Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-03

gave brief history Of his management
by which in Il few years lie had brough
, up some twenty to twenty-five acres whic
had produced about half ton to the acr
now to cut nearly two tons 10 the acre
but pointing TO another meadow fifty o
seventy-iive rods from where we stood, b
said substantially: There is meadow
which you see Is white with daisies. 81:
or seven years ago n few showed them
selves in that meadow, for the first time
While in the blow pulled them all up b,
the roots and burned them. The mex
year, TO my surprise, there were moro thai
twice as many as the first year, and the,
have increased every year since, while
am quite certain that not single stalk La
ever gone to seed In that lot; and | cal
only account for tho increase of th,
daisies from the fact that my neighbo
who joins land with me near by often let
his daisies go to seed. 1t Is wonder tha
our learned agriculturists don't tell us how
to kill them. I would give n man one
hundred dollars who would tell me how t.
kill the daisies. TO this replied: " | viii
tell you how to kill them and not charg,
anything" You tell mel" he exclalm
ed. "Yes; can tell YOU" We'll, how
do you say L can kill the daisies?" ''AIakt
the grass grow" | replied. There ar,
no daisies on this meadow before us; anc
if your theory is correct that the seed wa:
brought from your ncighbor's lands by
the wind. the birds or some other way tC
your further meadow, why not brought tc
this meadow near us? Ny suppositior
is that daisies start from the seed, but il /.
certain If they do that no seed will evel
grow on this meadow near us so long a,
you keep up fertility that will grow suct
a crop of grass as is now on it. ! chal
longo you to find any daisies, or enough
to do any harm, upon any lands in the
univ erse which produce slch crop OF
grass, and now il you will put your further
meadow in as good condition as this s
you will kill tho daisies, and my word ior
it. that is the only way you can eStingush
them from that lot."
But this is digression from tho llnt
which intended to nursue.
Thore is no one OF ordinary Intelligence
but knows that for long time there ha-
been constant deterioration in our farm
lands and corresponding decline in tn"
amount of agricultural products, and The
cause of it is rs apparent to the inteliiGen
observer rs to the scientist-the plant food
year after year, has been taken from ou,
soils by successive cropping and NO
restored by fertilzing agents. Tho way
of restoration to their former fertility
is simple; that is to say, The wayfar
ing man. though fool" cannot mistake
the truth that they can now only be
restored by the use of fertilizers and judi
cious cultivation. But fool cannot sue
cessfully do this work There was time
when one who could root up piece oI
ground with % wooden plow, with no fer.
tilizing at all and indifferent cultivation
was sure of q good crop. That timo has
gone by, and now it requires thought
good Judgment, and the moro of science
one has the better. To be n successful
farmer in 1881 requires n much higher
degree of intellectual qualification thar
did the farmer of 1881. In the words oi
another: He should understand the
composition Of soils aud the theory Of
manuring them; the physiology of veg
etables and animals; the general nature
OF tillnge, and the principles Of crossing
and raising stock; lie must be man OF
general intelligence, Or he will be obliged
TO perform his labors as parrots talk, OF as
persons will sometimes sing by rotc with
out understanding the principles o
music"
have spoken Of the gradual running
down of Vermont farms rs having beer
general; to this should make exceptions
for | am happy TO say there are farms II
| Vermont that are now every year growing
better. The work Of the state board o.
agriculture, and Of other associations in
the state having in view the same object
have not been in vain.
Those Of us who have occasionally
passed through the Otter creek, Wnooski
and Connecticut river valleys would say
that tho farms in those localities show {
fair condition, and many Of them for S
few years continued Improvement. MOI
so of what are known as the bach
FARMS" and these, al n random estimate
] will embrace one half OF the farm lands
of the state; and these lands with Il few
exceptions have been for many years and
are to-day on the decline in their produc
tive capacity. Now why this decline?
To bring out my thoughts as clearly as
| can I will again so into history: There
| is place known as Pond Hill, IL territory
embracing school district, the greater
part of which lies in the town of poult
ncy, with some little portion Of it, if
mistake not, within the town of CaStlcton
| The locality is some six or seven miles
from the village of Poultney--not quite rs
far from tho village Of Csstlcton. The
cid inhabitants OF Castlcton and Poutuey
will agree with me when say that tifty
years ago that Pond ullterritory cmbrac'
cd farming district that for production
and thrift would compare well with any
other in Poultney or CastctOn. They vii
also agree with me when say that thor
the people who resided there were moi
behind those OF any other district iu cithol
of tho towns In pointof Intelligence, innu
ence or social standing. But how is il
nowa Il is not pleasant TO answer thai
question. intend no SANDER upon any o.
my fellow citizens. but physician mus
first know tho alplent Of his patient be.
fore no can prescribe n remedy, and we
who assume 70 Offer q curolor the ailplcnt.
of agriculture must first know what thoSt
ailmcnts are. have taken the locality
named for an illustration for the reason
lha. il would 10 known 30 good portion
Of NY audience. The locality represent,
f. the rural districts in tue STATE. though i
has probably rcrcdc,l moro thtn \ MAORI
| ty Of them.
The building Of the &utIlad u DUrling
ton railroad was completed. if | mistaE,
not, in l94S; tho Rutland & Washington
which runs through Poultnoy, il ia,
winter OF 1862, and the Saratoga road
which now unitcs with the Il. ~ W. Il
Castlot0n, about the same time, - think ;
little before. Many OF us can well rCmem
ber when the canvaS5erS were around t
got the stock taken prior TO building lhest
roads. They represented that the stocl
would be a profitable investment, aud tia
the roads when built would he i grca
benefit TO farmers, as they would furnisl
means for the transportation Of thei
= products to market. The roads were built
the stock proved worhloss-iu this th
canvassers were mistaken-but as 10 III
= advantage to the farming interest can an
one say they were mistaken? can wol
remember that before the roads werc bull
tho farmer could hardly sell anything b
raised for cash; the dairymau in the lal
after the season Of Ghccsc-making wa
over, could sell his cheese for five or ST
cents pound and get bis money for il