visiting that
venerable king of grassfeeders, Amasa
Scott, who years ago used to get from 450 to
$50 pounds of butter TO the COW in year,
with a feed of only green and dried grass
and few potatoes" only that and moth
| ing more" A noble record. Why, the
man got, counting the cost of feed, better
profit than was ever got from Eur0tdS or
EurotiSnd Coming down to Hardwick by
the morning starlight with the mercury
twenty below, was not so funny, still my
ears have grown out again as long as ever.
After the holidays, we began the work Of
| 1891 at Morrisville. On the way | per-
sonally interviewed His Excellency, the
Governor, and hnmbly suggested that we
would like to have the ex-ofiicio members of
the board at this meeting. | told him
thought If he would give us u discussion on
"Green Hides " or " How to skin 'em,"
and the president of the (union) Agrcul-
tnral College an address ON Pulled Wool, f"
| that the people would be edited. But the
governor pleaded pressure Of business, care
| of supreme court, school law, etc, etc.
| However, we did not lack for sizeable men.
Judge Powers, who is about TO represent
half the farmers of the state, came in to
| learn how his constituents felt Ex-
Governor Hendee gave us the benefit OF his
presence aud voice, aud the sturdy farmers
| of Spunky Lamoille ~ gave good account
| of themselves. AT Jacksonville We had
perhaps less big men but more average men
| and more women and, on the whole, "A
better meeting. Towards the close "a GER
! tain lawyer stood up" and gave startling