The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-03
PROFITABLE DISCUSSIONS.
Were Held at Agricultural Extension
School at Plainfeld.

Plainfleld, Jan, 3-The extension schoo
in agriculture opened here yesterday
morning at 1880 with % farmers in at
tendance. The county agent, +. II. Alb
bott opened the meeting with the topic
Feeding the Dairy Cow" The talk was
followed by very intelligent discussion
on the part of the farmers concerning
particular questions. The fact was en-
phasized that a thorough knowledge OF
facts about the herd are absolutely neces-
sary before the farmer can intellgently
learn to feed He should know the absolute
production per COW per year and pounds
of butter fat and milk. Cow testing as
sociatons were recommended as furnish
ing this foundation.
Prof. jerks utilized the last hour of
the forenoon session with discussion of
clover and alfalfa, laying particular EN-
phasis on the alfalfa and predicting that
before many years alfalfa would be as
common as clover in Vermont and would
certainly be much more profitable to
use as feed in connection with dairy
cows on account of its high protein con-
tent, palatability and appetizing quail
ties. Prof. jerks said that it was cheap
er by far to grow clover than timothy
for feeding the dairy cows even if it was
necessary to resecd every second or
third year as tho extra price OF seed
for an acre nowhere near matches the
ultimate returns in feeding value that
can be obtained by growing these types
of feed.
The afternoon session was opened at
l:30 by Prof. jerks with a discussion
of the corn crop. In starting he re-
peated remark made by former stu
dent of agriculture, who said: 'lf corn
ia king and clover IL queen, then alfalfa
must be the ace, whatever that means"
Prof. jerks said that Vermont farmers
should grow more corn than they do, as
it is one OF the cheapest of the dairy
feeds. He explained at length the
growth, treatment and fertilization of
the corn crop and urged that particular
study of varieties be made in order that
the farmer should be able to select a
variety for his silage purposes that
would reach the glazing stage at approx |
imately the time of the first frost, allow
ing maximum growth OF fodder and an
accompanying maximum feed value con-
tent
County Agent Abbott next took up the |
subject of economical rations with par
.icular reference to roughage and their |
taue in the ration. He advised the use 4
If soy beans, clover and alfalfa because
# their relative production per acre and
heir high and valuable protein content.
These roughages grown and fed in con-
lection with the silage corn, which is
he cheapest roughage source OF car 1
or energy value, will surely I
cad the dairy farmer on to greater sue
css
Thomas Moran, supervisor of COW test
ng associations in Vermont, continued |,
he discussion of economical rations by
guring out economical feeding rations
rom feeds that can ha obtained locally.
The closing hour OF the day was taken
Ip by discussion OF the hay crop
u by by Prof. jerks.
The evening session which opened at
o'clock was taken up by lantern
Iide talk on clean milk by Mr.. Moran,
nd by very interesting talk by Mr.. !
INGALLS,. state leader of BOYS and Girls
hubs, on Boys and Girls Club Work"
The students of the junior high school 4.
nder Mr. Hanson attended the first part
/ the afternoon session in a body and !.
large number of the children OF the
illage were present in the evening to '
ear Mr.. Ingalls, talk The school win |;
e continued with morning and afternoon :
closing Friday afternoon.