Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-11-18

in 1850 46,O00 less bushels Of rye 500 900
less bushels OF corn about the same number
Of bushels Of oats, aud but SO 600 more tons
Of hay, and 100000 less pounds Of wool.
Their has been an increase Of but 5000
horses in twenty years, ending in 1860, and a
decrease Of 20, 900 head of cattle in the same
time, and OF 967, 900 sheep.
In consequence OF this the agricultural
population, in the State, is lessening every
year. The increase Of population in the State
during the ten ye,rs, ending 1860, was bat
97S while the increse in Rutland during the
same term, was $500 nearly four times the
increase of the whole state; but this increase
is not the increase Of the farming population
in Rutland, but an increase in the workmen
and their families at their Marble Quaries,
and the increase that central railroad town
always receives.
Is it possible that the agricultural popua-
ton Of our State has reached and passed the
period Of its increase, and is now in the de-
crease, These figures indicate it.
Has the State reached the measure Of its
capacity for production
/ Can the once rich soil Of our State be re-
claimed and brought back to its original fer
tilityi
The lands Of Europe that have been under
cultivation for centuries, have been constant
/ ly improved under skilliul cultivation.
In England, the average yields Of wheat has
been increased during the past fifty years from
fifteen to thirtyf five bushels per acre on
lands not naturely more fertile than our own
l am willing to admit, though the figures Of
the last census do not indicate it, that there
has been some improvement in agriculture in
the past few years. Though the number Of
animals KEEP, may be less hey are Of better
quality and Of more value The Agricultural
Press and Agricultural Societies have been
means for its improvement yet it has taken
but the first step forward. These helps alone
are not sufficient TO give 10 that impetus ne
cessaty for It's rapid growth and improvement.
The success and productiyeuess Of agriculture
must depend upon the education Of those who
pursue 1t. The farmer can no longer depend
merely upon his muscular strength 1t il ex-
perienee and scquired kno ledge That mparts
productive value 10 his labor The farmer
often looses one half Of bis labor by a misap-
plication of the Ingredient necessary to pro-
duce his bread and meat.
The laws that govern the changes ia the
properties OF matter, that change earth. sir
and water into plants and animals, are SO un-
erring and uniform as the rising aud the sett-
ing Of the sun and the farmer, who cultiyates
bis land without knowledge of these laws,
finds his crops are leasing and bis land !. be-
coming exhausted while the farmer who
unites science and labor raises increased crop
and his lad i. being enri he'd yearly.
Does any one doubt that with a thorough
scientific and practical education the farmer
may pursue such a system of tiilng tnat,
though his crops are large, his lands will not
be exhausted but continually improving, and
improving from the resources Of the farm
There are few isolated cases Of such farm
ing in our State and in other States. will
) mention one, that Of John Johnson, who came
from Scotland about forty years since and
purchased worn out suf clay farm in
Geneva, New York, farm that he'd been
badly managed and worn out that be was
3 laughed at by bis neighbour fol purchasing il
but by skill In his profession BE has brought
, that worn out farm into the highest state Of
fertility, and that without foreign capital.
, The products Of The farm having no; only
paid for all Improvements, but enabled him 70
p lay aside handsome yearly per centage on
! the money and iabor invessed.
= Deep plouging, thorough drainage, th e
I feeding Of stock enough 10 provide the neces-
{ ssry manure, and skii6ul application Of It,
have brought about this high state Of fertility
3 One held that has grown wheat every alter
nate year for nearly forty years. afien yields
= forty bushels 20 the acre. Does any one
, doubt that nearly all the ands in our State
! may be thus improved IL will be done
when our sons are thoroughly educated 10 the
profession Of ia ming,
But some will say that il we have an Agri-
. cultural College, few will patrouizs ii,--but
J few Of our sons will be educa.ed there
do not expect that the great mass Of the
! farmers sons would, but what II but one q
, ter or one in hundred, one from every
school district or every town, is educated in
such an Institution and returns 90 the home
stead, and succeeds in enriching and beautiiy-
p ing, as they certainly will succeed their
! nelghbors will improve by their example. The
! power Of example is strong.
After Johnson Of Geneva had laid several
} miles Of underdrsins on his farm and chang
the cold compact subsoil into loose,
friable and most productive surface soil, when
t his neigh bors saw his soil IN the spring 10
good condition to receive the seed, while
theirs was mire and mud when they saw
heavy crop growing 10 all luxuriauce during
) the drought, while theirs was struggling for
life on the hard baked undrained land, explo-
ded the old notion from their minds that
drained land would not stand drought, and
} by bis skllfu ard thorough Village the no.
! ton that land must not be titled during a
drought, but the weeds left TO grow to shade
the ground and retain the moisture. was also
exploded. | will mention the nhueace Of
one mans skill IN breeding stock in our own
State. The Honorable President Of the YER
mont Agricultural Society, by his thorough
knowledge ofth- AIT Of breeding, by his skill,
cave, judgment and perseverance,, has bred
flock Of sheep that has worldwide reputa-
ton, and the sheep breeders, by aoomparisou
of the merits OF different animals and from bis
successful example, have made such rapid
improvement in the breeding Of sheep that it
has made Addison County the sheep nursery
OF our country.
1t Is often the case thai man skilled IN
the art of breeding animals, OF in the art Of
successfully tilhng the soil will change tue
character Of whole neighborhood true
successful example will often erase from The
minds of the ignorent, notions that have been
practIced for long time You place in every
neighborhood in the State even but one far
mer thoroughly educated in his profession,
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