The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-09-25
lVERMoNTS RESOURCES.
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT or COMMITS
sIONER VALENTINE.

sIONER VALENTINE.
Difficulty in Gathering statistics-The
Number of a bandoned Farms Dairy
Interests Sheep Raising Horse Breed
Ing-Poultry-Cerea Swedish Coloni
zatIon-Increase of MannfaCturlng-Re-
claiming the Farms-valuatlon and Tax
alton. ...
The report of Hon. A. b. Valentine,
Commissioner of Agricultural and Man
ufacturing Interests of the State, which
will be submitted to the Legislature this
Efall, has been printed in pamphlet form
and contains 62 pages of matter. The
report says:
As soon as possible, on assuming the
duties of the office, blanks were issued
calling for information within the scope
lof the act creating the Commission. 1t
was intended to gather information re-
lating to the acreage under cultivation,
lands untillable, number of laborers
employed, and wages paid; the products
of the farms as represented in stock,
wool, maple sugar, hay, and their value.
1t called for full information relating to
mines, quarries and manufactures;
labor employed therein and eompensa-
ton therefor A circular was also issued
calling special attention to the products
of the dairy. .| 'Nla HIfiH-if'
| This blank and circular were sent to
the listers as provided by the act, for
distribution to farmers, manufacturers,
miners and business men. This duty
seems to have been duly performed, and,
an effort was made by the listers to have
the blanks filled, out and returned to
them, to be forwarded in turn to the
Commissioner. Very incomplete returns
were received from about One.half the
towns in the State, and none from the
remainder. Less than half a dozen
towns made reports which were OF any
value: and only one was received from
Mr.. M. II. Miller Of Pomfret), which was
complete.
So far as the information gathered
from this blank was concerned, it was
of no value whatsoever, and would not
warrant an attempt at compilation.
Another blank was issued, which was
sent to the listers.
This blank was more of a success than
the first mentioned yet the information
gathered was very meagre; that pertain
ing to quarries, mines, manufactures
water power, ETC., being of little valuo.
Perhaps these results were not sur
Uprising, in view of the fact that no pro-
visions were made in the act to compen-
safe the listers for the extra labor
required to distribute, collect aud super
wise the proper filling out of the blanks.
Neither was there power given them to
enforce answers to the questions pro-
pounded. The Commissioner is satisfied
that no statistics of value can be gath
cred except by personal canvass. This
statement is verified by the experience
which has resulted in the methods
adopted by the General Government in
taking the United States census, and
in the methods employed in Massachu-
setts. and other States. =
RELATING TO ''ABANDoNED'' FARMS.
On subjects with which the listers
were personally acquainted, their reports
were reasonably complete. In the mat
ter of abandoned farms, so-called, they
were full, interesting and instructive
This fact determined the line of investi-
CATION for the first year of the Commits
sioner's service .UiE.N t.F
1t is shown that there are more than
one thousand farms in Vermont, for
merly under cultivation, which are now
abandoned for farming purposes; one
half of which have buildings thereon in
fair condition. These farms represent
an aggregate of 1lS,000 acres, and most
of them could be bought at from $500
to $500 per acre at the time the reports
were. made. Another class of farms,
which are now occupied, but indifferently
cultivated, could be bought at about the
same price as those unoccupied, repre-
senting 100000 acres. In addition to
TINS, facts will warrant the statement
that many towns did not report lands of
the character above mentioned, where
they are known to exist. This failure
to report in some cases was on account
OF the mistaken idea that q stigma would
attach to the town if full report was
made. Attention is called TO the further
TACT that no account is taken of the
many towns which reported. less than
800 acres of sO-callcd abandoned lands.
1t is safe to say that of the lands under
consideration, there are 800, 900 acres, Or
about 10 per cent. of the arabic acreage
of the State. There is no account made
in this estimste of lands once cultivated
but now grown up to forests, or which
have become a part of other farms and
are not considered available for sottle-
ment. In some cases nearly whole town
ships may be classified under this head.
1t may be of interest to those interested
IN forestry to know that reports in
dictate that our forests are on the
increase.
OF the lands once cultivated, but now
unoccupied for farming purposes (not
including the timber lands and those
attached to other farms alluded tO) the
official reports show that large portion
are of good soil, not worn out, and can
be made as fruitful as lands near by,
which are successfully cultivated.
BEGINNING OF THE EXODUS.
1t is not the purpose of the Commits.
sloner TO discuss the causes which he'd
so many to leave their farms for village,
city or the cheap lands of the West. PIt
is. enough for the purposes of his
appointment to know that the faci
exists; yet brief statement as to the
commencement of the exodus, its con
tinuance and results. will not be out OF
place in this report, if for no Other
motive than to show that many of the
reasons adduced are erroneous, because
the exodus commenced years before the
alleged causes existed
AS early as the year 1887, pereeptibIe
diminution of cultivated acres was OBJ
served. The year 1910 found the It'd,
IRON the State fairly in motion. Thi,
, twas eoincldent with and following the
great panic OF 1887. Our manufactures
OF iron and textile fabrics, then in tleil
Infancy, were closed business came to q
stand still, and the home market foi
1arm produce was greatly curtailed.
PERMISSION is given to insert the fol
lowing copy of private letter received
from the Hon. Edward Crosby (sinc,
deceased, prominent citizen OF til,
state, one who knew whereof he spoke
! and whose views will be received a.
authority on this subject:
'BRATrLEBoRo, VT, Jan. 25, 1890.
Hon. A. B. Valentine, Bennington, VI.
MY DEAR SIR:-Your favor of til,
2lst, inst. at hand and noticed. In rela
ton to the town of Marlboro, | will g,
back to 1884, as bought farm Their
about that time. Marlboro was thei
X considered a good average farming
town; in fact, there were few towns ii
the county that produced more stock
butter, cheese, pork, beef, potatoes, AM
the general products Of the soil than die
Marlboro. Many farmers kept larg
dairy; they also made large Quantitie
OF sugar. The Adams, Mathers, Hough
tons, Higbys, Whitneys, Winchesters
Smiths, Haladays, Browns, Ingrahams
Millers, Ames and many others, all haC
large and productive farms and wer
thrifty farmers, and really saving money
besides, school houses were kept in goo,
repair, and the general attendance wa
large; in fact, Marlboro sent out groa
humber of able men that have made
high mark In the world and done homo
TO the town and schools IN which, the
were raised. The churches were kept 4
good repair and were we'll attended. |
was one of the great pleasures of th,
.IIIn0IFIIHl RI