The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-08-20
NHMSCELEA NEOUS.
GETTING RICH AND GETTING RUINED.

GETTING RICH AND GETTING RUINED
The independence, manness, health and
comfort of farmers life in this country, II car
ried on with any tolerabe degree of intelligence
and spirit, is subject of long observation. Our
people, too, are generally aware that 1t may be
considered the most patriotic OF the professions
that the agricultural interest is the grand STAN
,lard ofinterest of the natlOn-lhat the science
and capital put into it may be said to be loan
ed out of the public welfare that as Repub-
cans and Americans, we need nothing so much,
and nothing SO well becomes us, as the diligent,
enlightened cultivation Of the soil.-From neg
lect of these principals have arisen essentially
great part Of our calamities of late years We
have become, especially our rising generation,
impatient, impeuous, ambitious to go ahead =
that is the phrase which expresses in fact our
greatest national fault and national at once.
Hence the steady pursuits of fathers are
abandoned. They are too tame and slow. Hence
the old farmer finds himself deserted by his sons,
as soon as they are grown to mans estate, and
generally much before. Hence the country is
left comparatively to turn to waste, while the
cities and large towns are crowded with i'll bred
inexperienced silly young fellows, who all
on the qnl Ut0e for rushing into trade and making
Il fortune at once. Others embark in it, almost
without tedious ceremony and apprenticeship or
clerkship. Others mi crate, and speculate in
the South and West OF all this miserable host
nine -tentIls are ruined within two years from
the time they leave home. The country is filled
meanwhile with Incidence, extravaganza, and all
sorts of desperate characters and irregular hab.
its. This is going ahead The old-fashoned
pursuits, the regular professions, the life one
may lead in the country, are too slow. They are
nothing like going ahead. But we rejoice that
the community are beg inning to see through this
wreched hunlbug, and waking up its real digni.
~ aud interest, and to those OF the nation. Trade
is oosing some of its siren charms, and farming
is rising again 10 the rank which belongs to it.
And now Il little experience, q little reflection,
shows might be expected that it is not mere
ly the most comfortable, but the most profitable
of all pursuts-in the aggregate and in the long
run, mean. Speculation may turn ont bad
ly but cultivation never need to fail. The soil
NAV be depended on ni'""ys, while the stocks
never can be- especially In n ner,,nntile coy,
nunity so excitabe, political and so depend
ent on eXtrnsic and occasional Influences and
operations as ours is Nor is the western soil on
Iy that will do. There is no need of our young
men rushing out 10 Illinois and Wisconsin, and
Texas. They can fiud good farms enough for
any decent ambition much nearer home. All
New England is good enough for their purposes.
This running away South and West is u mere
noon--a foolish one too. Ouy own is the best
country in the world, for our own people at
least. And what is more TO the point, money
can be made here. This is Il secret just coming
out. Our hills and wales are the true III Dor
ando, after all. Look at the gardening business
every where in the vicinity of our cities and
large towns. Fortunes are made in 1t by any
body that chooses-haif followed up US it is.
great deal more might be made of it and will be-
But the whole country, the farming country, the
remotest and rudest parts of il, are embraced
within our remarks.
We cannot pursue this subject now IN de-
tail. What we have said is meant merely toI
excite proper attention to il, with view to
illustration and comment hereafter. But here
is fact or two, just come in, SO much TO our
purpose, that we shall conclude with quoting
them. We refer to Gov. Hills Farmers Visit
err The number for July speaks of Col. Leon.
ards new farm in Piermont N, H.-a rough re-
glon enough. few years since the Colonel
bought tract there at Il dollar an acre. His
neighbors probably thought it hard bargain for
him. They doubted Ii 1Gseat could he raised
Jaere at all, very likely. Now IN the year 1859
on 20 acres newly cleared by chopping and bur
ming he raised 500 bushels OF wheat, averaging
IS bushels to the acre; I'm 1887, on 81 acres
Of the same kind of clearing and about acres
Of old, he raised 184 bushels, averaging over 25
bushels to the acre. The crop, considering the
entire expenses of clearing, fencing, &C. the
straw paying for thrashng, cost precisely 80 cts
the bushels Here was a clear gain OF 800 dol
lars. To this may be added the Improvement
of the land. The cost in its wild state was
one dollar the acre. Cleared and laid down to
pasture it is worth at least ten. "Ihe increased
value of the land, without the crop, will pay for
the original cost and clearing and this too
upon mountain ground where the forest growth
IS OF more value for the manure ofis ashes on
he spot than for any other use. And the IN
creased value of the ground, ready for further
profitable use, and the gain of this operation in
aslngle year. was nearly t,Oelve hundred dollars! |
Here is money making for you, with grace.
And so the Colonel is going on from year to
year. This season he has growing % acres of
, Wneat ON the new ground, and acres upon the
al'eo, and he has the trees chopped off of % !
"ctes OF heavy wooded land for crop the next
season. So much for wheat in New Hamp- |
S Sre' SO much for the life Of farmer.-Bost. !
Mercantile Jour-
ANArIcIsM. A melancholy instance OF ia
o nHNc!sm is related in Swiss paper, the Nouv-
cmS,e Vandois having lately occurred in the
iE"uon OF Zurich. The inhabitants morn
i"S perceived q thick smoke ssninp from q