Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-06-27


get while the best ands and those within three miles Of
any town held much higher. To the 5OouO0 farmers
IN France Wis own uror average hut seven
zach. MS per sce ns, appear bagaelle. and TO The
irish stn.ett who la rare localities pay clio to Gao
Tor ESQ 20 $50 rent per acre, II must look like tN
Those who have given THIS subject that attention u dc.
SELVES, know settlement has acady approached the lin
It, n N the profitable farming lands within
domain Some o the lands are fertile but destitute Of
wood or Of water The red man still wendcfs the
verge and where he has disappeared the prairie wolf re-
temans At least 10 Tighten sheep With good,
here "a much poor land on Western lcrrories. An
Acre may b worth the Government price. provided there
Is dozen prafie chickens upon IL IN the States
there il much land yet to be had n great value al very
low prices but aatvcly little " this remains To- the
hauus u Government In cur Territories the fertile
lands are not found 10 be universal A. they were nearly
in Illinois and Iowa, but they lie IN pafoes-horc
little aud there littlo-cmhrodering the margins Of
streams and standing forth In greater beauty from The
rule OF cOnttast-Oascs IN the deserts.
There were, September 3d. 1861, Of surveyed public
lands l3i $50 acres the unsuveyed being many times
greater or these lands Is proposed to donate 10 the
States for I'll zee colleges, an should accept the cond
lions about 1000 600 acres, 000C0l, u only the
loyal states should De able avail themselves u the
grant 1t is an uncomfortable grant in proportion TO
means and not large IN proportion % the object in
view. have now abandoned the public lands as CAPT
ta with the design Of deriving larger revenue from
those who may SETTLE upon them and make them fruit
iul And here these land colleges iu TO aid IN the
plan 81 improving not only the new lands but also the
old and thereby extending the lasis Of taxation and
revenue. A tAct n land 90 man who knows how 20
make IL real homestead, with all s train Of joys, is
a curse. To give an men opportunity By their
labor 20 obtain substantial support is problem
most Governments endeavor 20 solve. We have high
er and possibly more difficult task, which is To combine
the largest freedom with the largest rewards ~ labor
free government and personal ndcpendence-and this
only be done by the largest knowledge Success IN
working out this problem secures the Immortality " our
Republic. he man who earns but hfiy day
not be taxed fourth part of IT, or twelve and half
cents, without starving hs children but let him
two dollars day and he will pay double the amount,
twenty five cents, and not only survive It, but ask the
tax gathcfcr To stop and dine
Tho policy Of the Government towards the Territories
and the States has been liberal deserves be
Out Wnk Jew VINO nave not read ne report OF the soc
feay Of me Interior are aware Of the extent OF that
libcray. Within the ast four years there have been
granted 10 States and Territories, and reserved from sale,
49i5i,bu6 acres Each new State now has university
lands 'uspring LANDS, public building inds, and 800,
OOD acres each under The act " 1871 One eighteenth
part Of All the lands also once given 90 the new
states Tor schnola. We have given thcn, up 1861.
0,g9S i97 acres for railroads Then have surrender
ed all the swamp lands amounting within the past four
years 20 39i0,3lO acres and the entire claims VI the
several States under this head amount 51S9j, j7T
Added 10 all this give the land States five
per all sales u land wkin their borders after
they admitted As States This is not treating these
Staosa step-chdren The four States II California,
Minnesota Oregon, and Kansas entitled TO 1882,
b85 acres for school purposes alone Beyond all we have
passed the homestead law.
All the bounty land warrants and scrip issued under
different acts Of Congress mhrace aggregate OF a.,
71lf2 acres. or this amount, all the warrants have
been located except 7fjl720 II the present bill
should ass, II would only about double the quantity
some single States. The total amuunt " unsold and
appropriated lands is l,0i6 290,0g3 acres and aher
dedueiing the proposed donation 10 these colleges we
could quadruplc the amount aud still retain lu0l
600 900 to be disposed Of under the homestead act
Not so much as one per cent will be distracted
ms heritage may be so hecdlcsSly oyerTun TO be
soon wasted leaving behind nothing but the estate Of
prodga OF 1t may be managed to hold all corners aud
give Them unsurpassed prosperity for centuries
As soon as lands pass from the hands Of the Govern
men they become subject local taxati n, and that
clearly to be desired by land States and Territories The
scrip issued will into the hands Of bona fd settlers
because such viii the only purchasers 90 be found unless
at depreciation II price and these will be obtained by
the several States dsposng Of their scnp on credit and
retaining the lien on the land Such arrangen ent
willnot Certainly be TO the disadvantage of the land
States.
Saying nothing Of what might be due from the ew
States TO the old the o reciprocal generosity by
the present b the land States will obtain their just pro-
portion according to population. and it is not too much
to say at the same time that more young will be be-
nchciaries " these Institutions in the other States who
will become residents ~ Than will be educated BIZ the
land States themselves Those States therefore, should
be more deeply interested in the measure than all Others
and invoke their Representatives to its just apprecia
ton.
In speech had the honor to make in this House
april 90 1851 prior to the passage Of the bill Of which
this is mainly copy attempted to show by the facts
Of the census Of 1850 compared with those Of 1870 in
cudng other State returns that their and
widely pervadng dminution Of crops per under
go ahead system Of farming, and that the main relief
sought was such that pracliced by hoeks Of Wild pig
cons, which no sooner strip and waste field than they
take wing and fly further
II this deduction has any foundation without some
speedy and efficient remcdy--reAchng TO every State
for there without less Of lean faced dis
uicts, poor farms and poorer farmershs agricultural
decline will NJ remote time in the age Of the nation
produce caRmous results. The census Of 1860 not
yet published, that full comparison Of another dccen
nal period impfaccablc and II the latest
bes were now at hand the statistical information is too
limited 10 afford more than meager Of what IL
would be useful, II not cfedtable for people to
know and TO spread out the record by the courtesy
of the Superintendent have CLEANED some facts which
still indicate, | regret TO say the rotrogrado march OF
agriculture, and showing that the positions heretofore
sumcd have only much support In the census Of 1860
The facts are by means Agrecahlehot calculated to
putt us up with prde-hut they should be rosolutey OK
amincd TO find II possible adequate Of repaia
l'y the returns 1t appears The New England States
have increased their number OF horses but 10 about the
same extent have diminished the number Of oxen aud
would be bard "a say whether the gain loss Is the
proftless. All Of these States, except Rhode Island
have increased the product " butter, and all tall oil in
the quantity OF cheese as wei a, the number II sheep
swine and Except Maine and Neimontl In the quantity
OF potatoes Ol wheat the whole quauuy produced is
pltiahly small being only or 2S5 bushels, and Of that
43l l27 bushels is produced in Vermont New York, ia
1850 produced l3,l2l AS bushels of wheat and only
S6Sl 100 bushels in 1861 showiuga decrease Of ii0
3iS bushels
The number ofshecp in New York in 1910 Wa, 5,lls777
This state has nearly 100000 acres OF onc seventh
part moro land under cultivation Than there ten years
ago, and yet the hay crop less by lGinl TONS
The following table illustrates the pos,'on Of New York
Horses AZ Oh 1903 rs
Mich Cows a3l 324 ill3G3i
Oxen IFS 30 ~ 7O2
Other cattle 767i1G 727 S37
Wool, (pouuds) 1901 30l Q.4jl i73
Wheat, (bushcls) l3.l2l 4iS S,6Sl 100
sheep 3fjj 2il 2.6l7S5j
Hay, (tons) 3 72S ~ 1864 6
Saline l,ulS 252 0lOl7S
This is anything but complimentary to system Of
agriculture and yet few " The old States doing
well ms New York
In seventeen " the States-neary all the nld-there
mas been loss the number Of sheep, aud
In 1860 Is 226l9 1885, against u 800 in 1880 OF gain
only ofV56 l66 Ia ten year But for the States the
loss would have been large, aud the gain the State Of
California QO5slSD Is mere than equal that Of the
whole Union.
Pennsyyania, with 5000 square miles Of territory,
and VO6ll3 people. should raise AS many sheep A.
England, with about 81 900 square miles Of Territory and
o0O0l people, and yet England has 30 600 600 sheep
and Pennsylvania but 60 80 which gives England
nearly two sheep for every nhaban aud 500 for every
square mile, while Pennsyl,anta has little than one
20 every two inhabitants, and only IS to the square mile