The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-30
Editorial NOtings.

Editorial NOtings.
HENRY WARD BEECHER is quoted as
saying: "Many men use but one or two
faculties out of the score with which
they are endowed. A man is educated
who knows how to make tool of every
faculty-how to open it, how to keep it
sharp, and how to apply it to all practi-
cal purposes" Yes; and that is the
kind of education the young farmer
needs. But where will he get it at any
price he can afford to pay? Will any
one who knows the facts say that our
"agricultural colleges" as a class, are
doing that, or know how to do it, or are
trying to find out? So long as these
institutions are in the hands of men
trained by the old scholastic methods,
devised for quite opposite ends, so long
must they be empty, and so long will
their managers stupidity fail in all
points, save the drawing of their sala-
ries.
WE notice that We omitted to answer
the question of Mr.. Dixie of Thompson,
Conn, in reference to Mr. Carman's
new potato. 1t is called the Rural
New Yorker, No. g." 1t has been be-
fore the public several years, and can
be had of many growers of seed pota-
toes. We wish also to refer once more
to the Rigby potato-digger, which Mr..
Dixie bought on our recommendation
and likes so WELL Most of our readers
probably remember that it is made in
Houlton, Aroostook county, Maine, by
Rigby e. Burleigh, and can be bought
at about the price of a good breaking
up plow. Our experience and observa-
ton with this digger, in comparison
with the expensive four-horse machines
which take up the soil and sift it, is that
the Rigby cuts fewer tubers-in fact,
none except sometimes as it enters the
ground leaves them well shaken out,
except on very weedy land, and is much
cdolcl hduulCu, DooiuCo tahluS lnuCu
less storage room when not in use,-
which is quite important, now that
so many implements are used on every
farm. AT the same time it should be
understood that all potato-diggers bury
some potatoes, just as any but the m ost
careful hand-digging cuts some. Those
that take up the dirt and sft it leave
the ground so light that quite as many
are out of sight as the Rigby leaves I'm.
covered. But little skill in giving the
ground poke or kick brings most OF
these to the surface. That diggers all
do their best work in clean ground is
true, and is a stimulus to that clear
culture which gives the best crop. We
have found it to pay with both kinds Of
diggers to 90 over the field with &
spring tooth harrow after the potatoes
have been picked off. 1t leaves The
ground in nice shape for winter, ant
brings up enough potatoes to pay fo
the labor. -
THE Newport Erpress calls the atten
ton of its readers 10 quite remarkabl,
collection of sugar maple trees in thu
Clyde river valley, as it passes through
the town of Derby. Derby is yer,
notable town for naples, large mum
bers of which are of the original growth
with but little admixture of other spe
cies. There is one grove lying soutl
of Clyde river extending less than tw
miles in length that contains, at tn
least calculation, 1000 trees. Portion
of it are owned and worked by six dit
ferent parties. East and west of tina
large grove are separate orchards cor
, tanning fully 5000 trees, making a
least $4,000 maple trees within dis
: lance of less than two miles square
Our own grove, of nearly 1000 trees,
, in the same valley; and our neighbo
/ Speaker Grout, has about 1000 trees
> of which he taps this year $500, pre-
5 ducing upwards of 5000 pounds {
, sugar, or its equivalent in syrup.
i WE have received considerabl
Q number of notes from old readers {
this dapart mani aypraasiuU aurnris