Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-01-12
Out West.

has come home satisfied that not much can
be gained by New England farmer in |
going to the western country. Speaking |
of the complaints usually heard regarding |
the east, he says They plead that there
is no chance to make anything but liveli-
hood or, perhaps, trife of margin. Very
well. This may be so No .one advocates
that farm in Maine is field for riches.
But there is the diversity of our cultivated
crops to be considered. There is the reason
able assurance that If one crop fails, some
others are successful, and this alone can
but commend the east as preferable to the
west to all candid judgments. Let COM
planning farmers go there, and if they do
not become disgusted in season to return
east before making Investments (Which is
usually the most fortunate thing for them
to do) and commence farming in the mode
and to the extent of the average farmer
there, he will be an exception If he does not
sooner or later farm himself dry as the
term goes there"
OF Wisconsin he says: &C. The soil had a
fine appearance, as well as the crops. The
buildings, however, were uniformly poor
really inadequate, New Englander would
think, to the ordinary comforts and require
ments of life."
At Mason City, Iowa, he stopped several
days and examined the country, and re-
marks " We were when at Mason City, in
one of Iowa's most favored localities, as all
contend. We travelled through the best of
it, Our route lay by team, ten miles north
west of the city where we took up our abode
and radiating from there, out in various di-
rections into the country, we viewed the
wheat fields, then being harvested, and noted
the estimated yield per acre, the probable
cash value, the amount invested in harvest
implements, and costs of harvesting. After
our trip for the day was finished, we gos-
siped (as Yankees often do) of the neighbor-
ing farmers financial condition, and eluci-
dated enough to cause us to cease our sur
prise at the squalid, poverty-stricken appear
ances surrounding us. We had for inform
ants those whom we knew to be conversant
with these subjects as well as reliable And
here en- masse will give that which | OBJ
tanned: The average farm consists of about
one hundrad aud oiAty acres but farms
vary from little less than this amount to
one thousand acres. There are very rev
cultivated farms above this figure. The
farmer having ono hur7dred and SIXTY acres
usually sows and plants about one hundred
and twenty-five of it; and larger farmers
maintain about the same proportion. Wheat
is the great staple and corn figures second
in Importance. Wheat averages about fif-
teen bushels per acre, and brings usually
about eighty cents. Corn averages about
forty bushels per acre, and the price has
ranged from fifteen to forty cents. There
are some oats raised at an average of per
haps forty bushels per acre, and bringing
from twenty to twenty-five cents. Neither
drouths nor grasshoppers have any effect
here, the soil being of that quality not to be
affected by the former, and the latter have
always skipped this portion of the country
thus far in their ravages. But, nevertheless
cropping is a very precarious business, the
partial failure of the last three seasons be
ing due to the extreme heat generated OIL
the head of the wheat by the hot, vertica
rays of midsummer's sun. The days Of
June 10th, 11th and 10Th, alone sufficed tc
ruin the crop for 1878. More protracted
and less intense heat has had the same effect
in the seasons of 1879 and 1880. The last
few seasons the chinch bug has been making
some ravages and much is feared from him
in the future. But neither the precarious
ness of cropping nor the excessive outlay in
agricultural implements is the great oppres
very poor-to begin with. 1t is estimated
that at least one farmer in ten is renter
and that of the remainder-county records
will show the state over-that three-fourths
are under mortgages. | was told of the
manner in which loans are negotiated. The
applicant goes to the loan agent and geti
eight hundred and fifty dollars, giving there
for his note secured by first mortgage, fol
one thousand dollars with interest Thereon
at ten per cent, payable in one year, making
an interest of two hundred and fifty dollari
on eight hundred and fifty dollars per annum
one hundred and fifty dollars OF which il
taken at the giving of the note This is, in
deed, the paradise of that class of men who
prey upon the necessities OF other men,"
From Iowa he went to Dakota. Here he
says; "The country towns are almost be
yond the power of description. The inhab
itants are simply squatters on the prairie
squatting by railroad whether there is an,
demand or not for central point at tn
! chosen place; houses one story high, com
posed of mud and sods at that stores tn
same, and the principal commodity at tina
!. the only decent thing about them being tn
= sign; streets, anywhere and everywhere, a
lie also are the horses, mules, cattle, sheep, pigs
> chickens and children of the towns. Ii
: short, it is simply conglomerate mass o
| the most cosmopolitan population on tn
face Of the globe; and place altogethe
y the most unlikely for man from the east
4 whose training had been in decent society
b to settle. While looking over one of thes
o towns in quest of place to SETTLE it wa
Il suggested to him by one of the well-meanin
e inhabitants of the town, that a man Nigh
g build up reputation in such a town muc
easier than in the east. Yes" excaime
' an old gentleman, taking in the situation
R. but what would the reputation be wort
II among such a pack of hoodlums ?" So ia
g. as the soil, wood, water and The genert
g. characteristics are concerned, Dakota differ
T. little from Iowa. The soil in each is fine ricf
Il and seemingly inexhaustible; the scarcity c
wood is as readily recognized in the one a
the other and, as to water, there is marke
ar scarcity of that network of little stream
AZ a, and rivulets usually seen, and always seel
ssip ngly necessary as an invigorator of the sol
There is very good system Of larger rivel
but notable lack of feeders. This max,