Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-07
Earnlng---IS72.

Any vocation mau may choose will contain
lis unpleasant features. No one passes through
this vale Of tears without annoyances if
were not thus man would be unable to appre.
eia,e the blessings Of life. With this intro.
duction would say word to my brother
farmers concerning orr vocation.
Il Is the first Of the New Year We ar,
now resting from the severe labors Of the pas
season, gaining new strength for the comm,
seed time. While Old Winter reigns in hi
might and power, and the cold winds come
sweeping down FROM the icy north, driving
the snow before in great clouds, leveling u
the uneven places, filling the highways viii
impossible drifts, let "a, as we sit by our
bright wood fires listening to the rush an'
roar without draw up our plans for the mex
years labors, and by the failures aud successe
Of our past undertakings, let us govern oui
selves in the future Though it has been
hard season for farmers generally, we hay
not been entirely without blessings Farm
products have ruled low. Butter has no
fallen in price so much, while Beef and Por
have declined to their lowest limits. This is
part owing to the short crop Of hay producet
last season. aud farmers we're obliged 10 les
sen their stock in order to meet the quaniit,
bly, see small advance 10 the price Of bee
and pork
Many will change their base from butte
and cheese to wool, bs the latter is now il
good demand 1t is not such, however tina
will succeed in making it paying invest.
ment Their bread will fall on the buttere,
side. 1t is those who had the pluck to hol'
their sheep through these last few tryiu
years, in the earnest hope Of better time
coming Such will meet their reward. No,
let those Of the dairy interest profit by tn
example and stick to the business until time
are better; for surely they cannot last NJ
ways they must, and they will change.
But while this dark cloud hovers over u,
There are but few farmers who keep any az
count Of their outgoes and incomes. PEI
haps they arc afraid of the story it wouh
tell. At any rate it would be one Of thci
most profitable investments They ought {
go still further, and keep an exact account q
the profit or loss of each titled Geld--makin
it debtor to all you put upon it, that is, to al
it costs you to get the crop in marketabI
condition, and credit for what said crop wi
bring at the market price. | fear man.
avops eoula ne, one much less than thei
actual cost
Help is costly at the present; it is at neal
ly the same rate as in war time. This ougl
not to be it is much plentier now than then
The coming season will probably witness
decline in wages. Last spring farmers die
not expect so rapid fall in all kinds of pro
duce, and were not so particular in regard T.
the prices they paid for help Now they ar
and will pay war prices no more. The
cant do it, if they would make both end
meet at the close of the year 10 order t
get along with less help, they will not cult
waite so much. Instead of planting large field
Of corn, potatoes, etc, they will raise nor
small grain. Oats are nearly as high as the
ever were. There is no better article OF foo
der, if not threshed hut fed to the stock o
the straw no one will be troubled wit
" orts - every spear will be devoured.
this manner one avoids the labor Of hoein)
if the crop had been corn or the like. TIL,
farmers will learn Of other, and better, mctl
DDS to use their manure. BY mixing viii
the same quantity Of dry muck, or dirt, M
spreading on their grass lands, they would
largely the gamers. | have reference to lat
that is too moist to bear corn. Top dres
ing dry and ledgy land is Improbable; su,
is not natural grass land. If all our N
lands were converted into pasturage, and Il
time and attention that is now spent on sue
could be transferred to our meadows in Il
way of making grass, our purses would
far more plethoric than they usually are.
is grass that makes our stock the cattle al
sheep, that make our beef, mutton, wool, bu
ter and cheese and these products in tur
are readily converted into hard cash, wher
with we are enabled to provide ourselves viii
the luxuries Of life,
FARMER.
January %, 1877.