The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-07-26


that no farmer who has the heart
of farmer will feel otherwise than
that such school is an actual necessity
for his own sons who contemplate fol-
lowing their fathers business.
Editorial NOtings.
WHAT good is it to any man to be
praised beyond his merits? If he has
good sense he knows it, and feels
ashamed, rather than elated. A fair
recognition of good work is all right.
Anything more is but daubing with
untempered mortar. Honest criticism
is worth more to all of us than sense-
less praise. -
A FREE government without thorough
popular education is a government of
rogues and rings-the worst govern
ment on earth. -
TIE white American will stand
good deal of crowding, but he can be
crowded too much, and then the crowd
ers hear something drop. The slave
AolGe.s found that out. The trusts and
rings will find it out.
DON'T think because we had rev.
olution that made the nation free and
rebellion that made the blacks free,
therefore there is nothing left to do.
" For tyranny of late hath cunning
grown" About our only hope seems
to be that all dishonest cunning is sure
to overreach itself in the end.
THERE is one advantage in sending
your milk to the creamery-you know
every day whether your cows are gain
ing, holding their own, or shrinking.
To save work in the house, we have
been doing this for a short time; and
we find that even the mixers can be
mistaken, where the difference is but
small.
The great objection TO creameries-
at least to our creamery in Derby-is
that it pays one price for all milk. 1t
isn't so bad as it might be, as most of
the COWS are more or less of Jersey
descent, and, as rule, are pretty we'll
kept and cared for; but it is not right.
WHAT experiment station can tell us
whether where the grass keeps along at
about ton of hay to the acre there is
any real gain to the farmer, in blowing,
planting and re-seeding, rather than in
topdressing? And will TOP. dressing with
commercial fertilizers keep up and in
crease the growth of grass, on fair to
good grass land, with any profit to the
purchasers? Who, among the practical
farmers who read this page, can tell us
and our readers anything positive about
the use of commercial fertilizers on
grass? We know that on sowings of
small grain we can make fertilizers pay
profit. We can write our name legi-
bly, with fertilizers on wheat, rye and
barley fields, and double the crop by
its use; and the grass-seeding shows
that the benefit continues for more
than one season. But the direct appli,
cation Of fertilizers, after hayiug, to the
mown field, has not given US much en-
couragement. -
ELSEWHERE, on this page, is an ac-
count of a very large white birch tree,
growing upon farm in Worcester,
Mass, and which is there stated to be
of the species populVolia, so common
near the New England sea.coast, and
supposed to be nearly if not quite iden
tical with the white birch of England
But that tree of that species should
reach to so great size is so remarkable
as to cause doubt whether the species
has not been mistaken. We should
like to know if its species has been care
fully determined by competent inves
tigator. We have been eXaminin.
trees for many years, and are special,
interested in birches; but we have neve
seen, or before heard of, b. A lba
var. populifolia, of half that size. 1t i
species very rare in northeastern
Vermont.
RAIN and snow are said to bring dow
upon land in this section nitroge
equal to that in about two-thirds of a.
average load of stable manure to tn
acre. This is worth having; but it
not nearly enough for any ordnar
farm crop. Perhaps an equal amour
is supplied by the bodies of insects dy
ing in the soil annually; but whethe
this is any real gain is doubtful, ez
cept where the soil is kept up to ths
degree of richness sufficient to cause
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