Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-08-27

4
quite difficult to answer. II the land |
comparatively easy to handle and can b.
J put into the regular farm rotation, thi
will without doubt be the cheapest wa.
to handle 1t. IL the land Is at a distanc
from the home and 1t Is desired to worl
this In addition to the usual amour
cultivated, we would advise the use o
some good commercial fertilizer. FRS
pl0w and work the land thoroughly
then use from eight to fifteen hundred
pounds of the fertilizer per acre will
grain and the usual amount OF gras
seed. We have noticed some very sue
cessful work of this kind In many por
tions of our state, on land that Is natural
" good grass land. Our own preference
and practice is to extend the farm ma
nures over a larger area and use th'
commercial fertilizer as a supplement
This appears to give better results thar
either alone, on grain or hoed crops, ant
ensures good stand of grass, wher
seeding down.-Secretary.]
FRYEBURG.-As TO the most profitabl,
stock which we can keep depends much
on circumstances. know OF men whose
pastures are too far from home 10 bt
available for cows, that are making some
money in raising steers, oxen aud beef
Good, handy steers and oxen will Away:
bring good money. know too, OF mer
who are doing well In private dairying
know from experience that dairying Ii
the best method we can adopt To hold ur
our farms, as II enables us to keep q
large number of pigs which are indis-
| pensable In stable cellars, and pork will
always sell for cash. Dairying is on
the increase and whether 1t will be over
done, remains to be seen. We are ell
trying to improve our stock although
for lack OF funds we go slow. In my
neighborhood, we have three full blood
bulls, one Jersey, one Hereford and one
Holstein. like a cross Of Durham and
Jersey for cows but want no white
faces. II we can raise heifers and milk
them at two or three years old and sell
them at four or five years old for $40 or
$50, for the Brighton trade, and this we
can do IL we have the right kind of
stock, it will pay US well. IL 1t would
not be asking too much Of our honorable
secretary, would like to hear through
some bulletin a discussion on making,
saving and application of manures TO the
soil, also the value Of commercial fer
tilizers. JOHN j. PIKE.
FRYEBURG.-In my estimation there
has been no time when young stock
could be raised with more profit than at
the present. b. B. WOODWARD.
SwEpEN.-I hadn't built my silO last
month, so will now say that built my
silo 10 IL feet. - feet deep. | have a
barn cellar, so built il five feet below
the barn floor The five feet In the base
ment made on a slant In of six inches,
so as 1t settles 1t will be tight around the
edges and corners, hope. l built il Of
hemlock boards, sheathing paper In be-
tween the boarding. The lumber cost
me $40 per NJ. using two NJ. hired a
man TO work with me three days. Cost
OF lumber $40; labor, go; paper, IS !;
nails, 81; cement Sl.90; whole expense,
s34 10. have eight acres Of sweet corn
to fill it with. | am going to pick of
the best ears for the factory and put the
fodder In the silo whole. Hay has come
In well. Much better than expected last
month. Oats are heavy strawed, and no
rust at present on them.
). l.. PLuMMER.
HIRAM.-With regard to the live stock
interest In this section, shall have To say
there has been altogether too much at
tention paid to raising colts TO the
neglect OF neat stock. or late there Is
an increasing interest in raising cows,
as they are finding ready sale AT good
prices, and more attention Il being given
TO dairying, and at present cows are the
most profitable stock and should be
largely increased in the near future. a
good heifer calf is worth more money TO
the common class OF farmers than u colt
that costs from ten to twenty-five dol
lars 10 start with, but am sorry TO say
that altogether too many OF them are
slaughtered and sent away. There Is no
well defined plan Of Improvement In our
ueat stock; lack OF capital prevents
many from doing what they know
should be done. Should our stock be
increased? Yes, by all means, and the
way 10 do 1t in my humble opinion, Is to
put in more silOs, raise tons OF corn fod-
der and fill them every year, raise all
the heifer calves and steers, as we'll as
make two spires OF grass grow where
one grew before, by more thorough cul-
tivation, doing away with much OF the
hard work and drudgery incident TO the
old anti-diluyian style of farming, by
the use of labor-saviDg implements, etc.
We believe that the dairy stock interest
should receive the especial encourage
ment Of the board Of agriculture. |
know we are told by these agricultural
Jeremiahs that the dairy business is
going to be overdone. Doubtless there
will be periods OF low prices, but the
American people have learned to like
good bread with plenty of butter on it,
and they are not going back TO fried
pork and potatoes three times day. nor
sweeten their tea with molasses, because
they won't. The trouble lies not In low
prices but in not having enough to sell.
A. X. Z. GooGINs.
Srow.-The amount Of live stock Is
far less than in former years. Less
horses are being raised than formerly;
no spring colts are to be seen this sea-
son. More cows are kept than in former
wears. | believe not more than one
fourth as many young cattle are kept.
As to oxen, only very few pairs are
kept in town. Very few sheep are
kept. The usual number Of swine. |
regret to state that the dairy is the most
profitable as 1t Is about the only branch;
the number of cows has been increased
largely. The proportion Of calves kept
Ia about one-third. | think farmers
should raise and keep more young stock
of breed that will make desirable
oxen. 1t appears to me that We farmers
are going wrong in the matter Of stock,
three years ago one could buy all the
young stock he chose, to-day there are
none to be found.
ISAAC A. WALKER.
BETHEL.-A marked falling off In the
breeding Of colts, but large number OF
Western and Canada horses brought In.
Cows are increasing. A large number
of calves shipped to Brighton for veal,
but a few heifers raised. More Jersey
thoroughbred bulls used than in former
years. Good cows bring good prices
and are quickly picked up when offered.
C. Z. VALENTINE.
SOUTH WATERFORD.-There are q
much larger number Of cows kept than
in former years. The number Of oxen
has largely decreased in this town.
Most Of the heifer calves are being