Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-11-26
Good Farming in Vermont.


For six or seven years our good friend
aud valued correspondent, Y. E. Jameson,
has supplied us with sketches Of noteworthy
work among the farmers of the state, under
the caption of " Vermont Farms" A longer
interval than usual since the last of these
leads us to select from our exchanges two no.
tees of farms which contain stimulating and
encouraging facts regarding the progress of
sound farming among us. The first, from
the Newport Express, refers to the improve
ments made upon the farm of Samuel S.
Tinkham of Bloomington. The writer of
this notice says "Thirty years ago the
people hereabouts were familiar with strip
of land on each side Of the road, running
north from Captain Timothy Joslyn's farm
on the east side, and Kimball Smiths on the
west side of the highway, that seemed 10 be
no better than so much waste land. 1t had
very gentle and even slope towards the
north, and apparently there were hundreds
of acres that were producing nothing, or
next to nothing; and the general impression
But hard work, applied intelligently and
persistently, has wrought out good farm on
each side Of the road. Twentynine years
ago last January Samuel S. Tinkham moved
into town and bought the land on the east
side of Captain Joslyn. Mr.. Tinkham had
one requisite of good farm-it was as level
as the praires of the West but aside from
this his neighbors did not envy him his pos
session. He was young, however, and full
of courage and energy, and thirty years has
wrought almost marvellous change in the
look of things. He can now pride himself
upon having one of the finest farms in town.
He can start with moving machine from
the highway south of his buildings and NOW
due east for half mile and some eight or
ten rods In doing this he crosses two or
three boys which for some time were utterly
worthless, but by system of undertaking
have proved to be very rich and fertile. He
has laid some FIVE hundred rods of blind
ditch at cost of sl25 per rod. Instead
of having scarcely enough hay to keep four
animals through the winter, as when he COM
menced, he can now keep herd of twenty
five cattle and team of borses and still
have some bav left. One nrincinle has
seemed to aotuate him all the wav through
and that ia To turn the nrot;ts all bach on 70
the farm itself Some farmers ara content
~ Ia, tho;r .nrround;nao raroa;n as ,hoy
we're 90 far as taste and adornment ara con.
earned while the surnlns nrotits are in.
vested az as 10 hr;,a 4, ,;,,,o ;r,oros,
onar Th;s; 10 oarta;uIv oonvan;ao, 70 haze
but II Seams 10 ma a m;stakan nolicv IL !,
conld have heen snont in maxine bone ,ore
attractive o. Tho farr, mora nrod,o,;va NJ
T;nkbam has not erred IN th;o d;rao,;on
Hs has built for himself an attractive home
a roomv and commod;o,s bor.o and harn,
With ali tho modsro ;mnrovomants Ia no,
hro,oht ru,n;no a,sr a, on;,a On a,,aso
blasting through a solid rock for a .nr;no q,
the .Joslvn farm in which he was engage,
for thirty davs or more. His metbods ma,
NOT be adanted IN all kinds of so;l or CON
dit;ons bnt thew have availad for mi
locality Tho other dav whan wa var
there. he was cutting a heavy growth o
rowen and feeding il ont at once IN hi
stock. not suffering them To occunv h;
moving apy part of the wear. Unlike mos
farmers, he fancies jersey stock for tn
DIR NptI apan oil t,,Na l..