Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-01-29
2fericllf,tral Department
I. D. R. COLLINS Editor
TO THE READERS OF THE
MONITOR.


few months since; and ceased so sudden
ly that we had no opportunity afforded
US to even bid our readers good-by, we
had not the most remote idea that we
should ever again appear before the pub
lie in similar capacity. But the few
months that have passed since then, have
brought various changes among our
newspapers. The former proprietor of
the Standard has left the county and
gone to a new field of labor, the Standard
having changed proprietors has also
changed its location, and been combined
with the Express, and the Monitor has
appeared and taken a place among the
weekly publications of Vermont.
1t is not our province or desire to dis
cuss the wisdom of any of these changes;
whether wise or otherwise, they have
been made, and the Monitor is before
the reading public asking for share Of
its patronage, for reasons which its edi-
tor has given in his first issue; and he
has solicited our aid to assist him so far
as we may be able, in fulfilling the prom
Use he there makes, to do all in his pow
er to give his readers frst-rate paper
The assistance which we shall be able to
give him to fulfill this pledge, we are
well aware will be small indeed but
such as it is we have consented to render
by accepting the position of editor to a
department to be devoted to the inter-
ests of agriculture. In assuming this
| relation to the readers of the Monitor,
we feel that while we are addressing
some to whom our name may be unfa-
miliar, we shall be greeting many old
friends, readers of the Standard while
we were connected with it in the same
capacity, and consequently we shall feel
"more at home in the position than we
otherwise should. A few words in re-
gard to our desires and purposes with
reference to this department may not be
amiss.
We believe that every farmer would
find it greatly to his interest to be regu-
larly supplied with at least one good ag-
ricultural paper; and we are well aware
that large majority of our farmers are
not so supplied, and the probabilities are
that this will remain the case for long
time to come and while this depart
ment in the Monitor is not intended nor
expected to take the place of the distinct
lively agricultural paper, it is intended
to partially supply such as would other
wise be wholly unsupplied with agricul-
tural reading and intelligence, ON the
principle that ''half loaf is better than
no bread at ALL" At the same time it
is hoped that it may be found not unin-
teresting or valueless to those who are
better supplied with agricultural read
ing.
We desire also TO make it the medium
of communication between our farmer
friends, and would most cordially invite
communications for publication in these
columns from our brother farmers. Tell
us of your successes, and your failures
too of your large calves and fat hogs
and how they were fed; of your crops
and your methods of culture in short
where you have learned anything in re-
gard to your business which you think
it is Of advantage to you to know, don't
be so selfish as to keep it to yourself but
tell others through these columns, that
they too may be benefited. There
should be reciprocity in these things
What one Individual has learned, it may
be at great cost to himself, may be made
to benefit hundreds of others, and he in
turn may receive corresponding benefit
from their experience. And what medi-
UNI of communication can you find better
adapted to your purpose than your own
newspaper? 1t circulates mainly among
those who are similarly situated in re-
gard to climate, soil. markets &c. and
to whom your experience would be Of
much more value than that of one hun
dreds or thousands of miles away.
During our two years connection with
the Standard we received and published
several communications from farmers and
others, and not one of them but what
was of value we believe to our readers
Farmers are as class altogether toe
modest, and place too low an estimate
upon their own knowledge and abilities
We say this regardless of the risk thai
our readers may suggest that modesty is
not oar besetting sin. For ourself We
lay no claim to scientific attainment
Though we sincerely wish we COULD anc
can only promise to do the best we cal
, with what material comes to our hand
5 to make this department of interest anC
value to our readers We shall endeav
or to write an occasional article our
self, and hope to receive many article
from others. The balance of space al
! lotted us of course will be filled with Sc
lections from other publications; ant
while we shall aim to admit nothing blu
q what will be of value and interest to GU
readers, we shall not wish to be under
j stood as endorsing everything that ma