Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-03
Learn Your Trade.

Learn Your Trade.
Even our optimistic friend Tinkham is
now willing to admit that there are some
men trying to farm it who do not know how
to hitch up team to plow. The butter buy
ers are unanimous in the opinion that great
many of our dairymen and women cannot,
or at least do not, make good butter. Any
observing man among us soon finds out that
he has neighbors who do not know how to
save and handle manure properly, or to ap-
ply manure and fertilizers to the best adj
vantage. The same may be said of the Sc
lection and planting of seed of the tillage,
the harvesting, and the marketing of crops
of the setting out and the care of fruit trees
of the making of sugar aud of various
other operations of the farm. We know
that we run an imminent risk, in saying
these things, of being quoted as abusing
and insulting our fellow farmers But the
Scriptures tell us that "faithfu are the
stripes of FRIEND" and If we are abusing
you, brethren, it is out of warm regard for
your true interests, and because we believe
that you have the pluck to bear the truth,
and the desire to amend what is defective
in your practices.
This article, however, is more particularly
addressed to our younger readers, both male
and female. IL is to them that we give the
advice to learn the trade of farming before
they begin it on their own account. As long
as we have no agricultural schools or col
leges we must learn our trade mainly on the
farm. Much can be gained by reading, and
there are dozen works on agriculture that
every young man who means to be farmer
ought to own and study. Noyoung woman
who expects to be a farmers wife is wise
who does not buy and study a good hand
book of dairying, of poultry management, of
domestic economy and of the principles of
health. But no trade can be fully learned
out of books To give all the particulars of
everything that good farmer or good
housewife knows about his or her business
would take big sbelf-full of books,-and
it wouldn't all be there then. Hundreds of
operations on the farm and in the household
mus. be seen and prdciiced, over and over
again, before they can be learned.
Farming, especially in New England, is
getting to be very close business. There
is none too much margin of profit, even to
the most skillful amongst us. "Scrub
farming never was either very noble or
very profitable employment Ignorance, or
want of skill, in one or two points, may
knock off all the profits of farmers whole
business. The wife of one of the most sue
cessful farmers in Orleans county, one of the
few who have bought large farm mostly on
credit and are now free from debt, told us
that If she had not worked as a hired girl |
with one of the best dairymen in Franklin
county, they never could have paid for their |
farm in the world. This lady's cheese is
famous all over the county, and "sels at |
sight for good many cents pound over |
"market rates." The best dairywoman we
know of was school marin " who when |
she found she was in danger of marrying a |
common farmer" gave up her school, |
went on to first-class dairy farm as a |
"servant" CHATS the term she uses herself, |
in speaking of it, and seems to be proud to |
think she was 8" good and faithful servant,') |
and learned to make both butter and cheese |
that is always "gilt-edged" And, by the
way, this woman's husband is also out of |
debt, with firstcass farm and stock, aud |
money to let.
The most successful for years the only
fuh Oh -, 81
an 1rishmau who worked faithfully many
years as hired man, both 10 Ireland and in |
this country, before he began farming for |
himself. He sells 81 900 worth of apples a |
year, and he has money to let" also. We |
might quote great many such instances,
but probably all our readers know of such
for themselves. Now, probably, nearly every
farmer in the state has worked on farm,
either his fathers or some other mans, be-
fore he began on his own account And yet
good many of them are not what could be
honestly styled very good farmers. 1t makes
as much difference under whom you studied
farming as it does where you went to school.
The boy who got his schooling from an ig-
q
disadvantage with another equally bright
who has had first class schooling Just so
on the farm. 1t is quite as easy to learn
what you had better not know as what you
ought to know-and generally good deal
easier. at is better not to know 80 much,
than to know so much that amt So" says
the wise Josh Billings. Don't go to learn
your trade OF botch, whether you mean to
be farmer or mechanic, lawyer or doctor.
In England it is customary for farmers to
take apprentices, and these apprentices not
only give their labor and pay their board,
but also, with farmers of high reputation,
pay handsome premium in cash for the
opportunity of learning the methods and
management Of first class farm. The
English youth who mean to farm seem to
think such knowledge really valuable
thing" worth money" But this idea has
not yet got into the noodles of young Yer
monters, to any great extent. We doubt if
our best farmers get their help any cheaper
on that account But that is all the better
for those who are willing aud desirous of
learning the business under good instruct
ors. 1t surely is good thing if you can
get good place and good wages, and be
getting moneys worth into your head at
the same time. Unfortunately, while there
are not many nowadays who believe, with
Shakespeare's clown, that "reading and
writing come by nature" there are thou
sands upon thousands of Young American