Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-04
Agricultural.


not only in our own country but in nearly all
others. He makes q foroible statement in
support of his assumption, and the principal
part OF his article is quoted below because,
in the main, It represents a popular belief,
especially as to the agriculture of New Eng
land, OF which we have something TO say
He says;
TN nearly all agricultural countries there
are evidences of what may be called a de-
cline. In some cases it has been 30 gradual
in it's appearance that 1t has, by those who
hardly stopped 10 think, been regarded as
one OF the natural conditions Of society. In
other cases its manifestations have been more
sudden and much alarm has been caused and
many theories advanced In regard TO the
cause and possible remedy.
I'm our country there have been 30 many
local elements and causes TO which IL might
be attributed, that it has caused no general
remark, each section supposing the cause to
be local aud transient, and that when some
particular disturbance was over there would
be a reaction. In the East II has been charged
to western emigration in the West It was
eastern monopoly in the South il was the
ravages Of war. One political party has told
us it was due to too much tariff, while the
other has said there was too little. Agricul-
| tural schools and experiment stations have
been established, and the commissioner of
agriculture has been made q cabinet officer.
But still the decline goes on. The number
of abandoned farms is on the increase will
ing and reliable farm help is growing scarce
farms that are cultivated produce less per
acre the old custom of running in debt for
a farm and making it pay for itself is among
the traditions of the past and not one farm
in fifty throughout New England, with all
| the orchards, fences and improvements
| would sell to-day for the money that the
buildings cost. This indicates that there is
something wrong. Can any one tell what il
ISL In the face of the fact that some Of the
most thriving farming towns and counties in
| New England are not worth to day what they
would have been IL the Ak never had swung
on them stands the other fact that FIRE wood
is 30 cheap and plenty that farmer who at
tempts to put it into q market twenty miles
away loses money every time. This is a GU
rious problem. Who can solve it and show
us the balance Is civilization a mistake
Is agriculture the road to ruin Ia industry
but another name for accelerated exhaustion
| of resourcss2 smart, intelligent man and
woman at work for wages can earn in year
! $3.50 besides their board. When they get
5000 let them invest it wisely and in suita-
BILE proportions in a farm, stock, tools and
furniture, and at the end of any year IL they
| Shh ohO" VAbO uAtOA PhythB AuhniuB cABoubco
they will be far ahead of the average. And
to offset this 800 is the risk the mental
care and responsibility, longer days of toll
and the interest on $4,000
''If they buy the land and put up the build
ings the case il still worse, for they lose at
least half the principal with the interest in
Gaze they want to sell out. Why is this? Is
it right? Is it in keeping with the condition
of people in other occupations?
Farm property is always open to the as
SCISSORS, is always taxed and in some cases
doubly taxed. II q man buys a farm and
gives his note for portion of the amount he
is taxed on the whole farm besides paying
interest on the hote, aud the holder Of the
note is taxed on money OF inters st. The i'm
provement in methods of farming and in
breeds Of stock and in facilities for market.
ing, great as they are when viewed by them
selves, are hardly enough to balance the ex.
haustion of the soil and the increase Of taxes
I'm England the case IL more alarming
than in this country. They have no praires
to flee to when the old farms are exh lusted
In pamphlet recently issued are statistics
of forty farms, located in six counties which
show that the average falling of in, rent
for the EAST fifteen years has been thirty per
cent. Farms have been sold for less than
half what they cost fifteen years ago. The
agent who has the care of these farms re-
ports that at the next rental rents must 90
still lower, as tenants are not able to pay the
rents and are going to ether counties where
farms are offered for the expenses, the own
er getting nothing. II, as some men argue,
the trouble in England is caused by free i'm.
portation of articles Of food, that cannot be
the case here where we have surplus for ex
port and an open market.
THE fact must be recognized sooner OF
later that the exhaustion of the soil is a pos
tive fact and a serious matter. 1t is useless
to try to charge the great depression to other
minor causes. When most of the farms 10
New England we're cleared up the object was
to get rid of the forest, and everything that
would burn was consumed on the ground
where it grew, leaving a coat of ashes suff
cient to feed the crops for many years, and
no thought was taken or provision made fol-
saving manure except what necessarily &C.
cumulated. This habit of neglect and waste
fulness was kept up too long. 1t is hard &c
impress upon the minds of farmers that theil
main business comprises anything more thar
to SOW and TO reap. They are slow to take
up the watchword, recuperdtiOn. They dc
not realize that the soil is a bank whose de-
posits can be exhausted"
The fact is there is no decline in agricul
ture, such as this writer and many others as
sumo, excepting that Of a merely local char
acter. On the contrary, there is an incress,
in the products of agriculture even in New
England and not only an increase in thu
quantity, but very great improvement il
the quality. Not taking into account thu
nominal values caused by the imitation of tn,
currency during the war and for few years
following, there never was q time when the
value of the aggregate products of the farm
of New England was greater than it is a
present. decreased production of cereal.
in some of the New England states is NOR,
than offset, in value by an increase of 9th
or products and an improvement in theil
quality. In live stock, a decrease in the
number of sheep and in working oxen is of
set by an increase in milch COWS, other cattl,
and horses According to the census Of 1850
using round numbers, there were LAG, OOC
mich COWS in Vermont; in 1860 there wer,
$4,000; in 1870, 100, 600; in 1880, 2l7, 900
This shows a gain at each decennial period
amounting in all since 1850 to II, 900. Il
this state there has been q still larger in
crease in the production of butter, which
was reported in the census Of 1850 at 10, 900,
600 lbs. in 1860, 16, 900, 900; in 1870, IS,
900, 600; in $780, 100000. While there
has been but slight increase Of the Who'll,
population, and only little more proper
tionslly in the number engaged in agricul
ture, the production of butter an artic
which brings in direct cash returns more thai
any other product of Vermont farms, ha
more than doubled since 1850. Does thi
show declining agriculture 2"
There is very large increase in all tn,
New England states in the production o.
small fruits and garden vegetables of poul
try and eggs, and Of orchard products. Blu
New England is agriculturally but a little par
Of the whole country. In the United State
there has been a wonderful increase in tn
products of the soil that has far exceeded
proportionally the increase Of population l
is this more than any other single cause tina
has checked the demand for farms 1t 1
over-production and the consequent loy
prices of the great staples of agriculture
The prices of some of these, it is true, ar
nominsly higher than they were thirty o.
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