Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-09-30

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small grist-mill came brawling and foam
ing down from the adjacent hills, pass
ed through the center of that corn-feld
at depression of a few feet below its
average surface, and fell into the river
at its lower side. | am entirely conf
dent that 5000 judiciously spent would
have sufficed to irrigate at least half of
that corn-feld, doubling its annual prod
uct, whether of grain or grass, hence
forward until time shall be no more.
Yet the owner went on plowing four or
i've inches deep from year to year, grow
ing half crop when rains were abun-
dant and seasonable, with next to no
crop at al when summers were dry dd1ryuiea5 and
of Heaven-possibly to be averted by
fasting and prayer-when six weeks
drought denied him any corn. What
ever may be thought of such theology,
that husbandry was simply adom1nabe
The prayer of faith which would have
saved that corn crop must have been ut
tered with axes, spades, and shovels
IL. Forests.-The green which gave
this state her beautiful name was that
of her primitive forests l regret that
they palpably grow smaller and lighter
Not that trees were not made to be cut
down and forests to give place to cult
waited fields; [ know they were, and re-
joice in the dispensations. But between
the clearing away of forests to give
place to fruitful fields and happy homes
on the one hand, and destroying all for
ests, so that fields can no longer be
fruitful nor homes happy, there is a
wide space and the necessity which
impelled our pioneer ancestors to destroy
trees as a life-work has rendered their
descendants indiscriminate and reckless
in forest determination. Our fathers
found trees in their way, and cut them
out of it by wholesale; we go on doing
as they did when their reasons for it no
longer serve us, Judge that Vermont
has this day not only far less timber,
but smaller area devoted to growing
it, than she should have; that her fields
are becoming more arid, her streams
scantier and more capricious, because of
the dearth of trees. Many a dairy far
mer has said, Away with the woods
l can buy my fuel with the grass can
cut on the ground they now cover
, which is grave mistake. Every farm.
, his acres covered with forest, and will
average more grass, year by year, than
if the owner had stripped his land bare
t of trees. Keep the crests of his ridges
f the sides of his ravines, well covered
with timber, and he will cut more grass
t from so acres thus shielded from The
e drying up of its springs und slopes thar
e if he had his whole 100 acres denudeC
: of trees and devoted to grass. This il
one of the few cases in which a part i
r greater than the whole. But the farm
r ers of Vermont should not cnly preserv,
o their woods they should study to i'm
S prove them. They ought long sine
it to have begun to replace the gloriou
d pine forests which they so madly ami
hilated they ought to realize that 1Ot
n acres of beach, red oak, hemlock, whit
l. birch, etc., etc., are worth far less tha
n those same acres covered with white ash
re black walnut, hickory, chestnut, locust
S. and white pine would be. And the cos
ot of transforming a comparatively worth
le less into relatively choice and preciou
forest is far less, save in time, than j
If generally supposed. Keep planting th
~ better species as you cut out the worse
~ and your forest will gradually becom
ve worth $500 per acre where it is no
VS. worth but $50. No man that has bee
I'd educated up to a perception that appl,
IN trees ought to be grated should hay
m lived to this day unconscious of tt
lie truth that forests, at least in we'll Sc
h. tied communities, should be made
IL grow mainly choice timber instead
IN inferior or Indifferent.
st | hold that systematic tree-plantir
RI is already in order in Vermont-th
i'll thousands of her farms should ha'
re acres of their crests and sleeper hi
ch sides planted with hickory, locus
at white pine. ETC., Immediately. Gil
be your seeds, or young trees fair stal
ng fence out your cattle, and they will ne'
little care or labor. And you will n
1t have to wait thirty or forty years f
sh- some return for your investment, as
,ff, commonly supposed. Within six veal
to you may begin to cut hoop-poles, and
the cutting these at the right time, you mi
cid have at least two new ones start frC
lay almost every stump, and grow far me
on. rapidly and vigorously than from t
the seed. Believe me, there are few so S;
on and productive methods of investi
or money for your children as by buyi
nd forests of young timber so situated
ing to be exempt from danger by fire, a
ind by planting and caring for trees.
its 1t is my conviction that far more
hly Dor than has ever yet been bestowed
lily the soil of this state might be appl
,ldS .r;th raroGt-that the reel an, q ton Of