The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-12-30
agricultural
T. H. HOSKINS, M. D., Editor,
Newport, Vermont.
The Best Agricultural Paper.

that, the paper which is best for one
man might not be the best for another.
The Prairie Farmer of Chicago is an
excellent paper, but it would not suit
A. G.. as well as an eastern journal of
the same class. We are strongly of the
opinion that every farmer should take
his state agricultural paper, if there is
one; but unfortunately some of the
best agricultural states are destitute in
this respect. When this is the case we
think the fault is in the farmers them
selves. Still, they have right to go
abroad for their papers, if they want
to. We in Vermont have our choice
of the Maine Farmer and the Home
Farm in Maine, the Mirror ,G Farmer
in New Hampshire, the Connecticut
Farmer in Connecticut, the Homestead
in Western Massachusetts, and the
Ne,c England Farmer, the Ploughman
and the CultiUdtOr in Boston. These
all have their respective merits. The
Homestead says, or quotes, of the New
England Farmer that it has the best
agricultural page Of any paper in New
England, and we think Brother Cheever
deserves the compliment. The Home
stead is itself wide-awake, newsy
paper, well up with the times, and con-
Quoted with so much business ability
that it now leads all the agricultural
papers of New England in paid-up sub
scriptions-and it takes no other.n
The Cultirotor stands next in circula-
ton, but, like all papers sold on credit,
it is supposed to have lot of flood
wood on its list. 1t has some features
of great excellence, and Ben: Perley
Poore, who writes a great deal for it,
would give value to any paper. The
CulivdtOr is not strong on scientific
agriculture, or in fact on any science,
except the scierice of fast horses, to
which it gives great attention. Were
it not for the corrupting influence of
that portion of the paper on the boys,
it would be entitled to rank pretty high
as family journal. The Ploughman
has some able contributors, but it is
essentially ring paper, ready to help
doubtful causes in return for special
favors. 1t has supported all the sinful
games of the Loring-Needham combi-
nation, and has no doubt received ade-
quate compensation therefor. 1t can
always be relied upon to BLACKBOARD all
who dare to question the acts of those
for whose defence it has been retained
The Mirror Dc Farmer is able, enter
prisng and cheap, being made up from
a daily, and consequently costing the
publisher little more than the price of
paper, press-work and mailing. Like
the Homestead, it is cash paper, but
unlike any other agricultural journal in
this section, it is a strong party paper.
This makes it more acceptable to some
and less to others; but it is well worth
its cost to any farmer, even though he
be one of those democrats whom it
larrups with such delightful unreserve.
1t stands third in circulation among the
New England farm papers, we believe.
Our Maine contemporaries, both pub
lished at Augusta, are both excellent
journals, edited by well-known and
able men, one having been, and the
other now being, secretary of the State
Board of Agriculture. A Vermont
farmer could hardly do better than to
subscribe to either, or both, for the agri-
culture of Maine is almost identical
with that of Vermont and New Hamp-
shire in its needs
But two agricultural weekly papers
published outside of New England have
much circulation within its boundaries
the Rural Ne'o Yorker and the Albany
Culticat0r and Country Gentleman. The
first we have for several years regarded
as clearly the foremost agricultural
paper in the world. In the abundance
and excellence of its illustrations, in
the integrity, ability and industry of its
editors, and in the quality of its con-
tributed matter, it outranks all compet-
itors. 1t has large capital behind it,
which is spent lavishly to make it what
it is, an honor to agricultural journal
ism. 1t pays its contributors well, and
eXacts their best work A writer, how
ever able, who will not give that, had
better send his matter to other papers.
The Country Gentleman is the only
agricultural paper in America which
appears to have undertaken to distin-
guish between farmers who are gem
teel and farmers who are not. 1t has
many strong and able writers, but it
finds large part of its support in the
fancy-stock breeders and spectators,
the fast-horse men, and that class of
farmers whose wives and daughters are
always explaining that " he only farms
for amusement, you know" The pub
fishers put on good deal of style them
selves, but they issue very valuable
paper, nevertheless, and one worthy of
the patronage of its public.
Shall Manure BE PlOwed Under?
4xxrA .txtx