Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-08-11

that, while Vermont unqucstionahly pos
sesscs much more fertile territory, q series
Of reports from our towns would elicit many
parallel facts that would give our citizen.
grave reason forpausc and meditation. We
too, have our declining towns and our de-
serted farms, in more than one county In
the eastern part Of the central portion OF
Windham county, about six miles west OF
the Connecticut river is a long ridge
stretching from Dummerston to Rocking
ham, a distance OF twelve OF fifteen miles.
Scattered over it are the deserted homes Of
q former generation In every direction are
the rclicts Of ancient households, few de-
caying timbcrs, an old cellar, and the crum-
| bling walls Of a massive chimney These
abandoned farms are turned out to pastures.
On some of them the houses are still stand
ing, and the sheep lie on the stone hearth
and the kitchen floor. A former resident of
Putney an old school teacher, says that when
a young man, he taught school Of seventy
scholars, in ono Of the districts on that Hill.
In that district only two houses are now in-
habited. These lands are but type of the
condition to which many Of our farms are
now approaching. Half the towns of Yer
mont have similar deserted tracts, and If
county after county cannot, as in New lamp
shire, be described by its own public officials
as paying "no per cent" on the assessed
value Of its FARMS yet there can be no doubt
that the fertility of most of our land is de-
clining, and if not arrested by improved cul-
tiyation, it is only question Of time, when
our selectmen win be making similar reports.
Some have written to us that we are too
hard on scrub-farning, and that the con-
dition of our agriculture is not so bad as we
regard it. But we are sadly convinced 10y
very extended observation, that it is wrong
to cry, "peace peace when there is no
peace The farmers Of Vermont hay, in
deed made a rally during the past fcw years
and in many places we see encouraging
signs Of an improving agriculture. The
profits Of some branches Of our husbandry
are perhaps improving, or would be, if it
were not for the recent decline in prices
But yet there is hardly 1.-THE Of the inter
est taken in the subject that should be-
Too many Of our farmers-eyen those who
know the facts in regard to the waning
value Of our pastures, and the lowering pro-
ductive power of our meadows and tillage
lands-yet seem to be possessed with the
spirit that made the French king reply to
those who warned him Of the dangers that
threatened France from misgoyemment
" 1t will last my time, aud after me, the
deluge"
We know that the way to popularity is 10y
prophesying smooth things. But we are
not seeking for any popularity that cannot
be secured by speaking the truth Notwith-
standing the improving condition of some
farms, the agricultural value Of the farms of
Vermont is slowly declining. Nothing short
of a realization of this fact, and a sturdy de-
termination on the part of our yeomanry to
breast the tide aud turn it the other way,
can prevent comparative ruin from sweeping
over us. True, the great increase of manu-
featuring industry in New England will, in
time, give us new population and new
sources of wealth. But that has not availed
to help Massachusetts,, Connecticut and New
Hampshire, so far as the agriculture Of those
states is concerned. The land there has
been so terribly exhausted by longcontinued
a. scr,,b- far,n;n,, tl,at NOW AVIAN with la;,.