Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-15


peetsd to produce this year are largely fruit.
less, Speaking Of applesI this has been
hard season for young trees One farmer
informs me that out Of Eve hundred apple
trees set last spring he has not more than
twenty-five alive. He charges il 10 the dry.
weather account, rs he took great pains in
planting thstrees. am coming to be more
and more Of the opinion that, counting in
the loss Of trees, time employed, and loss,
to large extent of the use Of land while
the trees are growing, that raising apples is
not so very profitable. After an orchard
has matured, the then owner gets pretty
good psyi but il seems good deal as il is
with railroad bouds--the originators shake
the bush and sonebody else catches the bird.
Still, coming generations can get a benefit,
and that's consoling, or ought to be.
These rural retreats are but little dis
turbed with agitating questions of war or
fuance, and the crashing Of banks and great
mercantile firms disarrange matters only as
the hard times pinch generally; but We are
not uninterested spectators, and each great
tumble in this or that speculation convince
us that sooner or later business must settle
nearer the earth's surface. In word that
tilling the soil has been too much ignored,
when all experience shows that bank Of
earth, we'll titled, furnishes the most exhaust.
less revenue. OF course all the world can.
not be farmers; but since the close of the
war there has seemed to be perfect mania
to engage in anything, everything but this.
| suppose the reason is, money could not be
made fast enough in this way A fortune in
year, or five or ten at the outside became
the popular demand. l need not take
time to point moral the present condition
Of the business world tell its own story.
Less high living, less trying to 60 in bet
ter style than ones neighbor, less recklessness
in the outlay for social entertainment, more
economy and less shoddy, and we shall find
that things will move all right again. The
wild extravaganza in Dress manifested by
the whole American people, set thousands
and millions Of dollars to manufacturing ar
ticles that we could not pay for and remain
solvent. We staggered under the load until
it could be borne no longer. We have been
compelled to be more economical, and it is
this general retrenchmept in unnecessary ex-
penses, that causes mill owners to lock up
and 60 into bankruptcy.
l believe that If this nation will live within
its means this money question will regulate
itself, without the Intervention of party plat
forms and the fog party issues. OF course,
am treading on somebody's toes in these
statements nevertheless, believe them true
enough 10 warrant attention. If all those
who are struggling under heavy debts or
lind themselves hard pressed to supply the
necessaries for family, would remember
this, and act upon it, that it is not what is
made but what is saved that creates a com.
petency or produces comforts, there would
be less want in households, and less business
for bankruptcy courts An alarming multi
tude OF young men seem to consider it small
and little to econCmize and so they 60 it blind,
until they bring up in few years worse off |
than when they started.
wish the world would adopt tho fashion
OF making it more honorable to pay ones
debts than to go rushing around in stylish
turnout; that would be fashion worth fol-
lowing. Perhaps am treading on some.
body'S toes again. w. W. HIGBEE.
Charlotte, September 2S.
1t our correspondent and others would
continue to "tread on somebody's toes" until
those who need it feel the pressure and heed
it, the community would be better off for the
inaction. Business extravaganza, social
extravaganza and extravaganza in wages
must touch "hard pan" before there can be
substantial prosperity. Everything is grav.
ltating that way at present, and the sooner
we all reach solid basis together aud take
a new start, the better for the community.