Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-22
NV prof A. A. Borlando

| hunlug ''t"'uiihB OF
manurlng)
sOI1ING CROPS
fpy prof A. A. Borland)
| vermont hillside pastures fail TO
.unn,, enough nutrients to maintain
a mn Now of milk during the season
of heat md acnnt rainfall The prob.
lom Of supplying large amount OF
nutritious food at low cost, Of MAIN
taIn,nq soil fertility, and of Increasing
the number of animals for given
acreage Is largely solved by the soil
J ing system.
! experiment station results indicate
that one acre OF soilnR crops Yields
from two to three times as much food
s. an acre . pasture. Soiling crops
are allowed to become fairly we'll
matured before being used. while pas
ture Is eaten In an immature stag
and Is not given an opportunity to
develop It's leaf surface.
The crops 10 be grown for soiling
purposes depend upon local conditions
For Vermont. rye is the earliest crop
to be had in the spring. While it's
| food value is not as great as some Of
tho crops which follow. yet IL IL yalu-
able since 1t comes at a time when no
other crop is available. Wheat inne-
diately follows rye and, while the
Weld is not so great as from rye. IL
lis very palatable and owing to lis large
proportion of lea, surface 1t remains
| s,iccul.nt for considerable time. 1t has
proven an excellent forage for the lat
ter part of May or early June Alfalfa
| to In ~
| June Without question, 1t is one of the
best forage crops, for those that can
| grow It. Owing to its high percentage
| OF protein, it serves the purposes of
! materially reducing the amount of high
protein concentrates that must be pur-
| chased. Clover and mixed grasses give an
| excellent combination for late June -
| age. Canada peas and oats sown at in
| torvals of ten days during the latter
| part Of April supply forage in July,
when other crops are not usually avail
| 3ble. Milets have an important place in
| tho rotation as they grow rapidly often
maturing In IS to n days after planting
| Barnyard millet sown tho middle Of May
n ready for feeding by the 1st of Aug
| ust Flint corn is particularly valuable
for forage purposes. II grows rapidly
| has large proportion of leaf and Is
| very sucoulent. 1t may furnish the for
| age for the latter part of August and
sarly September.
| Barley Is the latest crop that can be
utilized for soiling 1t is not injured by
light frost and can be fed throughout
October. II barley Is seeded with rye
the latter makes q good growth in the
[ 70 aft <1,o 81 L.
| starts early in the spring.
| A few standard crops that are vel
adapted to the particular farm general
~ give more satisfactory results thar
a large variety. SDilage in summer anc
| silage during winter enable the dairy
| men to secure the maximum milk yiel,
at the minimum cost of production, re
! gardless OF season.
PREVENTION OF FOREST FIRES
| (By State Forester A. F. HawesD
The system Of fire prevention in Yer
mont has become very efficient. as show,
from the fact that during tho two and
half years ending July /. 1911, the totn
area burned over in the State was 3,O'
| acres; damage estimated at 5000: cost o
extingu!sh!ng at &l.4oc: that lis. the tora
| srea burned over was only about il
Of l per cent. of tho wooded area OF tn
State. But 1t Is Necessary to prepare 70
the extremely bad seasons like 1903 an
3s
Fire system In Vermont consists @
| the State fire warden. the first selectme
| who arc town fire wardens, and d,stric
lire wardens appointed by the State for
ester. The duties Of these officers ar
to extnguish fires when they occu.
They also have power to patrol.
Methods OF fire prevention as We'll a
eXtingulshing are needed For this put
pose lookout stations are being establish
ed on prominent mountains. Telephon
already built up Cancels Hump and sta
tons this year will probably be cor
struc.ed on Gore MI ana Burke Mt,
northeastern part Of State: and on Az
Quincy Mt. in Windsor.
Under tho Weeks bill. passed by Cor
gress March l. 1911, L. 9. government
assists Vermont by furnishing s2,0OO
year for hiring patr olmen on watershed
of navigable streams. This portion
State divided into 3 ranges, each unds
ranger: each range divided into SEE
lions under patrolmen. Their duties ar
to prevent fires. One man last year @,
tinguished % small fires In one week
There are three kinds Of fires Surfa,
fires. which simply run over the groun
burning underhrush and dead materia
ground fires. which burn In the duff
the soil: and crown fires. which burn
the tops of evergreen trees. Damage dor
by fires are Of several forms (a) destru,
ton Of timber: o. destruction of your
seedlings already started on the grount
(c) injury to the soil by burning Of ii
humus; (D influence for the bad on II
ture growth Of the forest.
Methods Of prevention rely largely c
use Of natural barriers. such as brook
mountain ranges, open lands and decid
Gus forest growth. Ground fires can on
De stopped by trenchins; surface fir,
by proper disposal OF brush by rakr
away leaves. by shoveling on earth. /
beating with wet sacks or by uss OF bucl
ct pumps or chemical extinguisher
Crown fires can only be stopped by bac
U fires.
. When weather does not require patro
Ing the patrolmen Will make trails al
fire lines.
= HANGING ON LINCOLN.