Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-05

those who are putting brains rs wen ~
muscle into their work. In those Gays
the man who made the most money was
the best farmer, without stopping TO con,
slider at what expense of muscle or SOIL
the money had been obtained. | once
heard farmer boast that he had made
more butter within the last twenty years
than any farmer in the county. but he did
not say what some of his hearers knew,
that he had worn out two wives IN the
work. and had another going fast in the
steps of her predecessors, asIthe price oil
the boosted results. Are there not TOO
many farmers who are now wealthy, who
have procured their wealth at too great q
sacrifice of health and soil? While their
bank account has been gaining their SOIL
has been losing their health and that OF
their families has been destroyed by over
work, and they are dragging out miser-
able existence when God intended that
they should have lived in such a manner
that green old age should have been their
portion instead of pain and disease-a bur-
den to themselves and their friends. And
what have they to show for all this labor
and sacrifice? A small tin trunk filled
with notes and bonds and half dozen
sons and daughters scattered from Mime
sofa to California, and from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, themselves cared for by
aliens and strangers, with none of kith or
| kin to perform the last sad rites due from
men to their fellow men; and the sons
and daughters in distant portions of the
country hear with sadness of their end,
and delegate some lawyer of their native
town to see to the division and transmits
sion to them of their share of the contents
OF the old tin trunk.
Now, brother farmers, do you say this
is an overdrawn sketch? Let me ask you,
if, on Il moments reflection, you cannot
recall instances that have come under
your own observation, that will corroborate
all have said upon the subject? will
refer to two cases that have come under
my own personal observation. One is
that of f. rmer who, about twenty years
ago, bought an extra good farm-one that
the owner for the previous ten years had
expended the entire income upon in inn
provement, bringing up the soil to high
State of cultivation, with good fences and
buildings The purchaser owed about two
thousand five hundred dollars for the farm,
and he went to work with the determina-
ton to pay that debt in the shortest posi-
Bile time. lie denied himself and family
the Injuries and many of the necessary
comforts of life sold hay and grain and
everything that could be turned in to pay
that debt. In four or five years it was
paid; but the produce of the farm had
been reduced about one-third, and the
stock in the same ratio. The process OF
skinning was continued. He wanted the
same income as formerly, which was OBJ
aimed by reducing the stock, and now, at
the end of twenty years, the entire crops
of the farm will not keep one-half the
stock that it did when he came into pos
and good span of horses for n team, rs
then, he now has only a span of horses
one twenty years old, and the other six or
eight years. The one is a worn out. heavy
animal, and the other high spirited and
active-the two no more fitted to work to-
gethcr than horse and Il COW. Now this
farmer has made money from his farm and
is wealthy; yet at sixty years of age he is
u broken down, round shouldered, diseas-
ed man, and his wife but little better in
these respects than himself. The soil that
was rich when he took it is now compare
lively poor ;the good fences are now tumble
down, rickety affairs, a source Of trouble to
himself and veXatious to his neighbors
but the man is called good and success
full farmer.
! The other case to which will allude is
that of young farmer who bought farm
of naturally good soil. but it had been run
out by excessive cropping, The former
| ,,vnor had communicated yvoolth from, tho
farm, and left it completely run down in
soil, fences and buildings. The young
man made up his mind that if he ever
paid for his farm he must do it by first i'm
proving the soil and increasing its pro-
ductive capacity. lie has worked with
that object in view, and ut the end of ten
years he has trebled the productions of the
farm, increasing the stock in the same
proportion, improved the buildings and
fences and supported a growing family,
but has paid only the interest on the debt
owing for The farm.
The old time farmers point to this young
man with scorn. They say he has been
on that farm ten years, and has not paid 4
dollar of the purchase money. They fail
to see that tie improvement on the land
and buildings, the increased value of the
stock and tools would 90 far towards pay
,, ing the debt on the farm. With the pres
, ent condition of the farm the owner car
pay one hundred dollars easier than he
! could twenty-five when he came into pos
session. He claims that he has only begar
! to improve the soil, and intends to agair
. double the crops within the next five
years. Now the old fogies are shaking
their heads and whispering that if The
, young farmer has paid none of the princi
! pal on his farm in ten years he never viii
. pay for it; while men who have money L
invest are ready TO take the Indebtedness
+ at Il reduced rate of interest, knowing thu
farm is worth double the incumbrance, ant
' is yearly improving in value.
These cases, both of them literally true
! are a fair type of the old and new style o
+ farming. The old style farmers sons llav,
= left, OF wish to leave, for some other occu
! patton, while the young man may reason
ably expect TO retain his sons upon thu
farm, and that they will grow up lovers o
+ the farm and farm life.
!. Now what we want is to encourage Tho
improvement of the soil. Better is it 70
a any farmer to let half his land lay idle ant
put his manure and his labor upon thu
f other half getting larger crops from tn
i half than upon the whole, and with great
n ly lessened expense. | venture the asser
ton that there is not an acre of land in oil
n Caledonia county but what can be made t,
:. double the best and largest crops eve
4 raised upon it. Old Judge Bush, in tn
( Albany CUltiUatOr, said twenty years ago
: of using fertilizers, THAT lavish expendi
/ turc was rigid economy" No truer word
# were ever uttered by man. | exhort ever
# young man engaged in farming to get GU
l. of the ruts that we who have gone befor
n them have made, and take new depart
# ure, and not rest satisfied until you hay
II brought your farms up to their highes
q possible capacity. | wish to say RICH
n here that to be in debt is burden. Fla
d be it from me 10 encourage running j
e debt or keeping in debt; but do not, to pa
J. IA debt kill the goose that lays the golde
d egg. The goose is your soil, and whe
d you rob that, even to pay debt. you ar
robbng Peter to pay Paul. Put you
- brains as well rs muscle to the work, an
g the improvement Of Your soils and you
k minds will keep pace, and you will env
r. no man, whatever his occupation or en-
is ployment.
! Now, allow me to say, that. in nv opir