Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-24

we noId III the case OF the farmer and [
the possessor of lands, as in all cases of
other wealth, learning, or talent, that a Sc
rious moral responsiveness rests upon |
him to use all these means for good. A |
mong the Romans, six acres were the ap-
portionment for family, and deemed am
pie for their support. In our condition of
society, sixty will seldom suffice, and the
nature of our institutions admits OF no arbi-
trary division or restriction under the form
of an agrarin law. We despair of con-
dition of society in which any improve
ment shall take place in the present forms
of holding and dividing the land, rejoicing
most thankfully in the great advance made
by constitution ofthings. wherethe rights
OF prlmogeniture are not admitted, and no
heightened entalments are practicable
But this we hold as high moral duty,
that the possessor of land should, in all IA
vorable circumstances, seek to render that
land as productive as possible; and we
hold it likewise matter ofiust regret when
large possessions, susceptible of improve
ment & of being made highly productive,
are held by persons, who, like the dog in
the manager, will neither use nor suffer
them to be used. In our country, where
wild and unoccupled land is so abundant,
and where there exists so great dispari-
ty between the quantity of land and the
labor available to make it productive, this
is point of far less importance than in
countries where the population is redund-
ant; but it would be we'll not to.lose sight
of the great principle that the possession of
land rests upon different basis from that
OF other property. Wealth, which man
creates by his labor, as bread is the pro-
duct of his own cultivation, the fruit and
clothing raised and framed by his own in
dustry, it would seem might, as much as
his own person, be claimed as legitimately
his own; and so too the money, which
represents the accumulations of former la
Dor. But property in the land itself, which
ne In no sense creates, and which is Civ
en- to man as common field of labor, and
common source of subsistence, is ap-
proprlated and enclosed on grounds of
different character and by no means
so obvious.
| Without entangling ourselves, howev-
er, In these questions of political economy.
or OF moral duty, we should be glad, if
we could see every farmer in the State ex-
aiming into his possessions; and seek
ing to make every rood of his farm pro-
ductlve IN some form CT another to its ut
most capacity. But how totally different
the caseis among US may be best inustrat.
ed by an example, which came uader our
own observation =
as part of committee of an agricultur-
al society for awarding premiums on the
most productive and best cultivated farms
which should be presented, we were in
ylted to visit the farm Of a respectable gen
teman, when as near as we can remem-
| Der, something like the following dialogue
occurred. OF how much land does your
| farm consist? Three hundred acres "A
very large portion of this was susceptible
OF cultIvatlon.) How much have YOU un-
der tlIlage? -Four acres of corn !; two of
potatoes; andthree or four in oaIs. (These
were all the crops.) How many laborers
do you employ and how much team do
you keep? l keep one yoke of oxen; and
employ one man seven months in the wear.
and ne works out enough upon hire with
the team to pay his own wages. This
the man called specimen farming. and en-
tered the list OF competitors for the high
est honors OF the Society," He was dispos-
ed to show at how little expense a farm
could, as ne termed it. be carried on, The
farm In truth was not carried on at all =
and, II 1t could be said to 90, it must be said
also that it "went of itselfw Situated az
ne was, in the neighborhood of quick
market, instead of four acres of corn. he
ought to have had fortv-men and teams
enough to perform the necessary labor.
and other products and crops in pronor'
ton. But it probably never occurred to
thus man to look over his farm, and ascer-
tam how every acre, susceptibl lie of being
made productive, should have been bro't
INTO profitable use. This is most certain.
y what every intelligent and ente-prisino
farmer should do But at present it seems
to be cardinal point with great major
lty of farmers to bring themselves down
IN their agricultural operations to the low.
est quantum possible of labor and expense.
we say possible, in many cases. consist,
ent with the supply of the first necessities
OF their family, and the humblest claims to
the character of practical farmers, To
TINS point we wish to call particularly the
attention of the farming community: to
the actual condition of their farms: to the
great number of acres, which lay neglect
ef' waste, and unproductive, from which.
under proper management, a liberal return
might be obtained. We hope, that if con-
slderatIons of duty, of self-respect, & hon
est pride, are without power to move them
TO put their farms in better condition. thew
Will, BY our farther inquiries and their
own patient consideration, be at last arons-
ca ny the strongest convictions of interest
we shall solicit their farther indul