Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-01-28

Mr.. Nathan Skinner said he came to
11 i..-- -. 1850. -..t
'V'i"' H"N "'"'e' ~ N"u" "O" ''o' "'"
large families, and in debit were going 60
obtain thi. HIGHER Grade OF information
Mr. Douglass said-llaye good agu-
cultural library, farmers club and O. dc.
hating soeietv Dont road trashy news
- ell. ..;...,.c ..-.t IN. ..
l"f0''' ',uNJ '''N"''"r "'''o' "' 'r
the way 10 learn
"rhc Farmers Wants. TRIMS and lnrour-
nsem'n's''
t d. D.. WuEELooNi tol of nANHE
Benjamin Franklin, that renowned patriot
and statesman, said " An Investment 20
knowledge always paid The best interest. lu
no vocation is il of moro Importance than DO
farming. In these days of fast horses, fast
men, and might almost say fast women, when
" Young America is So anxious to lend oil,
when all men arc in a hurry 10 get rich, and
so few are willing to bide their time and pur-
sue the intermediate steps necessary O. obtain
that result when men, AS farmers are looking
about for other occupations, 30 becomes us as
farmers 10 take careful survey OF our posi-
ton; in other words let us take an inventory
of the real knowledge We possess in our bust
ness as farmers, and see If We ere doingas well
as we can. Tnis must be an individual inycs-
tigntion, each for himself; for here no one can
do his ucighbor duty. IL will not answer %
jump 1T the conclusion, and feel satisfied be-
cause we have done as our fathers did before
US. If you lind, upon careful examination,
you have not made any advance over the pre-
yious year, we will then be in a condition TO
consider the subject which | have selected as
the topic OF this paper, viz. " The Farmers
Wants, Trials and Encoungcments.
Oar wants arc SO numerous and SD varied
| that in paper like this can speak oulg upon
a few of the most prominent ones.
/ First, we want more stability, or q more
! fixed purpose In life One great difficulty and
! dscoumgcment arises from the fact that So
many farmers are anxious To change their
business, and consequently do little or nothing
to keep up tac lcrtilit1 Of their farms, or to
set out either fruit or shade trees. or o. keen
buildings or fences in decent repair Hence
such farms present q sorry appearance. and it
il no wonder their owners feel anxious tl sell
them at almost any price. Such farmers might
as well try some other business, for surely ia
| the effort to starye the farm. the owner will
! himself very likely feel the pinchinns of poy-
erty II a farmer is do-irous of dispo-in1 Of
| his farm. let him put it ia good condition, and
he will be more likely to find customers.
Another wat is more thorough and care
! full cultivation of the soil. Better raise two
tons Of hay per acre, than TO 90 over two acres
| for the same amount and the same NAV he
said Of other crops. As general thing ii we
would allow one third part Of our cleared land
TO again grow IN TO wood and expend the same
labor ON the other two-thirds that We now
! apend over the whole. VIC sho.il raise AS much
| produce, and with greater satisfaction.
| But one OF the greatest wants IS q wiling
ness to take step forward We arc too lear
full Of doing something in different manner
from what our grandiatners did before us. 1t is
astonishing now dilhcult IL Is TO make gen
eral advance n agriculture, because OF lear OF
some INNOVATION over the present ,9sages'
lere'm my friends, IS where we iail. we are
700 content TO Walk IN tue footprints oil Our
htners 700 much airalu OF experiments 700
tailul ol becoming oooh turner's Inns Is mol
tne prectce OF an, lor tnere are some glorious
exceptions that stand out IKE refreshing oase-
III tHe SANDY desert out inc great mass OF
our iarhierS are not up 10 the times IN Whch
, We I'VE low different the successful manu-
i9cVurer or the merchant lhey are AWAKE to
we uinesi auu, ms the saying IT, thcy nave
thelr eyes on their gum ready at an times 90
axe their game on the wing II necessary
as farmers we should lmplbe theH spirit II
! s not only our privilege but our duty, and
mus MAKE an advance from oll-lashloncd farm
ing ana IDEAS
J We want more DooN farming or, M other
words, we mast practice the successful result
oil book or scientific farmers. We need mot hc
J extrangant In our new and unrlcd expert
ments' out must FISK something II Is an OLD
ana true saving, " nothing venture, nothing
nave, SAID celebrated painter when asked
, ny q brother painter who had not been able e
produce so good results with his brush, how he
! mixed his paints. " Mix 1t with brains, was
the reply We must, II we would prosper In
our calling, not only use our own brains, but
those oil other men, whether they be farmers
lawyers, ministers, doctors or editors We
must read agricultural books and papers at
tend farmers meetings, and think more OF oul
business, and less about changing to other EN-
Payments that we know nothing about. VIZ
must not labor too hard with our hands, bu
put in a little more brain work. In othei
- words let your head save your heels. In this
age, when by railroad communication the pro
duce oil the rich prairies OF the west is 50 easily
transported to our markets, 1t IS but folly e
= think OF competing with them only by bettci
, system OF cultivation. We have but to look a
some OF the European countries for example
Of what can be done in this respect. Some o
them have more than doubled their crops within
the past lew years by thorough tillage W.
can do the same ii we hut use the means.
? We may rail at the good old-way man az
much as we please there is only one lever tina
will llit him out OF his rut and that is, convince
him that there is money to be made by the new