The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-15
Editorial NOtings.

WHY THEY LEAvE.-We give else
where an interesting letter from Yer
monter in the South; and also an ex-
tract from grange essay-both giving
reasons for the depopulation of our
farms. They are both interesting
reading. We have the idea, however,
that many writers have an erroneous
notion regarding this subject No in
telligent farmer thinks ii desirable that
every boy or girl born and brought up
on our farms should follow farming
for life. Many, like Mr.. Chaplin, will
be drawn by mechanical tastes towards
mechanical industries, and no mechan-
les succeed better than those drafted
from our New England farms. But
there should be enough of our farm
boys and girls who like farm life; and
we think there would be, if our schools
gave our rural youth instruction cal
culated to aid them in that line of life.
A man or woman who dislikes farming
will rarely do any good at it; but there
are thousands of young men and women
who love the country life, and dislike
town life. What they want is instruc-
ton in youth that will give them insight
into the processes of agriculture which
will enable them to prosecute the bust
ness successfully. The modern farm
ing, on land long occupied, can be
made successful only by knowledge not
so much needed when the land was still
full of plant food.
AS to mechanical industries, there is
no evidence that in the long run they
make a man any better off than farm
ing. There are plenty of mechanics
living in our vicinity that are no better
off than their brothers and cousins
who have stuck to the farm. That one
of unusual capacity for business sue
ceeds, and acquires a large property,
only shows that there is a chance every
where, and in any business, for an
energetic man to get ahead. While
most of the mechanics we know are as
poor or poorer than the farmers, we
know of one, French Canadian who
can not read, who has made himself
well off as builder. AS " it is more
in the man than it is in the land" so it
is more in the man than it is in the
trade. We do not think Mr.. Chaplin
would say that if forty mechanics from
Vermont should rush down to Alabama
they would in many cases get ahead any
faster there than here.
EXCEPTIONAL men, and these only,
may make great success in any bust
ness. He who has a sharp eye to see
opportunities, and seizes upon them,
and has that balance of qualities that
goes by the names of shrewdness, en-
ergy and good judgment, will make
money almost anywhere, though he
will do it in work that he loves, easier
than in work that he dislikes. But the
majority of men are not of that stamp.
Farmer, trader, mechanic, speculator-
whatever line of life a man may
choose, the great successes commonly
come as the result of great qualities in
the man himself. Another man, I'M
der precisely the same conditions, would
not see the chances for large gain, or
would not have the courage and per-
severance needed for success.
THERE is as much chance for energy,
foresight and skill to succeed in agri-
culture as in any other business. There
are enough successful farmers, who
have brought themselves up from
friendless poverty to wealth, to prove
the truth of this statement. They are
to be found in every state, and almost
universally, though not always, they
were poor boys.
For the great majority of men of
medium qualities and attachments, and
with moderate aspirations, farming is
probably the best business there is, if
they have real taste for country life.
But it is as necessary for such men to
have some schooling in the natural sci
ences as it is for the mechanic, the
surveyor and the engineer to be well
grounded in mathematics. That is the
spot where our farmers are now weak,
and it was a noble idea to establish
schools where these sciences, and their
practical application, could be taught
to young men of limited means. 1t is
very great pity that, so far, the state
of the protector of this most wise plan
has been so little benefited by it.
WE do not much sympathize with the
view taken in the other paper. No
doubt there is fair share of the kind
of folly spoken of on our farms. but il