The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-04
EAMERs SCHOOLS
Would Abolish Farmers Institutes
Crops Below Average-High Rank
of Vermont as Il Dairy State.

Crops Below Average--High Rank
of Vermont as Dairy State.
The annual report of Hon. Orlando
l.. Martin, of Plainfleld,l State Com
missioner of Agriculture, has just
been made public and is issued by
the Capital City Press. In addition to
Mr.. Martins report the book contains
the laws of 1908 relating to agricul-
tural matters, a report OF the State
Fair of 1908, q series of excellent adj
dresses delivered during Farmers
Week and the report of the State
Forester A full report of the thirty
ninth annual meeting of the Vermont
Dairymens Association Is included,
also the sixth annual report Of the
Vermont State horticultural Society
and the sixteenth annual report of the
Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Asso-
citation.
The text of the report of the Com
missioner of Agriculture follows:
The revolution in our Agricultural
Laws, by which the old Board of Agri-
culture was supplanted by Commits
sioner of Agriculture, Act No IL, Of
the Acts of 1908, and the Commission
er not receiving his appointment I'M
til late in January, rendered the In
stitute Season very short. However,
Farmers Institutes were held in four
/ hnC fo1
were added professional lecturers
from Maine and Connecticut with
leading agricultural subjects
The attendance, while about the av-
erage of former seasons, was not sat
isfactory, and unless increased inter-
est can be brought out toward these
local Institutes, l recommend the
adjustment of the system and the in
stitution in lieu thereof of Movable
Schools of Agriculture such as have
been adopted by some of our sister
states. These schools are meetings
of several days length in a centrally
located town where the very best tai
ent can be secured to teach by means
of lectures charts, demonstrations,
etc. Several such schools could be
held in the state with no greater ex-
pense and with much more efficiency
than our old Institute system.
Something of this sort was the First
Annual Farmers Week held under
the direction of the State Agricultural
College and Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, March S-12, 1909 The total reg
istration at this initial meeting was
one hundred sixty-nine, which was
especially gratifying to those having
the matter In charge, and it is be-
lieved that, as the value of this an
nual event becomes known, it will
prove of incalculable benefit to the
agricultural interests of the State of
Vermont.
Publications.
Bulletin No. Farmers Week
number, was issued, giving briefs of
the addresses of that meeting and
your commissioner believes that the
agricultural interest of Vermont will
be best served by publishing those
addresses in full in this report.
Bulletin No. Bird Number, TAX
ing up the subject of birds and their
value to the farmer, was issued in
august, and should aid in the pro-
lection of our feathered friends and
make a useful booklet in the hands
of our boys and girls.
A booklet containing list of avail
able Vermont farms has been issued.
requests for this have been received
rom Oregon to Texas, and it is be-
lieved that many of our farms. will
find purchasers through the medium
If this little publication.
The numerous requests for all the
printed matter of this department
you'd indicate that farmers are read
ing more and taking more interest
in agricultural publications, by avail
ing themselves of the information
contained therein.
Farm Crops.
The products of the farm the year
just past have hardly been up to the
average, caused by the prolonged dry
weather of 1908. River farms held uI
. fairly we'll but hill farms suffered
badly. The hay crop of 1909 has fal.
, len somewhat below the average
Corn is small and backward, because
Of the cold, late spring, but at the
time this report is made potatoes bic
fair to be bountiful crop. Oats show
, some rust, and it is feared will MOI
be an average crop. Apples are bound
, to be light crop, especially the earl.
varieties. Not enough attention Ii
given to the growing of apples in oul
state. With large expanse of the
'Champlain valley without our borders
whose soil is second to none for the
production of fine aDples and will