Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-01-21
ENTHUSIASTIC, MEETING
Fine Turnout and Inspiring Addresses
at Newport Agricultural al Meeting
Friday. More Coming.

The farmers meeting held at New
port Friday was a great success both
IN the numbers present and in the
interest shown. At the afternoon
meeting there were 125 present,
large per cent being farmers, it was
also pleasure to see the interest of
the town and business men as shown
by their presence.
Prof. A. F. Hawes, the state
forester. gave very interesting and
instructive talk regarding the forestry
problems of the state. The practice
of cutting all the old timber without
regard to leaving a sufficient number
OF seed trees was bad practice, and the
idea held by some that trees would not
reproduce themelves was not true if
sufficient seed trees were left to supply
the need. White pine and spruce are
the two best kinds of trees to set out
as they are the most rapid growers
and command a good price. AS an
illustration, taking land that is not
good for agricultural purposes, he
showed that white pine set out six
feet apart would in 20 years produce
from 17OU to 1900 feet per acre and in
30 years $3.50 to 15.100 feet per acre,
and in 40 years, 16.450 to 33, $50 feet
per acre. and in so years 27,65O to
AZ, 45O Ieet per acre, according to the
quality of the soil. this based on a
stumpage price of $40 per 1000, it is
easy to figure that as a business prop
osition it would return good interest
on the money invested. 1t costs about
$40 per acre for planting, and under
the law passed in 1912, all land in
forest whether natural or set out,
there is only tax on the land not to
exceed So per acre. when the lumber
is cut there is ten per cent tax on
the stumpage s%price that goes to the
state, every farmer ought to know
! how to scale his own lumber and be
able to estimate the lumber on his own
land. The Vermont rule for scaling
lumber is fair rule to the purchaser
and to the man who sells. The best
way to sell lumber is by the 1000 and
not by the lump.
Another reason why the farmer
ough to take up the reforesting Of
| their waste land is on account of the
labor problem. if the farmer could
hire his help by the year instead of
for six or eight months it would be
easier getting steady help, and if he
has woodlot that he can work during
the winter, it would be possible to
keep his men, so he would have them
for the spring and summer. This of
course is only one side of the labor
question, but may be worked out so as
to help in connection with winter
| dairying. There is an increased
interest each year in the reforesting
waste land as indicated by the in
creased sale of seedlings from the
state nursery, although Orleans county
has not done as much as some of the
other counties. This nursery stock of
white pine and spruce is sold at cost
which is $500 per 1000. There is no
farmer but has some waste land that
could be made more profitable if set
out to trees.
Prof. VanPelt followed with a talk
on the dairy COW. 1t was evident that
this subject was close to the hearts of
the farmers as indicated by their close
attention and the questions that were
asked after the meeting.
He said that the sire was the founda-
tion Of the herd and that it mattered
little what price was paid for him. pro-
viding he had the right ancestors and
build, any farmer having a good sire
and believing that 'llke begets like,
Or that of an ancestor" can by seIec-
ton bring his herd to a high grade of
efficiency. The average yield of the %
million cows in the United States is only
140, pounds per year. and when there
are hundreds Of thousands that yield
300 pounds per year. and thousands
that yield 400 to 500 pounds per year,
CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT