The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-09-05
Brother TOwle on Farmers
Prospects.


In commenting upon the criticisms
which the agricultural editor of the st.
Adams Messenger saw fit to make upon
an article of ours in the Rural Yer
n,onter we stated that the question now
at issue in Vermont was not, as Mr..
Towle put it, "Shall Vermont farmers
give up dairying?" but " Whether all
Vermont farmers shall be forced into
dairying?'-for lack of ability to com
pete with other localities on account of
high freights to our natural markets.
Mr.. TOwle has, in recent issue of the
Messenger, commented on what we
said at considerable length; but he does
so without meeting our question, or
even referring to it, except incidentally.
Yet he plainly conveys the idea that
Vermont farmers need not have much
expectation of making money in any
branch of farming outside of dairying
The following is substantially all he
says on the subject:
eve consider the creamery and fac
tory systems of the greatest importance
to that class of farmers for whom the
doctor evinces so much sympathy, and
certainly hope that their usefulness will
be fully maintained until at least some
thing better is substituted. OF course
there are proportion of farmers who
will continue to conduct their own
dol Il will 1,o 60 l,o; ;,,+o
to do so. The system of dairying has
had much to do with the prosperity of
the farmers of Franklin county. Its
effects can be seen in the general ap-
pearance of the farms and the build
ings. There is certainly the indication
to large extent of thrift and good
management here. There may be now
and then farmer who, for some cause,
would like to sell and 90 somewhere
else. 1t would be strange if there were
not, but really we do not know of a
single farm for sale in this region. In
comparing our system of dairy farming
with the more diversified farming of
his part of the state, he considered the
results to be largely in our favor. But
there is likely to be change in meth
DDS in that county. The sheep indus
try is becoming sadly demoralized and
will in measure give place to dairying.
Last year there was not creamery in
that county; now one is in operation
and two or three more in process of
construction. Thus there is prospect
that the creamery system will be intro
duced where thought most advantage
Gus and along with the excellent pri-
vate diaries in due time (not very long,
we imagine) give well-estahlished char
acter to these products in that part of
the state. And not alone here, but
throughout the state, these creameries
are being established and are destined,
we believe, to act very important
part in solving the problem that is the
cause of so much solicitude to our
worthy Brother Hoskins"
This is all very nice; but as farmers
are not finding satisfactory profits in
dairying now, and have not for a good
many years, it is pretty cold comfort.
1t amounts to saying, "Dairy, or
getp'-and they are certainly "get-
ting" as fast as they can. Mr. Towle
informs us that
" During our connection with this
paper, which dates back many years,
we have never been instructed or adj
vised as to any line of conduct by who
ever had the Messenger in charge, but
were supposed to fairly understand
what was for the best interests of the
farmers, and were encouraged and eX-
pected to do the best we could for them
in our own way. This we have en-
deavored to do, and expect to continue
to do as long as we remain in our pres
ent position"
This is all very pleasant for Mr..
Towle, and really we see no reason
why his employers should object. He
seems to be quite in harmony with their
own ideas in this matter. Neverthe-
less, if she is to even retain her present
population, to say nothing of increas-
ing it, Vermont must see to it that
every possible facility shall be given to
her people in the way of transportation
to reach market with their products,
achoterer they may be, at rates which
will allow them to compete with all
rivals. If not, her people will surely
continue to emigrate, as they have been
emigrating for the past thirty or forty
years. Are we all content to have our
beautiful state known, the country over,
as a good one to emigrate from?
Dairying at Fairs.