Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-12
From the American Agricultualist.
What Farming is TO BE.

1t is evident to any thoughtful man that
we have entered a new epoh in American
agriculture. Our population increases rapid
/ ly, and the production Of food does not keep
pace with it. &" | have just sold two year.
old heifer for $50, said an old farmer. al
had no idea of selling her She had run in
the yard all winter and | never fed her a
handful of grain, but a butcher saw her and
offered me $50 for her. He thought it a
great price. | told him that a wcll-bred ami
NAL, with liberal feeding could easily ba
made worth 500 at two years old. Ii seems
difficult for an old farmer to realize the
changed condition Of things He is apt to
think that a thing which did not pay when
the country was new will not pay now.
" Fifteen dollars for q calf" exclaimed a
city friend the other day. Il thought calves
were not worth more than dollar apiece.
My father used to sell them for that" In
those days agriculture was not appreciated.
How could it be with calves dollar apiece
and wheat seyenty-iiye cents a bushel? We
have now high prices-perhaps a little too
high-but they were necessary to place agri.
culture on its true foundation Farming will
now be as respectable in fact as it mas hither-
to been in theory. Let young farmers take
a calm view of the situation. We are going
to have very different system of farming
from what we have had. Mark you, | am not
finding fault with the old farmers No man
can respect them more than | do. They
have done an immense amount of work and
done it well. Their system was the best in
the circumstances. But the stump period -
has passed, and is followed by the moving
machine, with the steam pillow appearing in
the distance. Virginia fences and bad roads
are still found, but they, too, will soon belong
to the past Undertaking will improve
the latter, aud the high price Of wood will
Danish the former. Labor is more abundant,
and wages are paid in wheat less than former
ly. The district school has prodigious in
fuence. Now let our young farmers bestir
themselves. They must be "men of thought
and men of action" In the older settled
sections we have blacksmiths, and wheel
wrights, and carpenters, and brick-layers, and
saddlers, at no great distance, and it is no
longer necessary for farmer to be a "Jack
of all Trades" His business is to cultivate
the land to look well to the state of his
focks and his herds to attend to the thou
sand little details of his establishment. He
must have trained mind and skiliul hands
must be able to work himself and direct 9TH
ers. He must plan work for all kinds of
weather, and not do in summer what should
be done in winter-should not work in the
barn when the sun shines and make hay when
it rains. He requires great energy, prompt
ness and perseverance. Much of his success
will depend on getting his land in good order
and sowing in proper season, and it requires
no little forethought and good judgment to
accomplish even this. 1t is a good deal eas-
er to work than it is to think The best gem
eral rule for a young farmers guidance is to
do FIRST what he likes to do least
Many people seem to think that it is the
easiest thing in the world to manage farm
while in point of fact it requires far more
brains to be a hrst-rate farmer than to be a
second-rate lawyer. The man who thinks
that because he studied agricultural chemis.
try he will make good farmer, is goose
If he has the necessary qualities for success
as farmer, aud likes the business, he will
PROBABLY succeed. If he has not, all the
chemistry in the world will not enable hin
to make farming pay" Chemistry will moi
teach him how to buy and how to sell. L
will not get him out Of bed in the morning
1t will teach him how milk is formed ant
? why it turns sour, but it will not secure regu
lar feeding and steady milking. 1t will teach
? him the Importance of having boiling water
to seald the milk-pans, but it will not enabl,
him to have everything ready just when it il
wanted. If he would make good farmer
without chemistry, scientific education will
enable him to make still better and NOR,
successful farmer; but if he would not sue
coed in some degree without it, chemistry
will not enable him to make farming pay.