Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-12-13

deh. Euler on the Advantages OF Small Farms,
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler delivered an ad-
dress at the International Dairy Conven lion
in New York city on Tuesday, the object of
which was to show that all agricultural in
dustries can be most prodtably carried on
where the land is subdiyided into small
separate ownerships, and that the aggrega-
ton of great amounts of land is at once un-
profitable to the holder and disastrous to a
country and its people. This, he said, is de
monstrated by comparison of the produc
tions of our soil with those of France which,
with not SO much area as the State
OF Texas, raises more wheat than the
whole United States, the product of wheat
in France in lS6S reaching $50 900 900
bushels, while the total in the United States
was only 2i0 100000 In 1860, when only
We can get accurate statistics Of the prod
ucts of both countries, France produced
go 900 900 bushels of oats, against our
10000 600; 10000 900 bushels of rye,
against our 10000 900; 20 900 900 bushels
of barley against 1900, 900 and $1,000
900 of buckwheat, against l., 900 900. Nor
was she without the products of grazing and
pasture land, which are supposed to be the
necessity requiring our extended farms. She
had 4 900 900 horses and mules, against our
,250,0 600: 1900 900 neat cattle, against
our l3 3,000,0 900; 10000, 900 sheep. against
"a 900 900; and 100000 swine, against
10 200 900. Leaving out gold and silver,
both as exports and imports, in 1876, FraEce
imported 1872 600. 900 worth of the pro-
ducts OF other countries, as against imports
of the United States for the same year
amounting to S533, ,O00, 900, or nearly one
half more, but to pay for this she exported
SS04 900 900 worth Of her productions as
against exports of the United States to all
countries OF S545, 900 900, or nearly one halt
more, leaving surplus of profit or balance
OF trade OF $4,000, 900. This was clear
profit, because France has no foreign debt to
pay, and the balance OF trade in her favor is
not used up in paying the interest and prin-
cipal Of debt held against her abroad, eitl
er national or municipal. Lest any one
should think that her exports were manufac-
tured articles alone, let me add that of these
exports articles of food and raw material
formed part to the extent OF S2S9 900 900,
or, leaving out cotton and tobacco. much
more of food and raw material than did the
United States export. The question arises,
HOW are these very great resuils pO3Slole
This may be told in word. 1t is through
cultivation of the soil. of her 1872 900 900
acres, 64,000,O00 are arabic, l2,000,-
900 only are in meadows, or. as We say,
fields and grass, 5,000,O00 in vineyards,
>, 500 900 in orchards and gardens, , 80 900
in miscellaneous crops, 10000, 900 in wood
and forests, 800 900 in ponds. Twenty mil
lions only may be called heath or waste
lands. the remainder being tOr roads, public
squares, canals and pleasure grounds
200 900 acres. Thus it will appear that
two-thirds of the entire area of France is un-
der actual cultivation every year. But the
question still recurs, how can this be pOssi-
BILE? The answer i, it becomes possible he
cause of the minute subdivision OF the lands,
the small freeholds into which all France Is
divided