Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-02-03
AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY


AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY.
Never, since the first settlement Of the
country, were farmers in circumstances 20
easy and prosperous as OF the present lime
and if they are not paying off their debts.
improving their lands and buildings aud
making provision for the education and sci .
Element Of their children, it is because
they are indolen', inalen'ive TO ,hcir of
fairs. II is true some crops, Ia some parts
of the country, have been less abundant
thar in former years ; but oheis have been
more so, and it is believed, taking the
whole into consideration. The fruits Of thu
earth have not fallen much short of its ay
erage annual increase - aud us for prices
Of all kinds of agrcul'ural production, hey
ore unprecedented n our history. With.
out detailing pres,n Mt prices, it may safely
be stated. that farmers produce. especially
articles indispensable to the UNFOLDING OF
life. has advanced a, least fifty per cont,
within the last eighteen months: and it is
fair to infer that their lands have advanced
in the same ratio for real estate, like
stocks, rises and falls IN mar ct with the
amount Of the income il yields, or with
good management may be made to yield,
its cul'ivalor. Ifth,s be So it follows thai,
every farmer IS actually worth a, least fifty
per cent. more than he was year and a
half ago, and more than he may suppose
.bimsclf TO be worth at the present time.
Though the causes which have produ-
ced this astonishing advance in the prices
of farmers produce, while those of the
manufacturer have remained nearly station
nry. NAV be concealed from his view We,
he may rest assured they are of such ma
ture as to warrant HIM IN increased cXcr-
tons in the cultivation Of his farm. aud
the product Of sucn fruits of the earth as
are necessary To sustain life. While the
prcsen, disposition TO exchange the labors
OF the field for those Of the workshop the
factory and the learned proGcs,it MS contln.
ues-whlle the present mania for the con
struction of canals, rall roads aud other
public works rages-aud while the pres
'ent tide Of foreign population flows in up
.on us, the present dispropor,ion between
production and consumption will exist anG
prevent material reduction in present
prices. Though agriculture is unqne.,
tionnbly the most profitable business which
lie pursued under existing circumstances
yet many farmers are complaining about
hard times. They claim that the present
high prices afford them no facilities for the
acquisition Of wealth, and assign as n prin
cipal reason the high price of labor-hu,
they forget that their labor is an impnr,an,
part of their capital, and that as it advan
'ces in value their capital is increased II
amount. This remark, II is true, is more
peculiarly applicable TO practical farmers
,ncn who labor with their own hands. ant
such are ordinarily the only men who ac
cumulate wealth by agriculture.
AS highly as we estimate The profession
of an agrcnliurist, and a. profit abe as W
believe the business TO be at the prcsen
time, we would advise no man to engag
in it whose hands are too delicate To han
die hoe without gloves. To insure III
farmer success he must labor more or less
with his own hands, and be capable c
judging whether his work is well or i
done. He must also kauW whether hi
hired hc'p perform that amount of labo
(which they are in duty bound TO rcndo
him, and whether the results OF i, W,
leave HIM profit after their wages are De
Quoted. Gentlemen who have acquire
fortunes by commercial and profession;
business, and who NAV be disposed to re
VIC W IuIhI nc, VIII una Wlcn umuSclnel
in agriculture; but they must not be di
appointed if they find but little profit
The profits of farm are in proportion
the amount of labor bestowed upon it ar
the farmer who performs i, principally vii
.. his own hands and those Of his iami
generally grows richer and richer; WIN
the one whose hands are too tender to G.
dure the rays Of the sun, and whose chi
dren are too good to work, almost invar
bly, grows poorer and poorer.
Buckmheai Cakes..-As this is a season, sa
tho Philadelphia Pennsylvania, for lor
speeches, long documents, and buckwhe
cakes, and as the latter are q1ile as impo
tant and certainly more agreeable than eth
of the others, we suhjoin rcclple for I,
making thcreof-cakes, not documents
speeches--which is given in a late number
the Baltimore Gazette. That paper says,
~ the authority of one who has tried the exp,
iment, that !, makes decidedly better cak
with halfthe trouble necessary in the usu
mode of raising them with yeast
ITO three pints of buckwhea, -four mix
into a batter, add one tea spoonful Of carl
nate OF soda, dissolved in water, and q
A ditto oftariaric acid, dissolved in like ma
ner-first apply the carbonate, stir tho bat
we'll, and then put in the acid-thus the