Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-21
Farm and Household.
what OppOrtunIties Does Agriculture
Offer 60 Young Farmersi

what Opportunities Does Agriculture
Offer 60 Young Farmersi
The above question was recently discussed
(says the New England Farmer at meeting
Of one of our farmers clubs, and from the
course the discussion took the listener might,
very naturally, incline to agree with the state
ment recently made by DIR. Loring, that the
discussions by farmers at their club meetings
'never amount to anything in the way of
settling a point, for the same old questions
are constantly coming up year after year,
and through generation after generation.
The discussion reminded one of a certain
more or less juvenile debating club, where
such questions as the ''relative independence
Of the farmer and the mechanic, ''the ad-
vantages of early or late marriages. etc,
were discussed by bringing up all the person
al illustrations within the knowledge of the
several dsputants the side that could recall
the greater number of cases usually gaining
the votes OF the "house." But after all (says
the Farmer what better course can one pur-
sue when celebrating in his own mind wheth-
err he shall be farmer a mechanic a mer-
chant, or q professional man, than to look
about among his acquaintance and see how
they succeed, each in his chosen or accepted
calling. The only difficulty we encounter is
that of Judging from results gained by too con-
tracted a scope of observation. We are apt
to form an opinion too hastily, and before
we have looked upon all sides. We are, most
of us. too near sighted to take in broad and
extensive views of the subjects we would in
vestigate IT, as a farmer, our own life is
less success than we could wish, we are apt
to underrate the possibilities of agriculture as
business. If we see a shiftless neighbor
struggling for an unsatisfactory livelihood
from tilling the soil, we are too apt to con-
denim the business rather than the manage
mont Especially is this true if We happen
to find several such shiftless farmers in one
neighborhood. Again, our attention is called
to the success of one among fifty or hun
bred business men, and we remember the
one, while We forget the fifty or one hundred
who fail 1t is one of the funny things in
this world that the large majority of men in
any calling are apt to speak disparagngly of
their own business. Your physician may tell
you that he loves his profession, but that he
could not advise his son or any other young
man to enter it. The work is too wearing,
and one has no independence, but is the ser
want of everybody, and must answer the door
bell call regardless of weather or the hour of
the day or night.
The lawyer will admit that there may be
money in his business, but it is likely to come
oftentimes from doing very dirty or distaste
full work The merchant will tell you of his
cares, his risks, and his anxieties, of his notes
that are coming due without knowing exact
ly where the money is coming from to pay
them. The capitalist complains of the un-
faithfulness of the laborer, while the laborer
complains equally hard against the inhuman-
ity of the men of wealth. All seem to wish
they could change places with somebody else
SO that the farmer who is called the most
chronic grumbler of all would be really the
exception, were he always fully satisfied with
his lot in life.
At the meeting alluded to, the disputants
happened not to be farmers upon either side,
so those farmers who sat and listened had the
whole benefit of the fun with none of the re-
sponsibility of the work 1t was claimed on
one side, that farmers are independent, free
from care, can sleep nights and enjoy their
days, have no notes to pay unless they know
where the money is coming from with which
to meet them. If prices good they can
SELL if otherwise, they can hold on, and they
will have enough to eat in either case. On
the other side, it was claimed that farmers
have the heaviest burden of taxation of any
class in the community, because their prop
erty is all in sight and cannot be shifted
about to avoid the eyes of the assessors that
farm property is mortgaged quite as extern
sively as any other property that farmers
cannot, as a rule, hold their crops, but must
dispose of them whether the price is satisfac-
tory or not Much of their produce is per-
ishable and must be sold to save it, while
very many are compelled to realize upon
their crops to meet their obligations; in
short, that the real opportunities of the
young farmer may be summed up in a very
few words viz a great deal of hard scratch
ing, the closest economy, and very little to
show for it. To fortify the positions taken,
each side brought up its illustrations of sue
cessful and unsuccessful farmers, of men who
had commenced with nothing and become
rich, and of men who had inherited good
farms and died without increasing their val
ue and after an hour of such discussion and
overhauling of neighbors' pecuniary affairs,
the main question seemed to those not en-
gagged in its discussion to rest just about
where it did at the outset. Some men sue
coed and some fail in every kind of business
or occupation. Agriculture does offer oppor-
tunities TO those who know how to take ad-
vantage of them, and who like the business
well enough to prosecute it in a systematic
and business like way.