Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-08-17
A4rttnltnrGl.
From the U. S. Literary Advertiser.
Farming,

Those who have strictly Investigated the SUBJ
iect. consider large farms comparatively less pro-
ductive than small ones; while they at the same
time impose upon their owners degree OF labor
much greater in proportion than would seem to
be required by the mere difference OF size. The
cause, it is thought, lies altogether IN the differ
ence of manapement farmer in moderate Cir
cumstances, with fifty or sixty acres of land, for
instance, will bring every inch of it into high
state of charlottesville labor employed in pre-
pairing his grounds will be more than doubly COM
pensated in his subsequent exemption from toll;
while the owner of a wide spread territory Of
three or four hundred acres, which he has but
sparingly supplied with nourishment, must work
more sedulously upon every acre during the pro-
gress of vegetation, and, after all, reap Dut
meagre and inadequate harvest. AS Single
acre of land highly cultivated, can be made to
Weld crop equal to three or tour acres scantily
prepared it must be obvious, that the extra labor
in dressing the former is abundantly more than
saved by the diminished labor in attending it
A striking exemplifcaton Of this fact may be
viewed by any of our farmers, who will take the
trouble to visit the grounds attached tothe House
of Industry at South Boston-there, they may
have the theory and the Illustration directly be-
fore their eyes. Those grounds, 1t IS sad, nave
produced this season, from three to four tons OF
hay per acre-whch is three or four times the
quantity of ordinary crops. So exuberant was
the grass, that there actually was not room, up
on the surface where it grew, sufficient for the
purpose of making the hay And this was en-
tireIy owing, as we are told, to the previous
pains taken to enrich the soil by plentiful addi-
tons Of suitable compost.
Were the same policy pursued by the owners
of large farms, there would be little need of emf
grating from the New England to the Western
states; for the very tracts which now under
careless system of culture barely afford susten-
ance for a single family, might be made to sup
port three or four-and that too, with much less
toll and trouble, in proportion to the quantity
cultivated. Many Of our farmers grasp at the
management of too spacious terrltory-the
consequence is, they impose upon themselves
state of slavery; they accumulate nothing, except
now and then an additional patch of waste land,
which serves only to increase their burthens with
out augmenting their income. Were they, on
the contrary, to confne their eXertions to small
er spots, while their crops could be rendered
equally if not more abundant, they would them
selves enjoy life better-become more independ
ent ana WIN thelr usual snare OF sdgdClty ana
frugality, more wealthy they would acquire time
to institute experiments, and to examine improV-
ements they would attain what they now scarce
y ever possess-leiSure-whe hereby we mean not
the privilege of being LAYOUT that sort ofeis-
ure which poor Richard describes as time for
doing something useful-time for study, for re-
Election, for familiar converse for looking after
the education of their young-in short, forrealiz-
ing the blessings after which they are. constant
ly toiling. We are no practical farmer-but,
according to the proverb, "a wink from blind
horse is sometimes servceable,