Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-10-16


ous and adverse fortunes, until now
score Of shafts are Seen, and its banks
are vocal with the hammer and axe, and
numerous other industries, while host
OF workmen look toward these estab-
lishments, in the morning and the even
ing, for their daily bread. So on to the
end were ! to call on the productiAe in
dustry Of this section. concluding with
this essential and impressive fact, that
your several villages and communities
have increased from year to year, new
schools, new churches, new stores, man
ufactories. and the population to main
tain them came in, until to-day your
larger villages have become what we
now behold them. thriving towns, all
helping one another, and the farmer
feeding the Dhole. Providence and nat
ural causes have established coinci-
dence of interests in your midst. and
your ever speaking rivers with their in
dustries and the railroad which ditfuses
the products Of your mills. shops and
farms, over yet larger communities,
proves essentially that large and univer-
sal truth of American life, that harmony
should exist between agriculture and all
the producing classes,
Cast your eye over Orange County of
seventeen townships, with u population
of 23,090 inhabitants. with its nearly
800, 900 acres, and 29l.3l8 acres of i'm
proved land, with farm valuation of
over ten millions ($lO,2O5, ,O63) Of dol
lars. and contrast it with a half century
ago. The hills and valleys then re-
fected the sounds of the same Great Ben
efactor; but in all else how changed
How would the statistics of that day,
if we had them, stand by the side of your
present industry and prnduction. Par
don me for n few moments while bring
out at a glance the growth and develop
ment. which speak like trumpet notes to
Orange County. They present picture
for pride and hope to the farmer. exulta-
fion to the artisan and satisfaction to
the people.
Your county to-day presents a valua-
ton, of course far below the real value,
Of $40, ,2O5, ,06S in farms; in live stock.
$500, 1868 and in few years you will
surpass in cattle and horses all compet-
itors in the State. Orange County is ex-
celled in valuation of improved land by
only six out of the fourteen counties of
the State, namely, Addison, Chittenden.
Franklin, Rutland, Washington, and
Windsor, which Is due measurably to
the fact that those counties having in
their midst centres of trade and manu-
facture, which increases the valuation of
outlying lands. The total valuation OF
all farm productions, including better
ments, and additions to stock in Orange
County is S2,2OO,7S6. ...
In number Of animals and products
you nearly equal the other counties Of
the State, and in some you excel many
counties. In horses Orange county has
5,778. and is only excelled by Addison,
Franklin and Windsor; milch cows TO-
66l; oxen 1912; Windham and Wind
sor only excel you; and you probably
to-day have the best class Of horses in
the State; sheep, 1855. and stands
fourth in rank in the State swine 1866.
The valuation put upon each class in
propoetion TO numbers is equal to that
in any other county.
The crops of the farm and orchard
compare favorably with any section OF
the State. The productions, according
to the latest and most reliable data. were
Spring wheat. 51.92O bushels, and is the
second wheat producing county in the
State, Orleans county raising 4, ,49S bush
els more than Orange; rye 1889 bushels; ;
Indian corn, ia, ,28l bushels, and is 4th
county in rank in its production; oats,
S16, ,14S bushels; barley, 5,699 bushels i;
buckwheat 76, 1926 bushels, more than is
raised in any other county, Caledonia
ranking next, raising some $4,000 bush
els; wool, 49S,749 pounds, and stands
second in rank, Windsor raising 2O4 ,069,
and Orange 2,97s pounds more than the
famous sheep county of Addison; pota-
toes, AGO. bushels; butter. 1902, 1O4
pounds. ranking among the leading dairy
counties of the State; cheese, lO5. 2So
pounds.
The number of farms upon which
,h... products have been raised is 1920,
yarv;n, g in size from ten to thousand
,o,s. :, ID which are valued above ten
million, , '$lo.2o5, ,o6s), and the esti-
mated v.,ne Of their products is $2,9OO,-
,s6. So that j., hen you set aside the
took which is pc, 'm"nent' Orange co"n.
" furnishes an IN nual production of
everal millions from yer mis- anu VIII
eys. ,,dyho. hos
Now what has produced \ ~ "a, .' ~.
this labor of meh anu .'''
rops of the earth. The same OH ''"' "a
lies shall instruct us with the ans, "e''
n the county Of Orange. say they, tn,
nnual production of manufactured arti-
les exceeds million Of dollars Isl ,054,-
66). probably supporting thousand
ersons having no direct connection
nth labor o. he farm. Have you
hought ps thiss These figures. are. Of
ourss, ar below IL reality. for our