Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-22
The Farmers Wants, Trials and Encour-
agementS.
\ FARMER 5 WIZ
BY u. b. WHEELOCK. OF BARRE.

TRoad 6etorc tie TURNER'S Meeting at q
session OF the State Board of agriculture
HID at E'tst Montpelier, Ja1uary Q, 1874
Benjamin Franklin, that renowned pa
triot and statesman, said " An investment
in knowledge always paid the best inter
est" In no vocation is it of more impor
lance than i'll farming. In these days of
fast horses, fast men, and might almost
say fast women, when - \ Dung America
is so anxious to lead off, when all men are
in a hurry to get rich, and SO few are will
ing to bide their time and pursue the inter
mediate steps necessary to obtain that re
suit, when men, as farmers, are looking
about for other occupations, it becomes Us
rs farmers to take Il careful survey of our
position; in other words, let us take an in
ventOry of the real knowledge we possess
of our business as farmers and see if we
are doing as well rs we can. This must
be an individual investigation, each for
himself; for here no one can do his neigh
boris duty. 1t will not answer to Jump at
the conclusion, and feel satisfied because
we have done as our fathers did before us
If you find upon u careful examination YOU
have not made any advance over the pre-
viOus year, we will then be in II condition
to consider the subject which have select
ed us the topic of this paper, viz:
TIE FARMERS WANTS, TRIALS AND EN-
C0URAGEMENTS.
Our wants are so numerous and 50 va
ried that in a paper like this | can speak
only upon IL few of the most prominent
ones,
First, we want more stability. or Il more
Hxa1 in life I'm 4
and encouragement arises from the fact
that so many farmers are anxious to change
their business, and consequently do little
or nothing to keep up the fertility of their
farms; or to set out either fruit or shade
trees, or keep buildings or fences in decent
repair. Hence such f4 ms present II sorry
appearance, and it is no wonder their
owners feel anxious to sell them at almo~t
any price. Such farmers might us well
try some other business, for surely in the
effort to starve the farm, the owner will
himself very like Y fee the pinchings
of poverty. If Il farmer is DESTROYS of
disposing Of his farm, let him put it in
good condition, and he will be more likely
to find customers.
Another want is Il moro thorough and
careful cultivation of the soil Better
raise two tons of hay per acre, than to 90
over two acres for the S ime amount; and
the same may be said of other crops As
"a general thing if we would allow one
third part of our cleared land to again
grow up to wood, and expend the same
Ia Jor Oh the other TWO thirds that we now
spend over the whole, we should raise as
much produce, and with greater satisftc-
ton.
But one of the greatest wants is will
ingness to take a step forward. We are
too fearful of doing something in Il differ
ent manner from what our grandf;tthers
did before us. 1t is astonishing how diff
cult ii is to make Il general advance in
agriculture, because of fear of some in
novation over the present usages. He e,
my friends, is where we fail. We are too
content to walk in the footprints of our
fathers; too much afraid of experiments
too fearful of becoming book TURNER'S.
This is not the practice of all, for there
are some glorious exceptions that stand
out like some refreshing GASES in the sandy
desert. But the great mass of our farmers
are not up to the times in which we live.
How different the successful manu- tctllrer
or the merchant. They are awake to the
times, and, as the saying is, they have
their eye on their gun, ready at all times
10 LIKE luelI game, on Ine wing II neceS-
sarys AS farmers we should imbibe their
spirit; it is not on.y our priv lege, but our
duty, and thus make an advance from old
fashioned farming and ideas.
We want more book farming; or. in
other words, we must practice the success
fIl results of book or scientific farmers.
We need not be eAtravagant in our new
and untried experiments, but must risk
something. 1t is an old and true saving,
nothing venture, nothing have" Said a
celebrated painter, when asked by broth
er painter who had not betn able to pro-
duce SO good results with his brush, how
he mixed his paints. Mix it with bra n = y
was the reply. We must, if we would
prosper in our calling, not only use our
own brains, but those of other men.
whether they be farmers, lawyers, minis
tiers, doctors or editors. We must read ag.
ricultural books and papers; attend farm
ers' meetings, and think more of our bust
ness, and less about changing to other en-
Payments that we know nothing about.
We must not labor too hard with our hands,
but put in a little more brain work. In
other words, let your head save your heels.
In this age, when by railroad communica-
ton the produce of the rich prairies of the
west is so easily transported to our mar