Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-05
Letter from Rev. s. r. Hall.

The following letter fully explains itself
and we hope to be the recipient of many Of
Mr.. Halls useful suggestions
EDITOR OF FREEMAN Il was glad to no.
tice, in late number of your paper, that
you purpose to enlarge it, and devote the in
creased space to agricultural topics. This
plan will meet with approval on the part Of
your numerous readers. have long wished
that our leading papers would make the ad-
vancement OF agricultural knowledge more
prominent, and disseminate among the yeo-
many Of the State, that practical and home
knowledge, which would lead to juster es-
innate of the value OF our soil, and our
abundant resources. Our young mem
need this, in order to correct the false i'm
pressions which lead 50 many of them to
forsake the homestead, and seek employment
AMID the temptations and dangers Of cities,
or to>6nd home (alas, how often an early
gravel afthe West or South.
ALI that t6ethinEing young men Of YER
mont need, in order to correct false estimates
of foreign advantageous a trYe knowledge
Of the comparative advantages and resources
at home. have, for more thsp half cen
fury, been making a careful COMPARISON Of
the character, success, safely and thrift of
those who leave the State, and those who fe<>
main, and my opportunities, for doing so,
have not been small or limited. The result
has been, that the success of those who have
remained at home, has been greater, many
per cent, than those who have roamed abroad
A fen have, no doubt, improved their condi-
ton, and have found fields of enterprise better
adapted to their talents aal tastes, than they
could have found in Vermont. But these
have been exceptions The energy, persever
ance and strong common sense Of such,
would, under favorable circumstances, have
made them conspicuous and successful any
where. The farmer who permits his best
lambs, colts and cattle to be driven from his
yards, must soon find the best he has to dis
pose OF will be below par We should keep
our best and most euterprising sons and
daughters at the homestead. if we would
hope to have Vermont retain and increase
her moral and intellectual ascendancy among
her republican sisters Tnis can be done,
only by developing our resources, and teach
ing the young to nuke jlst comparisons be-
tw3en them AID those that are foreign,
With this object in view, will offer for
your columns, from time to time, such sug-
geStions as | may be able to make, in rela.
ton to the soil Of our State, and the avail
able resources for increasing its fertility; the
comparative salubrity of our climate; our
rich natural scenery, g., 81. But, [ can
not promise to write as of often as inclina-
ton might prompt but only as often as time
can be secured from professional and other
public duties. | had hoped that suggestions
on some Of these topics prepared, for the final
Geological Report, might have been spread
before the citizens of the State early the en-
suing year; but the "w1sDoM OF our late
Legislature has ordered otherwise.
Allow me to to forward letter from an
esteemed friend, which will throw some i'm
portant light on the value of the immense
beds of sphagnous muck, found in all parts
Of the State where the rock in place is lime
stone. My own experiments with muck full
ly confirm the inference naturally drawn from
that of Mr.. Steel, given in his letter. Twill
give them hereafter. Yours truly,
s. r. HALL
Bloomington, Dec. Goth, 1859.