Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-09
Agricultural,


In the old days Of the slave regime, the
assertion that cotton was king hardly found a
doubling qucstiunor. Though the average
product OF that staple is greater under the
present system of free labor than at any time
before the war, it is still of less value than
the hay crop of the Northern States. The
value Of an average annual crop of cotton is
now about $500, 900, OOO the value of the
hay crop nearly $500, 600, 600. This estimate
is exclusive of the value of grass in pastur-
age. Including pasturage, the total value Of
the grass crop of the country is probably near
$500, 600, 600. In Vermont it is of much
greater value than all the other crops. Its
value in this State may be estimated at S1l,-
OOO 600 The aggregate value of the corn,
wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat and pota-
toes produced in this State falls short Of
$1,000, 600. Adding the value Of pasturage,
it will be seen that the grass crop is more
than twice the value Of all others. In Massa-
chusetts the value Of hay alone is more than
twice that Of all other crops; in the other
New England States its value compared with
other products, is about the same as in Mass
achusotts. In New York it is three times the
value of any other single crop the annual
product of hay in that State being worth
$50, OOO 600 or Sc, 100000.
We have only to consider these figures TO
comprehend what an immense addition to
the wealth of individuals and to the country
would result from making two spears Of grass
grow where one grew before. The wisdom
of Franklin's idea of the greatest public ben
efactor becomes apparent, even though his
words had not a more general application.
Unfortunately, on some Of our neglected
lands, only one blade of grass grows where
two or three grew before but, happily, this
is not the fact except in limited localities,
statistics showing an increased product to the
acre in most of the States.
An increase in the production of hay in this
part of our State would allow the keeping of
more live stock with little additional expense
above the cost of wintering, as there is album
dant pasturage for more stock than can be
wintcrcd even after the most favorable sea-
sons for hay. For several years past many
fine pastures in Windham county have been
only partially stocked or not at all. Cattle
have been taken to keep for the season in
good pastures at 81 per head. An increase
in the number of CATTLE once carried through
the winter, would supply the means of so i'm
proving the meadows that an increased pro-
duction of hay would follow and thus, with
in certain limit, permanent increase of
live stock could DO maintained 1t would
seem as though the best means of improving
the agriculture of this section would be found
in this direction.
Nothing on the farm gives better return
for the labor bestowed than the grass land
There is nothing to do with field of grass
but to cut and house it. Unless it fails from
excessive drouth, such as seldom occurs in
this climate, it is a sure crop. Other crops
may prove n failure from various causes that
do not affect the grass crop. We have OBJ
served that farmers that rely mostly on their
grass crops and the rearing of live stock are
the most successful. Among several others
that have been eminently successful in this
branch of farming, we have in mind farmer
of one of the mountain towns of Windhnm
county, who heard with apparent uuconcern
of his loss of $4,000 by the recently discovered
bank robbery, merely making some remark
about what he still had left-a property re-
puted to be worth not less than forty or fifty
thousand dollars. This man is the owner of
1900 acres of land. He has made largo
share of his money by what might be called
grass farming-the rearing and fattening of
live stock. His success demonstrates what it
is possible to do with the hill farms and graz
ing lands of Windham county. They are
worth occupying and caring for. Let them
not be deserted