Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-13

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other gentleman five years since bought a
small farm, only twelve acres, worn out as
was the other by raising potatoes, and within
two years increased the yield from so to 300
bushels per acre, and but last month assured
me that his farm had, during these past FIVE
years. not only paid for itself entirely, but
had supported his family and trebled in val
ue Within week l saw gentleman
standing in dismay before field Of fodder
corn, unable to devise means to remove the
crop from the lot which, as he told me, was
by-word for unproductiveness before he
bought it, but which the presence of this
most magnificent crop trebled at once in
value. But why multiply instances and ex-
haust your patience. Is there one present
who has no remembrance of crops doubling
the present yield2 Have we not all heard Of
40 and so bushels Of wheat to the acre in
times past2 Do we not all read of such, and
even greater crops, produced at the present
in England ? Why then is it that during the
past 30 years the average yield per acre has,
in England, increased 100 per cent. ? Why
then is it that within half that time the once
thought exhaustless sell of our western prai-
ries, accepted the world over as the synonym
of fertility, has fallen in productiveness to
90, 40 and 20 per cent. of its former condi-
dition2 Are these results not worthy our
highest consideration May not the time
speedily come when continued neglect in the
solution of these questions may result in
widespread disaster? One point is to be
observed and to which 1 would call your
special attention in the cases of those three
gentlemen whose agricultural successes were
so marked, for perhaps it may serve as a
key to the solution of the problem before us,
and assist us in the solution of others yet to
come. Each Of these gentlemen had entered
upon agriculture from other fields of labor,
were not born and bred farmers, were free
from all preconceptions and binding preju-
dices They encountered the agricultural
problems presented by the exercise of the
same mental faculties employed in the pur-
suit Of the law, of medicine, of mercantile
affairs, for in these fields Of labor had their
lives been passed. Oh that some power
might free us from that worse than Egyptian
bondage, that slavery of prejudice, that ter
rible inertia of conservatism born of igno-
rance, before which Galleo knelt, and with
which Columbus struggled almost in vain.
When shall arise that apostle of this latter
day, who shall persuade in agriculture as in
morals to "prove all things" and with true
conservatism " hold fast that which is good"
In no other profession under the sun is sue
cess deemed attainable without, at least, a
general knowledge of the principles involved
but how small the number of our farmers
who, in reference to the fundamental princi-
pies which underie agriculture are advanced
one whit beyond those who cultivated the
fertile valleys of the Nile in the days of
the Pharaohs. OF course quackery abounds
and the field is fruitful to the charlatan and
knave. Week after week our agricultural
readers are made acquainted with some uni
versal panacea, which is to make their des-
erts blossom as the rose. This year lime,
the next plaster, now it is a superphosphate,
and again it is ashes leached or unleached,
and with jealous ignorance they seize upon
the latest device only to find in the majority
of cases that the magnificent results predicted
failed to be realized. Again, some new re-
former from imperfect or incomplete general.
izatons concludes that reform must begin at
the bottom, and with subsoil plows would
turn every acre of arabic land upside down
with about equal benefit and injury, appar-
emily unaware that for thousand years and
upwards many sections have borne successive
and heavy crops, whose surface has never
been furrowed with pillow below fingers
length. Do not misunderstood me, for l
feel that upon the judicious use of these
same invaluable reagents most of the past
success and much of the progress in the fii-
ture depends, Indeed, may add that the
very cases have just mentioned that in.
crease Of the potato crop 400 and of the fod-
der corn 1000 per cent, were due solely and
without question to the use of two of these,
| in the one case ashes aud in tho other super
phosphate having wrought the marvellous
result What | would impress upon you is
the supreme Importance Of knowledge of
the general principles involved in farming.
What would be thought of that practitioner
who, with a single remedy, should hope to
alleviate all manner of disease, rheumatism,
fever or cholera morbus? And yet does not
the same error obtain in the common practice
of nue-tenths of our agriculturists ?
l recall story heard many years since
of stirring tradesman of one of our inland
towns which usually comprised, as such es-
tablishments generally do, about everything
neediul to domestic comfort, who one day
in reply to an inquiry for some colored sew
ing silk, responded, :" we'll, no, I'm just out
of that, but l have an excellent thing in the
way of molasses." Of course we laugh over
the implied absurdity that the molasses, how
ever excellent, could take the place of colored
sewing silk, but do not, pray you, go home
tonight from these grounds, and in practice
return a like answer to our needy fields,
Without the proper nourishment for each, our
stock sickens and dies; knowing this we
prudently furnish milk and roots and corn