The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-06
has NO ABANDONED FARMS.

MR.. EDITOR-I noticed IN an Issue OF
the Journal, under the head lof "Aban-
doned Farms of Vermont" the names OF
owners of such farms, and among them
l found my own, which greatly sur
prIsed me. want to state Gas a matter
of correction) that l do not own, nor
have IN my possession any abandoned
or unoccupied land in the State of Yer
mont. A few years ago l purchased
farm adjoining the one live on, and
commenced cnltivating and improving
it, have continued to do 80 year after
wear. and it now carries twice the stock
that it did when bought it. l do not
think 1t right to call such farms aban-
doned. 1t not only circulates an I'm
truth which is published in other papers,
representing wrong state of our agrl-
cultural affairs, but it reflects more or
less on the business ability of the owner.
In this connection let me here say that
| have under cultivation on my farms
all that has usually been cultivated for
the past fifty years, In addition l have
reclaimed some that had not been before
cultivated within the remembrance OF
the oldest inhabitants, and am running
my farms to nearly their fullest capac
ity. To have such reports circulated
through our papers | consider blot to
our State, a shame to our county, a dis
grace TO our town and slur on the in
diyidual, whoever he may be, who is
similarly situated, and conducting
farming operations as l am.
F. w. BLANCHARD.
Weathers6eld, VT, Jan. 20, 1890.
THE list as published was taken from
Commissioner Valentines last circular.
BY what authority Mr.. Blsnchard's
name appears there, the Journal knows
not. Presumably the listers of his town
can inform him, as the Commissioners has
gained most of his information from
those officers in each town. The Jour
nal, however, is pleased to publish Mr..
Blanchard's spirite denial, and will add
that the editor was no less surprised,
than himself, to find the name of one of
most intelligent and progressive farmers
in Windsor county as the possessor of
an abandoned, or unoccupied farm
Ed Journal.
This extract from the Vermont Jour
nal of last week, is a good example of
the crankiness occasionally prevailing
and the Careless editorial writing which
tends to neutralize the benefit our state
might obtain by the grand advertising
it has of late received. The list of names,
175 in number (of which Mr.. Blanchard's
is one) we're returned by the listers OF
the towns named in response to question
10 of the Com missioner's blank Of Nov.
10th 1889, which reads: GIVE the NAMES
of persons to whom to refer parties seek
ing information, with view of secur-
ing homes in your vicinity ?"
1t is not supposed tn It anyone of these
gentlemen own farms unoccupied or for
sale, in fact that ls not the question, but
reliable parties in each town were sought
for 80 that man in Iowa or elsewhere
could write and receive definite infor-
nation. In another item to-day this
subject is treated, to which the reader
is referred We are quite sure the list
ers made mistake IN giving Mr.. Ban-
chard for reference-the spirit of his
letter would never attract settlers Ia, Yer
mont, Dakota or anywhere else, although
according to his own story he is reclaim
ing land and finds it profit table. Wealth
ersfield Is not colored red on he Commits
sioner's map, but it IL in the vicinity OF
towns which are 80 colored and contain
ing 1000 acres or more Of cheap lands. We
commend TO our brother quill driver
that he re.read the Commissioner g circu
lars, and especially the fact that these
names are those of business men, mer-
chants, etc., some Of whom do not own
a foot of land (tbe best sort of refer
ences) as we'll as farmers who do.