The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-12-23
DOMINION CORRESPONDENTS OF
THE VERMONT JOURNAL.

on his route; and he would naturally
conclude, knowing nothing more about
them, that the farmers who had LETT
them had been COM elled to do so from
no ault of their own. But l must tell
my New England friend-to settle one
important point brieily-that the aban-
doned farms to be met with along these
Canadian ranges are very different from
those scattered up and down amongst
the New England hills. In many cases
the farmers who have left their ancestral
fields have done so not from compulsion;
but, first of all, to get an easier living for
ings with which they will return in few
years, to enjoy in peace their declining
life. These two objects they obtain
from the fact that they have large fami-
lies of children, several of whom are able
to work in the factory; so,that, by board
ing with their parents, they soon lay by
consider able money. Every year / no
tice some of these returning families;
taking up their old farms, cultivating
them with more energy than ever, and
repairing and brushing ND their
former homes. But if, coming down
to extreme cases these abandoned
farms have been sold by their former oc-
NupNhtoy OilOoO III lLllo NlClDlNy have
brought good prices. To prove this
will mention certain cases with which
am acquainted. One Of these farms, CON
tanning one hundred acres with build
ings altogether not worth $500, brought
$500. Another of about 80 acres was
sold for $4,000, the buildings being of
little value; a third being strip of land
and having no house, 81 acres, cost
80, 400; while a fourth, also piece of
land and no house, containing q acres
brought $1,000. Not a mile from my
door are two farms now offered for sale
one of which comprises one hundred
ares with sugar lot and orchard, but
poor buildings. is held at $4,000 while
there is a standing offer for it of $4,000;
the second of which consists of 20 acres,
with no wood upon it but fairly good
buildings, is offered for $4,000, while
$4,000 is refused. These facts show that
the farmers around here are in no des-
perate condition.
Now let me show you some of the pro-
ceedings gone through with in cOnnec-
ton with these abandoned farms. In
the first place the farmer, if he is leaving
for good, gets the best terms he can for
his property. If he is leaving it only for
a time, intending to return to it after
having saved a few hundred dollars, he
rents it or gives it on the halves to some
neighbor; or, which is frequently the
case, simply leaves it to be looked after
by some friend, having put it all into
hay, and returns himself every summer
to have the crop secured and pressed for
market. Some of these abandoned farms
give thousand dollars year in this
way to their absent owners. These more
important arrangements being made the
the intending "deserter," who generally
leaves in the autumn, disposes of his per-
sonal property, his farming implements,
his stock and years crops at auction,
which is called in French encdn. from the
Latin in gudntum, words used in this Ian
guage by the auctioneer for chow much"
The English word ''vendue," used in
stead of auction, is the perfect participle
of the French verb uendre, to sell. But
to return to the Canadians auction.
The fact that an auction is to take place
is made known by public crier; who
announces on the market that on such a
day, in such range at the dwelling of
Mons er Pierre Paguet, for example, so
many cows, such number of horses, and
so forth, with such a quantity of hay,
corn, etc, would be sold. Some times
ClS lidlly do lldil d uOLdu VI lutSG SdltS
take place in one single parish in week
The proceedings at these auctions are
very uniform. At the time and place in
Dictated the neighbors and some from
distance begin to assemble. Usually be-
fore the sale begins all who will partake
of it are treated several times with un
coup, lmething to drink, so as to make
them feel generous and rich. Large
clinac pf hraaI ot1 h,,tfn,, o1.o ,,nccnl
around. This makes every man satisfied
with himself.
The auction begins with the sale of
the mere trash that accumulates in the
course of years in every farmstead. The
going, going The more valuable
things are reserved to the last l attend
ed one last week at which the COWS and
other stock were disposed of by lamp
light. | may say here that ordinary
cows sold readily at from 500 to S25.
This shows that the farming interests
are in fairly prosperous condition at
the present time in this vicinity.
To show cheese and butter factories
have brnefited the farmers in this Prov
ince. will notice one fact. 1t is that,
whereas in single parish not far from
st. Hyacinth, the notary has been in the
habit of making out forty or fifty mort
cages in a single season for the neigh
boring farmers, this season he has been
called upon for only rive or six do u
ments of that kind; while he has written
off discharges for forty Or fifty formers.
And to make this fact of still more i'm
pOrtant it shonld be borne in mind that
the crops generally were unusually light
this season in Quebec, which fact has
been duly noticed.
1t need not be denied that the turn the
Presidential election in the States has
taken has given considerable satisfaction
to the Canadian farmer. He now has
some prospect of regaining, in the course
of time, the market which has been
closed to him by the Mckinley tariff.
But this is not al the good luck he is
looking for. Since the Canadian farmer
has been sending more than usual of his
products to the English market the |
opinion has been gaining ground-long
since held by the more advanced think |
our Government should place
duties upon English |
goods, thus giving our farmers the ad-
vantage of cheaper goods, while at the !
same time it would facilitate and en-
large the trade operations between the |
Dominion and England. There is no |
doubt but that this principle will soon |
gain so many advocates that it must be |
adopted by that party which expects to
manage the affairs of the Dominion.