Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-01-07
AGRICULTURE


they are entirely unknown. 1t is a mark
Of his business, and no longer desires to Learn
The principle that the more a man knows tn
better he is qualified for the performance Of b
duties is, in general terms at least, conceded b
everybody yet very large proportion of til
farmers Of Vermont are not willing to make
personal application of the principle, pract
cally at least, except in connection with tn
foregoing assumption.
When we see a collection Of farmers discuss
ing the principles and practices of their busi
ness, we assume at once that they do not knOI
all about it, but are willing to learn from on
another; but we too often find that they thu
subject themselves to the scorn and detestatiol
Of that class of practical farmers who ar
too wise to learn and too foolish to understan,
how little they know Of their business. 1t is
fact conceded by all who have sufficiently in
vestigated the subject to have clea- ideas upol
it, that our agricultural systems are founded
for the most part, upon sheer empiricism, an,
that despite all that has been done for their i'm
provement they are yet very far from perfect
and very much farther from being vel under
stood.
Our schools and colleges scattered broalcas
over the land are calculated to do much toNar,
the education Of the rising generation in Agri
culture and the subsidiary sciences but tn,
men Of the present day may not hope to DERIVE
very much direct advantage from them. Tht
indirect influences for good. however, may b
very great if We do not close our eyes and ear
and earnestly resist them.
In sll the neighboring States the farmers arr
holding their meetings and calling upon thos,
connected with their colleges and schools, pro
fessors and students, to take part with them il
investigating and discussing many Of those sub
jects upon which they feel the need of more in.
formation. At Pittsfeli the other day tire,
Of the Professors in the Massachusetts, Agricul.
tural College delivered lectures, and the Pres.
dent, detained at home by the illness Of a mem
Der Of his family, furnished a substitute in thu
person OF DR.. Loring. At the New Hampshir,
meeting to be hell at Manchester next week
two or three Of the professors in their agrcul.
tural college have parts assigned them; so a
the meeting Of the American Dairymen's Asso-
citation, to.be held at Utica, New York, nexf
month, several of the Professors Of Cornell
University, their Agricultural College, are tC
take a part
But the acquisition Of knowledge in the art Of
farming is not the only good result Of such
meetings Among the benefits, and ranking
very high among them too. is that resulting
from social intercourse Farmers are very apt
to live too secluded, too much within themselves
and as result they look out upon the world
from very narrow stand point. Eutire alb
sorption in their own affairs results in narrow
views Of public policy and the most unwarrant-
able prejudices, and their social. moral and
religious views are all correspondingly affected
In those communities where farmers meeting.
have been kept up for a number Of years the
effect is most marked not only upon the farms
and stock, by upon the people themselves. In
some communities the meetings for lectures and
discussions are supplemented but others in
which the social element prelomiaates.
We were honored with an invitation TO attend
such meeting not long since and did ourself
the honor to accept the invitation. It was
a. the Sixth Annual Festival of the Berkshire
Farmers, :" and was held at the Wilson House,
in North Adams, Mass. The Wilson House
had been selected for the occasion because no
other in the county was large enough.
special train, bearing, as guests Of the
Berkshire Farmers, part Of the Massachusetts
State Board of Agriculture, the Secretary Of the
Connecticut Board Of Agriculture, Rev. Dr..
Todd of Pittsfeld, few representatives Of the
press, and enough Of the farmers Of Berkshire
with their wives to fill two cars, left Pittsfeld
at the close Of the meeting Of the State Board at
four O'Clock P NJ, of Thursday, Dec 9th, and
arrived at North Adams about an hour and
quarter later. The dinner OF supper was served
at O'Clock, and the bill of fare was al that
would naturally be expected at this popular es-
Enlistment 1t was dispatched, however, in
true farmer style and the real business Of the
evening introduced at an early hour.
The President and Vice President Of the
"Festival'' were both uuavoilably absent and
Richard Goodman, Esq, Of Leno1, did the hon
ors Of the occasion in the most felcitous and
unexceptionable manner, while round after
round of applause from the entire audience at
tested their appreciation Of the witty salles and
joyial thrusts at the guests whom he was il
PRODUCING.
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder WAS complimented
IS the father of the Massachusetts system Of
Agricultural Meetings and responded in a very
happy strain. He claimed the honor Of having
introduced the system of bringing the ladies to
the dinner, and said when it was first proposed
in the Norfolk Society Of which he was Presi-
dent the first and most formidable objection was
that the wine would have to be dispensed with.
lie had no hesitation in deciding the matter and
the wine went out snd the ladies came in, and
tie ssrde was true Of the dinners Of the United
States Agricultural Society. The ladies Of
course received due share Of attention from
the gallant speakers Of the occa,ion.
The speeches Of the evening were all short
and to the point. Hon. William Birnie Of
Springfield, on being called out, declined max
ing a speech but be said having been spoken Of
by the chairman as a Yankeefei Scotchman he
arose that they might see what Yankeefed
Scoichman looks ike. He Was not to blame for
being Scotchman, nor yet WAS he ashamed
of 1.-THE had, however, done what he
could to make amends for it in taking to him
self wife Of the daughters Of Berkshire, and i;
might interest some Of his Berkshire friends to
learn that he had BY that means inherited a sill
yer pitcher awarded by the Berkshire. Society
more than fifty years ago. as a premium for a
display Of table linen made from FAX grown and
spun and woven upon Berkshire farm, and we
still have, said he. the table cloths in an excel
lent state of preservation.
The chairman in introducing Dr. Loring re-
marked that to see him implied hearing him and
Of course We heard from him. Col. Eliphalat
Stone OF Dedham, well sustained his character
~ the story teller of the Board. Rev. DR.. Todd
spoke Of what he saw during his resent Cali
furnia and Utah tour described Salt Lake City and
A!ormondom generally, told some wonderful
tales of the enormous farms Of California and
their more wonderful productions, aud he
alluded to the fact that everywhere he saw the
influence Of Massachusetts, institutions. Hon
Joseph White, Secretary Of the Nassachuse;t.
Board Of Education, said that California had
the best common school system # any State il
the world and next to it comes Minnesota
Their systems are eclectic-they hsve taken tbs
best parts o; every other system and incorpors
ted them into one beautiful whole. 1t is no
enough that Massachusetts, votes money freely
as long We hold on to oar old traditions VT