The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-19
ORANGE COUNTY FARMERS
ASSOCIATION NOTES.
Notes for Week Ending Dec. 10.

peth, Tuesday evening to the Union WI
lage Farmers club at Waits River under
the auspices of the Riverside grange, anc
Friday evening to the Orange grange
This coming week il will be given Tues
day evening, Dec. 10, at West Braintreei
Thursday evening, Dec. 81, at Chelsea
west hill, and Friday evening at Norti
Randolph grange. This will complete
this series of talks on chemicals and com
mercial fertilizers this season. In Jan
uary the work outlined for the coming
year in dairying will be the topic. Inc
extension schools in Corinth and OranS,
will also probably come this month.
A brief of the talk on "Sciencc and the
Soil" might be interesting to those who
were unable to hear this and so is includ'
ed here. Soil, to be made productive oil
large crops and profits should be treated
not as made up of humps of dirt but as
source of raw materials which under
right conditions of heat, moisture and
filth can be used by plants IN manuiac'
turing our grains and forage. Inc man
who combines science with his manual
labor is the one who can make these ele'
ments slaves to his command. water Is
used by the plants in large quantities
We should cultivate so as to conserve
this moisture in a dry season. Water IN
excess keeps out the air and plants sui
focate. We should drain to remove ex-
cessive moisture. Organic matter Is
needed to furnish nitrogen, to improve
the water holding capacity OF the SOIL
and its mechanical conditions. III ma
nures are lacking we should use green
manure crops plowed under Inc ie-
glmes which take nitrogen from the air
are most valuable, but other crops IKE
rye and buckwheat will grow where ie-
gumes will not. Clover is probably our
best legume for green manure. Inc ie-
g,lmes to take nitrogen from the air
practice cooperation, furnishing form
of bacteria with plant food for the nitro
gen which these bacteria can furnish the
plant. New crops like alfalfa, soy beans,
yetch, etc. need artificial incubation be-
fore they can practice this cooperation
Lime is valuable addition to our soils IN
improving the mechanical condition oil
soils and sweetening sour soils. The last
named is its chief value Tor us. lhe
legumes in particular need a sweet soil
Lime is of three kinds, burnt lime,
Stacked lime and ground rock. Each lur-
nishes lime, but in different quantity
One ton of burnt lime will furnlsh as
much as one and one half tons OF Stacked
lime and two tons of ground rock. BUY
the form which is cheapest, remembering
that the first two forms are caustlc ana
dsagreeable to handle. Considering our
plants as factories manufacturing raw
nroducts from the soil into the carbohy-
drates fat and protein OF the hnished
crop. these factors mentioned above are
means of improving our factory condi-
lions. The biggest item of all is to FUR
nish plant food in sufficient quantity TO
keep the factory busy. Thirteen ele-
ments enter into plant growth but the
three which need to be supplied are nj
trogen, phosphoric acid and potash. All
these are found in the soil but often
lacking in availability and phosphorie
acid in quantity. Barnyard manure Is
the great home produced source OF Ter
tility. 1t supplies the elements needed
Int is low in phosphoric acid. More than
half the plant food is often lost by leach
ing. More money is being wasted by i'm
proper handling of our farm manures
than is being spent for commercial fer
filters in this state. The concrete ma
nure pit. should be regarded as much a
farm necessity as constable. Since
manures are used largely on the corn
crop. the addition of acid phosphate
which hastens maturity and fills out the
the grain is particularly valuable. Add
ing it to the manure in the gutter not
only supplies this lack but also helps
hold the nitrogen from loss. Commercial
fertilizers supply materials from other
parts of the world, tankage from the
slaughterhouses, nitrate of soda from
Chile. waste nitrogen products from iron
and steel mills, phosphate rock from
Tennessee, potash from Germany and
now from the seaweeds of the Pacific. 1t
is vast industry bringing these mate
rails together for our use. The mate
rails can be purchased separately and
home mixed, best supplying our own
needs and at a lower price. These ma
terials can be purchased in various for
mulas for different conditions all mixed
as commercial fertilizers. The method OF
purchase to follow depends on our local
conditions. The use of Vermont bullet
in No. 1913 will give many suggestions re-
garding their purchase. Hay. our most
neglected crop. needs lots of nitrogen and
often pays well for top dressing. Pota-
toes are crop responding to commercial
fertilizers both in quantity and quality.
As intensive a crop as this should not be
starved or after supplying the plant food
allow it to be spoiled by bugs or the
ravages of fungous diseases when spray
ing viii control With this as other
crops. good seed is essential. Corn re-
auires phosphoric acid and with large
amounts of manure. acid phosphate alone
often gives good returns. Small grains
have similar requirements when manure
is lacking Potash is understandable in
quantity and only at high price. Soil
and manure will supply it cheaper. These
various factors influencing crop yields IL
Justrate how science and the soil should
co.operate and how the successful farm
or is the one who recognizes these facts
and plans to take advantage of them
Practice factory management with our
soils. 1t is our source of wealth.
The winter short course at Burlington
begins Dec. 26 and runs to Feb. %. Any
one interested can receive prospectus of
the course by writing the county agent
or Prof. G. F. +. Story. Burlington.
Summary for week ending Dec. 10;
Office work, days ......-........- u
Field work, days ...............- -