The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-06-22
The Farmers of Holland.

Farm, II. l., Is giving some interesting
sketches of a recent trip to Europe, in
a series of illustrated articles published
in Scribner's Monthly, that are well
worry of the attention of the dairy
farmers of Vermont.
In the June number lie gives a de-
scription of the manufacture of the
round Dutch, or "Edam," cheese, a
considerable quantity of which is inn
ported into this country, and sold in
the cities at high price. The account
of the Dutch barns aud farm buildings,
and of the cattle and methods of feed
ing, etc, are also very interesting,
though being written for the entertain
ment of the general public, they are
not given in such detail as would be APP
propriate in an exclusively agricultural
journal, or as we would be glad to see.
But one part of the installment before
us, giving an account of the farmers OF
the province of Groningen, in Holland,
is so particularly interesting that we
make the following extract /:
1.-The farm-buildings, especially in
the northern provinces, are OF an UNI
equalled size, and surrounded with ev-
licences of wealth and taste. Between
the road and the dwelling-house there
is q pleasure garden planted with exot-
ic trees, and whose lawns are inter-
spersed with groups of FLOWERS. At II
side, vegetable garden and fruit orchard
furnish n good variety for the table.
The house is imposing, with the great
extent of its facade and the large num-
Der of windows in the two stories.
Within, the embroidered curtains, the
furniture ofsAmerican (blaok) walnut,
the piano, the books of the library
these all indicate large wealth and hab-
its of life that imply n superior condi-
ton. Behind the dwelling of the farm
err, but attached to it, rises q building
as high as a church and long as a COW
cred s%hip-yard. Here are found the
constable, the horse-stable and barn,
all under one roof. On entering, one
first secs an enormous space, sufficient
to shelter the harvest of two or three
hundred ACRES, and a large collection of
improved supplements; next, some
sixty or seventy COWS in q single row ;
and again, from ten to twenty superb
black horses.
ttul,a Ia rp,a ro of n ronipnnn hnxvn rrp-
served the simple of their an
%cestors. Although often possessed of
several tons Zone hundred thousand
gulden) of gold, they put their own
hands to the pillow, and take the imme-
diate direction of all the work of their
fields. Their sons are educated at uni
versities, and it is estimated that each
sol while ut college, costs two thousand
gulden (SS00) per annum.
"These farmers are the leading men
of the country there is no class elevat-
ed above them. From their ranks are
chosen nearly all the members of the
different elective bodies, and even those
who go TO represent the province in the
States-Gcneral equivalent to our Con-
gress). The care of their farms does
not prevent them from taking an active
part in political life and in the duties OF
public administration. They follow
not only the progress of the art of agri-
culture, but also the movement ofmod-
ern thought. They maintain neal the
city of Groningen an excellent agri-
cultural school, with nfty pupils, and
perhaps nowhere else is education SO
universal in country districts. In fact,
Groningen passes for the most advance
ed province of the Netherlands, 1t is
a sort of republic, inhabited by rich and
enlightened peasants completely eman-
cipated from the spirit of routine. The
fine hJuses of the farmers are the only
castles, and they all resemble each 9TH
er. Property is quite evenly distribut-
ed. and almost all the land produces re-
mains in the hands Of those who cult.
vate it. Wealth and work are every
where associated idleness and opu-
lence nowhere.
"The mode of life is simple and mex
pensive: and since of late years butter
and cheese have doubled in price, pros
perity is greatly increased. Many
farmers, not content to have table SER
vice of silver, use this metal even foi
kitchen utensils. There are those ever
uhn NJ .,lx, aat;aGnl mil, =. tn1In .o,
vice of gold. Aside from this, the ac-
cumulations of Dutch farmers are a
very large source of the investment
fund with which Holland is so well
supplied for all manner of foreign stock
buying. One is surprised everywhere
in the smaller towns with the number
and richness of the jewelers. shops with
sumptuous silver-ware, and especially
coral necklaces of the finest quality ,and
worth hundreds of dollars.
"Although Holland took its first i'm,
petus from commerce, this has sadly
fallen away, but agriculture has on al
sides filled the gap. Many towns
formerly thriving with commerce, have
been destroyed by the sitting up of tn,
rivers and bays but the retaining o
the overlooked lands has given then
another and nrmer hold upon prospect
ty.
agriculture in this country grew VI
only as an incident to the life of il
commercial people. The application o
tariffs and the competition of Englan,
combined, lessened very much the i'm
pOrtance OF Dutch commerce, while tn
agriculture has steadily increased, Lit
tie by little, without the knowledge @
the rest ofthe world, and almost with
out the knowledge of Holland itself, tn
Netherlands have gone silently am
quietly forward, until they have be