132 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



March 



ports of the annual meeting of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, at Columbus, Jan. 9th. 

 We have space merely to say that the business 

 committee reported several subjects for discus- 

 sion, on the first of which, the State Agricultu- 

 ral college, Judge Jones of Delaware county, 

 one of the Commission appointed by the Gov- 

 ernor to consider and report upon the subject 

 of location, said that, in his opinion, if the 

 committee had been authorized to locate the 

 college, eligible sites and the necessary funds 

 would have been pi-ofTered. The land donated 

 by Congress had all been sold at an average 

 of 53 cents per acre, and had thus availed only 

 about half the amount that was expected. At 

 the close of Mr. J.'s remarks, the convention 

 voted to adhere to the resolution it adopted in 

 its session of 18G5, expressing itself in favor 

 of one college and opposed to the division of 

 the funds. Resolutions were presented de- 

 nouncing monopolies and combinations, and 

 arguing against the enactment of an eight-hour 

 labor law. 



The Board organized by the election of 

 Daniel McMillian as President ; James Buck- 

 ingham, Treasurer ; John H. Klippart, Cor- 

 responding Secretary, and Henry S. Babbett, 

 Recording Secretary. 



Time of Sowing Winter and Spring 

 Wheat. — At a late discussion by the Fitch- 

 burg, Mass., Farmer's Club, Mr. Ephraim 

 Graham is reported by the Sentinel to have 

 said that winter wheat, if sown the last of 

 August or first of September, is usually a sure 

 crop, but if sown in October, doubtful. In 

 case spring wheat cannot be sown as soon as 

 April 20, it is better to seed with some other 

 grain. Mr. Solon Carter, of Leominster, said 

 that wheat paid him less than any other crop. 

 His grass Avas the most profitable, but he could 

 not get good grass without preparing the land 

 by raising corn. 



Ayhsiiirr Herd Book. — The committee ap 

 pointed by the "Association of Breeders of 

 Thorough-bred Neat Stock," consisting of G. 

 B. Loring, Salem, Mass., H. S. Collins, Col- 

 Hnsville, Ct., Wm. Birnie, Springfield, Mass., 

 request all breeders and owners of such stock 

 to send in full pedigrees of each animal, with 

 the fee of fifty cents each, that they may be 

 registered in the second volmne of their herd 



book, on or before the first of July next. All 

 letters and money should be addressed to J. 

 N. Bagg, of West Springfield, Mass., who has 

 undertaken the editorship of the new herd book. 



Caledonia (Vt.) Agricultural Society. 

 — At the late annual meeting of the Caledonia 

 County Agricultural Society, the following offi- 

 cers were elected for the year ensuing : E. A. 

 Parks, Waterford, President; H. M. Hall, 

 Burke, W. J. Henderson, Ryegate, Vice 

 Presidents ; I. W. Sanborn, Lyndon, T. M. 

 Howard, St. Johnsbury, J. H. George, Hard- 

 wick, Secretaries ; E. F. Brown, St. Johns- 

 bury, Treasurer. 



Resolutions were adopted requesting the 

 Vermont Congressmen to do all they can to se- 

 cure the passage of a bill to protect the wool- 

 growing interest of the State and nation. 



Sterling, Mass., Farmers' Club. — This 

 town club, with a membership of 121, holds 

 an annual Fair. In September last, $264.84 

 were distributed in premiums, leaving $283 in 

 the treasury. Joseph P. Hey wood. President ; 

 Luke Sawyer, Vice President ; Ezra Sawyer, 

 Secretary ; William D. Peck, Treasurer. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MUCK. 



At a recent farmer's meeting, at which the 

 ^^preparation of manures'''' was the subject of 

 discussion, the debate hung for some time upon 

 the question whether muck was of any value 

 except as an absorbent. 



E. B. considered it as possessing intrinsic 

 value of itself as a fertilizer, and said if the 

 droppings from animals were his only resource 

 for enriching his land, he should quit farming 

 at once. He believed that by drawing muck 

 into his yards and letting it lie a few years, he 

 had tripled the products of his ilirm. He did 

 not tliink liquid manure, from any animals, re- 

 quired any al)sorbcnt in the winter season, the 

 solid part being sufficient to absorb it all. He 

 believed manure is often too strong, and that 

 muck and manure composted together are bet- 

 ter than clear manure separate. lie had rather 

 have a load of muck than a load of straw. 

 Said corn planted on nuick will always come 

 up, if ever so dry ! The best corn raised on 

 Col. M.'s farm was raised on clear muck that 

 laid ten years rotting ! 



D. II. thought turf, or soil, fully as good as 

 muck ; only not as liglit and easy to handle. 



Col. ]VL thought there was a great difference 

 in the (juality of nuick. 



McC. said much depends upon the nature of 



