The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-07
WHAT VERMONT FARMS NEED.

The virgin soils of Western Vermont
were, in their early history, quite as
productive as the best farm lands of the
West, for grazing and wheat growing
purposes. Once restored, we may COM
pete with the world in those agricultur-
al productions which are adapted to our
climate. Their restoration should be as
laudable an object of emulation, and in
telligent application, as has long been
the breeding of superior blooded stock,
while the financial returns may be more
uniformly satisfactory. The average
yield per acre of our titled lands is even
now much above that of the Western
States. But large yields, on compare
lively small areas, are no evidence OF
good farming, but rather the reverse. A
premium crop on one acre, produced at
the expense of a dwarfed production on
the balance of the entire farm, is Meth
er praiseworthy nor profitable.
The chief difference between Eastern
and Western farming is found in the
fact, that in the West entire farms are
cultivated, while here the manure and
care are usually bestowed upon few
choice acres, while very large proper
tions of our farms are entirely neglect
ed. If all of our arabic lands were Gull
tivated in connection with a rational
system Of crop production, and the plant
food thus secured carefully returned to
the soil, we should soon rival our West
ern cousins, not only in yield per acre,
on the comparatively small areas now
cultivated, but on the average yield per
acre Of entire farms.
In mingling with the farmers of the
State, observing their methods and in
quiring with regard to financial results
| find individual farms yielding a net
income representing six per cent inter-
est on valuation of at least 800 per.
acre. There results are obtained by
men who would not claim or admit that
they were in possession of the skill of
an A. w. Cheever whose pine Hedge
farm naturally much less productive
than the average soils of Western Ver-
mont, carried of farm stock one mature
animal per acre, produced an average of
butter an acre and yielded
gross annual income of 800 per acre
Neither would they claim the scien-
tific and practical skill of DR.. TIL Hos
kins of our own State, whose little farm
of Is acres has returned for series of
years an average gross income of over
Sl25 per acre, and who finds it profitable
to use it for agricultural purposes, while
it will command from $500 to $1,000 per
acre, if thrown upon the market in the
shape of building lots.
We have nearly equal facilities for
the application of labor-saving machin-
cry, while we are much less liable to
suffer loss from unfavorable climatic
worm and insect pests and
diseases peculiar to farm stock. We are
also geographically nearer the great
of the world. The surplus pro-
auctions of the country must necessari-
ly seek the maritime markets for trans
portation abroad, which, with just in
terstate commercial regulations should
be consideration greatly in our favor.
Yet, with all these advantages, it is
fact that farm lands are very
much cheaper here in proportion to
their actual value for farm purposes
than in most sections Of the West.-[F.
ID. DOUGLASS.