Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-02-09
Meeting at Barton Landing.
Continued from Fourth Page.

John f. Chamberlain of ALBANY seed
the third year after plowing and seed
lightly, and it holds out for IS or 20 wear
without plowing. He finds no difficult,
in keeping up the fertility of his soil and
increase it. He sells what he don't wan
and keeps what he does want. He doe
not believe in selling anything he can sell
and llvsng on the rest, and not only b,
short himself but starves his farm
DIR HOskins recommended orchard oras,
as grass that was of first quality, anC
you may cut tons to the acre; should ust
one hushel to the acre and seed with si1
lbs of clover added. The ground must b,
rich and kept up to a high standard o
richness
Prof. Sabin gave an address upon adap
tatlon of plants to the soil. which was al
address reDlete with interest After .
general discussion, adjourned to PM.
EVENING.
| Address by Gov. r. Ftrnham; subject
Vermont as a home forVermont farmers.
In the course of this most excellent ad.
drnsS no remarknd as follows. 9 7 esteem
myself fortunate that I live in Vermont
that my education in the academy and col
ege was completed within it, and thus
have no divided allegiance. NV interest
and sympathes are all for and with oul
own state. | wish that every Vermont
boy and girl might he educated at home
| As men and women. our homes are in Yer
| mont and here we propose 10 remain. The
| change of home is not light matter. We
| are not simply birds of prey that fly from
place to place in search of food our whole
| aim is not to locate where we can make
| the most money or raise the largest crops,
but to make home for ourselves and chill.
dren.-find place where they can be edu.
Gated and cultivated, and where we can
pass the last days of our ives in quiet and
| contentment, amid the mes and hills of
our youth. With this eu "A view,we cannot
look upon home as a pace to be disturb
ed on every slight occasion. We are to
stay here. Now the question is, how are
we to preserve our homes comfortable,
cultivated and beautiful? Among the first
things, homes should have such an abun-
dance of the necessary articles for the
support of life as will make life not bur
den but pleasure and really the most
desirable place on earth to us. Pleasant
recollections will not cling to a home OF
poverty, deprivation and hardship. There
must be a measure of plenty and comfort
Tor the full enjoyment Of homes
We cannot expect in Vermont to nc
quire wealth by anv rapid means or sudden
fortune. We must here make up our
minds to add to our comfort and wealth,
and to the conditions that amelorate life
by steady and persistent practice of habits
of economy and thrift. We must learn to
make every acre of land produce a little
more than it ever did before do our wor k
easier and cheaper; make better sugar,
butter and cheese; raise better and fatter
cattle and sheep; produce wool that the
market will crave, and horses up to the
former standard of Vermont horses. Yer
mont has produced a breed Of sheep with
peculiar characteristics, more marked and
more surely transmitted than those of the
original tlocks from the hills of Saxony or
the mountains of Spain. One breed OF
horses, the Morgan once gave name and
fame to all her horses. In these two pro-
ducts, men and nature wrought together
TO produce the best of each kind. We
must do the same with other products. Let
labor and skill 90 hand in hand with the
ohS' 10 vi anu We lilliS SllOIlu Ojl Lut
best products of our sol and climate. This
can only be done by intelligent, skilled la,
Dor on the farm.
1t lies with you, gentlemen of the board
OF agriculture, to foster the right spirit.
Induce not only the cultivation OF Vermont
soil but also of Vermont character Inter-
est, in some way, all of the people in your
work Reach every individual in the
locality where your meetings are te be
held. Advertise freely; but personal ap-
peal of some kied must be added. Your
work will undoubtedly be good but it will
avail nothing if it does not reach the
people. 1t is not enough to hold good
meetings and complain that the people do
not come. 1t is nart of your duty to see
that they do come. You are appointed
among other things for ." the promotion ol
agricultural education throughout the
state How can you perform that duty
unless you meet the people, compel them
to come by some powerful inducement of
interest?
Thus far the meetings have been re-
markably well attended. The able secre-
tary has evidently we'll done his duty. The
enterprising, intelligent men will come of
their own accord. They are mostly large
farmers and are learning all the new
methods of reducing the amount of labor
and increasing the products. If you pro-
pose any method of improvement they are
on hand to take advantage of it. But you
must reach the men and women on the
small farms who do most of their own
work. Teach them every step forward so
they may take advantage of it. If ensil-
age is economical and silos are to take the
place of stacks and mows of mouldy corn
fodder, let the men OF small means know
So urge all these improvements upon the
small farmers that they will put them into
practice at once.
When hear of somebody's large farm
and many acres under tillage | may feel a
little pride in it on behalf Of our state, but
it brings no comfort to me. | cannot for.
get that several small farms have been
swallowed up in these broad acres, and
many independent farmers and their fami-
lies have become day laborers and depend
ent upon more fortunate landlords. Our
laws against the entailing of property
prevent this to any dangerous extent, bnt
| am sorry TO see any such tendency.
don't like to see the equality of our people
so disturbed. 1t is the condition, mental,
moral aud physical, of our small farmers
that gives character to our state. 1t is the
condition of our small farms for the nur-
ture and bringing up of children and their
education at home, in the district school,
in the town and freemen's meeting, and
from contact with neighbors, that is to
affect our population and the character of
their homes rather than the success of
great farmers.
This lecture, which was we'll received,
was followed by Il lecture on Forestry by
DR.. H, A, Cutting, He said that our
waste of timber was prodigality that we
could not afford, and that it was further
likely 20 injure the fertility of our state by
decreasing the amount of rainfall; that
the remedy was to foster the growth Of our
woodland. Tne arguments were well put
and the address was of much interest.
This closed the meetings of the board at
Barton Landing, The general attendance
was good and the meetings an apparent
success.