New-York daily tribune., 1851-07-12
VERMONT.
Scientific Farming-A Visit 10 the Farm q,
Judge Meach.
sHElsuRNE. VI, Thursday, July 10, lsSl


To tas Eater Of tAe " Y. TfsbaRs
That Vermont is one of the best sgrlca.
tural States of the New England group ,hs,
can be no question. Her valleys are rleh. a.
her mountains are covered with good soil our,
10 their SUBMITS. This town OF Shclbume,
which I'm writing. is terrliorally small. but Ia
soil is well husbanded and productive, the seen
~ picturesque and beautiful, and the mhabiians
industrious and independent. Here Judge Meae
resides, on his splendid farm, which sireieha
along the shore of Lake Champlain, and contain
twenty-three hundred acres in one body Ths
farm Is admirably located. and presents som
beautiful points aside from the richness OF th
soil and the grear amount OF agricultural wealn
which now coverslt The mansion house when
the Judge and his wife reside, Is situated but
few rods from the shore of the lake. and stand
IN the center OF about hve acres which are IN
closed by some two or three rows OF tall, hand
some codars. Here Is spot worthy 10 be De
scrihed You enter the gate and find yourseS
upon wide and beautifully graveed walk. oyer
shadowed by large ioresttrees OF many kinds
You travel along few rods and then cross
crystal brook. that runs INTO tlsh pond below.
where YOU might have seen disporting themselves
some score or two OF large SpecSled trout, well
fed and fat, II some internal scamps had no,
caught them out a few weeks ago when darkness
covered their evil deeds. The rascalS who per
petrated thatthet, would steal the butter fnm
Negro slaves hoe e-cake. and rob the dead OF the
pennies that cover their eyes, even II The dead
were their own mothers You Will ask what
small house is that which stands upon the nlt
Gin of the brook, with an arch ol woot0le
in front and roses about its entrance The
answer will be The house where the pans
of milk are set for the cream to TlSe AMI
where the yellow. sweet butter is made You
pass under this beautiful arch OF wO0ibme
aud enter the neat little house, ant there
You see well arranged upon clean shelves the
pans of milk covered with delicious cream, Which
would certainly make your mouth water, II YOU
had seen the beds of rich Strawberries which are
in the garden beyond.
You come out from this retreat, and wide
graveed walks branch out before YOU IN various
directions You now stand in front OF the house
overshadowed by forrest trees, surrounded by
various kinds of flowers. and your ears hllet
with the sweet music of thousand birds Every
object that meets your view, except the graveed
walks and the mansion house, seems TO be the
work of Nature Yet all the trees OF this little
forest were set ont by the tasteful proprietor
forty wears ago. They are so arranged that you
don't once lmsgine but they grow as Nature
planted them, and YOU are almost cheated INTO
the belief that YOU have been SET down IN some
forest IN tropical cline. Now, the Judge, IN
his old straw hat. may be seen, perchance
stalking, like a giant, among the trees OF MS
own planting, or sitting under the piazza, taxing
n pinch of snuff At first YOU Will he sure that
ne Is some fine old English gentleman, en-
owing his country seat. IN the Summer monihs
But half an hours conversation Will SHOW you
that YOU are IN the presence OF vermont hr
mer. who began life by carrying oushei Oh
wheat on his back ten miles through the woods
To MILL and trapping furS. Now ms whe ap'
pears and YOU will see one OF the handsomest
women both In face and form, OF her age, you
/ have had the pleasure OF meeting IN tins or any
| other country " Can these be farmers ~ YOU
! will ask Yourself Indeed, they are, and Vel.
mont farmers, too. But my object IS to SPEAK
| Of things, and not OF persons. You pass throu1
a neat, airy, well-iurnished house, and now one
of the most beautifully arranged hower.garies
opens to your view you have ever seen. nwil
seem as If Flora had spread out all her treasures
here Every variety of flower is before you, and
the air is all perfume You pass on, and goose
berries and strawberries, almost as large a.
hens eggs, invite you to pick You are now N
the midst Of everything that can please the pal
ate and regale the eye, and you Will say ms
is one OF the most beautiful gardens have ever
seen" And bear IN mind this Is the garden o
Vermont farmer.
But must get YOU out of this enchanting spot
and let YOU see the rich fields and the green pas.
tures | have said this farm contains $500 acres,
but this is not all his farm The Judge owns an
other small patch, as he might call 1t, short as
tance from the home farm, but not lolning u,
that contains / 300 acres OF most excellent land.
But will not weary you by asking you to travel
over this Vermont farm, which contains j,6oo
acres of land all fertile and under good improve
ment Judge Meach owns lust such a farm as
this, aud keeps 1000 sheep and great many
cattle and horses on a great many hills some
years he cuts r thousand tuns OF hay, and raises
a great amount of produce. How many human
beings such farm will feed and clothe This
is unquestonably the largest farm in New-Eng-
land, and very much question whether there Is
one IN the Union that produces more. ihefe
may be some farms In Virginia or other states
that embrace more acres, but don't oene'e
there is one that is really worth so much money.
Some Virginia landlord may own more territory,
and have half as many slaves as ydge meacn
has of sheep, but then the profits may be small
when compared with the products OF TINS 'ef'
mont farm.
have endeavored to give aplain, unVarnisheu
account of this farm, but n quite sure the de-
scrlption falls far short Of the reality. nave
visited good many farms IN this State and In
the Great West, but have never seen one that
is equal to Judge Meacbs, taking everything INTO
the account. Who would not be farmer, II he
could be such farper After all, a farmers
life is the most happy one. And Is IT not strange
that so many hale and hearty young men will
cOnQreeate In Ourcltes when such variety OIL
soil and climate rs our country affords are within
their reach Ne must have merchants, 1t IS
true, and thevare a useful class Of the commn-
nity; but thin their lives full Of perplextles,
and often # great adversities. Seed.tme and
harvest ar; promised to all, but we have no war
rant against the c0nvuslons in the mercantile
world Besides, 1t Is easier to be honest on a
farm tian In trading-house The farmer has
no Inducements to be otherwise than honest,
whle the trader is all his lifetime subject to
temptation, if not to absolute bondage b.