Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-01-11
MONTPELIER, VT, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY H. 1882
and much practice, is fit to begin farming

and much practice, is fit TO begin farming
on his own account at twenty one.
We certainly do think it unwise for a
young man who designs eventually to be a
farmer to leave the farm and 60 off to learn
mechanical trade. We gave the reason
why, in our former article. But to vary farm
work with driving a market wagon is just
what we should advise, II the opportunity
offered. We did that very thing in our
younger days, and learned great deal at 1t
that has always been profitable to us. A
young farmer will find it as important TO
know how 10 buy and sell as how to grow
crops, breed stock, and make butter. A
year or two in store would be far better
thing than learning trade. How long an
apprenticeship did your young WAGNER
have to serve before receiving his $40 a
month ? 1t is the time spent at trade
before good wages can be got that makes
us, above all, object to the idea of leaving
farming for mechanical employment.
j. II. speaks sarcastically Of small farms.
We are not surprised at it. We know this
is the feeling Of nine-tenths of our farmers.
They think they must have large spread
Of land to do living business, and still
larger to make money. But they are en-
tirely wrong. n is tie risely applied vort
and manure that makes farm pay, and not
the acreage. There is hardly one large farm
in this state that is not pitiable sight to a
true farmer, for the reason that it would be
base flattery to call it half farmed. We do
not know, in all our wide acquaintance with
Vermont farms, single one that more
money could not be made on If three quar-
tes of it were sold off, and the price used
to carry on the other quarter. But then, a
man must "know how" and there is where
the trouble begins. The less knowledge the
more land is required, until we reach the
point where man may own a township,
and be bankrupt. The very farm upon
which Young Farmer" is at work is an
illustration in point. On twenty-five acres
twenty-five cattle are kept. Not one farmer
in hundred will believe this. 1t is so
widely divergent from their own experience
that they are justified in doubling it, just
as men were justified in doubling about
steamboats,, railroads, and telegraphs. But
facts must convince anybody who is worth
convincing.
We stick to our text, "never go in debt
for land.' It is no argument against this
position that men hare gone in debt and
now own their farms. Desperate adven-
lures succeed, oftentimes, in other things.
1t is because we have done it ourself that we
advise Others not to do it; just as we should
if we had swan across Lake Champlain.
Last fall we visited one Of the most success
full farmers in that splendid agricultural
region, Aroostook county, Maine. He told
us that thirty-6ve years ago he went into
the wilderness with his axe on his shoulder,
$4,000 worse off than nothing" Now he has
five hundred acres of land equal to any that
lies out of doors, with good buildings and
splendid cattle. care you out of debt ?"
said we. Eyes, sir" said he, " paid my last
note this fall" "But," added this man of
seventy, II have paid more than the value
Of all l have got in interest, and many a
time it has been close shave with me to
escaperuin." "Where has that money gone ?"
we inquired. "Well, you dined with the
man to-day who has got the most Of it, He
is worth 100000, and has never struck a
lick of work since he came into the county,
little while after did. He brought $4,000
in money, and he has lived and grown rich
by lending to the farmers; and there are
four or five Just such men in this and the
two adjoining townships"
Now we say to young men who mean to
be farmers, " learn to farm well, and you
can make living and save money on a
small farm, such as you can earn the cash
to pay for in five or ten years. If You then
want more land, use your savings to buy it.
You can usually buy for cash as cheap
again as on credit. Buy not only land but
everything else for cash. How often can you
buy good COW cheap on credit You al
ways have to take poor stock, or pay an ex.
orbitant price, when you don't pay cash
And especially don't enlist in that crowd Of
unfortunates who are bondsmen to the
usurers that are Transforming free country
into an oligarchy Of rich men, fast becom
ing the owners of legislatures, courts, gov
ernors and presidents, and who will end, il
not checked, in putting New England where
Ireland is to-day.
A few words about boys hating garden
ing as bad as turning a grindstone." 1--WE
did not, by the way, intend to advise young
farmers to 60 into gardening. Most kinds
Of mixed farming can be profitably done or
farms that can be bought for from 81, 900 to
S2,00O. This hating business depends, in
both cases, upon whether the boys have tt
ment, or not. There are plenty of boy
who like gardening If they are shown how
to do it, and allowed to share the profits
! Any boy who has once seen 5000 profit mad
on one acre of land in garden. when perhap
all the rest Of the farm has not yielded hal
as much clear gain, gets scales taken off hi
eyes that many old farmers wear TO thei
dying day. They learn (what it is hare
for the old farmer to believe) that a goo'
deal of money can be got out of little Liant
by "know how" and even in grass farming
they will find opportunities to apply tn
, lesson. There are boys cut out for me
chanics, or merchants, or money lenders
whom it is no use to try to make farmer
Of. But any boy with real farmer blood il
:, him, If once taught what gardening reall
is, will try to be garden farmer, and will
make money hand over fist where the scru
!, farmer lived upon sort Of hand to mout
basis, and grew old without having accuu
> ulated enough to buy tombstone to mar
4 his final resting-place."
Purity OF Honey.