Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-03-24
Progressive Farming.

We have O letter from an excellent lrienC
in charge of an agricultural institution IN one
Of the States, which we would more partcu
larry designate, only that the letter is private
In this letter our friend writes that he ha,
4 lost heart in his cndoavors to benefit farmers
He saws they do not appreciate what he i.
doing for them. He is finding himself more
and more alone No one cares to back up
his efforts for better systems Of farming. No
one cares 10 make home more beautiful by
anything he has said or done. His science,
his experiments, his lessons Of taste, all have
proved but so many pearls cast before swine.
| Ills highest ambition would be to see our
farmers follow after the improved agriculture
Of other countries; but he fears he will new
or live to sec that day. We so often hear
similar remarks from benevolent persons who
really have the Advancement of American
agriculture at heart, entirely irrespective Of
any personal interest, that we think it may do
good to say few words on the matter here.
And first, we think our Agricultural teach
crs and relormcrs do much harm by their
wholesale abuse Of farmers as class and
American farming as generally practiced.
We believe our systems can and ought TO be
improved, aud that our farmers will do no
harm by ayaiing themselves of every aid to
Intelligence but we have lived among them
long enough to know that they are generally
much nearer right than those who would
teach them. We never hear this cutlery
against the want Of TASTE intelligence or love
OF progress in the farmer, without feeling our
sympathy arise for him aud saying q good
word in his favor.
The whole aim and object of agriculture is
profit No matter how true the propositions
Of our scientific friend may be, if they cost
us more than the increased produce amounts
to, why should we follow thcm2 Circumstau-
ces govern questions Of agriculture much
more than chemical principles, although they
may be presented rs scientific truths; and we
are not sure even that the man who makes
" two blades Of grass grow where only one
grew before, is bcneiactor to mankind, -
unless he can show that the two blades cost
little more than one.
Now perhaps it j. farm twenty or thirty
miles from a large city, which at one time
might have produced one hundred bushels Of
corn, or seyenty-fye bushels Of oats to the
acre, but has come down to yield only half
these crops. We have learned lectures about
restoring this element or that, if we would
bring up the fertility OF our soils; yet there
is not farmer who docs not know that only
by manurng can he keep up the good heart
OF his soil. he only question with him Is,
will it pay2 lie finds himself ON piece of
worn-down land at high prices. lie sees a
friend on piece of new land few hundred
miles away, but within easy reach of his
market by railroad-land of the very richest
quality, at the very lowest price. 1t is a
very rational question for him to reyolye in
his mind, whether, in addition to his high
price land he is to double the cost by labor,
to bring it up to the point Of his friends new
land who has perhaps not one-tcnth this extra
expense in getting the same crop to market.
Nowondcr he sometimes lets his corn and oats
60 to grass. lie huds the grass to pay
him better Aud here lies the whole secret
Of college failure, that they do not sufficiently
take circumstances into consideration We
cannot learn anything from English agricul-
ture in these matters. England has not our
circumstances. 1t is our yearly experience
that frst-class English farmers come here,
laugh at our system and after a few
years end in adopting it. We are ahead of
inc IIlHllSO IN our agriculture. W q 10 not,