The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-11-02

just past have hardly been up To the
average, caused BY the prolonged dry
weather Of 1908. River farms held up
fairly we'll but hill farms suffered bad
~ The hay crop Of 1909 has fallen
somewhat below the average. Corn is
small and backward, because Of the
cold, late spring but at the time this
report II made potatoes bid fair TO be
a bountiflil crops Oats show some
rust. and it is feared viii not be an av-
erage crop. Apples are bound to be a
light crop, especially the early varieties,
Not enough attention is given to the
growing Of apples in our state. With a
large expanse Of the Champlain valley
without our borders whose soil is Sec
ond TO none for the production Of fine
apples, and with the New England Fruit
show as a stimulus and avenue for sale
OF our fruit, Vermont should come rap
idly 10 the front, and ] believe the in
dications are that there is an increased
interest In the production Of fruit as is
shown by the fact that this past spring
something like 1000 apple trees were
planted in the vicinity Of Brattleboro
by young men who took up the work as
a business proposition.
San Jose Scale.
The San Jose Scale has made its APP
pearance in the state and unless radical
steps are taken at once to exterminate
the scale, Il viii work great hardships
TO the farmers and orchardists Of the
state. SO far as is known at the pres
ent time, Windbam county is suffering
the most. The only sure cure is the
total destruction OF infected trees. and
sincerely hope that those whose MUIR
series are affected will cooperate gra-
ciously with this department and rid the
state Of the pest.
Live Stock Interests.
Vermont keeps more dairy COWS per
acre than any other state. Vermont pro-
duces nearly as much butter and three
times as much cheese as the other five
New England states Vermont furnish
es III per cent Of the dairy COWS for
Boston markets. SO vermont's future
development must be largely along dairy
lines. Sheep husbandry 10 coming back
to Vermont somewhat, but cannot Sc
cure its former prestige until our legis-
lature has enacted more stringent dog
laws to encourage our farmers to once
more habitate our green hillsides with
the producers Of the Golden Fleece, 2
for such indeed they are with the pres
ent tariff rates retained and our prox-
unity 30 the mutton market Of the me-
tropolis Of the United States.
The Nr..fsn tersa tr,J..efr~ - 80 =.
coming into its own, as was shown by
the exhibition Of Morgans at our late
state fair, and the industry is being Of
fered further encouragement BY liberal
premiums available at the state fair Of
1909,
Agricultural Fairs.
The agricultural societies Of the state
seem 10 De meeting with d fair degree
OF success. The fairs Of zoos were most
" favored with fair weather. The at
tendance was good and the quality of
the exhibit above the average. There
Is evident tendency toward improved
stock, the registered sire being much
more popular than a decade ago. While
the OK has been largely suppanted by
the draft horse, a string oil thirty pairs
Of oxen WIS exhibited BY one firm at the
state fair, after which they furnished
Christmas beef for the Boston market
The management seem to be aiming
to make their fairs educational which
IS The proper motive Judging contests
for boys and girls, as to the superior
points Of both animals and seeds. are
features much To be admired and en-.
couraged.
During the year four COW testing as
sociations have been formed md have
worked VERY satisfactorily for the most
part. I believe these associations are
Of great economic value TO the dairy
farmer and should be fostered and en-
There seems 10 be d growing
interest III this matter and more fest
association win doubtless he formed be-
fore the advent Of winter
Education.
As agriculture 10 its diversified forms
is the basis upon which progress and
must stand, IL is highly es-
sential that the farmer should have d
broad. liberal education ~The best
school house in the world says Yale
pfaieHSOIs ~ Ill EH.ttIH iAIlH Witfb y
variety Of crops are produced and q
variety Of work goes on" But IN addi-
ton to this your commissioner believes
that a special training in agriculture is
d desirable acquisition and 70 be most
efficient, should he taken up in the pub
lie schools This gives the farm boy an
20 learn the science Of his
and paves the way for a higher
education in our state agricultural col
leee.
Our experiment station u doing well
her part to attract and instruct the
young men in scientific agriculture, and
increased interest ii the station work
is becoming manifest throughout che
state. Agriculture is the most noble
employment of man, and so we. as
state, should put forth every effort to
prevent the thought, the culture, the
craftsmanship that is rightly ours BY
heritage from our Puritan fathers whose
brain and Drawn we're developed among