Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-02

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abounds. Good radiance to the hrouchos.
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The Average S'rnngcr.
The following communication to the
Maine Farmer, from p II Thing, shows
/ that the writer understands and appreciates
| the average farmer. for which he uses the
| term average granger us Synonymous
From the ordinary style of agricultural
literature We should scarcely know that
such farmers as Mr. Thing describes exist
| ed
The topic chosen upon which 20 base this
communication, although modest and hum
| bic, is one of vast Importance Let it be
understood that average granger and aver
age farmer are synonymous terms. that
they mean exactly the same thing. aud
then as we pursue orr subject its impor-
lance and magnitude will be more clearly
| apprehended. Our thoughts have been
| turned into this train 10y reading the gener-
al newspaper correspondence Of the day,
especially the reported interviews Of repre-
sentative stock, dairy and grain farmers
as given us through the agricultural and
grange papers.
Let us particularize a moment. that our
| point may be more clearly understood In
| the journal of Agriculture, one If the most
valuable papers west of Mississippi we
have had reports and descriptions Of vast
| farms throughout the great valley Thor
oughbred Shorthorns, Herefords, Percher-
ons Clydesdales, Berkshires Shropshires,
and hundred other aristocratic and high
sounding names have been described by
! hundreds and thousands Thousands of
| dollars in money and car loads of corn and
cotton seed are spoken of as triiliug Incl
! dents connected with the business Of farm
/ ing, until the one beef COW or yoke of steers
of the average granger are looked upon as
| of little account. Then we take up the
| Times, and we find its enterprising CORE
| spondent describing the vast wheat fields
/ Of Dalrymple and DR.. Gwiun. until our lit
| tie patch of few acres seems hardly
worth cutting. Then we examine the Cul-
| tivator, and the wonderful horse farm of
the Powell Bros is reproduced on paper,
and the hundreds of imported Clydesdales
are so graphically and truthfully described,
and the five hundred or five thousand dol
lar prices SO often repeated, that the old
mare and colt of the average granger are
hardly worth housing in "A snow storm
| And the dairy farm of Mayor Havemeycr,
with two or three hundred thoroughbred
Jerseys all named and registered, is paint
ed in such glowing coors, and the tons of
| gilt edged butter so truthfully brought be
fore the common farmer, that his three or
four cows are thought hardly worth the
stripping. And so we might 90 on with
Vermont Merinos, Texas ranches. and rep
resentative farms and farmers in general
till the 20 or 80 sheep Of the average grang-
er are looked upon us almost a disgrace to
the owner.
These representative men and these com
mercial farms serve a good purpose, mas
much rs their owners stand at the head Of
their chosen profession. and demonstrate
to the world the possibilities with ample
means and abundant facilities of such en-
terpiises Yet their practical knowledge
Of how to make the pot boil by the simple
profits Of farming, is not worth a farthing
to the average farmer Their faces were
never scurched by the MONDAY sun their
backs never ached over "A hoe or dung fork
their hands We're never calloused by the
pillow handle, worn ont by picking stubble
stones, or soiled by milking their own COW
in fact, they have hardly thought or in
terest in common with the humble farmer.
Our average granger paddles his own ca
noe hoes his own row gets up at five
o'clock in the morning builds his own fire
puts on the tea kettle goes to the barn
feeds his horse, oxen, COWS and pigs cleans
out the ue-ups suCklcs the calves milSs
the cows: feeds again: looks after the
lambs takes off his frock. eats his break
fast, and after watering his stock begins
his days work He keeps from two to
four cows. pair Of oxen. a horse. a few
sheep and pigs. "a few hens. and maybe
pair of turkeys. lie cuts has To keen his
stock grows his own bread, kills his own
meat. sells few eggs, a few barrels of an
pies and potatoes. a few pound, of wool
and butter, and gets the growth of his OK
en- He pays his hills and taxes. goes to
meeting on Sunday. and /, Obliged to mind
his own business. such. Bro f litor. is
the average granger. and. sir. he is the
most important character and factor in the
body polite of our country today. Poor.
humble. unobtrusive. quietly pursuint- the
even tenor Of his way. he is the real
strength and dependence of our country
and its institutions Oyyuinf, his little farm
and it being his all. he becomes practically
real estat, himself, and is thus. the real
conservative element in American citizen
ship. The great value of the grange con.
sists in its Animation to his needs and cir
his aid, lishtens his labors, lifts the burden