Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-10-10

ium List published elsewhere. We
may mention u very fine display Of
Furniture by NJ. A. Carpenter, from
his manufactury ut Wells River. 1t
would compare flvOrably IN work.
manship and finish with that of vny
mandatory in the country. N. r.
ShOrey 4 Co. of st. JOhnsbury,
showed tho Geo. Wood 4 Go. Or
gan and Pianos combined, which
attracted q great deal OF attention.
1t struck us MS being the best must
cal instrument We had seen.
FRUIT,
+. j. Doe of So. Newbury had the
largest exhibition, having 80 varie.
ties Of apples, and 10 Ofpears. We
noticed among them some very fine
large Hislop crab apples. y. W.
Howard Bradford had 20 varieties
of apples, s. II. Underhill, Brad
ford, 90 varieties. Warren Bowen,
Topsham, 8 varieties, Warren Bal
ley Topsham, 6. II. p. ClossOn ot
ThetfOrd II varieties nice pears. A.
w. Eastman 10 varieties of apples
and 3 of pears w. s. Nelson of
Bradford was the only exhibitor OF
grapes. lie had 8 varieties wei!
ripened, which considering the SEA.
son in this section were remarkably
fine.
Wednesday, October
Opened with dark, heavy clouds
hanging thick over head, strongly
indicating rain. But notwithstand.
ing the threatened rain, the attend
ance was large the tickets show.
ing that more persons were present
than on the second day of any pre-
vious Fair. The forenoon was
occupied by the various Committees
in making examinations in their re-
spective classes. In the afternoon
Mr.. Leslie gave q performances on
the tight rope, previous to which
Judge Poland delivered the Annu.
al Address.
JUDGE POLAND's ADDRESS,
Which was delivered at 2 o'clock
Wednesday afternoon, was ex.
tempore. From the few notes tax.
en- by the reporter while sitting on
a wheel axle, with the editor of the
Farmer on one side of him and re-
porter for the Waterman on the
other, he makes up the following
summary.
After a few Introductory remarks
and the telling of u good story, the
Judge proceeded to say it was his
good fortune to be born in Vermont
and until eighteen years of age he
laborel faithfully upon rough,
rocky farm. He then learned some
thing about farming, but the way of
carrying on a farm forty years ago
was 50 different from what it is to-
day, that practically he could tell
the farmers but little. Forty years
ago the condition of the farmers of
Vermont was very different from
what it is at the present time. Then
though they labored harder and
more hours than now, they wore
poorer clothes and their wives and
children had fewer privileges. Larg-
er crops were raised, it is true, but
still, what are now common in every
farmers house were luxuries then.
What was the reason of this power
tys Simply that the farmers had no
market for what they raised. About
thirty years ago the large manufac.
turing centres like Lowell, Manches-
ter and Lawrence began to call for
large supplies ofproduce to support
their dense population, and they
were not slow to take advantage of
the opportunity. In order to sup
ply the demand railroads were built
to expediate transportation. Then
the farmers of Vermont and the
other New England States began to
accumulate money; to pay off their
mortgages and improve their farms.
He showed that the interests of
Vermont farmers are largely Deepen
dant on a judicious tariff.
The price OF labor, in the old
country, was so much cheaper than
in this, that without protection we
cannot compete with foreign manu-
lacture. lie then compared the
manner in which English laborers
live, bring up their children with
little or no education us they are
born laborers so must they die,-
with the privileges of American
laborers and their children in this
country, showing how much better
vas the condition Of the latter than
the former; and drew the conclusion
that the fact was owing to the work.
ing men here getting much better
pay than there.
The war gave a new impetus to
the agricultural interests of the
country, as the government con-
sumed large amounts of produce
After the war agriculture in New
England began to decline which
he thought was owing in a great
measure to the competition caused
by throwing open the vast West,
where the soil is rich and the rails
ing of crops requires but little labor.
The opening up ofsO much territory
in so brief a time had its disadvan-
tages as well as advantages. Man
ufac,uring in the West was almost
entirely neglected and the whole at
tention of the settlers given to farm
ing. They freighted vast amount