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

Vi lIuuepOIJdtlOub luele are ObucF very
t important advantages that have arisen Il
the time.such as the improvement in farm
. implements, improvement in live stock
A; advance in agricultural science, the increas
in the manufacturing and mining interests
: thereby increasing the home market fol
produce. In many ways advantages have
| accrued 10 the farmer, yet with all this
mprovement-this wonderful march o
progress in the last fifty years such as ne
! other fifty years in the history OF the worlC
ever saw-who can account for the retro
! grade Of so largo portion of our farming
! lands, and, what is more mysterious still
to INC, agriculture has, in the rural dis
tricts of Vermont, rcceded more rapidly
since our railroads were built than before.
This is to me almost an anomaly; it seems
to mo like one of the paradoXes OF this
J age. know it is usually accounted for in
this way; the iron horse has opened up
new, cheaper and more productive lands
at the west. A good deal of this is illusion
} but western migration from the east has
been large for many years. Bat can
have patience with this going west. |
think farmer can do we'll there; and |
think he can do Just us well east. think
he can do we'll at farming almost anywhere
in this country If he ia willing to work
and has good head Gu his shoulders.
But l believe many of our people are
athictod with another disease, moro viru
} lent in its character than the western fever
and II much greater hindranco to the sue
cess of agriculture. That disease is simply
This: they look upon the occupation Of th
farmer as degrading. Orators "chant
their psans" to the tillcrs of the soil, y,r
practically their influence goes TO create q
public opinion that the farmers occupa
fion is lit only for dull, unthinkinS men
1t ould hardly be possible to find a man
who. If interrogated on that subject, bu,
would say The farmer is as good rs any.
body his calling is honorable, healthy ana
profitable" Yet from their practice we
might infer that they do not believe wha
they say. 1t is quito common that wc se
aulogies In the newspapers upon nen o.
distinction, and how fond the writers ar
# saying he was born and reared on =
tarm," as though that was marvel; wher
he truo educational philosopher woul
find il more OF marvel that such n mai
was born and reared in tho city Of New
York.
! speak uf this 10 show what public
opinion is, and il others give tho sam,
construction that do to thoso culosies
which appear almost every day in ou,
periodical literature, they must draw the
same inference.
The enterprise and spirit Of this ag'
seem 10 tend to Capitalization that is,
seems so TO me. There is rage for build
ing up the town-tho village-and for thu,
purpose men will often invest even in +
doubtful project for building q manufac
tory. Apparently they see growth an,
prosperity only in the increase Of manu-
featuring, mining, mercantile and Other
business interests. | appreciate those
interests, think. as highly as any one
for VIC all we'll know that they adj a pop
ulation that must be fed with the farmers
produce. But there is no reason in phi
losophy why a village which has grown
up and become manufacturing and bust
ness center should draw tho brains from
the farmers heads who reside four, six or
ten miles away. 1t is no reason why they
should leave their farms aud move to thai
center in order to enjoy the comforts and
social advantages OF civilized life. This
same error, ~ simple fiction as it appear.
W LuOs 10 NIltNS - lIb WIZ lNtt
districts.
-Four or five years ago farmer 4 few
miles out informed me that hc had sold his
farm and desired me to como to his house
on day named and draw the necessary
writings, | went, and the deed. were
drawn and executed. learned that the
sale of the farm was brought about by th,
urgency and persistence of y son Of - OF
% years old, who was his fathers main
reliance. had come to the house on foo
but the young man sail must MOT walk
bacG-that would not do. He soon cam,
around to the front door with 4 gay horse,
plated harness and covered carriage, ana
with all the "pomp and circumstance" Of
gentleman in high life. took q seat in
the carriage and no drove me to poultney
He did not forget 10 crack his whip as ht
entered the village and put his horse on
its highest trotting speed until he reached
my Office. Tie seemed delighted over the
sale Of the farm and entertained me all
the way home with his bright visions Of
future success in mercantile business. The
young man had lost bis common sense, II
he ever had any, and got his head Tiled
with very common nonsense.
This young man is fair representative
OF - large class Of farmers boys. Yet
tho fault is no, altogether with the boys;
it is, as | have before minated, with a
perverted public opinion; the older heads
have it, though they do moi concede it,
Three ur four years agoa native Of Mid.
dlctown, VT, for tho last 40 years a resident
of Michigan, called at my place in my
absence from home with view TO have
me accompany him TO his boyhool home.
He went alone, and was ON his way back
TO Michigan before returned. did not
SEQ him but he wrote me Il letter. the loss
OF which have much to regret though !
cannot forget tho leading thoughts which
it contained. rs lie came he left the cars
al poultnoy; the village had grown 50
much that he could not have recognized il
from Its appearance. Two miles from
Poultncy ho came 10 the village of Eas
Poultney where ho recognized moro Of the
old andmarkq. lie passed on and came
to his old home, about three miles from
East Poultnoy and ahont midway between
hat place and AIiddletown village. Bat
how changed On territory comprising
school district ho could find hu: ono who
was there when he left 40 years before
The old farm had crown up 10 bushes and
weeds; the fences and buildings were in =
Lumhlc.lown condition; the old school
house, where he got MI the education be
ever received and wherein was associated
with to or ~ bright boys and girls had
ceased to he i school house, he was told
there was 10 use for it; everything in the
neighbjriool seemed to show the absence
! of civilization. lie could MT stay here
long. TIL, pace uf I'LL olhes he'hta cx
pcctel 10 look upon with pleasure was
greeted with sadness. Io said, " is nc
wouder that young men leave the FARM
My paper is already longer than in
tended, yet there is mGch more that
/ would like to say, We rely upon scicncC
: to bring up agriculture, yet " whore there
is will there is y way' \ few day
, since in Vermont paper, ! think thu
, Vermont F0Mcr published at Northlicld
, all article copied from Maine paper
| which contained Il statement of prize
t offered the boys in Vermont and Maine
, for raisn. corn; 1t gave the number o
| boys who competed for the prizes in cacI
$ state, and the amount, or rate per acre, O
< the corn they raised, which ran, az noa
f, rs / can recollcct, from about 50 to l2