Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-22

crops within the past few years by
thorough tillage. We can do the same II
we but use the means
We may rail at the good-old-way man
as much as we please; there is only one
lever that will lift him out of his rut, and
that is. convince him that there is money
to be made by the new and better way
Let us, then, us farmers of Washington
county put the wheel in motion. Let US
take hold of it in earnest, and, as aids, or
ganize farmers clubs, hold farmers meet
ings, and talk over our trials and expert
ments, and in every way act together Tor
the common good, In SO doing, we Shall
be made better farmers, better men and
women, and in fact the community IN
which we live will be made better for our
having lived therein.
But work is to be done, real hard work,
with head, hand and heart Head work
alone will not answer; neither will hand
work; but the whole man must be thrown
into the work. and this is the keynote of
success. | have said that if you would
succeed and improve, you must risk some
thing Said writer, $ If you are con-
tent us you are. remain as you are, how
ever that may be. Do the best you can IN
your own little tread MILL and never mind
that others are making progress while you
are standing still. If you are happy in the
fact that you make both your narrow ends
meet and meet at the same point year after
year, far be it from me to disturb your Sc
renity You have your own use in the
world; you are a good tally mark to count
from, and the more unmoved you remain,
the easier it will be to see how the better
flru { no hand
Won are not satisfied to stand still, but wish
to Join in the march that is carrying the
best frmers of your time to the highest
favor and prosperity, and which promises
us much for YOU as for them, then you
must make up your mind to risk something
i'll order to gain what without the venture,
is impossible for you to get
There is also want for more informa-
ton on matters of public interest than If
now generally possessed by farmers us
class. They ought to know something OF
the events taking place beyond the limits
of our state or even our country. They
ought to be qualified to take any position
of Importance in the community in which
they live. The great Importance OF agrl-
culture to the nation demands that 1t
should receive all needful legislation nee
essary for its protection and encourage
ment. We have, as q class, been ncgll-
gent of our duty in this matter Other IN
dustries have been largely protected ano
encouraged by special laws, while agrlcul
ture has to a great extent been left tC
struggle on unaided, and yet it Is the foun
dation of our prosperity us a nation
cannot state the exact amount OF the APP
preparation by our last Legislature III al(
of agriculture; but if am not mistaken
it was Il mere pittance of what 1t sho Iit
/ have been, and even an effort was made t.
defeat any appropriation for the supper
of our State Board of Agriculture. Ih'
amount of appropriation for this boar'
should be increased, to enable them t.
move forward in their noble and needed
work. To diminish the appropriation 10
this purl ose would be Il retrOgrade move
ment, and think, Il penny wise and poun
foolish one. TO avoid this, | trust tn
farmers of the State will see that they ~
sustained with all necessary funds to en-
able them to not only sustain their preSen
usefulness, but to largely increase it,
Another want of the farmer Is we'll eN
pressed in the following couplet:
y little farm well TILED,
/ y little vile well wIl!ed
The man may have the little farm
we'll titled. but without the wife it will no
be productive of much happiness. How
ever good the husbandman may be, with
out the good woman it will avail but it'll
toward making money. 1t is the farmer
good wife that makes ttrhnlng Poy. Goo
wives add comfort to our lives and Joy t
our homes We should therefore be NOR
careful in preserving their health, strength
and beauty. Naturally our mothers, on
sisters, our wives and daughters are TIL
most beautiful women in the world VIII
do they not remain so? 1t is not becauS
they are growing old. 1t is not becau>
they are a wife or u mother; nor hecauS
they assume reasonable amount of re
sponsibility; nor even because they per
form with their own hands a proper amour
of labor; but by too much never endin
drudgery; too much work ut imprope
times, with too little recreation; there
fore if we would add to the comfort an
JOY of our homes, let us try and preserv
their health, strength and beauty.
One other want l will mention and lcav
this part of my subject We want NOR
filth in the promises of Him = who givet
food to all flesh, for his mercy eudureth fol
ever He has promised us THAT see
time and harvest shall not fail -; let u
have implicit faith in this promise, and 9
forth in the spring time and prepare tn
soil, put in the seed and do wei, our part
and in due time we shall surely reap.
The trials of the farmer are also many
but shall mention but few, for YOU al
know them. Some of them are severe an
discouraging, almost shaking our faith i
70 7 IL,
after all, underneath them, with the stron
eye of faith, we can see bright glimmcr
ings of that - good time coming
One of the first, and perhaps as perplex
ing as any, is the difficulty of obtaining
good help either for work on the farm o
in the kitchen Most of our help must b
foreigners, and they are as II general thing
unacquainted with our manner of dom
our labor, and they need constant watch
ing. But the inventive mind has been &C
tive in our behalf, and farm machinery ha
become SO common that less help is needle
than formerly, but as for a remedy for thi
particular trial, | am unable to point it out
| think it is fit subject for an essay b
some learned man
Another trial is weeds, which are. as
general thing, very tenacious of life, an
seem to delight in growing faster and laro
er and to almost Quito anything else 0
the farm, if left to themselves. The rem
edy is the eultivator, hoe and weeder, an
by perseverance they can be cxtermina;et
But of insects, which are one of tn
most discouraging trials, | can har,ll
point out a remedy for their depreciation.
BY the exchange OF commodities fror
other countries, insects from all parts {
the world have found Il home on our sol
| have come to the conclusion that thi
country is not only the home of the OF
pres ed of the human race of the worlt
but also the home of all insects that ar
injurious to vegetation; ut any rate the
come, not by hundreds, not by thousands
but by millions; and when they come the
kill, Stay and eat, all at the expense of tn
man who cultivates the soil. There i
nothing more vexatious ihtn to see some {
ourichoice plants cut down by some of tn S
rt1r,, 60