The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-08-15
A STRIKING CONTRAST.

The following extract from an al
dress by DIR. John p. Edge before the
Pa. State Board of Agriculture, pre-
sents marked difference between the
conditions of American and foreign
farmers: "The widest difference be-
tween the foreign and American far
iner Is In the method of tillagc. That is
very poor township with us that can
not display among its farms one or
more full sets of labor-saving applian-
ces, of the most improved pattern. We
depend on machinery to perfect and
harvest our crops. With a span of
horses aud ono man our average farm
ers of 100 acres will do all the years
work, except threshing and part of the
harvest. He has ample barns; his
buildings are centrally located to cover
all the advantages of water, drainage,
etc. His house, il not pretentious has
the appearance of comfort and solidity.
Everything about gives You the impress
sion that the occupants live at home.
In Great Britain and on the CONT
nent 1t Is different. All the surround
ings speak of age and pinch. Tho far
mer is a peasant; his home cottage,
generally straw or tile covered, low,
damp and cave-like. You see no large
wagon-houses filed with mowers and
reapers. His barn is shed, often con-
nected with the dwelling and under the
same roof; his harvest in stacks; his
domestic animals part of his family,
the stable often serving as q sleepinp
apartment for both. Everything is
primitive, and the entire living sug-
gests the renter, who is in reality load
ed down with rents, taxes and tithes,
until after the landlord, the Priest and
the state, and the municipality are salts
fed, often has less than one-fiflh of his
earnings for his share.
Then again, the land is so divided up
that tho farms assigned to these tenant
ry are generally ranging from two acres
TO fifty, from which he must maintain
Ines warfare. On the continent the
contrast is still more marked. And
while in the German and French-speak-
Ing nations you see everywhere the ev-
idence of a highly successful husband
ry, you arc in wonder that such results
follow so crude and unskillfhl practices.
The families are clustered in villages,
and 30 the harvested crops are carried
for long distances often OIL the backs
or heads Of women. 1t is curious and
revolving sight, as you rush along the
iron road, to see in almost every field,
women with one or two cows, or it NAV
be with COW or donkey harnessed to a
rude, clumsy pillow that one of us would
not know what to do with, turning the
deep rich mold, and doing work that
our crack plowmen could not excel.
In an adjoining plat you may see a half
dozen women and girls bonnetless, sun
burned, broad-shOuidercd, big footed,
and l am sorry to add, aeldom good
looking, with great clumsy hoes break
ing up the soil, and doing at once the
work OF plow and harrow. Their
strength and will are good, and it is
surprising the amount OF work they do.
The men are seldom seen at this Kind
or thing. They run the railroads, the
army, the schools, the professions. etc. :
they are presuming and bigoted. The
women, as seen in the market or on the
farm, are stolid, subdued, untidy, un-
hammered, and slavish looking. II is
an unnatural sight to see them with
great loads of hay and grain on their
backs, or OF brushwOod from the distant
forests, while a big stout Hans stands
at each road crossing in military suit,
with gun at present arms as you pass.
You feel like exploding the whole thing
IL you had the power, and only pet The
better OF your Indignation when you
cross the border of republican Switzer-
land and see that woman il recognized
as citizen and an equal.