Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-03-10
Aarinultural.
Hon. J. W. colburu and Hon. John Gregory.
Walks and Talks on the Farm.


From The American Agricultural
Why don't you come West write. ~
eminent lawyer and farmer Of Ohio, " and mol
wear yourself out among those stones2 Sup
pose the stones hare been placed in the grouuj
on purpose TO be taken out, does it follow that
good fellow who has brains and intelligence
enough to do something better should be the
man to take them out2' ! will tell my
friend why do not 90 West
/. Because | am here
>. Because there is a very general dispose
ton to change, and, as q rule, it is bottcr moi
to do what everybody else is doing and cou-
scquently those who stay where they are will
be likely TO do btctcr than those who are
anxious to sell their farms and 20 West
B. Because do not believe AN the good
things Of this life arc confined to one partic.
ular place.
t. Because, 50 far as ] have seem taking
everything in consideration, farms are cheap
or here than in the West.
.. Because there is abundant opportunity
here to improve our farms, and there is great
pleasure and profit in increasing the produc-
tveness Of land
6, Because | have stood in a two-hunlrcl.
acre field Of corn in the vicinity whore my
friend lives-land rich mellow. clean. no
stones, and few weed,; nothing 10 do but
pillow, harrow, plant cultivate and harvest
and repeat the same thing year after year
and did not think | should like that Kind
of farming. IL is too monotonous 10 tell
the truth, would much rather strike stone
occasionally and nave the pleasure Of getting
it out. But all the land in Ohio is not Of
The bfssl .,1lt.,a.
the same difficulties we have here, and there
is no use in selling one farm and buying au-
other merely for the love of change Here
in Western New York, we have Just as good
land, all things considered, as there Is in
Ohio. We may have to pay more attention
TO making manure we may have to under
drain more we may have 10 work the laud
more thoroughly, in order to kill weeds and
develop the latent plant-iood in the soil we
may have more stones to get out but what
of all this2 There is great pleasure in UNI
derdraining; it is real fun to get out ones
and the good crops which result from killing
weeds and manuring the land, afford a kind
and degree of satisfaction that can be obtain
ed in no other way.
1t is a mistake, however, to suppose that
the West raises large crops without cultva-
ton or manuring. The recently published
prize essay on the Farming Of Delaware Co.,
Ohio by Judge Jones, shows that even the
farmers in this celebrated district need to ex-
ert themselves in order to raise large crops.
He says 1.-The crop of wheat in 1866 was
failure, being killed outright by hard
freezing and high winds while the ground
was bare. In 1867 the crop was very super
Tor in quality and fair in quantity" He tells
us, however, that owing to these occasional
failures and the high price Of labor. farmers
have greatly reduced the quantity of land
devoted to this important crop" He further
states ." The idea that wheat can no longer
be grown with profit prevails to some extent
all over the State" And let me say, the idea
'cH prevail so long as it is thought that men,
with brains and intelligence" should be en-
gagged with something better than getting out
stones and improving the land.
The average yield Of wheat in Delaware
Co, from 1850 to 1864 was a little over II
bushels per acre" This county averages 33
bushels of corn per acre, which is about equal
to the average in the Scioto Valley | do
not think will 60 West, and wear out >"
my life in growing such crops.
We can do better here, though it must be
confessed that our average yield of corn is
no higher But our land can be made to
produce 80 bushels per acre All it needs
is brains and intelligence" The crop off
oats in this county in 1865 did not average
~ bushels per acre, and barley only II bush
els; potatoes not 80 bushels per acre rye
not IL bushels per acre. These are small
crops for one Of the finest counties in Ohio.
And the pastures are no better. Judge Jones
thinks it requires about two acres to Craze
n iull-grown COW or OK, which, he adds is
but little more than half the grass our lands
ought to produce" No doubt about that.
One of my fields the past summer supported
stock equal to at least two cows per acre until
after hay harvest, when plowed it up, and
summer-iallowed it for spring barley. And
il was out Of a knoll in this very field that
we got the stones which seem to have excited
the pity Of my Ohio friend. Now if can
make such land carry double the stock it does
in the Scioto Valley, and have the pleasure
OF getting out the stones besides, why should
| 60 Vest
Mr.. Lawes used to say that in England the
best farmers were found on the poorest land,
and the poorest farmers on the best land.
Thus Norfolk has the poorest land, and the
worst climate in Eug gland, while nowhere in
the world can be found larger crops cleaner
land, or more intelligent, enterprising, and
wealthy farmers. Devonshre has the best
climate and the best soil in England, and,
with some exceptions, the poorest farmers
Hitherto this rule did not prove good with
us. We have the best farmers ON the best
and richest land. 1t will not always be so
l am mistaken if New England will not pro-
duee some Of the most enterprising, intelli-
gent, aud successful farmers on the continent.