Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-02-11

7 have tried to suggest how our farms
may be carried on with less labor, and their
fertility kept up, but the answer to the
question, who shall do it. is not so easily
given, if our sons are determined to desert
the homestead. 1t requires quite an out
lay of capital to commence the business of
farming, to purchase land, stock and tools |;
it frequently takes more capital than the
young man possesses, and the expenses he
incurs to live and keep up with the fashions
of the times in dress and teams hinders him
from making his payments, he gets discour-
Jagged, sells his farm, aid goes to some vii
| laye-o city to live dependent life. giving
up his manhood, going and coming at the
will of another and doing another's bid
ding, when if he had been willing to have
applied himself closely, been economical
in his expenses as his father was before
him for a few years, he could have met his
payments, been his own master, and in
his declining years been possessed of a
good home for himself and his family.
Other young men have not the courage to
attempt the purchase of a farm, but as
soon as they are twenty-one or before,
they leave the paternal roof, taking, as did
the prodigal son of old, the portion
of goods belonging to them, and going
into far country with very similar
experiences and results, while a few
of those who 90 out to seek their
fortunes fall upon favorable positions and
make their mark. and are thereby the
cause of alluring thousands of other
Young men from their homes to endure
greater privations and die less independ-
ent than if they had remained in Vermont.
This is no fancy picture, but what is proved
| by facts every day. The question natur-
ally arises, how can we counteract this
growing tendency to seek other employ
ments than farming. For many years, as
far back as my memory runs, it has been
the decision of fathers and mothers that if
any special advantage were to be given
one Of the sons, it must be him who is
designed for some profession, while he
who is or was to remain at home on the
| farm is made to feel that in many respects
he must take subordinate position, where
he cannot fail to see and feel that his occu-
patton has muc1 to do with his social posi-
ton, and thereby create a dislike for agri-
cultural pursuits. 1t is natural and
commendable ambition for young men to
desire the respect and good opinion OF
others, and we may talk as much and as
loudly as we please about the farmers
being the bone and sinew of the country,
while we bestow the advantages of educa-
ton and social position all upon the pro-
fessional and mechanical part of commu-
nity our words will carry very little weight
with them.
l ask for no more or greater advantage
for the young farmer than for young men
entering other pursuits, but while we with
hold these, we do injustice and defeat the
object for which we declaim. l claim that
we need educated men for farmers as much
us in other occupations, but the facilities
for an agricultural education in this State
are very limited We have been cheated
out of our rights in this respect. The
appropriation Of land grant from the
! United States to Vermont, amounting to
about one hundred and thirty thousand
dollars for an agricultural college. has been
so disposed of as to be wholly lost to the
object for which it was donated, although
the Institution that has received it pro-
fesseS to have a department in which the
science of agriculture is taught, but have
| yet to learn that any one has awaited him.
self of the instruction there p offered.
| What we need is school in which science
and practice are combined. Where
young men can be taught to put in prac-
tice what they learn, where experiments
can be tried and the results published, so
that all farmers can have the benefit of
those experiments, where good cattle,
horses and sheep can be raised for the
improvement of the breeds of the State
where the different varieties of grain and
potatoes can be tested, where our farm
ing utensils may hive fair trial, their
merits shown without prejudice from per
sonal interest, where young men can be
educated with a view of becoming farmers
and be scattered through the agricultural
districts to put in practice what they have
| learned. For who does not know that the
surest way of efecting any reform, agri
cultural, moral or religious, is to have il
| lived in our midst. We sometimes see ar
industrious, neat, thriving farmer, one who
has good barns, good breeds of cattle
keeps good fences, good tools and take:
good care of them, who saves and applies
his fertilizers judiciously, cultivates hi:
land well, puts in and secures his crops a
thu right time, moving into neighborhooC
and in a few years. by his example, effect
ing II very perceptible change in tina
locality, for our shabby barns, our stunteC
cattle, our dilapidated fences, or no fence!
ut all, which is becoming quite fashionable
old, worn out, and bungling tools left scat
tered all over the farm and door yard, do no
compare very favorably with the neat barn
and fences, and the nice, sleek cattle ant
horses of the good farmer; therefore, thu
good effects of having an educated ant
live farmer for a neighbor. Another neeC
of an agricultural school in the State il
that we may have more educated farmer
for legislators. Many of our farmers find
their way into the State Legislature, bu
from want of education and mental train
ing. fail of exerting that influence on th'
side of agriculture to which their number
are entitled Hence, this want would b.
supplied by an agricultural school. But
fear the opportunity for securing one ha
passed, for. this generation, if not for al
time
have in my way tried to give my view.
of some of the present clogs and discour
age ments in the way of agriculture il
Orange county, and to suggest some rem
edes for their removal as they presen
themselves to me, and if my experience
and ideas shall aid any young farmer il
, his work of becoming a successful cult
vator of the soil, shall feel well rewarded
for this trial.
"What can be done to keep our YOun