Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-02-17
FARMERS AT UNIVERSITY
Professors Hills and Washburn
Speak at Morrill, Hall.
Commission Lectures mt Evening
Eession.-Good Attendance and
Much Interest shown.

Farmers week opened Monday at
the University OF Vermont under the
most favorable auspices and through
there was not large attendance on
the first day Il IL expected that there
will he before the end OF the week.
The lectures and demonstrations will
continue up to and including Friday.
The lectures Monday afternoon and
evening were given in Morrill, hall At
two o'clock Prof. ]. L. Hills gave an
address, the subject of which was,
THE Control OF Nitrogen Wastage." At
three o'clock THE Trees of Vermont"
was the subject of a lecture by State
Forester A. F. Halves and at four
o'clock came Vermont as Market Milk
State" by Prof. r. NJ. Washburn.
At the evening session Miss Frances
Hobart talked on "Circulatlng Libraries
for Farmers" and Professor Hills again
on Southwestern Agriculture" Profess
sor Hills said in part at the afternoon
session:
Nitrogen costs Vermont farmers nearly
20 cents a pound when purchased in com
mercial fertilizers. Both plant and anil
NAL life make large use OF 1t. 1t Is more
prone to loss than is any other form of
plant food. As nitrate It Is at the mercy
of every rain drop as well as OF multi
tudinous Identifying bacteria. Man
wastes It; nature Is prodigal Herewith.
Drainage waters are rich In nitrogen;
explosives set It free; the sale of crops
denudes the farm of It; manural wastes
are enormous in extent city sewers pour
fortunes into the sea- the one crop sys-
TEN burns out the humus and non
occupation OF the soil permits 1t to es-
cape. What may be done to remedy this
situation? Three things, viz: Nitrogen
may be gathered to replace that which
escapes; the extent of loss may be les
sened; feed rich II. heterogeneous constitu-
ents may be bought.
1.-Nitrogen gathering. Glover and kin
dred plants are effective agents to this
end, as Is now generally we'll understood
Less we'll comprehended, however, is the
work of sundry bacteria, and other low
forms Of plant life which gather nitrogen
Soil incubation aids nitrogen gathering
The recent electrical methods Of nitro
gen fixation Calcium syanarnid and lime
nitrate) bid fair to be important factor:
In the near future.
. Nitrogen losses The use OF cove,
crops to hold nitrates otherwise leachet
from unoccupied soils; adequate tillagt
and drainage; the compa elton Of manure
the use Of mechanical and Of chemica
absorbents in the stable; choice Of sales
crops with regard to their plant food
content; a rotation of crops in which
grass and legumes (clover) are promi
nent; all these are aids in holding thi:
evanescent element.
2. The purchase Of heterogeneous feeds i.
he ND
point of both COW and crop. for both are
fed from one sack.
Mr.. Halves who followed Professo
Hills said
Several factors enter into the require
ments of trees and determine the con
ditions under which they make thei
best development. Average Temperature
is less important than extremes. Rain
fall is important climatic factor Al
trees require a certain amount Of lgh
in order to carry out manufacture o
wood from carbon of the atmospher
and minerals OF the soil. There is mark
ed difference in trees in their ablit
to stand shade. There are light demand
ing trees such Is Larch, and shade en-
during trees such as hemlock and beech
The root systems Of different specie
vary greatly in shape and depth t
which they reach. When the trees of
wood are tall and straight. free fror
branches and tapering but little. 1t
indication that the soil and situate
nre suited to the woodland crop grow
ing there.
White pine is native throughout Me-
England and is very Indifferent In II
demand upon soil and moisture thrive
on dry sandy plains and In wet swamp
but is more exacting in regard to high
Seedlings will exist under some shad
but grow very little. 1t is very rapl