Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-02
The L. B. Harris Stock Farm
at Lyndon, VT.

We spent some hours very pleas
antly few days since at the stock
farm of l.. b. Harris in Lyndon and
our readers may find a description
of the farm, stock, and management
of the same of some interest. Mr..
Harris belongs to that class of pro-
gressive men who do their own think
ing and have courage to do things
in their own way. While bnt lad
he enlisted in the war of the rebel
lion and was fortunate enough to
survive the dangers of the field, the
hospital and the prison, and came
out with experiences that gave him
a good knowledge of much that could
not be earned elsewhere. Afterwards
he found positions as mail route
agent, both in the South and in New
England. About the time the Bell
Telephone Co. was established and
while telephoning was little known
considered novelty, by most, he
was fortunate enough to get some
telephone stock. Himself and a
partner or partners, bought out tel
ephone rights in Manchester, n. H.,
where the company strung the city
with wires, established exchanges
and found themselves suddenly the
owners of rich paying property.
This was sold out at a tate sufficient
ly Large to enable the company to
start like enterprise in Brooklyn,
n. Y. Here in brief time the bus
mess grew to unexpected proper
tions and before they were aware of
it the company found themselves
rich. Mr.. Harris, after time sold
out the larger portion of his stock
at sum sufficiently large to enable
him to set up in almost any business
in Vermont. His tastes inclined him
toward stock raising, and he looked
about for a good situation which
should embrace the necessary facil-
tiles. He finally purchased the
Fletcher place, in Lyndon well known
as one of the largest and best farms
in Caledonia county. The farm is
situated just west of Lyndon Cen
ter, opposite Lyndonville station.
Settlement was made on the farm
previous to 1900. The soil is loan,
and lies on a limestone rock, which
crops out frequently, and is nowhere
very many feet below the surface.
1t is not heavy soil and opens up
early in the spring, responding quick
ly to the influence of manures. The
old Fletcher farm contained four or
five hundred acres, and had for
long time the largest barn upon 1t IN
the county. The house was pala-
tial for the time it was built, large,
high and capacious in every respect.
Here can be found the old fire place,
rooms so numerous one would not
wish to count them, the closets, the
dark halls etc., that characterized
the old mansions of 75 years ago.
Mr.. Harris likes it because it is old
and quaint. He has built a few
modern houses for his employees
hat are painted as gaily and con-
tain as much of the modern as the
cottages on the sea shore. There
were large number of small barns,
sheds, etc., beside the large one. Mr..
Harris has recently built others as
his necessities have required. The
farm South, purchased by a telephone
partner, Mr.. Vail, is leased for
five years by Mr.. Harris, and the
whole "ranch," 700 acres, is under
his management. Besides this large
tract. much of which is in grass and
under cultivation, Mr.. Harris has a
pasture in the adjoining town of
Wheelock, of some three hundred
acres, where he turns out large part
of his stock during the summer sea-
son. There are large pastures on
| the home farms, besides sugar or
chards of 1000 trees.
The stock kept on the farm is
nearly all thoroughbred, and consists
of the Hereford, Polled Angus and
| Devon breeds of cattle, Shropshire.
down sheep, Berkshire swine, Nor
gan horses, and heightened breeds
of poultry. Mr.. Harris believes il
s'blood," and at the outset purchased
the very best bred stock that he
| could buy. The Herefords came
from noted herd in England, an(
were very expensive animals; The
Angus were also from England anC
were purchased by Mr.. Vail. The
Hereford stock has also been re-en
forced by purchase of several flint
animals from the Corcoran stool
farm in Canada. The sheep are alst
English, and among the humble
seen is one buck which cost $500
others, high prices. The Hereford
and Polled cattle were selected a
the best known beef cattle in tn
world, and those who are familia
with the breeds know that they can
not be excelled for fattening pur
poses. The white-faced Hereford
are thrifty and hardy breed