Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-26
Fancy Farmers.

What do you think of paying five hun
dred dollars for ram? ?"
"Why, | think it's pretty big price"
&" Big price! It's regular swinde"
Don't you think such prices are paid ?"
No don't always calculated the re-
ports of such high prices were humbugs got
up by the fancy farmers, who, ! think, do
more harm than good in any neighborhood
Their fast horses thousand-dollar sheep, and
big ROSTERS, are altogether too fast for us
common farmers"
"Well, neighbor, | partly agree with you
No doubt there have been many falsely re-
ported sales for purposes well understood
but, en- the other hand, large number of
rams have been sold in this country, during
the last five years, at prices ranging from five
hundred to upwards of a thousand dollars
each"
" But were they worth it ?"
"Ah, that's another question, and which,
in my opinion, must be answered in the mega
tive. 1t is an old saying, that thing is
worth just what it will bring but here Is an
exception to the general rule. sheep fever,
or mania, RACES throughout a portion of the
country, and rams Of the most fashionable
breeds command prices far above their real
value"
But, neighbor, when you say that fancy
| farmers cause more harm than good to the To-
calty in which they live, must dissent from
your position. As the term is usually un-
derstood, fancy farmers are those who, pos
sessed of capital, expend it layishly upon
their farms in various directions, according
as their tastes or prejudice lead them, and
not always in an economical, or even per-
haps, sensible manner. They buy fast horses
blooded stock, fancy sheep and poultry, arti-
fetal manures, improved implements, search
for new seeds and fruits, and are always the
first to take hold of any new tangled notion .
that starts up. They are usually men who
have made their money by some other profess
sion than farming, and consequently are not
deeply yersed in its mysteries, by experience.
They are theorists-ihnatics, if you will
and they enter upon new schemes with more
impetuosity than wisdom. In a word, they
run things into the ground, and in nine cas-
es out of ten their experiments leave them
poorer in purse but richer in experience
" Now, we insist that such farmers-ama-
teurs, gentlemen farmers, fancy farmers, or
whatever you see fit TO term them are acqui-
sitions to any farming community. They are
the pioneers in improvement, the extremists,
who lead the way in the path of progression.
BY their operations whole neighborbood
may profit. They conduct an experiment.
il il is successful, others may profit by it
without running the risks; if ii is unsuccess-
full, we need not attempt, and have lost moth.
ing. So no farmer, who keeps his eyes and
his ears open, but may profit by the opera
tons of his fancy farmer neighbor He buys
blooded stock, and pays what you consider an
outrageous price. Very we'll; he pays his
,, own money, and if he is satisfied we ought
to be- lie keeps this stock, and if of value
in time il becomes mixed through all the sur.
rounding herds, and we are tho recipients Of
the gain, without being obliged to join in the
expenditure. So of fertilizers and implements
He sees new kind Of machine or manure
advertised, obtains il, and makes trial Of il
What is the result2 If il is a success and
pays, you can do the same but il il ssfail-
: ure, you are none the poorer, rather richer IN
experience obtained through the use of an
Others capital.
Thus it is; and all this cutlery against