The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-12-12
THANKSGIVING sERneN.

THANKSGIVING sERMeN. Il,
DEtIyEssD ,sI nav. :; :: noox.n os xas
THAsKsoryIso DAT. nov. q. is,s. 1l'l'
Palm xvi, 9; The lines are fallen unto me In
pleasant plsces; yea, 1 have found goodly
We come together. to-day In q spirit
Of general congratulations. The return
to specie payment is satisfactorily ac-
complished; Z" fist money y 10 q heresy
of the past; the harvests have been
abundant; the demand for our pro-
ducts for the foreign markets 10 advanc-
ing them to renunerative price; re-
stored confidence is setting free boarded
capital; property generally IL feeling
the returning buoyancy; even, our po-
litical heavens are clearing and good
sense Is returning-so like the mighty
onset OF Q tide that we liken It to the
"b0om" Of the sea. So, as we assem-
BILE on this day of state and national
Thanksgiving, something of the old en-
thusiasm and good feeling are rising
again, and we begin to see the truthful
ness of the Psalmist's words for ms % .
people: "The lines are fallen unto me
In pleasant places; yea, ] have goodly
heritage" IL ss''
l have thought, however, that 1t
might be profitable to restrict the
field of view to-day, and consider our
own goodly heritage as a town and
county. We find ourselves here as the
shire town, and one Of the centres Of Q
considerable section. II we take time
to reflect, i am sure that we shall find
occasion to apply Dsvids congratula-
tory words to ourselves. In what /
have to say, shall speak In tho inter-
est of local public spirit. There are
several elements Of prosperity which
we shall find among ourselves Needing
development. We will begin with that
which has the seeming Of tho outer
courts. 1t Is that with which wish
chiefly to occupy your thoughts to-day.
We enter the inner sanctuary every
Lords day. Look, then, first, ct the
physical groundwork Of our heritage.
The beauty and grandeur Of our soon
cry is constantly before us. AZ the
mountains were round about Jerusalem,
70 are they round shout M. or that
ancient city it was sung: " beautiful
for situation, the Joy of the whole earth
is Mount Zion, ON the sides OF the north,
the city Of the Great King" (Ps. Xviii,
81 If the Joy of landscape had been ell,
the outlook from Mt. Zion would have
been comparatively tame. The" glory
Of God was known in her palaces az
nowhere else. Our horizon sEirted
east and west by Q chain Of grand
mountains, the valley between check
ercd by forest and feld, lake and river,
and clothed in their several beauties,
many generations who love the beauti-
ful, will yet dwell here and rejoice In
their heritage as goodly. While aanked
on either side by mountain ranges and
broken by hills, we have q productive
soil. L.
I think there is . prevailing idea
that the lsnds of tho Weat arc, on An
average, producing much moro abun-
dant harvests than those Of the Eastern
states. Perhaps tho s4ne thought pre-
walls concerning the lands Of the South
In comparison with those of the North
and East. The Princetoh Review for
this month throws light upon this sub
ject. In an article By Robert p. Porter.
Esq, of Chicago. the following facts
are stated upon the authority Of the re-
ports of 1877. The average yield OF
corn per acre In the Eastern States was
thirty-fve bushels; In the Western
states, thirty-ono and f0ur-tsnths BUSH
els; In the Southern states, eighteen
and four -tenths; an average In our "a
vor of little moro than three and one
half bushels over that OF the West and
of thirteen bushels more than ct the
South. The average Of the wlleat crop
in the Eastern States was seventeen
bushels per acre, in the Western States,
fifteen and four-tenths bushels; q little
over bushel and q half In our favor:
in the Southern States, nine and seven-
tenths bushels; margin on our side
OF seven and three-tenths bushels.
The average yield of oats was Z bushel
and half greater at the West than at
the East, and sixteen and two-tenths
greater than at the South. The aver
age value of these hstvests pcr year
was much more In our fAvOr In com
parisen with that Of tho West than
would appear from the comparative
yields, on account Of our greater prox-
unity 10 the coast. Tho value of corn
per acre In the Eastern states was $24.-
65; In the Western states, e9.05; q bal
ance Of 1850 In our favor; tho aver
age value in the Southern states was
fourteen cents greater than at the West.
The average vslue Of the wheat harvest
per acre 1t the East was o2a.Q7; ct the
West, 1909; ct the South, 0ii.6O; .
little over % in our favor ~ compared
with the West, and moro than ol2 a.
compared with the South. Our oat
harvest per acre was worth . little less
than twice as much ~ that Of tho West
and over third more than ct che South.
l think II will be granted that the pro-
ductiveness Of tho soil Of Addison
county Is as great - the average pro-
ductiveness Of the Eastern states. In
this division between Eastern aud
Western States, Ohio 10 considered the
boundary and is counted out.
And then the resources Of the coil OF
this county are by no means fslly devel-
oped for example, there are rich swamp
lands to the south Of us to be reclaimed !;
there are cold wet lands TO be drained
and made exceedingly productive. Ism
informed by person familiar with the
lay of the land, and who ought to be
good authority upon such matters, that
II the bed of the Greek could be lower
ed by dredging, or otherwise, for .
short distance south Of the village. the
work Of drainage would be thereby &C.
complished TO q considerable extent for
lands along the river. III this 10 true,
public spirit Is required, not flight N
the heavily wooded lands Of Northern
Michigan or North Carolina, or East
Tennessee. A free contribution by the
owners of the land, and some outlay by
10 this county great increase Of pro
ductive lands.
The relation of manufactures to e..
riculture Is q very important item In
political economy, aud practically foi
us. II either 10 carried TO IN extreme
at the expense of the other, 1t 10 not fol
general prosperity. England has De
yeloped manufactures In too grea
a trnnortion Mr. portar La An,