Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-02
Valentines Report.


the agricultural and manufacturing in
terests Of the State. 1t gives, first 0
all. the text Of the acts creating tn,
commission. The commissioner thus
makes it clear that he has right C
exist. Mr.. Valentine lives in Benning-
ton. He received his commission on
the 2lst of Feb. 1889, and at once sci
/ himself to work to obtain information
regarding the States agriculture and
manufactures. He prepared blanks
and circulars and sent them 10 all the
listers throughout the utmost bounds Of
Vermont. The amount Of information
gained amounted to nothing. Another
blank was sent to the listers under the
designation Of "form b. This blank
was more successful than the first, but
lhis did not amount to much. The
listers either thought that they were
not chosen for that kind Of business,
or they could not take IN the full mean
ing Of the blanks, or they were too in
different to the whole matter to trouble
themselves much about il, or, what is
more probable, they saw no prospect
of pay for extra labor. The commits
sioHer made up his mind that the only
way 70 obtain information was to 20
around personally aud solicit it, bat he
did not have time to do this. In Mass.
they have way Of doing this through
their "Bureau Of Statistics" After a
side remark or two about what other
States are doing he goes on to speak Of
the facts he did learn through the list
ers. They told him great deal about
abandoned farms. lie found that i
the State there were about one thous-
and farms that had been abandoned
for farming purposes, ard that upon
one-half of these there are fair build-
ings. These farms aggregate 5000
acres, and can be bought at from 50 10
50 per acre. or could at the time the
report was made. There 5 another
class of farms that are indifiereutly
cultivated that can be bought for about
the same price, representing about
100, 600 acres. There is reason 10 he
lieye that much land was not reported
On the whole the commissioner thinks
it safe to say that there are half mill
lion acres or 10 per cent of the arabic
land OF the State in the condition to
which reference is made. Much Of this
land is good, not worn ont, some has
grown up to timber, but there is no
reason TO suppose that much Of it can
not be made as fruitful as the cultivat-
ed lands adjoining. The reasons for
this do not come within the scope OF
the commissioner observations. lie 1
leal- with facts a. he finds them Yet
he incidentally alludes 10 the matter by
communications he has re-
,eived in which are noted the changes
hat have taken place aud comparisons
ire drawn between the present and the
asst generations. Vermont suffered in
oss of population in consequence OF the
Western migration, the large numbers
# young men who went to the war,the
lrif towards cities and towns, the run
ling out Of the families Of the early
ettlers. OF course. abandoned lands !
ave followed the decline OF rural pop |
lation. Ont Of much that seems dis
however, the commissioner a
xtracts little comfort The State !
trough her sons and daughters has ex- {
ried marked influence IN the newer t
'tates Of the West. Vermont lives. )
OF only in herself but ia nearly all the /,
ew communities Of the country. Our y
- has been others gain. 9
From this report we learn that Yer :
lont stands at the head as butter 4
nd cheese producing State She has c
yer 3O0,t00 COWS. makes 5.000.0 600 1
omds of butter AID ,, 10000 pounds a
cheese annually. She makes more /,
utter per COW, more butter per farmer u
I'd farm than any other State. She
akes the best butter and obtains the :
ghesi prices. Creameries and cheese :.
letories are growing up in all parts Of sl
e State. The sheep and horse inter- 81
1 i important. In the first Vermont =