Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-10-07

only should you increase your cultivated land,
but should steadily press towards a larger
variety Of crops. Belgium, with territory
not as large as Vermont, supports pop
ulation fourteen times as great, while Vermont
imports half the wheat she uses. But her
plains and hills arc magnificent garden, in
which all the products known to man are rails
cd IL has been said that Ireland, one Of the
finest countries in tho world, capable Of sup
porting a population Of fifteen millions,
has been devoted to famine because her people
would raise but one crop, and always insisted
that when the potato bin was full there was
no scarcity Of wheat. And we can easily be-
lieve this, that single kind Of culture must
end in famine and starvation In multitude
Of crops there is safety. If the worm takes
the one, and the wevil the other, and the rot
the third, still a fourth and fifth and sixth
shall not be found wanting. man can
make very good bread of corn, and very good
potatoes of turnips, aud tolerablc coffee of
carrots, and if a half dozen crops fail, he
need not die so lcng as he can have a half a
dozen others. The best security, then, against
a failure Of crops is diversity Of crops and
am never better satisfied than when at
Fair, after looking over the horses and sheep,
and the bulls of Bqsian. can 20 on TO some
Floral Hail. and while the walls and ceiling
are adorned with the fabrics of the needle,
wrought by gentle fingers, the sides and coun-
ters are blushing with apples and grapes
smiling with broad faced pumpkins and
squashes inlaid with white, blue and red
potatoes, crimsoned with beets, scarlet with
carrots, fragrant with onions sweetened with
honey, and groaning in every joint with tubs
Of yellowcst butter, and creamiest cheese. IL
looks as if Nature, profuse mother of good,
was not willing that her sons and daughters
should 20 hungry, nor cry for food. And
why, when she baros her bountful bosom to
our use and tells us of her manifold pro-
ducts. should you refuse to plough, to sub
soil, to plant and to dig, from her maternal
acres, to your hearts content:
And then. besides all this general instruc-
ton giycn at an industrial exhibition, there
is ticket given TO every producer which
marks down his price, place and value in the
industrial classes and if o man get no pre-
MUM at all, he gets what is better, in an as
piration to be a better producer and year
after year his struggles TO do the best he can
are noticed; public approval follows his cf-
forts. and his farm, from its center to its cir
cumicrence responds TO bis industrial labors.
The moro he irritatcs and vcXcs and tears the
surface. the more does it repay his passion,
and smile upon his care. And, bye and bye,
he has the satisfaction Of little heavier list,
and a little heavier taxes, even If he gets no
premium And the grand list is perfect
thermometer II tells to a shade what men
think Of you, and of your farm. And as you
90 up in their estimation. mp goes your hst,
and you may be thankful for that man
who relies on premiums for his wealth, and
gets cross over his ascending list, is quarrel
ling with the very mercies Of Heaven, aud
will neither live nor die in peace G., pro-
yided he is growing rich.
But there is still another benefit incden
tally connected with these industrial fairs, to
which | must make allusion. Their social eff
feet, when properly conducted, cannot be
otherwise than favorable, They are almost
the only days Of fostiyity and play our people
have We are essentially aud fearfully a
irortiag race How hard we work there is
scarce a hand OF face in this crowd does not
tell at once Now, believe, with all my
heart that "All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boys" and if there was hymn
of old Watts that / used to sing when
child, with the spirit and the understanding,
and which have not done singing yet, it
was,
In books, or work, or hoahhfR play
let my fr>t years De past.
And ica the people, the Anglo Saxon 'oorkers,
need more beatt6d play than we get But
when we never stop in our labors to have
few days Of recreation and pasumc think
we hy in the face of the Creator 1t was his
manifest intention. when He made man, that
be should have his times of festvity, gaety,
froic and amusement, and that he should not
make work of his pleasure either, nor run it
over into excess and riot Our natures
need something more than one constant push
Of tnil and it was intended that now and
then they should have a holiday, and mo fuss
made about it," A life Of labor alone dries
up the Juices in mans body and takes the
sap out Of his spirit, and turns him into
spiritess drudge. And we should gladly see
connected with these Fairs more elements Of
recreation and festive ioy-perchance, even
games and sports, like those which attended
the festa days of the jews and belong to
such occasions as these among all other ma
tions. We do not think that poor fellow
who runs a race, or jumps over string or
climbs pole, or good naturedly wrestles
with his friend, necessarily forieits his char
acter, or puts his soul in jeopardy. And since
people must have amusement, we would feign
make IL as ItepeclaOlc rs posslults lhSNtau
of driving it down to the lowest level, we
should sympathizo with it gonially and heart
lily. aud raise it to the highest level.
Any thing, therefore, that BEAUTIFULLY pro-
notes the social delight and entertainment Of
q people is most admirable and worthy. Amy
thing that brings all classes together, to com
compare their acquisitions and meet on the
ground of a common social exchange, brings
into healthful action the finest susceptibilities
Of our natures. It awakens emotions hithor-
20 silent, and produces more general ac-
QLaintance, and a more universal charity. 1t
intorweayes our lives with white aud red, to
have in them some festa days, instead Of
their being all one "seamless stuff Of brown"
II takes the wrinkle out Of the brow, the un-
comfortabeness out of soul and body the
ennui out of the intellect, and the sting out
of care, now and then to throw down the inn
plements of toll, and join in general social
relaxation.
But | should fail Of my object did ] not
advert to the effect Of these exhibitions upon
the tastes of men, Not only do they have
utlitarian influences; they improve our con-
coptions and love Of the beautiful. They