The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-11

vicinity, or all Of them II he cares to
write for them. Some OF them are
couched In technical terms, but
that is avoided as far as possible
the Wisconsin station two years ago
published a bulletin showing how
any one with ordinary sense and intelli-
gence can learn the butter value Of
milk. Up to that time no one but q
chemist could tell this, but now any
one can, The outfit is cheap-only
SO will pay for it-and by II a farmer
can weed out his poor cove. Scores of
farmers in Vermont and thousands
throughout the country are using it. 1t
is called the Babcock tester, and in my
opinion this one thing has more than
paid for all the stations in this country
have cost.
In regard particularly to the station
in Vermont: First, as to fertilizers:
In that line it controls every fertilizer
that is sold. They have to be guaran-
teed by the manufacturer, and the ex-
pertinent station is required to go out
in the market, purchase a Piles and
analyze them. The stations in all the
states are RI quired to do the same, and
in this way every fertilizer that is sold
in this country IS under control of the
experiment stations. In Vermont,
when the station was established,
there were two fertilizers on the
market that were frauds, and one of
them was manufactured in Vermont.
Both Lave been driven from the
market. One was made from the
street sweepiDgs of Boston mixed with
harao roon,r, fariilizpr IN ha o,ra
but not worth $50 per ton-and the one
made in Vermont was simply ground
limestone.
There has been a good deal of horti-
cultural work done at the Vermont sta
ton, especially in the line of potatoes
the most extensive ever done in the
United States. The legislature of Yer
mont, in 1888, made a law that no milk
could be considered pure unless it con
tanned three and one-third per cent of
fat; but at hardly n of the thirty
creameries that | have visited in the
state had pure milk been brought to
them from all their patrons. The Bah
cock test is itself a policeman, and The
patrons of the creamery where a Bah
cock machine is in use never know
when the milk is to be tested. The ex-
posing of frauds is one of the things
done at the experiment stations, and in
this the Vermont station has done its
full share.
Our station has also done quite a
good deal in re galdtO testing The meas
urements and re Of wool, but theiex-
periments thus tar have not been alto
gelher satisfactory. In connection with
the dairy work the Vermont station has
done a good deal in p'g-teediDg-taking
the skim milk from the creamery-and
with very satisfactory results. In the
line Of maple sugar, some farmers in
Vermont have said that the work done
at the Vermont station has more than
paid for all that has been expended on
it. The t%wenty-siXth bulletin issued by
the station tod how it was possible for
any farmer to make eighty per cent
sugar. There are now in the state
about 4 900 applicants for bounty papers.
! was in charge Of the government sta
ton at Montpelier, last spriug, and
about seven.eighths of The sug + offered
for testir q passed, the result beirg that
the farmers of Vermont drew $l3 900
from the government last year for
maple sugar bounty.
The Vermont station has also done a
great deal of milk work. The question,
Where milk comes from, is a large one.
We don't know yet whether it comes
from blood or tissue. We made a test
last week on The effect of the weather
on cows, and we found hat when the
temperature rose the quality of the
milk fell, and when the temperature
fell the quality OF the milk lose.
Professor Hills then expressed his
Willingness to answer any questions in
regard 10 the Vermont station and its
work, and he was piled with numerous
queries. l. N. jerks moved a vote of
thanks to the speaker and singers, and