The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-17
Rr.popuLArINe TIE FARMS.

State Commissioner Valentine has re-
ceived advices from Emigrant Agent
Nordgren that the Swedish colonists Sc
cured for settlement in Vershire and
other Vermont towns, had sailed from
Liverpool for New York on steamer of
the fnman Line. The Swedish immi-
grants are expected to reach Vermont
about April goth. The Swedes will be
met in New York city by Commissioner
Valentine and transported to their new
homes among the Green Mountains with
out delay. 1t is proposed to COLOMBO
about 10 families, or 70 persons, in the
towns of Vershire, Weston and Whining
ton. The first colony will be established
in Vershire. where some fifteen or TWEEN
ty good farms of from 10 to l25 acres
each. with good buildings thereon, will
he offered the colonists at from 81 to 80
per acre. The new settlers will be loaned
S25 in cash and will have an opportunity
to purchase q COW on credit. The cltl-
zens of Vershire are very much Interested
in this movement to repopulate their va
cant farms inaugurated by the Commls-
sioner of Agricultural Interests. Com
missioner Valentine has worked assldu-
ously to open up the vacated farm lands
in Vermont to reOccupancy, and his Ell
forts in this direction are soon TO De
realized experimentally, at least, 81
The Commissioner has nearly COM
pleted the report which he will make to
the Governor and Legislature next fall
in regard to the agricultural and manu-
featuring interests of the State. The re-
port will make comprehensive and IN
teresting document of more than 100
pages, 1t will contain all the circulars
and blank forms issued by the Commits
sioner relating to the agricultural inter-
ests and productions of the State, Its
livestock interests and the prices OF
farm property and farm labor, also III re-
gard to the manufacturing interests OF
the State and its undeveloped manu1ac-
turing and agricultural resources. Inc
Commissioner in his report, states that
the reports received from the listers IN
various towns show that there are at
least 1000 vacated farms, containing llS,-
900 acres of land, which can be bought at
from 50 to So per acre. The most OF
these farms contain buildings IN ialr
condition. Many towns failed to make
any report. but the Commissioner makes
an estimate of the total number OF vacant
farms and unoccupied lands in the state,
exclusive of timber lands, and concludes
that there are at least 500, 600 acres III the
whole State.
Tn regard to the cause of the depopu-
lation of the rural districts Commissioner
Valentine SAYS: The year 1910 found
the tide from the State fairly in notion
This was coincident with and following
the great panic of 1887. The State
manufactures of iron and textile fabrics,
then in their infancy, were closed, Dusl'
ness came to standstill and the nome
market for farm produce was greatly
curtailed. The spring of 1887 first saw
in any noticeable degree the deserhon OF
farms and their former occupants leaving
fine State. History shows that the panic
of that wear was the direct result of the
modification and practical repeal OF the
high tariff enactments of 1S24-S. MY
father, manufacturer, was almost
ruined financially by such a repeal, ano
the iron furnace in this town, employing
hundreds of men, failed in 1898, spread
ing disaster abroad. The commence
ment of the exodus from Vermont OF it'
farming population was at the beginning
of the free trade period after the pros
perity of our country under protective
tariff. More than one-half of the lands
abandoned for farming purposes were
abandoned between the years OF 1876 ant
1860, or during that period when free
trade was the policy of the party in pow
er, This statement hardly needs qualifi
cation, for President Harrison, though
elected in 1910 as rebuke to the Demo
cratic free trade policy, was Presiden
only month and Tyler was captured b!
the Democrats. Polk was electedin 1S4-
and the tariff of 1912 was repealed IL
1916
1t does not follow, neither is it claimed
that the farms of Vermont were deserted
because of the Democatic policy of FREE
trade which prevailed from 1896 to 1860
But it does follow, and it is asserted
without fear of successful contradiction
that such desertion was not because o
high tariff legislation, as more than one
half of the present unoccupied farm
were vacated before the enactment of TIN
so-called Morrill, tariff bill, and it is
fair deduction that the exodus from ' ell
mont of its farming population was a
first at least accelerated by the free trad
enactments referred to and the conse
lduent destruction of the manufacturing
Industries and loss of a home market 10
farm produce.
Whatever was the first cause certainl
there are reasons enough why the exodu
continued to within very recent period
Among these reasons most prominently
stands the fact that the free homestead
ON the fertile Western prairies attracted
our Young farmers, and their parent
were left on their farms, without tn
help, in some instances, to conduct then
successfully, and as years passed ava
many of those parents died and no on
was at hand to take their places. Henc
the unoccupied dwellings and lands III
cultivated. Forbes, in Boston journal.