The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-08-27
Editorial NOtings.

SAYS that CT the census will not only tell
us how many sheep were killed by dogs
within the past year, but will tell us
how many dogs it took to do it,"
Yes; but will it tell how great has
been the pecuniary loss inflicted
upon farmers, without any adequate
restitution or satisfaction? AS rule,
the owners of sheep-killing dogs will
lie in their defence, as long as there
is any chance for lies to help them; and
will then refuse any reparation beyond
what the law will give. Our nearest
neighbor, who is we'll located for sheep
husbandry and likes it, says his sheep
were attacked in his pasture in the
open day by dogs, and so injured in
this last of several raids that he gave
up the business. The increased de-
mand for choice lambs and good NUT
ton in all our large markets would make
sheep very profitable in Vermont, and
bring millions of needed dollars into
the state-but our people love dogs bet
ter than sheep. The majority rules,
and so far the majority favors the dog.
IN the census Vermont scarcely holds
her own in population, though we
think she will show considerable ad-
vance in the effectiveness of many
branches of industry, and can prove an
increase in the wealth of the state. 1t is
certainly a pity that in the last decade
hundreds of Vermonters have sold
their farms and gone into the far West
(Kansas and Dakota, especially, only
to meet and live under condition of
things indicated in the following ex-
tract from an exchange: " All the
Farmers Alliances in the eighth judi
cial district of Kansas have united in
petition for relief that is probably the
greatest novelty of the kind on record.
1t reads:
&c To the Hon. W. b. Nicholson, Judge Of
the Eighth JUdicial District Of Kansas In
view of the disastrous failure of crops and
the general stringency of money matters,
we, the undersigned petitioners, do hereby
most earnestly request that proceedings in
the foreclosure of all real estate mortgages
now pending, or that may be commenced
within one year from date, be delayed
eft is hardly necessary to say that
the prayer is beyond the power of the
court to grant, but the deplorable con-
dition of crops and finances that made
such an appeal possible will arouse the
sympathy of the entire country. These
poor farmers will not even have corn to
burn next winter"
THE Maine Farmer fully agrees with
us that farming not only can be, but is
found, profitable in innumerable in
stances throughout New England 1t
says: CO We happen to know of farm
in Androscoggin, of two hundred acres,
that gave its owner an income of some
thing over three thousand dollars, and
not from the sale of an exhaustive
potato crop, but chiefly from stock
husbandry that has left the soil in shape
for still better results another time.
Another of fifty acres has reached two
thousand dollars, largely from the sale
of fruit and still another, of one hun
dred seventy-five acres, that from fruit
and the dairy, returned its owner three
thousand dollars. On the fruit and
dairy farms of Kennebec, the above
figures have been duplicated, and on
special fruit farms, still better ones
made. Franklin and Oxford can also
show equally creditable incomes from
their noted fruit lands. These figures
are good enough to show that such
farms ought to have their value appre-
ciated by others than The tax assessors"
THE above was written by our Maine
contemporary apropos of a report of
the prosperity of the farming interest
in Aroostook, part of Maine which
has largely increased in population and
wealth, although the decline of the sea-
pOoiN NOuhtiSo3 III VI tHC
destruction of our foreign commerce
and fisheries by English competition
has kept the population of the state as
whole about stationary.
WE believe fully that the next ten
years will see positive forward move
ment of the farming interest in New
England. Where can our dissatisfied
citizens go to better themselves?
There is no part of the country where
the farmers are doing any better. Our
industry has been depressed every.
where since the reaction following the
war; but those eastern farmers who
stuck by the old home have not the
least cause for regret that they have
done so. The very best hold we have
il IN stav where we are and davalon our