Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-10-01
Wafrhnan & gnnrnaL
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 1, 1879.
Letter from Minnesota.

MfSsEAPoLIs MINI, September a. 1879.
Messrs. Editors You ask me to give my i'm
pressions OF what | saw in Vermont, viewed in the
light of my Western experience.
am happily disappointed in the general ap-
| pearance OF what | saw I had heard much
about hard times and business failures and was
prepared to find dilapidation and decay. On the
contrary, found improvement in the farming
communities and little II any dilapidation in the
villages. The farms saw showed larger and bet
ter fields, and on the whole better buildings and
fences than five years ago. The roads were some
Of them better, but many poorer than when I saw
them before. On the whole the intrinsic value
| OF farms is greater than when left, though
| prices seem to have broken down. Crops except
corn, seemed good, and prices of farm products,
except butter very good. Considering the differ
ence in the purchasing power of money never
saw better prices for most farm products than
| found last summer.
| While the farms are growing slowly in size and
quality, the number OF farmers is decreasing.
| remember the farm-houses and families, on
now vacant places, and the farms have been an
nexed to others. This attribute to the use Of
machinery, enabling a less number of men to
carry on the same amount of land. There has
been improvement also in farm machinery and
implements
-, ,,a n,u.,s.. -, s,..,.'
...o,,',,, 49,, .-s .,a..,-..s. ,r,.y,.'. O W
,ha, ~ ,,r,d aoa, - ~, H., ..',,
o.o l., vo,,,,. 1, - ~ =, A., s.-
bor,h, ,horo ,,as hn, = l,,,io Iaaa 90 ho .u,as
al nu -, 49,. ..'.. l.. -, y, ~,
idoa Il ,horo Ia ,and ono,,,,h ond % - raa,
or,, ,r,o.. so .,,,o,,, "a .a.,,...,,1a, ,u..,a..
f,r,,,., ,oro,o,. =, ,,-a,,-s,,
Ia ,nr h,,ii,.. ,,, .h ,..,.,... -,
them vermont arms aro o,roo,iv s,,or;or 60 ,,oso
Of tho wos, Avorno,, bon,os,aaJ ,,.,,,, $50
yarn tarns aud on,han.a. a,r.,,,,., .-,., s-..,,
trees and c.rden and an,vorina shr,hs haaa
mora cheorfnI asnoc, ,han s,na1i oo,,a,,a
omen nrair;o ,,;,,, - s,ao,,s a.d h,,.sa.a,
novels for surronndincs Thero "a bo,nomos
abundant comnensa,ion in looking n, ,ho ,roa,
stocls -, ,,rai, so ,,,,,,oro,,s an wos,o., -,
Socially vermont farmors havo tho advan,a,,o
for tbev ara ano,g frie,as and ,,o,,hhor. H.
tbev have know, fron, ,ho,r ho,hoaa ,rh,,a ua
Western farmers seem se, down on n ,roa, nrair,o |
ocean and a. soli,or,, A.. ~ o, ,ho coo L.;
spnnosa q, uila IA a,,, lo,oor -, - .o;.;o ,,a. l.,
A valley bnt the distance thronoh a road nos,1in,,
among hills seems shorter than over ono croosir9
AN omen nr,irie and following section lines This
snupness of neighborhoods is ,yanir, oyor In
Vermont The number of farmers 10 dacreasi,a
and emigration has thinned thoir ranks ,i,;rq |
place To foreign elements The bomes ot onr ho, |
hood seem strange nIaces. tho old poi,hhors oyo
gone and their nlacas eitber ,ocar, m ana ,.,,h
strangers
This denlet;or Of ,,onnlot;or ia bo-;,,, a;.o.
irons effect on vour common scboo,s in vormon,
II il nearly imnossihla N 6nd within .orri,oraI
limits that nermit childra, q, ,,a1L o., ,ho ,o,1i
honse scbolars o,o,,,b y, s,,,,,,r, = go, 49,,
had noticed tbis resnl, for sarora, 49, hor.sat
1eft tho s,o,a aud ,hin,, ,ho o,,;, ;,....r,.,..
Indeed On far as school nriv;Ioaas ,ro o,,oor,aS
the Westarn farmars bayo ,ho od,,,n,aro on.
schools have large endowments an, NJ ,ha ,and
grants made bv Concress and onr ,aonio ,a,.a
nride in tbeir snn,nrt /, an, ., ,,,,,. .o,la.
haunep IN own Was,ern I,rds ,ha,, s,a ,ha,.
school tax nm imno,,a,t ;,on, 7, sao,,, =, 49,
wsstarr maj, o,,od 30 ooI,ao. q, 90, 90. - u,a..
landbolders
Though tho vermort s,r,ors ho,o .ho,,,.
tage in hone s,rro,ndi,,,. and 81 ho; -,
old neighhors and Li,dr.d wos,or, ,,rs,o,, ha,,e
very e,reat adyo,,aaa 4, tho ar,o,n, ona ua,,,,a
their farm products Tho sane indns,r,, and
economv that ,vuI givs a v.rn,,t t,rn,or
seantv living. will enable a Minne.o,, farmer IN
grow rich land ia chean and nroduc,ivo ror
six dollars an acre anv amount of land can be
bought here more productive and more nro6tahle
to work than the hest old farms in vor,,on,
Three wears AGO those Lands conld he h,nah, ,nr
less than two dollars ner acre The copn,rv Ia
filling up faster than ever before