Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-07
An Advance along the Line.

When a good general Is marshallng his
army for oppressive operations against the
foe, after such preliminary operations
as he deems necessary to secure good oP-
portunity, he frequently gives order for
general advance. which, if properly re-
sponded to, is very likely to prove success
full Now the material interest of our state
is engaged in mortal conflict with a motley
army, consisting of sterility, lack Of bread,
lack of meat, lack of clothing, lack of man
ufactured articles generally; and these
backed up by ignorance, prejudice and
lack Of faith, which last is the most vitality
damaging Of all the lacks with which the
state is afflicted. We do notmean by this
that the state is really poor, or that, i'll the
departments above specified, there is moth
ing. or even little furnished by ourselves.
We mean that we yet fail to produce all
that We should produce; that we yet i'm
port much that should be furnished by our
selves that our agriculture isyet in too low
and unimproved condition; that ourselves
are not as elevated in character as would
be BETTING the lords of the soil. We have
made 4 good commencement and good pro-
gress in placing our state in such position
as it should be in these particulars. Much
actual progress has been made in improv-
ing the methods of performing our work
much improvement has been made in i'm
plements and machinery our farm animals
show a vast progress in improvement from
what they were; the agricultural press is
cultural societies are generally in -four
ishing state, and an agricultural school,
promising untold benefit, has commenced
its benifcent operation Now let gener-
al move be made forward in sustaining
these several departments of progressive
enterprise, and adding thereto such as may
be suggested by developments. Let every
farmer resolve to be better farmer than
heretofore; to raise more abundant crops
to fill barns to the ridgepole that now snow
so lank an appearance. How rich field
would look if its broad area were sustaining
heavy crop of grain, corn or roots. And
those runty scrubs kept for oxen and cows,
if they were Durhams, Herefords or Dew
ons. large, fat and beautiful. And those
scrawny sheep and lank pigs, if their APP
pearanee showed that they always had
enough to eat, and that of the best. We
are not berating our brother farmers, We
are only showing wherein we should i'm
prove. Then there are the farm buildings
How much better they would look if fin
ished and painted, and studded around
with ornamental and fruit trees, with al
arbor for the children. We are aware
that there are many who are not able tt
have all these things at once; but Their
are many who are able, who sadly neglec
: them. Those who are at present too poo
to have all they could wish, by having tn
thing in mind, can, by little and little, d.
much to beautify their homes, to enricl
their farms, and thus add to this our wealth
and happiness, and improve the appear
anee of the country. All can improv
their minds, and should do so, by acquir
t ing general information, by acquiring
special knowledge of their business, and b
cherishing those principles of honor, up
rightness and general virtue which of them
selves constitute happiness, and qualify a
individual to enjoy every other blessing
We are aware that these improvement
a cannot be accomplished by merely resoly
ing, and that for most of them time is re
1 CURED But without the resolve, nothin
: will be effected. Therefore let the farmer
t of Maine arise, resolve and act, and IL
t their motto be 'Onward and Upward"
The above which we clip from th
D Maine Farmer, contains so much goo
b sense, and good advice, which is as appl
: cable to the Green Mountain State as /
4 the locality for which it was written, ths
h we call the especial attention of our read
n ers to it, and recommend its careful pert
q sal.-ED.