The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-05-30

" uchoo popuia'iohs ih iuOe, 'hO uchiOi-
ishing Of farmsteads, and the increase of
sheep pastures, while they have made in.
dividuals rich, have decreased the aggre-
gate wealth of the state.
That time that
-"Was ere Englands grief began,
When every rood ofground maintained its man"
witnessed the careful and laborious hand
of rural industry applied directly to the
soil. The same land, devoted to grazing
would scarcely maintain a sheep, much
less human being.
Variety in agricultural pursuits is es-
sential to general agricultural prosperity
The cotton planter who raises also corn
and bacon, has means of living, if the
cotton crop fails. But if he raises only
cotton and fails Of crop he becomes
essentially bankrupt in his means of liv-
ing, and two or three years of i'll luck
turns him out of the business altogether.
There is scarcely a state of things on
any farm, that justi6es the purchase Of
supplies, in preference to the raising of
them. What cannot be produced, has to
be bought. But, the experiments in the
production of what the soil and the eli
mate has at any time produced, are not
carried out 80 perseveringly as they
should be. Wheat was formerly raised
in every part of Vermont, and could be
now. it "a careful attention was paid to
the preparation of the soil, and the sup
ply Of any element that has been exhaus-
ted therefrom by former crops. But
swarm weavels or flies within some
period of forty years, have come over the
Green Mountain wheat fields, and the
farmers have sought to starve out the
varmints by ceaseing to eat bread pro-
duced by the sweat of their own brows
and probably for all these years, not a
kernel of wheat, has found its way to the
soil through their hands. And the
younger generation only know that ver-
mont lands will not produce wheat, by
traditions that have come down from
their good fathers. Not having sowed n
peck of wheat in all their lives, they say
it is cheaper to buy their -four but sup
pose wheat crop could be produced in
time, that might otherwise be wasted
and on land that by the proper culture
of such a crop would be improved would
not the cost of buying -four be added in
greenbacks, or hard cash, to the aggre.
gate profits of the farm?
The grand cause of the general decline
of agriculture in Vermont, 1--WE say de-
cline for the increase or decrease Of I'll.
rural population, is the index of the
status Of its agricuture) is the INSTEAD.
mess Of its pursuit in its various depart
ments. The idea seems to get in the
brain Of farmers, that without speculative
profits, in some special line of crops, OF
method of cultivation, that they can hope
for no proper rewards for farming indus
tries
And in their selected specialities, they
all follow some leader who has CHANGED t.
make success in the selected depart
acknowledgements at the Boards wher,
some favorite stock is sold in our cities
never rises higher than it does with farm
ers Boosting of their white merinoes, thei
Seeding potatoes, their corn with multi
J form branches and their fruit trees nance
after all the fairies.
But for a single year the favorit
} crops through bad season, bad manage
ment or ill-selection of soil fails; or i
raised through glut in the market, will
not sell for enough to pay expenses
Then, see, how fast your speculativ
SNIP or NE u uug viii nas scrzeu 4, Tx
potatoe, they drop the favorite carop, an
blame everybody, and perhaps themselves
tor going into the gambling business
There were farmers in Vermont, VIII
thought hops were great mine Of wealth
SO they put their corn lands into hops
and nearly ruined the young growth il
their woodlands to supply hop.poles
But by the second or third attempt at .
crop, an army of black lice fastened OF
their vines, and ruined the prospect of ,
crop The very next year after the hoI
roots we're plowed up and these farm
ers would raise no more hops if all tn,
world should die for want of Laqer Beer
If the prices went down and the lice
stayed away, the result would be abou
the same.
When, year or two since, the price
OF wool went down from 81 to 40 cent,
in currency, what scattering there wa,
OF the choice focks. What could not be
sold to stock the western prairies, or tc
feed the poor of our northern cities and
villages, were on many farms, boiled ur
and ted to swine. Sheep became the hor.
ror of the farm and they must be got rid
of at once.
So other specialities from morus multi
caufas, to cashmere goats, receive marked
attention and reputation in quick sue.
cession, and the infatuated changing far.
mer, in all these cases. wonders why he
has been so foolish
But | am not going to write an agri.
cultural treatise, but only commend to
your agricultural societies the problems
suggested by the existing condition of
your agricultural industries.
JOHN M. STEARNs.
Williamsburg N. Y. May 25, 1871.
MORE SHOOTING IN ST. ALBANs.-A