Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-03-10
ELECTRICITY vs.. HAY.
Introduction of Motor Power Does Not
Affect Volume or Value.

The Introduction of electric motor
power does not seem to affect either the
volume or value of the hay crop. In
1897 it was worth Si01 ,300,72S In 1898
the acreage was larger and the yield was
better, although prices were not so high,
and the total value was $39S, 060,6
The people realize that the hay field,
with one exception, Is the richest source
of our national wealth. richer than the
coal or iron mines or the lumber forests
or any other product of the soil or the
factory with the exception of corn.
The value of the wheat crop In 1898 was
1892, 770.370 and the value of the corn
crop was S552 023.4 Last years hay
crop of the United States was worth
one-third more than all the gold the
world produced and twice as much
as the silver.
During the last fiscal year we i'm
ported about $50 900 worth of 'hay from
Canada. There would have been more
but for the high tariff imposed by the
Dinglev law. We exported more than
81 ,000,0 900 worth, chiefly TO Mexico,
South America and the West Indies.
The exports will be much larger next
year, because we are sending quantity
to Cuba and Puerto Rico to feed the
horses of the army, which have not yet
become accustomed to the alfalfa and
sugar cane that constitute the fodder of
the tropics. No hay is grown in the hot
cour tries grass will not stand the hot
rays of the sun. The chief food for
animals is alfalfa. a kind of clover which
is Juicy and nutritious, and grows the
whole year round. 1t is never cured,
bat is cut fresh every morning and
peddled through the streets on the backs
of donkeys to those who are fortunate
enough 70 have cattle or horses.
New York is the best hay market in
the United States. The average con-
sumption of that city is 1900 tons IA day,
or nearly 1904 900 tons year. The con-
sumption of hay has not fallen of with
the abandonment of horse cars. Ga the
contrary, it has increased, which is said
to be due to improved trade niitions,
the increase of trucking and larger
shipments of live stock.
The total product of all the mines in
the United States last year reached
SSl0,050, 023, which is only double the
value of the product Of the hay fields.
This was an increase of $50, 73T76S
over 1897. The value of the coal mined
within the limits of this country was
S2lo.2G3 .9j3, iron Slll,S5S.254, gold
S6I300, 900, copper SCI, l,326. petro.
leum S49.277.O00 silver S37.32l 1926,
coke S3l 920 900, lead SIG, I1O. 2G5, zinc
$40, 2G7 .397. The remainder of the total
is made up of 100 different minerals,
known to the useful arts Nearly every
mineral of value is produced in the
United States.-Chicago Record.
Copper and Iron Mines of Vermont.
The mineral resources of Vermont will
undoubtedly receive deal of attention
in the next few years. Many believe
that the copper mines in Nershire, Cor
inth and Stral1rd, which represent an
Investment of 100000, are capable of
extensive Investment. The fact is not
generally known that there is at West
Dover an iron mine, on which thousands
of dollars were spent 20 years ago. a
large amount of ore was carried over
the mountain by team to Bennington,
but the cost of getting the ore to mar
ket was so great that operations were
abandoned. The ore was said to be
very rich and the property on which the
mine is located sold at one time for
$4,000. Since the mine was abandoned
the farm on which it is situated was
sold for l2l cents an acre. The con-
Germ operating the mine was known as
the Trainor Mining company. Metal
taken from the mine was used for cut
lery purposes in England, and was pro-
nounccd of exceptional quality for this
purpose. The Trainor company sank a
shaft go feet deep and ran two tun-
nels into the side of the mountain, one
l20 feet long and the other $50 feet. The
mine is located near the road to Somer-
set, and was bought several years ago.
by f. II. Beer, George n. Rich and w.
II. Bates, Jr., of North Adams.