Vermont farmer. [volume], December 09, 1870, Page 4, Image 4

About Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877

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(JCnntmiuttcatbits.
EEEDLINQ POTATOES.
Kditor Vermont Fttrmcr:
Perhnps my expcrience with seedling potn
tocs this soason will bo of interest to sonio of
yotir readors. C. (5. Priudlo of Charlotte,
Vt., sont 1110 u snmll paokago of secd whioh
he wishod mo to pliint. Tho s.icd balls he
said grow on thu Early Hose, and wcre fer
tilizcd with pollen froin tho Excelsior.
I planted tho sced in a hot bod in April,
and transplnntod to tho opon ground tlio last
of May, setting tho plants ono foot apart.
They woro not sot in thu bet of soil, and did
not havo tlio bost of earc, bnt iw 1 oxpectod
only tuburs tho sizo of peas and wnlnuts, I
wns happily disappoiuted in tho result.
Tho largest tubor woighs 12 ounees. Tho
four largest avorage lb. Tho largest anioiint
from a singlo plant was .'11 Uis. Xino tuhors
from this hill woro of suitnble fi.c for tlio
tablo, averaging lb. Ono plant gavo tivo
tubers wliich nverago 4 lb. Tho ton bost hills
gavo 25 pnimds of potatoes.
Thcso of courso aro among tho best. Many
of tho plants gavo bnt a fow sniall tubors.
I havo savod ono hundrod and thirty-fivo
varicties which I intonl to plant noxt yoar.
Should bo glad to hear tho exporieneo of
others. II. V. Ci.ossox.
Thotford, Vt., Dcc. 0, 1870.
We thank our friond Closson for his intor
osting noto. It is only within a yoar or two
that it has beon found that it is po.siblo to
bring tho potato tubcr to full size from the
ball sood tho first soason. Within tho past
yoar soveral" suceessfiil oxperimonts of tho
kind havo beon rooordod, .showing, as Mr.
Closson's oxporiment shows, that it is only
nccossary to giyo tho pants,a long soason,
by sowing tho seod early, undcr glass, in or
dcr to aohievo this rosult. Wo should bo
glad to havo a dosoription, from Mr. Prindle,
of his inothod of eross-fertilization witli tho
potato.
Mr. Closson surpries us with tho numbcr
of his varietios. Does ho considor each sep
arate plant so producod necessarily a distinct
variety? Wo should supposo that matiy of
them would bo idontical, or at loast, indis
tinguishablo. Sucli is our expcrionco in
raising seedlings. Ei. Vt. Fakmek,
OVKIl THE IUVEIl.
Tlie rccent death of theauthor of the followlng pocm lias
agaln called the attentlon cf the publle to It, and It l golng
tlie roumli of the papcrn. It wa wntten about thlrteen year
ago by Mrn. A. C. Wakcflcld, who dled at Wlnchcndon, Mkm.,
a fcw da) ago, at the age of thtrty-lhree.)
A lot of tltoroughbred horsos bolongingto
Sir Lydston Newinan woro recontly sold in
Eugland. Wilk-ca' Sjnrit quotes IMVs Lfe,
and says: "Thoy fotched miscrably low
prices. High-brod brood-mares, with foals
at thoir foot woro virtually givon away
' Fiftoon guinoas (S90) for Erncstiuo by Touch
stont', with a filly foal athorfoot! Thirty'
livo guinoas (!?210) only for Chanoory by IJlair
Athol out, of Equity by Swootnioat. Ton
guinoas (00) for Miss Itothschild, by King
loin out of Pnoross liy Sovoreign, granilam
Hool, by (ileneoo. Tho fact is thatthorough'
brod horso3 aro nowa drug iu thomarkot iu
Knglunil.
Tho Seorotary of tho Amorican Dairymans1
Associatiou haH boon caloulating and ho con
oludos that with tho averago niilk it takcs a
littlo over 21J pounds of niilk to ono of Inittcr,
and ton potinds of niilk to ono of chooso, and
whon ohoeso is 11 buttor should bo 35 conts n
pound.
It is doubtful whothcr thoro is n bottcr
root than tho potato for foeding for niilk. A
fariner in Ohio has found that 30 qnarts of
earrots gavo him 32 pounds of milk nnd 30
quarts of potatoes gavo him 40 pounds of
niilk. Tlio othor food glven tho cow was
dry hay.
Over the rlvcr they liecknn to tne,
Lnved onea who've crowd to the further alde t
The glcam of thelr f nowy robes I aee,
Ilut thelr voIcm are lost In the daahlng tlile.
There'a one with rlngrlcts of mnny gold,
Aml eyea the retlectlnn of heaven'i own blue f
lle croiveil in the twlhght, gray anl coM,
Aul the pale mlit hlil hlin from morbil vlcw.
We not thc anels who mct him there,
The gate of thc clty we couM nnt
Ovtr thc rlvcr orer thc rlvcr
My hrother tiinW waltlng to wclcomc mc.
Over Ihe rlvcr the boiitmnn talc
Carrlcil nnntlicr, tho hnuschohl jwt
llcr hrown curU wavctl In the gcntle galc
D.lrllng Mtnnle ! I pee her yet.
She crfwl 011 hcr Itonoin hcr illmplcil linutl,
And foarlonly cntcrtil the iihantom bark,
Wc fclt It glMe frnm the flher a.tuilit
Aml all our unhlne grew trangely ilark.
M'e kuow t hc iii afe on the furlhcr f We,
Whcre all thc ninwinol aml angcld le f
Ovtr the rlver thcmyrtlc rlvcr
My chlMhoM' iilol Js waltlng for me. .
Kor none rcturn from those qulct orca
Who croM Hlth the boiitnian coM aml palc
We hcar the illp of the goMcn oarn,
Aml catch a glcam of the uowy nalt (
Aml lo ! they h.ive paiucd from ourycanitng hearts,
Who croei thc ftream aml are gone for aye.
We may not Ftimler the vcll apiirt,
That hlilca from our vlslon the gate of day
We only Vii'iw that thclr liark no more
May Ball with u o'cr llfe'd ftormy fca
Yet ffomcwhere, I know, on the unxn (hore,
They watch, and leckou, and walt for mc.
And I slt and thlnk whcii the i.unwOa gold
It flushlug rlver and hlll nnd horc,
i t idiall one day sUml liy the water cold,
Aml lt for the souml of thc Itaatman'a oar )
l rhall watch fora gleam of the flapplng ull,
I shall hear the boat as H galns the strnml,
I nhall iaM fom ilght with the boatinHii palc,
Tu the bettcr rhore of the iplrlt land
l ihall know the locl who havc gone Iwfore,
Aml Joyfully tweet wlll the mectlng Iw,
Whcn over the rlvcr the pcaceful rlvcr
Thc angcl of dcath hall carry mc. ,
TSAPPIlia 1H7SKRATS. .
Thoro aro ninnorous ways roconmiended
by our ngrieultural oxchangos for trappin;
muskrats bnt it is seldoVi that nny ono of
thoni possosses any morits. Wo havo donc
soincthing at this oursolves, but suceeodi'd
only wlion tlio comnion steol-trap was used
lhit it was novor baitod. If thoro is a spring
orrunit will bo noticed that tho muskrat
will always, if shallow onough, uso that to
roaoh its feeding-ground to tho last inch. If
tho tiiip is laid on thobottom in this, with no
bait, fastoning tho trap with a pioco of wiro
to a stako pushod in tho ground tho arrango
niont is a ocrtain thing. Wo capturod ono
soason oight in our gardon in this way. ' Aftor
tho ovonth, thoro was only a portion of a
foroleg iu tho trap, but tho noxt morning wo
found n follow with only thrco logs. Tho
following scason wo got two moro, and aftor
that thoy did not niako thoir appearanco for
several years, and whon thoy did tho samo
plnn was ronowod. Wlnsnoviir tho trap was
sot it was always plaood under water. Ocr
mnntoiun Tclrgraph.
Much oxcltenirnt oxiste in miniug oirolcs
in consoquonco of tho discovcry, on tho
north slioro of Lako Suporior, of a wholo
island of silvor, from wliich millionsof sllver
nro boing tnkon out. Tho island, which is
nbout ono hundred by forty foot, and usunlly
subniorged, was owned by tho Montreal
Mining Co., who sold it to an Amorican
company, who havo sinco, by nioans of cribs
and pumps, succoded in workinga vcln olglit
feot wido, ninch of wliich yiolds, on an aver
ngo, povonty por oont of puro silvor.
Buffalo brags of a shcop shcd a thousand
foot long.
AConnocticutngriciilturisthasjiistfinlshcd
iv 2000 hog pon, all graincd nnd papcrcd.
Tho grnpo crop of California has a wino
capacity of 7,500,000 gallons.
Tho dairy product for 1809 was valucd
at 100,000,000 and tho wheat crop at $375,-000,000,
Canadlan niillcrs areiniportingwhcatvory
oxtonsivoly this soason from Chicago and
Milwaukeo.
A fariner of Springllold, Ohio, reoently
pickod four hundred bushcls of cranbcrrios
from thrco acrcs, and sold tho lot for J51520.
Virginia's pcanut crop is -100,000 bushcls
this yoar; Temiessoe's 300,000. Georgia and
tho Carolinns will add 200,000. Ilojoico,
youth!
Ilrino is rccoininendcd as a rcnicdy for lieo
on hogs. Two or thrco salt water baths will
destroy thcni. It is equally elUcient as a rcm-
i.-dy for lico on cattlo.
Tho old fashionedspinning whecls aro still
lnuch uscd in thc up-rivorconntics of r.'iinc,
and a lnrgo wholcsalo business is dono in
thcso articles in Bangor.
In Switzcrland a milktuaid who is a gooil
singer gcts moro salary than othors becauso
uiider tho iulluenco of niusic cows " givo
down" bottcr and givo moro niilk.
Ono tablcspoonful of stilphur in dry bran,
givon oncoj or in bad cascs twlco a day, to
cows giving bloody milk is rcconnndcd by
a correspondcnt of tho Jlural Kcw Vorkcr.
It is stated that of all tho holiday beof
oxhibited last yoar at Chicago, thoro wns
uot a Biniflo nninial witli loss tlian thro
quarters Shorthorn blood in its vcins.
A savan in Fi-anco has beon trying liow
long lio can kccp eggs, and ho concludcs that
rathcr thiok linsccd oil snionred over tho
sholl as a varnish is bctter than linio or salt
or hot water.
A Morgan Co., Ind., fariner last spring
wcighcd ti yoko of cattlo, nnd then turuod
thoni out to grass. A fow days ngo ho wcigh
cd them again, and found them to havo gaiu
cd 1,800 pounds.
Four vcry largo squashos, wcighing in tho
nggregnto 500 pounds.wcro recontly tnken into
Hay City, Mich. Tlio largcst wcighcd 1094
pounds, nnd is sovon foot in circumferonco
Thoy woro nll rnisod on ono vino.
Thoro is a gonoral complnint in Xcw Eng-
land that applcs aro not kccping wcll, and
thoso grown in New York and furtlic
west nro hnving tho advantago over thoso
of this region, wliere tho drouth wns so s
vcro.
Tho'oxports of hops froin this country dur
ing the last yoar woro 10,357,031 pounds, tho
valuo of which wns S2,517,781. As two
pounds of hops nro uscd to a barrol of bccr,
tho quaiitity oxportcd was suflieicnt for over
8,000,000 ban-cls.
Potatoes that werc plauted on or ncnr tho
top of tho ground in tho scctions whcrc tho
drought has beon exeessivo woro hnrdly
worth tho digging, whilo thosq in niyoming
flolds which woro putat thobottom of a dcep
furrow, and novor hilled at all, havo yioldcd
wcll.
.Tohn T. Aloxandor of Ulinois, who lias
two fnrms, ono of 97,000 nnd nnothcr of 27,-
000 ncres, has eoncludc(l to soll tlio lattcr as
soon its it cnnbo subdivided into snmll farms
of four hundred ncres each. lio thinks ono
maii cannot profitnbly manago moro than
07,000 acrcs.
Tho arrivals of'wool at Dctroit from nll
quarters for tho prcsont yoar, is stated nt
1,772,015 pounds, ngainst 5,500,311 for tho
corresponding period of last ycnr, showing
nbout thrcc-quartcrs of a milliou of pounds
difforonco.
Thc Woodstock (Vt.) Standard says;
" Wo saw in our strcots, a fow days sinco, a
drovoof fluo wool shccp which had beon
bought for 81.35 a lioad n eircunistnnco
which' illustratcs quito forcibly tho low stato
of tho wool nnd shc'c; nmrkct."
Tho Cheshiro Co., N. II., Agricultural
Society 1ms takon nieasures to procuro a
miiubcr of stock auimnls for tho uso of its
mombcrs. It was also voted to invito tho
Stato Uoard of Agriculturo tohold a mccting
n Kccno during tho coming wintcr.
Mr. Loomis of Connecticut has recontly
old to II. M. Arnies of Springliold, Vt.,
twcnty Cotswold cwcs, making a llock of
lifty or moro breedingcwes, which nromated
with Empcror 2d, a ram bought by Mr.
Loomis in Eugland at a cost of 130 guiucas.
Ilcarth and Jfomc says of Ilrczco's Prolifio
potato : " All nccoiints from quarters whero
potatoes havo. dono woll nt nll ngrco in nc
cording to this variety grcat oxcollence.
It is an abiindaut croppor. Tho potatoes aro
of largo size, fair shapc, and of most excol
lent quality."
A farmer a fow dnys sinco purchased in
IJnngor,Mo.,somo barrcls in which to prcservo
cider. Upon rinsing thoni out ho found in a
whiskey baiTcl, scvontcen largo plugs of
tobacco all soakcd in whiskey, which had
ovidontly boen placod thoro to improvo tho
llavor and " body " of tho liqiior !
Tho fears entcrtained sonio tiino sincolliat
tho Unitcd Statos would loso hcr cotton su-
preiuacy, and that India would bo tho com
peting counti-ythrougliwhiph England wouliU.
rulo tho cotton production nnd lnnnufactures
of tho worhl, aro nt length dispcllcd. Tho
cotton of India is of infcrior quality, and no
cll'ort will bring it up to tho Ainericnn stnnd
ard. Tho Shakers of Tyringhani, IJcrkshiro
County, Mass., havo tlccidcd to sell thoir
entiro proiicrty thcro and reniovo to Lobnnon
Springs, or possibly to othor sottlements of
tho sect. Tho estatc is vcry vnluablc, coin
prising 1300 acrcs of valuablo farining land
in Berkshire County, nicadow, tillago, past
uro and woodland, besides thoir substantial
dwellings.
Tho sugar bect crop at Chattsworth, 111.,
says tho Prairic Farmer, has beon harvcsteil
in good condition nnd is of good quality,
yiclding, so fnr ns lnanufacturcd, a llno per
eontago of sugar. Our readcrs will renioin
ber that thc nbovo namcd placo is tho point
whero tixtcnsivo nnd costly cxporinicnts in
bect sugar manufacturc havo beon conductcd
for sovcral years. Tho rosult has shown
abundanco of sugar iu Anierican gi-own
bcets; but tho conditious of succcss havo not
beon fully mct nt Chattsworth, and so fnr tho
oxporiment has bccn a lhiancial failtiro.
Thu Maino Uoard of Agnculturo having by
tho act of tho Lcgislaturo which niakes it a
Stato institution, acquircd tho right to say
for what purposo onc-half of tho Stntd ajipro
printionsto oach County Society shall boused,
has decidcd that onc-fotirth shall bo dovotcd
to tho organization and support of Farmcrs1
Clubs, nnd tho othor fourth as h proniium to
oiicourngo wheat. No Society can obtnln
Stato nid unloss it coinplies with tho terms
ofthis decision. Tho rcsult is snid tobo thnt
Farniors'.Cliibshavo beon organizcd and aro
organizing nll over tho Stato, nnd thnt four
timesns lnuch wheat AvnS hnrvested in 1870
as in nny two of tho ton years provious to
1R00.