Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-17

kept the laboriug class down and subservient.
He illustrated the superiority Of mind over
mere brute force. After showing the inn
portance Of the farmers to the wealth and
prosperity Of any nation of the world, he
said, the question just now seems to be
whether our young men will take the oppOr-
sunity that is afforded them in securing a
high agricultural education. All education
mu st be addressed to mans mind, but there
is nothing that is not susceptible of educa-
tion. Whoever achieves much does it by
his brains. The mind directs aud the mus.
cles act 10 subjugatiou. II cannot be said of
our farmers that they are not thoughtful,
but they are slow to see that good results
come only from lOng-continued thought aud
study. Nothing valuable in this world
comes to US without labor--labor directed
by thought The institution Of union stores
BY the farmers a few years ago resulted in
failure and disaster for want Of thought aud
disregard of the palpable fact that every
thing is governed BY law. As the falling
drop Of water forms itself into n globe, so
everything is subservient to establish an i'm.
mutable law.
After this Geo. +. Smith of Washington
read paper entitled "Who shall succeed ?"
The tide Of emigration goes westerly. Last
year 10000 went from two lines of railroad
to occupy land. OF this number many are
Swedss, kind and patient, and they form the
beautiful part of the grand procession. Then
there are our German sisters, joyful and full
of hope, and lastly the Americans, ready to
go anywhere if there is prospect Of making
money. The West is growing rich. 1t is
estimated that every emigrant is equal to
$500. Cities aud villages are growing
rapidly, 50 much SO that they seem almost to
spring up 10 q night. Bat let US now look
at home aud see what the prospects are here
in Vermont. Our soil is not equal to the
Western prAiries, where they crop year after
year without manure, but soil 20 feet deep
is not wealth under all circumstances Strong
muscles and broad acres do not necessarily
produce the highest prospects. Mental labor
is the great producer. There is nothing
equivalent for brains. Here in Vermont we
have no smigrants; we need none. Ver-
mont will increase her wealth by moral and
mental acquisitions. Improved methods oi
enriching the soil are going to be found out
Soon nothing will be allowed to run to waste
Vermont will not suffer 10 contrast with any
state iu her power of production. Here We
have no drouth, no famine, no grasshoppers
We have advantages to invite capital anG
labor. Who then shall succeed, the West OIL
the East2 Young man, answer these ques
tions, and do it in your best judgment. d.
not say you have no home here in Vermont
Remember there is room in the upper story
Good qualities and good discipline never g
begging.
Col. Mead: am deeply interested i
what has been read Let mo touch upo
one topic-education Of the farmer. hav
thought that one-idea men have been Of NOR
benefit to the race than any others such a
Martin Luther and Fulton, who have b,
concentrating their minds on one thing rules
the world The times aud seasons seem +
call for nothing more than systematic educa
tion. The resources that are at our han
are wonderful in their extent. The wester
fever is somewhat abatcd. People are thinl
ing more Of the resources here. Why ne
turn our attention to rscuperAting our nativ
soil The West is not all composed of ric
land there are vast stretches of desert sea-
tered here and there. II this DO true, it
all the moro important for farmers to tur
their attention to working up the soil of thei
own state. We have samples of what hi
been done in improving worn-out land. 1t
our duty to avail ourselves Of these cxper
ments. Ifit be true that we can take ba
: ren pine plain, and by spending SS per acl
in chemical manures, bring it into state
h fertility, surely there is cause for encourag
ment. Farmers should be more ready
avail themselves Of these means. There q
many cases where men have doubled Il
7 crops on worn-out lands in Eve years l
! not say that every one can do it witho
experience, but there is encouragement.
4 know that farmers have been passing throul
Q what they call hard times, that they are O
i pressed by taxation and by laws. Pastur
y are failing, and the hay crop in some sectio
e has been diminishing. But much Of the (
n called hard times they are responsible f
Old settlers cannot be called robbers
cropping the land too heavily without equi
aleut returns, for they did not know but
soil was inexhaustible. Our grandparen
although they had rich soils, we're obliged
" work at great disadvantage. If we have
, poorer quality of soil, we have as an off
A. greater opportunities for education, bet
facilities of transportation, and improved n
chiuery. We owe it as duty to poster
/. to rsplenish and improve the soil.
of Mr.. Smith; l thought it seemed g
1g ways to get to Chelsea, but have haG
or very pleasant meeting 50 far. l have gail
IA. new ideas and am much interested in tn
r.. discussions. Lot Us 90 on and encour'
he one another.
EN- Mr.. A. Chapman; l wish to state 8
u. pie fact in regard to our boys going w
1is Many of those who went to California v
Tor high expectations are returning and tell
M that they think they are better of here.
nd Mr.. G. +. Smith; One thought in reg
to to the proceedings Of our fOrefathers in
n IL - A