The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-02
Editorial NOtings.

IT is hard to find a more readable
paper than the Mirror and Farmer.
Its agricultural pages are edited in
first-class shape, and on its editorial
page there is genuine Yankee wit
enough to set up several professional
humorists in business. And besides,
withal, there is world of horse sense
in the paper. In this remark we do
not refer to its equine department.
WE have been indulging in the pleas
ures of hope that, under the new tariff,
we should be protected against the
fierce competition of the pauper labor
of Canada; and have already put in an
acre of peas and bought six hens, in
order to be ready to take advantage of
this much-needed support to the Ameri-
can farmer. But now comes the NetD
York Tribune, in which every northern
farmer has confidence, and tells us that
the entire yearly importation of farm
products from the Dominion amounts
to not more than thirty-seven cents per
head of our population. 1T the new
tariff is entirely prohibitory of Canadian
farm products, and we are not en-
couraged by it to an equal overproduc-
ton at home, that sum will measure
our exact advantage. But even this
can be but for a short time if, as the
Tribune indicates, the sure result will
be the almost immediate annexation of
Canada, and the admission of its prov
inces to the full privilege of free trade
between all the states of the Union.
Well, anyway, we are to have bigger
duty on WOOL and if it were not for
our neighbors' dogs we might feel
tempted to buy few sheep.
IT is interesting to note that the
largest single article of import from
Canada is barley, amounting to nearly
two-6fths of the whole amount A
good deal of this comes into New Eng
land-especially into the prohibitory
state of Frank Jones-beg pardon, we
mean New Hampshire. We suppose
that in Vermont very few farmers are
willing to grow crop almost entirely
consumed in making beer. The next
highest on the list is horses, amounting
to three and one-fourth millions, but
these are mostly heavy draft horses,
which compete rather with Pennsyl-
vania than New England. The next is
eggs, about two and one-third millions,
and here Vermont is pinched in the
competition. But unless the duty is
made prohibitory they will still come
in, for there is no other so available a
market. Hay also completes, to the ex-
tent of one million, but this does not
really hurt our farmers, since our hay
should all be consumed on the farm.
The import of Canadian potatoes is
but $4,000, yet it hurts US perhaps
more than anything except eggs. Sheep
and wool, TO the amount of 81 100000
come in, and these ought to be excluded
Beans, peas and leaf tobacco amount
to over a million more, but the English
market takes nearly all the surplus
Canadian butter, the amount imported
by us being only $4,000. This grea
reduction is due to the improved quality
of Canadian butter, which admits it tC
the English market, together with thu
whole product of factory cheese.
SPEAKING of the " pauper labor" o
Canada, it has its good side for thos,
of us who live near the line, inasmucl
as it makes farm labor some cheaper
and thus little offsets our greater dis
lance from market. But these Cana
dian paupers all seem to have cut thei
eye teeth before leaving, and as sool
as they can speak English want abou
the same pay as Yankees. The con
tract labor law is mere farce, sine
there is no difficulty in getting all tn
help from over the line that is needle
without violating it.
THERE is not the least doubt that
we'll enforced and practically prohibition
tariff will bring Canada rapping har
for admission to our Union; and Ameri
can farmers might as well make up the
minds that very few years will brin
the agricultural labor of the Dominic
into unshackled competition with OF
own in this way. What then? Wei
we have been able to stand the in
mense increase of agricultural produC
ton all over the continent, and hay
really taken nearly all of Canada's su