Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-13
Not Always ExaggeratiOn.

An exchange says with some truth (speak-
ing of ensilage, sorghum sugar and the like)
that exaggerations recoil on any industry
after raising hopes that are not fulfilled"
But good deal that is called exaggeration
is not SO. For example, it is not exaggera-
tion when good farmer says he averages
sixty-five bushels of dry shelled corn to the
acre. There are many more farmers who
cannot do it than who can, but the fault is
in the man himself, or his surroundings.
He has not been deceived BY any lying in
such statements. He has only not been
himself capable of doing the same. So
when man says that he can put up ensilage
at 81 a ton, and that it is worth to him one
third as much as hay to feed to cattle, there
is not necessarily any exaggeration. That
n ~'a- Nth laes Ir,o-.ic+'y~ and skill or nm
favorably placed, cannot do the same is no
proof that it is not, or cannot be, done un-
der favorable conditions. So it is in regard
to sorghum sugar. Anybody who knows
Professor Collier as we know him knows well
that he is incapable of anything that can
justly be styled exaggeration. He has done
with sorghum and cornstalks exactly what
he has said he has done. 1t can be done
again and always by any one who has learned
the process. A man ignorant of every prin-
ciple of mechanics cannot take work on
carpentering and go on to build house
without innumerable blunders. If the frame
falls down before he gets it boarded, has he
Il right to say that the author of the book
has been guilty Of ygeration Or again,
take our own case as an example. Almost
alone we have solved the problem of sue
cessful orcharding where before it was re-
garded as a thing impossible. Hundreds
and hundreds of people visiting our place in
years past have told US that our experiments
were a mere waste of time and money, and
that apples could not be grown successfully
or profitably in Orleans county. Now we
have an orchard of fifteen hundred trees,
which even Massachusetts, farmers say they
have never seen equaled for beauty, thrift
and productiveness. The croakers are not
all dead yet. The very men who ten years
ago said, "you can never have an orchard,
and particularly on this poor sandy land"
now turn about and say, "Oh, yes, you can
raise apples where you are, right on the lake
shore, but it can't be done anywhere else in
the county," and they look unconvinced,
even when we refer them to good thrifty
orchards of our trees miles from the lake
and way up in the hills. Still more, we
hear from those that have never seen our
place that the talk about our success in
fruit growing is exaggerated" and that il
cannot be made profitable in such severe
climate. 1t is true we did have many fail.
ures at the beginning, but we stuck to il
because we were aware that our knowledge
OF the business and of suitable varieties and
methods was yet small, and could only grow
by experience, of which these very failures
were part. We were sure we could do il
as soon as we learned how, and so we have
And it is just so about fish culture, sorghum
sugar culture, and probably orange and ever
tea culture in the south. They can all bt
made successes by those who will perseyer'
until they learn how,--and by no others
Did the sugar-beet industry fail in Maine
and Massachusetts because what is said O
it in Europe is exaggerated ? No. 1t failec
because the farmers who undertook to grow
beets for the factories did not know how, ant
had not the perseverance to learn how. Bee
sugar can be made with a fair profit in New
England just as soon as we have enougl
farmers who know how to raise beets
How many fail in onion culture, in straw
berry culture, in hop culture But other
make money in them right along Is tn
story of their success exaggerated 2 Not a
ALI but the stupidity and envy and malic
of their incompetent would-be rivals an'
critics never can be exaggerated. To stan'
off and rail at industrious persevering sue
cess is very easy, and about the only thin
some are really competent to do with entir
satisfaction.