Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-07
AGRICULTURAL.
AGRicrLrrRAL PRODUCTION.
u j. not Decreasing in the Older states
The Rise in Land Values.

Agricultural Production
u is not Decreasing in the Older states
The Rise In Land values.
The article on Agriculture as a Profess
sion, by James X Reeve, in the May num-
Der Of Harpers Magazine an extract from
which appeared in last weeks Phoenix, will
be appreciated by all intelligent persons
having an interest in agriculture, who have
read or who may read il. The writer makes
an occasional statement, however, which,
left without qualification. is misleading
lie assumes that there has been rise in
land values which requires the use of
larger capital in farming, while the amount
and value of the product has decreased
lie seems not to he aware of the great de
probation in land values in one of the very
best agricultural states in America-Ner
montana in other parts of New England
away from the immediate neighborhood of
large towns and villages. He estimates the
cost for the purchase and equipment of an
average farm of 100 acres at $500. An
average hundred acre farm, with stock and
farming tools, could be bought in Vermont
for several thousand dollars less than 81
800. Without the equipments, in some
cases, the seller would be willing to take
off the first figure of that sum but the
situation is not quite so bad that such a
farm would be an average. Mr.. Reeve
makes his estimate of the average cost of a
hundred-acre farm incidentally in advo-
eating the highest cultivation of a small
area rather than the incomplete culture of
IA large farm. He says that Gin the older
states 100 acres may be taken as the size
of the average farm the last census re-
ported it at 90 acres for both New York
and Ohiol The amount of $500 might be
stated as the average sum needed for the
purchase and equipment of such a farm,
and under ordinary methods it would at
best yield only liberal sustenance to the
owner while farm of ten acres, well
improved and conveniently situated-per-
haps just in the suburbs of thriving town,
where an immediate market could be found
for the most valuable products-will often
not demand more than third of this sum
for purchase, equipment and working cap
ital, and under intelligent management will
not only afford liberal support, but should
leave good sum as yearly profit
Mr. Reeve appears to be most familiar
with the farming region of southern cen
trial New York. where his boyhood was
passed, and where, he says, the general
farming community have found themselves
compelled to live rather close to the bone
\ rise or fall of half cent per quart in
the wholesale price of milk may be sufli-
Client to turn the balance of their profit and
loss account from one side to the other
Yet a Princeton alumnus among their num-
her is able, by the application of agricul-
tural science to the growing crops, the man
ufacture of ensilage, and the feeding of
stock, to pursue the even tenor of his
way which is to harvest an annual profit
many times in excess of the average - per
cent which a New York statistician est
mates as the income on capital invested in
farming in that state, reckoning nothing
for labor.
The statement in reference to the rise in
the price of land and the decreased amount
and value of its products is as follows
The rise in land values, with the conse-
quent increase of taxes and of interest on
capital invested, coupled with the decreas-
ed amount and value Of product, is now
rendering it extremely difficult for farmers
in the older sections to secure an adequate
return for the employment of their capital
and labor. The statistical agent of the ag-
ricultural department reported the average
income of farmers in New York state for
1856 as being only 3! per cent upon their
capital invested and this without any al
lowance for the value of their own time
and labor AT that rate, the more land a
farmer has, the worse he is off. =" Most far
mers would be willing to admit the diff
Guilty of getting an adequate return for
capital and labor in farming, but that the
amount and value of agricultural products
have decreased, even in the older sections
like Vermont and New York is not a fact.
On the contrary, there has been a consid-
cradle increase in the total products, both
IN amount and value, though there has
been great change in the proportion of
the different kinds of products, some hav-
ing fallen off ; but the loss on these has
been more than offset by the gain on others
The number of persons in Vermont engag-
ed in agriculture has remained substantial
ly the same for the past 40 years yet the
number of mich cows and the amount of
dairy products have during that time large
ly increased. According to the census re
ports, in 1880 this state made 1919, $50
pounds of butter 1860, 10, 900, 359 pounds;
1870, 25,2iO, $50 pounds. The number of
cows in the state, on farms, in 1850 was
l4G, 1913; 1860, 174G67 1870, S0,2S5;
1880, 2l7, 033. Other cattle, 1870, 112, IA;
1850, 1877, 204. The number of mich cows
IN Vermont is now estimated at 225 900,
and the butter product is probably not far
short of 10000, 600 pounds year There
is decreased production of working oxen,
sheep, and some of the cereal products, but
gain in nearly all other sources of in
come from the farms The most important
agricultural product of the state is that of
the dairy, and this is more than twice as
large as it was 40 years ago. In New York,
while there was only slight increase in
the total number of acres in farms, the
census of 1880 showed gain of more than
1900, 600 bushels in the corn crop, the prod
uct that year being over 5000, 600 bushels
more than had been reported in any pre-
vious census. All the cereal crops except
wheat and rye showed an increased pro
duction there was considerable increase
in dairy products, and, excepting sheep, a
large increase in live stock.
To Protect Trees from BOrerH.
Last year, says the Rural New Yorker,
we briefly alluded to the simple method EN-