Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-18
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
There is always room for improvement in
all things human, and we find about as much
Of that room in the system Of farming gen.
orally followed as elsewhere There are
however, so many examples of intelligent
and highly profitable systems of farming all
about us, that it would seem, as we believe
is the fact, that an era of great improvement
not only approaches, but has dawned. Still,
much is unaccomplshed. This era has only
dawned the light is breaking over the hills
of Vermont, and those who have been plod-
ding Oh in the footsteps of their forefathers
nre just awakening to the fact that there is
before them day Of improvement, of better
culture, better management, better methods
Of marketing their crops, and better social
relations between the tilers of the soil
One great cause of poor farming is we
undertake too much. The Americans, espe-
cially those Of the Eastern, n orthern, and
Western states are an ambitious race. The
irrepressbe Yankee acknowledges no limit
to his ability, and consequently aceompishes
things of which less ambitious man would
not even presume to think But this ambi-
ton, praiseworthy and beneficial as it is, is
misapplied when it leads one to undertake
more than he can carry out This is too
pIt A
buys farm before he can pay for it all,
believing that he can make it pay better
than working for another. Having no means
at command, and obliged to apply the pro-
oeeds Of his labors to the liquidation of the
debt incurred in the purchase of the farm,
many of his plans for improvement fail of
being attempted; he hires just as little help
as he can possibly get along WITH aud con-
sequently is forever behindhand with his
work, and sustains pecuniary loss in many
ways from not having his work done in time.
This is no overdrawn picture, but answers
exactly to the experience of many mar
both in and out of the state.
The only deduction to be made from such
case is that we farm too much land for the
amount of capital and labor invested. There
are exceptional instances there are mer
with broad enough minds and large enough
capital to carry on large farms successfully
and there are men with mental power
enough to even manage large farm an,
pay interest on its purchase money, will
success but they are scarce. When hare
times come, the man with small farm paiC
for is secure; he can live almost independ
emily of others through panic, while HI
who has a largo farm half paid for will b.
driven to his wits end to keep himself GU
of danger of foreclosure, and the loss O
the capital he has already invested.
. We would say to every young farme
about to start in life, adopt the grange prin
ciple,-Pay as you 60. If you cannot bu
farm and pay for it, labor for wages fey
years, and be economical. To be sure, it
!" hard road to travel" and requires pa
thence and perseverance, but if you have no
these, you need never look for success i
farming or any other business. A few year
spent in working for an intelligent, prosper
Gus, go-ahead farmer, will give one man
new ideas and many practical lessons whic
will prove of value in managing farm 70
himself. Then if you buy farm, launch OF
carefully. Try small one, such as 20
can pay for, and have little left to stock
and improve it. If you are fitted to maj
age more you will soon find it out, and
not you will not have discouraging tailuI
to recover from. But above all else "
would see every man begin with a MorOug,
improved system Of culture. These your
men, who are just entering upon active iii
arc the men who are to give tone to the a
ricultural fraternity in coming years.
Could twice the capital, and twice the |
Dor, be intclligently bestowed upon the laI
in Vermont that is now, the productivenC
of our cultivated lands would be more thi
doubled. No one, We venture to say, wi
knows the facts in the case, will deny tn
Does it not follow, then, that the labor a
capital now invested would meet with bett
success on smaller amount Of land
We believe that it pays to do only WI
can be done WE'LL Cultivate only what la
you can cultivate thoroughly. 1t is
cheaper to raise 60 or 80 bushels of oats
one acre than on three. 1t is less work
pillow, harrow, sow, and harvest it; if it
MANFRED the manure tells better on the crC
and there is far greater satisfaction in tell
your neighbor of it. 1t is less labor to hi
vest two tons of hay from one acre than fir
four, and it can be easily DONE Wei
only hope for improvement in this directi'
but we believe we see it coming. The staI
ard of production, on many farms, is stea
ly increasing Vermont has no need to Sc
recruits to the farming lands of the West,
to the cities there is work enough here
home, and profitable work, too.
In this connection there is one idea
hone the people of the state will consid