Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-12-31

have fully shown that average farming in
Vermont is or may be as profitable as i'm :
any other state. 1t is true that one man
may cultivate more acres on the western
prairies than here, but the number of acres
cultivated does not determine the profit.
and it is also true that only when large
acres are cultivated that the cost of pro
duclion falls to the very low rates | have
named, and this requires large capital.
With this | leave the first part of my
subject and take up the second,
How shall the farming of the future be
conductedP First, the farmer must
thoroughly learn his business, and then
conduct it on business principles. He
must study how to produce the greatest
amount with the least possible expense.
And no farmer will have thoroughly mas
tered the science of farming until he can
do that.
To the young man who would make
farming business, | would say: First.
determine, if possible, the particular
branch or branches of farming you wish
To follow, and then select your location
.ccol dinghy. Certain crops will succeed
where Others fail; and it will be up hill
work trying to raise crops unsuitcd To
YOUR soil If you are already on IA farm,
-tuay hard to lind ont the nature of your
soil and act accordingly, raising always
he things il is best fitted for. In the di-
vision of labor are The best results secured.
| This is principle SO fully recogn zrd in
| the mechanic arts us to need no word of
explanation. But | think that " hat is
rue in manufacturing is equally true in
| agriculture, though from The nature Of
| he case The rule cannot be so fully carried
our. But ii can he done to Il great extent !;
therefore | would have every farmer select
some leading crop, and make all his cal
culatiuns in reference to that Ii it be
corn, then com should BE- grown year
after year. whe her the price he high or
low. If potatoes, il wheat, then the stmp
rule should be followed Of course other
rops should he grown, for the best results
re secured by rotation; and besides, it is
not sale Tor u man, unless he has II large
capital, To have his oil depending upon It
single crop which mdy fail. But the adj
vantage of having one leading ohecl-as
the growing of the corn crop-is, that his
closest attention being dirrcted to that, he
learns the best and chcrpest methods to
st cure the best results.
Agriculture is science. In other
sciences the specialist is most successful
so why not in this? There is no better
place for the study and exercise Of the
science of agriculture, and no place where
1t will be bcttr rewarded than in Yer
mont, where geological formation is in
ticatlve OF great fertility.
| have said that my estimate Of the cost
Of grow ng com was NOT high. Here |
propose to give you bit Of my own rXpe-
rieuce in demonstration OF this fact. Abpu
the middle of list June | planted one half
acre of corn. planted in drills, the row,
four feet, one and one.half inches apart,
putting four rows to the rod. 1t wa, on
sod land. Eight cords to the acre of sta
bic manure was spread on the grass and
pillow ed under. Then some superphosphale
was spread on the top and narrowed in,
to give the corn u start. | calculated t.
plant so us to have twenty thousand stalks
to the acre. After the corn was up |
narrowed it once, and during the season
cultivated it four times. The entire cost
of cultivation, from the time of blowing
until harvesting was not over three dollars
per acre, and there were very few weeds
to be seen. The crop cared remarkably
we'll, but owing to the lateness of the time
of plantins-June 18th, think and the
early frost which So many Of us remember
10 our sorrow, did not ri pen we'll. A hand
hoe was not put into the field. | only give
this to show that | believe our crop,
might be raised at Il far less expense thar
hey have USUALLY been. | raised Il piece
of pulatues-the best two acres in ten-a'
II cost not exceeding four dollars per acr,
'or blowing, narrowing planting and cuI
tivalng. A hand hoe was not used, and
at the time OF digging there We're II,
weeds.
Gentlemen, We can and we must grow
our crops at u far less expense than we ar,
now doing believe that corn can b,
raised for less than fifty cents bashel OF
many II Vermont farm. More whea
should also be grown. If the whea
grower will feed the bran and straw of hi
whe 1t crop, and put the manure back o.
he land, wheat might be grown in tn,
same place year after year without inpov
eri>h,ng the soil.
In the growing of both wheat and corn
clover should he ofener used in the r0la
ton. Nothing is better than II clover Crol
10 improve the farm. He who can &c
one good crop of clover may, for an iniel
mite time, raise good crogs CT anythin;
else.
The outlook in the future for the farme
| in Vermont is TO my mlnd good; but Il
| said before, lie vino would be successful
4 must know his business and waste no iol
| of labor or capital by careless, slip.sno,
L work. TO one vino is an inrtlstriuu,
careful, searching farmer, Vermont Offer
> in her good soil, h'r hcnlthful climate, he
good schools and her nearnoss to goo,
+ mal knts advantages not often to DO foun'
e elsewhere.
+ If time allowed | would like to sDnal
Of the chances Oft red in Il tfercnl place
by following ont II certain line Of opera
tons.
In selecting suitable farm, not onl
should the condition Of the soil be careful
ly considered. but its location must he ais
looked ut. For dairying or sheep raisin;
nenrness TO market is not Of SO much &c
count; hut if vegetables or fiuil--eSpcc
tally the small fruits to be raised, on
: acre of land within mile of your mtrkt
=. place is better worth one hundred dollar
+ per acre than fifty dollars per acre tiv
= miles from market, the quality of The Liant
being the same. The travelling If tina
five miles so often would destroy you
profits.
In the coming time all the chances vii
t be, must be, nicely calculated, for cos
] competition will enter into all hu>ine>
j transactions, including that .rrating It
e farming, and the successful farmer mus
= be as shrewdly sJudious and plnStakin.
7 must combine us many good qualities, IL
n he who follows any other business or pro
fession. Earth, with all her buunleou
$ gifts, must be treated generously and in
e diligently, or her storehouse viii be close
e against our ill.directed opportunities.
= urge it upon You al rs farmers o
D Vermont, who love your native state an,
b would see her prosper and rise to ocrup
/ the place she should hold among her sisle
: states, to see to it that farm life in Vel
: mont be made attractive TO your sons
e that the home atmosphere be kept s
/ clear and bright that tho malaria Of
h., western fever shall have 10 chance fo
: IL fooIhnId in their systems. Ii the son
= and daughters Of our state can be KEEP
f contented and happy, the prosperity q
/ Vermont in the future is assured, for trul
= cnnipnIrI and haDDV farmers are ulIUpV