Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-01-10
9elluws falls Times,
BELLOWS FALLS JAN. 10, 1873,
Why Farming Does not Pay

The club met December 23d, at tn
house of w. Il. Kimball, according t
notice, with M. w. Davis In the chair
The usual number of farmers were pres
ent, also a goodly number of ladies, eve
welcome by all, and we hope to see al
increased number at our future meetings
BY invitation Dea, j. McNeal was th,
first to offer remarks upon the subject
Why farming does not pay" He said
So far as my experience teaches me, it i
hard business. Labor is too high, anC
produce too cheap. No produce of tn,
farm pays, unless it be tobacco. | one,
sold pork at 20 cts per lb. This year
sold for six. The Western farms hurt US
The Ohio and many other western farm:
furnish all kinds of produce much
cheaper than it can be produced in New
England. Their lands are richer anC
the broad fields more easily cultivated
PHINEHAs KEYEs.-It appears thai
farming does not pay, for reasons al
ready mentioned yet it ought not SO tC
be. We must manage differently. ]
have no scruples about raising tobacco
indeed, | intend to try it the coming sea
son. The tendency is to cultivate toe
many acres, with small amount OF
help. The same amount OF money ex-
pended on less land would / think bring
more satisfactory returns. Although the
western farms greatly reduce the price OF
products, | am not certain they bring
more satisfactory results to the managers
than New England farms.
REV. o. S. MoRRIs.-It seems to me
that farming does pay, from the fact we
are all getting a living. 1t is certain
that the farmers get good living, en-
joy many of the comforts of life, with
best security of property to enable
them to continue. see but one reason
why farming does not pay, Cf it does
noG.) 1t must be because it is not closely
attended too. l have rarely ever seen an
enterprising farmer that did not get a
good living, and in fact make progress in
his business.
n. G. PIERCE.-I should like to see a
little different view Of this subject pre-
Sc, ted. Farming, one of the most i'm
portant occupations, ought to command
more interest from both producer and
consumer. So far as dollars and cents
are concerned, farming does not pay,
but when the comforts of life are con-
sidered we find less reason to complain.
just now prices Of labor are high, made
so by extravagaut prices paid by tobac-
co growers, but in time they will regu-
late themselves. The trade between this
and other countries is about the same as
IN former times. but most of our pro-
duce is sold to consumers about here,
who manage the prices themselves The
extravagant fashions of the times, great
ly reduce our profits, if we follow them.
If we had gone to specie basis five
years ago, / think farmers would have
been more prosperous. Ever since gold
was at $3.50, there has been a class of
of people making money by speculation,
and 80 long as it takes more than dol
lar to make dollar, our profits must
be very small There is some satisfact-
ion in noticing the growth of our crops,
though this is not often mer toned in
our account of profit and loss"
w. r. KIMBALL-The subject for the
evening is good one. Farmers COM
plain about small profits. If they gave
their business as close attention as the
merchant does his, their profit would be
larger. They either do too much or too
little. If men of other occupations should
leavetheir business as often as the farme.
their profits would be minus ia short
time. Mr.. Pierce has had good luck in
raising calves, and Mr.. Wright has made
money from his COWS. If farmers are
prudent and economical they can get
good living and make money. 1t is not
claimed that fancy farming pays.
ID. c. WRIGHT.-It is not from large
farms that men make money Most of
the ia. ns in this vicinity, are too large.
We ought to make two spears grow
where one has formerly grown. We
should raise variety of crops, so as to
Z" huf' the market. Many of our large
farms if divided into three, could be
made to produce twice or three times the
present amount,
FENEIoN ARNOLD have listened
with much interest TO this discussion.
Most of US present are farmers, and we
have prospered. have raised corn for
90 cents bushel, and wool for 80 cents
a pound and brought round at the end
of the year, with profit. The better we
farm the better it will pay, and we bet
ter not give it up. l think we can make
farming pay.
MCNIEL-The subject is Farming
does not pay" Some of our farmers
who are independent, think farming
nays. They have gained the coufor,s