Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-09
THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
Inst Farmers Institute of the Season
Held at North bennington.

held at North
The last farmers Institute Of the season,
held under the auspices OF the State Board
Of Agriculture, closed Friday night at North
Bennington.
The winters work has been decidedly
successful as whole and the board feels
encouraged at the interest manifested by
the farming communities In the meetings
Mr.. Rollin c. smith of Pittsford, mem-
Der Of former State boards, spoke last week
both at Manchester Centre and North Ben
nington on "Raisng and Harvesting Farm
Crops" He said that grass was the natural
food OF all stock and the basis OF all success
full farming. IL seems to DO fact that
stock thrive best in the spring IL they are
turned out before the grass gets too high.
They should be turned out while the so
called old fagg Is about equally mixed with
the new, fresh feed. There seems TO be
something in 1T which causes the stock TO
wean Off from hay to grass without any
change.
Next TO the succulent grass is the same
dried 1. e. hay. II the grass Is intended for
working horses and oxen it is we'll enough
to cut il when pretty thoroughly matured
1t is really OF more value to them as it
contains more nutrimsnt though lass di-
gestible, but for young stock and cows Civ
the early green grass Is far better If the
hay is of tho best from its being properly
cured, an addition OF grain may DO made
with success, but as hay is the foundation
Of cattle feeding no addition OF grain will
compensate for the lack of proper hay.
Next comes sowed oats and peas mixed,
cut early and cured and fed before throsh
ing. This makes a good feed for outdoor
stock. Harvest it the same as C over. When
the expense OF threshing is taken into con-
sideration the grain is just as profitable a
if separated and fed. Then feed barley in
the same way.
Corn is the next crop in the order OF
growth and it may be raised cheaply. The
best land to grow it on is sod. Draw on
your manure up to planting time and plow
just before planting time, then harrow thor
oushly until it is very mellow, and put on
a smoothing harrow. In about four days.
harrow again, then us soon as corn is out
harrow and continue until it is large Do
not harrow when wet, but when dry, fol.
lowing with u surface harrow, then with
fine cultivator until the corn is too high;
then thin out the corn leaving about four
or five stalks in q hill.
believe a better way may bs found, than
the continued tax Of husking, Smelling,
grinding, ETC., by use CT the silo. | have
been opposed to the clio because OF the poor
way in which the whole thing has been
managed until within the past five or six
years. The slo is not of much use unless
the corn is ripened before it it put into it.
Ensage is no better when taken out than
when put in. | believe the corn should be
put in whole as a matter Of economy, and
the largest corn that will mature is the most
profitable, for it is dry matter and not bulk
that is wnated. If you have good hay and
good ensilage cut with the corn on and hav
warm barns you are in condition to buy
grain and get a profit from it, but it is use
less to buy grain to feed poor stock kept in
cold barn.
Among the questions and answers were
the following:
do you use
A. a Macombsr planter, but would ad -
wise horse planter.
g. How deep do you plow?
a. About six inches
Mr.. Sanford of the board said he thought
that il you do not intend to stock down to
grass very good way is to SOW rye. The
ground should be kept covered with some
thing. He noticed last year that some
farmers raised corn fodder by broadcast
sowing.
@. How soon would you cut oats aud
peas
y. As soon as the oats have husked out.
q. To what extent will this corn fodder
take the place of grain?
a. 1t is not complete feed and needs
some kind of grain to balance it up.
.. What kind Of grass seed aud how
much Of it do you sow?
A. like red top, but usually use herds
grass and medium clover.
Mr., Winslow Of the board. 1t is always
wise to follow nature as closely as possible,
and where the soil is adapted to any par
ticular kind OF grass it is wise to SOW that.
If the ground is adapted to red top and
alsike clover, that is really the best grass to
raise
In regard to fall blowing it makes a diff
ference what your soil is. If clay, there is
no better way than to pillow in fall and let
the frost work upon it and SOW in spring
before it hardens.