The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-10-01


founded partly in error and partly il
truth
1t is probably true that the average
yield OF some Of your crops has dec lin
ed, aud il may be true, also, that the pro-
ductiyeness of your lands was at first
somewhat over-estimated. This is fire.
quently the case in new districts
There is a charm in pioneer life, which
sometimes prevents the due exercise o.
the reasoning faculties, obscures the
judgment and carries people into en-
thusasm. Hence the agricultural cly-
SUM is generally the last discovered
and most newly settled country. With.
IN the recollection Of many, ii was loca,
ted in the Genesee Valley mex, in o.
hio; next in Michigan and Illinois
next in Missouri and Iowa, and the ad-
joining territory; and lastly, it is pas
sing over to the Salt Lake. California,
and Oregon, and from there ii will prob
ably recedc TO China, Japan, and Rus
sian Tarlary.
But for myself, with some scquaint>
ance with several sections Of our coun>
try which are regarded as most desira-
BILE in respect 10 agriculture, think
yours is fairly entitled to rank among
the best. and nowhere else, | believe,
can a greater amount Of enjoyment in
rural life be secured. This is no vain
flatlery, but conclusion resulting from
honest comparison and examination. |
ask ou to receive i, for what il is bare
ly worth, hoping that it may tend to
strengthen your local attachments, an d
lessen the spirit Of emigration which |
fear has prevailed injurlously among
you.
But you will probably say" IF our
agriculture is less remuneraliye than
formerly, or less so than that of other
sections, what is to be done 7" This, Of
course, is the grand question. In refer
ence to it, several important ideas pre-
sent themselves. The first is the ex,.
penditure OF capital OH the land. |
presume it will not be denied that a
very great amount Of money has actually
been laid up, or realised in some way,
from the cultivation of your lands ; but
what proportion Of the money so receiv-
ed has been re>invesied in the soil |
app.ehend it has been but a very small
pars l presume it has been here, as in
other parts of the country, that money
has been made by farming and put into
bank stock, or loaned to " shavers," or
invested in specuations, Of various
kinds. In many instances, under the
system Of devastation that this practice
encourages, when the land can no longer
yield any income, the ungrateful cry is
raised that " farming is Improbable r'
Now is there actually any sense or rea-
son in such course Suppose a given
sum is invested in a manufactory. The
building and machinery are new. The
busines, is successful, but the proceeds
are all taken away and applied elsewhere;
nothing is reserved for q" wear and tear :"
the building grows old and finally falls
into decay; the machinery wears. out
and becomes incapable Of use the own
er, in the mean time, has lived on the
ayails of the business, and has, besides,
accumulated and locked up money but
when asked why he does not repair his
establishment, he replies" o, can't
afford it don't think the business is
profitable ; have expended considerable
money here, and though it did do some
thing for while, it don't pay now"
This is exactly the plea and position
of too many farmers-nol Of all, to be
sure, but of too many ; they have taken
the money which they have received
from the soil to educate their sons for
The professions" or to establish them
in mercantile business, or for something
besides the improvement, or support,
even, of their farms. 1t is obvious that
such a course in any other business
would be deemed absurd, and it is. in
fact, fair parallel to the destruction of
the goose which laid the golden egg.
The fact is too seldom realized, that
the powers the soil, as regards pro-
duciion, as well as those of machine
or an animal, can be worn out. II is
in reference to this fact, that our first
steps for the improvement of aSricul-
ture should be taken. A certain por-
ton ofthe capital which we take from
the soil must be returned to it, to insure
its continued. profitable production.
This portion in amount, will, of course,
depend on circumstances; as the naiu-
raj depth and richness Of the soil, and
the character Of the crops raised, as To
their exhaus,ing tendency. A large
portion Of the soil Of your district is nat
urally deep and strong, and requires a
less return in the shape Of manure than
many or most other portions ofiha coun-
try. Still the importance of the prin>