Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-05-03
A GREAT YEAR FOR FARMERS.
(From tho News and Cit,zcnA

Not since the Civil war have the farm
ers Of the country had such an opportu.
nifty to profit themselves and be of such
service to the country as in the one or
more years before us.
Every farmer should plan to make his
farm, as far as possible, independent of
the market for food for his family and
his animals Wheat can be raised on
most Vermont farms. On Laporte Dairy
Farm we have raised as high as 81 BUSH
els per acre, and several seasons 10 bush.
els or over. Corn is condensed sunshine.
Bottle up as much of it as possible For
the silO do not make the mistake Of
planting too large variety Plant
large variety of flint corn. or something
that will glaze before frost. Make rich
ensilage by having plenty of ripe ears.
with soy beans to furnish the protein
Mix the soy beans with the seed corn in
the planter. Cut tho hay early and be
independent Of western feed. Be liber-
al user Of clover seed with a few pounds
of alfalfa seed mixed in to be noculating
your soil. Glover is rich in protein. puts
more plant food into the soil. more milk
in the pail. and more money in the pock-
ct. Most soils will be greatly improved
by limeing wher seeding.
Everything the farmer has to sell. for
at least one year after the war closes, lie
sure to bring good prices. The world
must have dairy products, meats. grains,
vegetables, etc. In war time more food
is required than in peace time, armies
waste more. and there are fewer produc-
RS. hence a greater responsibility for
those who till the soil. The English.
French. Belgians and other Europeans
must depend largely on America for food.
According to Ambassador Gerard. Ger
many for some months has been planning
to come over and collect the price of war
from the United. States as soon as she
got England starved and the allies sub
dued. 1t is up to America to help now
or later submit to Germany's demands.
The allies want food so as to keep their
men in the army. Let us strain every
nerve to feed them Beans are staple
article OF food for an army or for hun
cry people at home. There is no danger
Of an over-supply. They can be raised
almost entirely by machinery and with
very little fertilizer.
a good way would be to use a two
rowed corn planter spread to four feet, or
as wide as it can be. and go over the field
| twice. that is, make row between each
| row. Have the ground we'll narrowed
and plant as early as danger from frost is
past, which is about the first week in
June. Cultivate when four to five inches
| high. after the dew is of. and three OF
more times during the season. Let them
stand until ripe and the leaves well on
| Use bean puller and draw to the barr
at once: use machine for threshing. j:
not thoroughly dry when threshed spread
and stir to prevent mildewing. II by
chance some get rained on after being
pulled. turn them up with a side delivery
hay rake to prevent mildewing.
! II there is a large acreage there should
! be some community or neighborhood bear
pullers bought. and when harvest time
comes let the boys from schools hell
gather them into barns.
| Make sleeves by covering frames si1
feet long with heavy wire the right siz'
to let the small beans and dirt through
and let the school girls pick them owe
ready for market. Both the boys aut
girls who engage in this work should re
ceive a fair wage as compensation.
none of the beans are allowed to lay OF
the ground and get mildew. it will no
be difficult task to pick out the poo
beans as they roll down the incline Of tn
wire sieve. Late planted beans that ar,
| green when the frost comes are no good
II the business men in every town in New
England would see that the farmers wer
supplied with seed beans and machinery
and the crop was properly planted. care'
for and harvested, New England coul,
feed quite an army their bean ration. be
sides receiving a good revenue. German!
is we'll organized We must organize ant
cooperate.
Let every farmer who wants assistance
in procuring seeds or help to properl,
work his land report to some committe
that should be selected for that purpos
in every town. 1t Is a necessity and will
pay from every standpoint. The rich AM
poor. high and low. American Born o
foreigners, men and women must worl
shoulder to shoulder in America as the,
are now doing in the war-torn countrie
across the sea- While war Is to be dread
ed some good will come out OF 1t. w
will all be Americans with less class dis
tinction. We will learn to be less waste
full in our methods OF production. dis
tributon and consumption. At the clos
of the war We will have trained arm
and navy. we'll equipped, and will com
mand the respect OF other world powers
C. F. SMITH.
| pROMJSJNC IMPAIRMENT