St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-12-28
TWOINSTITUTES.
Profitable Gatherings for Farmers at
Walden and Ryeeate.


last week Wednesday and the people
were there in good numbers to listen
to the practical talks of the members
of the state board of agriculture.
Secretary Winslow of Brandon and
Prof. J. L. Hills, who is at the head
OF the state experiment station at
Burlington, were present from
abroad. The meeting were held in
the Methodist church.
After six modest citizens Of the
town had declined to serve as chair
man of the meeting, Secretary Win
slow announced that he would serve
himself and called upon C.. j. Bell for
the address of welcome.
Mr.. Bell said the town OF Walden
was glad to welcome the state
board of agriculture here, for it was
the first time a Farmers Institute
had been held in the town. Walden
favored good schools, good roads
and wanted just such an education
as one of these institutes would
bring. Her butter product amount
ed to $4,000 annually, her sugar
$4,000, her wool and mutton from
$4,000 to $4,000, her potatoes be-
tween $4,000 and $1,000 and her
lumber about $4,000. SO the in
come from the resources of the town
is over $4,000 year. Mr.. Bell
then spoke of the natural beauty OF
the town and of its fertile soil and
thrifty people.
In responding to Mr.. Bell, the
chairman said he did not think the
. town needed to have the board OF
, agriculture tell them how to make
farming successful; the board ex-
: pected to get facts from the citizens
: of Walden to take to other places.
' Prot. Hills took the rest OF the
e morning hour in the discussion OF
/. maple sugar. He began by stating
}. the necessity of having good tools to
# work with and urged the farmers to
a keep their sap clean, and also to pre-
v vent fermentation ofthe sap by keep
ing the sap both cold and clean. He
believed that the pail should be kept
:: covered.
i Prof. Hills spoke about the nitre in
g. the sugar, saying it was combina-
r. ton Of maic acid and lime. The
,e malic acid appears in the apple and
- gives it the sour taste. Some farm
ers settle out the nitre and others
strain it out. He thought the boun-
&C. ty on sugar was an incentive to
make better sugar, and then explain
=. ~ ed in detail the polariscope, the IN
,d strument used to test the sugar. lie
thought the farmer could tell what
rt. kind of sugar he was making 1t he
of used an accurate thermometer, but
-, three-fourths of the thermometers on
the market were inaccurate. At 23t
as most syrup would be concentrated
as enough to make 80 per cent sugar
las but 236 was a still safer point. A:
the season advances this point shoult
be raised at least two degrees, ant
the last few runs will never max
bounty sugar. If the syrup is takeI
las off at 219 it will almost invariabl,
a make II pounds to the gallon.
Secretary Winslow opened the al
.r. ternoon session by short talk o
potato raising. He believed thor
oughly in selecting good seed i
order to get good yield.
Prof. Hills followed with an intel
esting address on commercial terti
izers. He considered them valuab
n for starting crops, and explained the
chemical composition and describe
II how they were made. He said ths
Vermont farmers paid $4,000
all annually to fertilizer companies an
1850 that they could save some of tn
amount if they only paid cash dow
Nat. Burbank of Walden, a vetera
T. potato raiser, told how he secured
are good yield every year.
orm Prof Hills spoke briefly OF t
arm Bordeaux mixture and said mai
farmers had used it all over the stat
the The evening session was devot
'let to talk on the dairy cow by s.
The retary Winslow. He said farm
tber ought to have dairy cows if he is G
~. ing to run dairy and not get b.
'"' cows. Fully one-third of the CO.
iron are damage to the farmers as tn
by are supported by their owners. Tn
test give small quantity of butter, m
.or, or cheese. The average of the st;
-, is 155 pounds of butter to the co
orio' yet we hear of cows that give 8
or 400 pounds of butter. The fai
err should keep record of every c.
So in and when he finds poor cow
e AS should dispose OF it.
sdav Secretary Winslow recommend
the Babcock test to determine
aP, quality of the milk. He urged
Mt at farmers to get well-bred cows
then to select their calves. In G
e,, ing he spoke of what he fed his h
'"" M OF 40 Ayrshires at his Brandon ia
: M The institute at Walden was
solo. great success.
The Ryeeafe Institute.
At the opening of the Board OF
than- riculture at Ryegate on Thursda.
III DE A. Meadcr was elected charm
tue Rev. Daniel Harris gave very