Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-03-08
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE MEET
INGS
WHITING AND NORTH FeRRlssuRcH.

agriculture reports as tOllOWS concern
ing the recent meetings in this county
The institute at Whiting was opened
on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with a goodly
number of farmers in attendance. Pro-
visions were made by the ladies of the
town for free dinners to all, in the din
| ing rooms in the basement of the church
and the experience here, as elsewhere,
was that when the ladies of the town
take an interest in these meetings, they
are always success. Each topic pre-
scented by the board called out "A lively
discussion. The subject of "Tuberculo-
sis" by Winslow occupied the forenoon
of Tuesday. The afternoon session was
given to a talk ON Farm improvement"
by j. O. Sanford, and he said he believed
! that the farm should receive more of the
attention of the farmer; that 1t should he
the purpose of the farmer to have his
farm improve each year; that the crops
raised upon the farm should be consum-
ed there and the fertility returned to the
land; that we should have more conf
dence in farming and return to our
farms portion of the income that we
receive from them, in permanent i'm
proVements. He believed that moneys
invested in our farms were more safely
invested than in savings banks or in
farmers to make a speciality of some
line of farming, and give 1t their
whole attention. He did not believe
that the farmer could do little of
everything and succeed, 1t is IN age
of intense activity, and the man who
succeeds in anything must become
master of his calling ard devote to it
his best Efforts.
Following this topic, Prof. L. r.
Jones of Burlington gave talk upon
Forestry" and said the necessity for
giving some attention to this subject
seemed evident from the fact that our
legislature had recognized its Importance
and had made it subject for special
investigation by the board of agriculture.
Up to the present time, but little atten-
ton has been given to the matter by the
people of the State, and there are no
statistics at hand showing the present
lumber area of the State. He did not
think that our condition called for re-
seeding land to timber and growing it,
but it would seem that it was wise to
protect the young growth that was COM
ing up and to use more care in cutting
the lumber from our timber lands. The
area of valuable timber land is growing
less, and as timber is the only crop that
cap be produced upon much of our land,
none but trees of ten inches or over in
a diameter should be cut. The smaller
trees have little value if cut now, while
If allowed to stand for three or four
years they would increase in value rapid
= ly. Did not think that the conclusions
I arrived at upon this subject by commits
sious in adjoining States would apply to
Vermont, as our soil and conditions are
r different, and he commended the subject
IA ~ u.nrthu nf Ctn1U and VnstiUu.
ton.
In the evening Prof. j. l.. Hills of the
board gave talk upon milk testing, and
4 illustrated his topic by testing various
b samples of milk that had been brought
| in by farmers of the town.
Wednesday forenoon II. NJ. Arms OF
the board gave talk upon "COrn anC
e the silo' lie believed the corn crol
e was the cheapest crop grown upon Yer
9 moat farms; that more feeding valul
per acre can be secured from corn than
from any other crop; that it was crOl
: adapted to large proportion of th'
e farms of Vermont aud that the higl
= average taken by the State IN corn pro
duction at the last census showed con
i clGsively that the State was adapted t.
Y corn growing He believed that tn,
silo was essential to securing the hes
4 results in farming at the present tim'
and that the corn crop was harvested a
less expense when put into the sIo thar
It in any other way. Said the building o
= Il slo did not involve any large outlay o
n money; that it had been found that tn
silo constructed of lumber was much bet
/ ter than the expensive silos formerl!
e built of masonry. Ensilage would keel
d better with board sides than will
a sides built of stone. The slO 1
- bx- al
Is ton of one of the bays in our pres
y ent barns, putting in "A solid framework
2. for the silO and then covering it on tn
r. inside with boards. He liked TO use on
thickness of boards only. using matched
" sheathing of good quality and coatini
e the inside with coal tar. Thought a sill
If built in this way would last longer thar
:. if made of two thiclinesses of board
> with paper between. would dry NOR
! quickly when empty, and, therefore
h would not rot so soon. So il was neces
U sary to make the framework of the sill
4, very solid, as there is great latera
pressure while the ensilage is settling
Would make the bottom of the silo tigh
by using cement. Wanted the corr
ripened enough to roast before cutting
4 it for sio. Did not think it prohtabl
v to raise for ensilage a variety of cor
L that was so large and late as not to hav
No good ears upon it. The largest variet
= of corn that will mature in Ordinar
=, seasons in any given locality is the hes
. corn for ensilage for that locality.
re Following the talk of Mr.. Arms, MI
he II. c. Smith of Pittsford, a former mem
# Der of the board, was called for, an
:. gave his method of using the slO. hi
- not think it was necessary for the farm
he err to go to the expense of buying
Ia,
,e to have a silo. lie had used silo sever
al years and had filled it with the assi'
> lance of his farm help only, by putin
I'd the corn in the silo without cutting
I'd For him, he thought it was cheaper tina