Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-12-15
Promotion OF Agriculture.

Lack Of permanency in our laws is one Of
the greatest evils which afHicts our state
body polite. A large portion of the time
of each legislature is consumed in undoing
the work of its predecessor, either by direct
repeal, or by lacking on amendments which
practically enact new law. Many Of our
statutes have been SO many times amended
that they resemble the traditional pork
barrel, which, by the substitution Of stave,
or hoop, or a new head, through many
generations of owners had undergone such
a thorough Transformation that nothing of
the original barrel remained except the
bung-hole. The designation of certain laws
on our statute books is accomplished only
by a repetition of phrases involving the
words, AN act to amend an act entitled an
act in amendment of an act, etc." in be-
wildering tangle, which would tax the pro-
verbal acuteness Of "a Philadelphia lawyer
to decipher, or correctly to interpret the
law. This multiplicity of amendments is
fruitful source Of mistakes and misunder-
standings, which lead often to litigation.
This predisposition to change seems much
like the caprice that actuates child at
play--one legislative child setting up row
of statutory bricks for its successor to
tumble down.
The evils growing out of frequent changes
have been very forcibly illustrated in the
treatment by the Legislature of the laws per
tanning to the promotion of agriculture.
Agriculture being the primal interest of the
state, the Legislature has generally taken the
ground that anything which the farmers
could agree upon in the way of state en-
enlargement to the farming interest should,
provided always that it was within the
bounds of reason, receive the legislative
sanction. Outside of the establishment of
the agricultural college at Burlington, a
board Of agriculture was instituted which
had brief existence, and it was then over
thrown to clear the way for new expert
ment, of which superintendent of agri-
culture was the principal feature. Tired,
after two years experiment. with this plan,
like capricious child, one branch of the
legislature now throws away as a worthless
baube the superintendency of agriculture,
and demands to be given its old discarded
plaything, the board of agriculture. Now
this vacillation, or frivolity, in the use of
means to advance any cause would inev-
itably ruin it. Provided that a system is
not essentially wrong or fatally defective"
it matters less precisely which system is
adopted than that the system be steadily
adhered to, and under it the work be pros
ecuted with an enthusiasm and fixedness
of purpose that will atone for any imper-
lection in the system itself. A poor system
thus worked out is far better than a good
system subjected to frequent changes, or di.
vested of that energy and continuous sup
port which are indispensable to success.
Any interest, moral, POLITICAL or material,
can succeed and prosper only by agitation
systematic and persistent agitation. If its
friends are united, success will ultimately
crown their efforts. If anticipated results
have not followed the efforts of the agri-
cultural college, the board, or the superin-
tendency Of agriculture, to advance salts
factorily the first of our material interests,
much of the unsuccess may be fairly at
tributed to the fact that they who should
be its friends have pulled at common pur-
pose much like balky team. 1t had been
generally supposed that the superintendency
of agriculture had been productive of good,
sufficient at least to warrant its continuance
for another biennial term. So far as our
observation has extended, we should say it
had certainly earned a right to two years
more of life and trial. If defects or in
capabilities have been disclosed in the dis
charge or distribution of the benefits which
the office was intended to convey, let them
be corrected in the light of that experience
which makes perfect.
The addition of prizes for the boys for
meritorious farm products would undoubt-
eddy secure the application of the precepts
of the superintendent and his assistants in
an effective and practical manner. A plan
Wh'Sh NoheShpioeNo al BiSSNPe ohN nv ~
ward, or all prizes and no instruction, is only
half a plan, but combined, and supplemented
by industrious labor and intelligent applica-
tion of principles, good results must inevta-
bly, be secured. The farmers are entitled
first of all to liberal but considerable be-
stowal of the bounties of the state. Its aid
should not however, be frittered away by
a capriciousor unsystematic expenditure. A
dollar spent on a certain plan this year is vir-
tually lost if the plan is radically changed
next year; but dollar spent under an old sys-
TEN is worth two under new and untried sys-
TEN. So, gentlemen of the SOIL adopt some
plan for utilizing the bounty the state pays
to your interests and stick to it long enough
to give it a fair trial. Choose efficient men
for carrying out the intentions of the state
and hold them to a rigid and faithful dis
charge of their duty. In this way only can
agriculture be effectively promoted"