Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-01

by Professor J. p. Sheldon, is brief but
interesting statement of the present condi-
tion of our agricultural brethren in the
mother country, brought into conflict at
once with high rents, bad seasons and an
overwhelming competition. The only thing
left for the skilled agriculturists of Great
Britain, it seems to us, is to pull up stakes
and adjourn TO America without delay.
There is land enough here, and warm well
come for them all. Leave the nobility to
hoe their own potatoes and milk their own
cows.
The experiment farm Of the Rural New
Yorker" next comes in for brief description
and we'll deserved commendation, and speak
ing Of the Rural, we feel like qualifying, in
its behalf alone, our criticism of city agri-
cultural journalism. Though not making
the matter very prominent, Mr.. Carman's
paper is always on the right side in agricul-
tural politics. The Rural is decidedly, and
in every way, the best agricultu raj paper in
America. Last year we said, "One Of the
best" but now it has shot out clearly ahead
of even the leading contestants in the race.
Agricultural Education in Bavaria is a
most instructive article from the pen of
Professor r. B. Warder. This article con-
tains much that every man interested in in
dustrial schools wants and ought to know.
Professor Perry of Williams College con-
tributes short but pungent article on
Farmers and the Tariff, from free-trade
point of view. This is side that ought to
be studied candidly, even if you conclude,
as we have, still to vote for a moderate de-
gree Of protection. Our internal industries
are so extensive and diversified that America
cannot be made to suffer, as smaller nations
must, from high protective policy. But
when we get little bigger and little
stronger Professor Perry can have the floor,
and we shall all begin to think, as he does,
that free trade and national greatness go to-
gether. The only difference now is that he
thinks free trade ought to come first, while
the rest of us believe it safer to let national
greatness have precedence.
We have not got quarter through with
the list of good articles. The Soil of the
Blue Grass Country, by W. E. Plumley of
Kentucky; Preventable Losses, by l. p.
Roberts, professor of agriculture in Cornell
University; Agriculture in the Tenth Cen
sus, by J. r. Dodge, the eminent statistician
of the agricultural department at Washing
ton; The Ripening of Wheat, by Professor
Kedzie of the Michigan agricultural college,
and many others, justify the editor of the
Journal in feeling of pride over his sue
cess in attracting contributors of ability to
his pages. But now we come to where we
have to express our most serious objections
to this otherwise very encouraging beginning
in high agricultural literature. Our readers
will remember our notice of Edward Atkin-
sons article, The Railroad and the Farmer,
which appeared in the first number of the
Journal. Well, the railroad men were de-
lighted with that article and bought up a
large edition of the Journal for gratuitous
distribution, with the hope of persuading the
farmers to do what the rebels 80 anxiously
desired of us twenty years ago, /" let them
alone"