The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-03
THE MONEY VALUEOF VERMONT
SCENERY.

Under the above heading with New
Hampshire in place of VERMONT we
find in the Manchester Mirror and Farmer
pertinent article by Mr.. j. b. Harrison,
the Secretary of the Forestry Commission
of that state. We have often quoted from
Mr.. Harrison, a frequent contributor to
Garden and Forest, and we believe with
interest and profit to our readers. We cX-
tract from his recent article which applies
with as much force TO our state as to his,
as follows:
THE present seems to be good time
for thought about existing conditions
and the chances for improvement here
in New Hampshire. The first things to
be considered are purely practical-the
material interests of the people, the means
to live, food, clothing and shelter, rightly
engage mems attention until they are
secured. Savages live from hand to
mouth, do not look ahead or provide for
the future. Civilization begins with the
effort to accumulate, to acquire more
than we can consume to-day or tomorrow.
Acquisition gives security against sick
ness, old age and i'll fortune, and if con-
tinued it eXempts us from the necessity
of incessant toll, and cOnfers leisure and
opportunity for the exercise and develop
ment of new powers. Art and culture,
the refnements of civilization and the
pleasures of social life, have their origin
i'll this release of men from constant and
slavish labor. These are, i'll themselves,
good and desirable ends for human effort,
and the superior races of men have wise
ly devoted themselves to the endeavor to
secure means, not for bare existence
merely, but for leisure and freedom and
power 1t would be better if most men
cared more than they do for the accumu-
lation of property, if they cared enough
to induce them wisely to foregO while
they are young, for the sake of ampler
possessions and satisfaction in later
life
IF any method can be discovered by
which the people of this State can obtain
better returns for their labor and thus
increase their wealth, its introduction
would be universal benefit. 1t would
promote the attainment of all the objects
which wise and good men regard as de
sirable. If farmers could make more
money by growing new kind of crop, or
better breed of domestic animals, it
would, of course, be wise for them to I'M
dertake it, Now it happens that bcauti-
full scenery is one of the best and most
profitable productions of our State. We
may or may not have any degree of de
light in it ourselves. We may not feel
the charm and attraction of the endless
variety of landscape; the valleys, like
pictures, framed with wooded hills: the
rivers and lakes, the mountains far or
near, but when this scenery has direct
money value, it becomes matter to be
considered and death with on economic
grounds
"What is most needed in this State, to
begin with, is to have our people come
to regard the attractiveness of our natur-
al scenery as an investment and to study
how to develop it and obtain the best re-
turns from it. 1t is kind of property
which is, in many instances, capable of
improvement, and which always needs
some care for its preservation. But it
will pay to care for it. Much of it al
ready yields large profits, but there is
still great deal of property of this kind
which has not yet been developed or
brought into use. 1t is very important
that our people should turn their minds
in this direction, should study existing
conditions and tendencies, note the facts
of the situation and prepare themselves
for the opportunities opening before them
for increasing their income by obtaining
greater yearly revenues from their land
and larger returns for their labor
The secretary goes on to point out
that it may require great changes in the
habits and thoughts of the people of his
state to induce them to get all the money
value out of their scenery that there really
is in it, but that time and patience will
do it. Switzerland has done it. So can
New England do it, and is doing it, though
the process is slow.