Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-30
A German Teacher.

A German Teacher.
In these days when the model agricultur-
nj editor and the fancy scientific farmer has
nothing to say except of the necessities of
a higher education, and can seem to see
no other lack, or important thing to be
de>ired. we commend the following bit of
personal history from the New York Trib-
ane. We think one may appreciate the
importance of education. and still believe
II man may succeed as farmer if he has
good sound sense, industry and economy:
Eight years ago there appeared in Kan
sas City German laborer, with no pos
sessions but the merest household neces-
saries, a splendid body, full of days
works, and II helpful wife. He soon found
employment as a railroad hand, held his
position steadily. never lost q day, lived
hard and kept sober. At the end of two
years he was able to buy plug team and
an old wagon. and 90 to farming on
shares, giving the usual rental-a third of
all he raised. He farmed it for keeps.
EARLY and late his team was going; the
frau assisted in the field, and mine son
Shon was put after horse when scarce
ly taller than the plow handles. Neither
politics nor granger schemes diverted him
from his work. His visits to town were
few and short. In street slang lie :" GOT
right down TO business in the most en-
ergetic fashion. His alertness and per-
sisence, early planting and thorough cul-
tivalion bore their legitimate result; good
crops made him "solid " with his land
lord, and gave him little more than
wages for his work. This situation con.
tinued for two years, at the end of which
our friend found his head above water TO
the extent of good team. good wagon,
plenty of tools, and sufficiency in the
stocking to enable him TO pay money rent
thereafter.
This brings us TO the spring of 1874
the dry year when the grasshoppers came
the last of Augustine year of relief.
Our friend did now what the average
Kansas farmer did not do (each following
his custom); he planted as early as til
season and circumstances permiued, or as
he could have done if he had foreseen the
impending disaster; kept the soil stirring,
and didn LAY BY" till the crop was
made-before the locusts came or the
drought was at its worst. Though Kansas
farming was generally q failure, he had
fifty bushels of corn to the acre, and II
corresponding yield of potatoes. He took
due advantage of the high price of prod
uce, and was able now to add another
team and wagon to his outfit, and rent IL
larger tract of land. The next season,
however, he lost money, since the grass
hoppers cleaned out everybody in his
neighborhood. Luckily he had something
to fall back on. But the past two seasons
have been prosperous with him. Corn and
potatoes are his crops and if one hats
ruled low in price, the other has paid fair
" well. Last year his sales were over
$4,000. This year he raised forty-fve
acres of corn and twenty acres of potatoes;
his cribs and cellar are correspcndngly
filled; and he smokes and takes his east
with the satisfaction that comes of success
The question is, Why did he succeed?
Beginning at the bottom, in the most lit
eral sense Of the word, how came he 70
rise in farming on rented land, while al
the same time so many men owning their
farms, and having so many advantages in
comparison, have barely held their own.
or even gone down the hilp He pays So
per acre for the land he works, cash in adj
vance. DO half our farmers, east or west,
have enough left ut the end of the year
that they could pay such price for the
privilege of trying it again? His is not
the traditional German thrift that eats
nothing it can sell; he lives well enough,
keeps spring wagon :" for mine pleasure
ride which will haff,' and is absurdly
extravagant in some things. Whatever
may be the secret, these should not be
overlooked as possible clues to it; he pays
no land-tax, has no mortgages draining
his strength away, no unproductive prop
erty of any kind hanging on him like Il
clog; has all his resources well in hand
and available; and he never goes into new
things. The routine of crops that he first
started upon he still continues in the main
Living in community of gardeners, he
sometimes gets the horticultural fever, SC
10 speak; but, fortunately, his horse-sens,
keeps him to what he understands, anC
prevents his venturing upon the untried-
II rock that has no terrors for the average
granger
The frau has long smarted under the
stigma of being renters wife, ant
has perslslently agitated the question of ,
home OF her own, a question near tt
woman's heart. So, when Hans was able
to buy partially improved "quarter
out west, he yielded TO his partners i'm
portunities so far as to look ut the Arkan
sas Valley; he came back decided to Stay
where he was, for, as he put it " n ston,
what rolls don't got nuttng grow on i
any more Not long ago he recounted il
a letter to his aged mother in Falherlant
the story of his triumph in the New
World; that he had made slow bu
steady progress from wage-taker to ,
wage-giver, until he now had, in addition
10 the possessions we have mentioned,
comfortable balance in the bank, and, hes
OF all, business fairly profitable ant
unusually sure. Is it strange that the oil,
lady mistrusted such Munchausen story
and instead of congratulating her son
sharply child him for having forgotten OF
the Kaw those precepts of veracity which
she once taught him on the Rhine? He
incredulity would not be surprising if sh,
were citizen of the United States, where
it has been repeatedly and publicly re
solved that " farming don't pay" In on,
case, ut least, it has paid, as this veraciou
chronicle witnesses; and it is respectful,
suggested to Responding agriculturists
native and to the manner born, that som,
OF them may possibly learn "a lesson from
this fruitful instance of German thrift.