18 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



still, who would wish to live in a past age that it 

 might be otherwise ? Would our granidfathers ? 

 Would our fathers ? Would loe ? I think not. 

 Then let us educate the mind as well as the body, 

 even if it be done in part at the expense of the 

 latter, and invent and introduce apjiliances and 

 machines to supply the physical deficiency. 



There is an effort making to establish the State 

 Agricultural College, contemplated by the late act 

 of Congress, and connect or combine with it the 

 several Universities of the State, and thus form 

 one grand Agricultural and Classical Institution. 

 This subject is before the State Legislature, now 

 in session. The question was lately considered, 

 and very ably discussed, at a special meeting at 

 the Representatives' Hall, by the Presidents of 

 the several Colleges ; and although the desirable- 

 ness of such an end was fully admitted, yet it ap- 

 peared to them, for the present at least, impracti- 

 cable. 



Whether the "union" be accomplished or not, 

 the Agricultural College will be instituted without 

 fail, and founded upon a basis, by the National 

 grant, that wil give it strength and pernianence. 

 It will receive, as it should, the patronage of the 

 farming public, which comprises four-fifths of the 

 population and wealth of the Commonwealth, and, 

 as a.matter of consequence, be \hQ pet institution 

 of the Green Mountain State. 



It would be quite unnatural, if not doing injus- 

 tice to the season, to close without a word in re- 

 gard to the tveather. We have had thus far a very 

 mild and pleasant full. To the last week in Oc- 

 tober there was no frost to kill the most tender 

 garden vegetables ; during that week there were 

 a few nights that the ground froze considerably — 

 the weather being fair, with frosty nights and 

 pleasant days. But that little flurry of King Jack 

 was soon over, and we are enjoying fine Indian 

 Summer days again. Yet, delightful as the sea- 

 son may be now, I am not foi-getful that 'tis No- 

 vember in Vermont ; and although we may sing 

 very appropriately to-day, 



"O, tell me not of fairer lands, 

 Beneath a brighter sky," 



the lessons of past experience have taught us that 

 the morrow's hymn may read, in truth, — 



Old Boreas knocks at the outer door. 

 The Storm king reigns supreme ! 



Lyndon, Nov. 9, 1863. 



I.W. Sanb(^rn. 



Fur the Nete England Fanner. 

 THE CHOPS IN VERMONT. 



Messrs. Editors : — As I said in my commu- 

 nication, the crop of hay was abundant ; the qual- 

 ity was considerably injured from the want of good 

 weather to make it in its season. To "make hay 

 while the sun shines" was next to impossible the 

 past season, for the sufliicient reason that the "old 

 haymaker" chose almost continually to hide his 

 face. Therefore it was that two-thirds of the pres- 

 ent hay crop was harvested after the middle of 

 August. Oats were fair, though lighter than usu- 

 al. The rust affected them in some instances. 

 Early, more than late sown grain suff'ered from the 

 heavy rains, and continued dull weather of July 

 and August. Corn was very good — a heavy 

 growth of stalks, well laden with large, sound ears. 

 There was a very light yield of wheat, — scarcely 

 half a crop. Most of the other lesser grains did 



usually well. The potato yield was less than 

 usual, — aflfected by the rust. No rot to speak of. 

 Ruta bagas and other root crops yielded well. 

 They have grown principally since the rains above 

 alluded to. 



There has been a brisk demand for store cattle 

 in this vicinity this fall. Hundreds of young cat- 

 tle have been driven from Canada here, and sold 

 to the farmers at prices varying according to qual- 

 ity, as follows: Yearlings, from $10 to $13 per 

 head; two-year-olds, $17 to $24; milch cows, 

 $18 to $25, &c. The call for store sheep is not 

 as active as it was a year ago. Most of the far- 

 mers have a supply. All stock kind is valued at 

 33 to 50 per cent, higher than it was twelve 

 months ago. I. w. s. 



Lyndon, Vt., 1863. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE APPLE CROP AND ORCHARDS. 



Mr. Editor : — I had the pleasure during one 

 of the last days of September of looking at the 

 fine apple orchards* Marlboro'. The season has 

 been favorable for the coloring of fruit, and on 

 some of the way the trees were literally red by 

 the roadside. 



How easy the crop, looked to gather on the low 

 trees in the .young orchards. No shaking out of 

 the dirt as with potatoes with an aching back. 

 No husking and shelling as with corn. But here, 

 the owner can at once barrel up this rich product 

 of his farm, and send it to market with agreeable 

 labor. 



The soil of Marlboro' seems particularly adapt- 

 ed to fruit trees. It is strong, rocky, moist and 

 deep. The surface of the town is undulating. 

 The deep, moist soil prevents a premature ripen- 

 ing, common to sandy locations. The rich soil 

 supplies abundance for the tree to feed on, and 

 support its load of fruit. 



It is not thought necessary in Marlboro' to keep 

 orchard lands broken up, or in constant cultiva- 

 tion. I saw numerous orchards bending with fair 

 fruit in sward land. The ground looked rich 

 enough for the hay and fruit crop together. 



I had a pleasant chat with my friend, William 

 Gibbon, in the West part of the town. I asked 

 him, early in our walk, "Had he many apples pil- 

 fered ?" "No, everybody had enough of his own." 

 Really, it seemed so. The whole district was one 

 continuous orchard. 



Mr. Gibbon thinks much of the apple crop. 

 He has reason to. His orchards this year will 

 produce several hundred barrels. His trees are 

 healthy and vigorous, although mostly in grasif 

 land, a portion of which has not been manured 

 for ten years. 



We agreed in our walk it was best to break it 

 all up, and thin out the trees to allow more heat 

 and sunshine to come to the roots. I believe that 

 where such heavy, rich land is so nearly shaded by 

 trees, the ground shoulJ be bare to the sunshine, 

 that all the heat may be employed in promoting 

 a profitable circulation of sap. I asked INIr. Gib- 

 bon what he thought of Dr. Geo. B. Loring's opin- 

 ion, that it is not best to set good land with or- 

 chards ? He replied, he could raise no crop like 

 the apple crop in value at such moderate expense. 

 Here, on land that had not been manured for ten 

 years, was a heavy crop of apples. 



