Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-03-17
ADDISON COUNTY FARMING,
A HOPEFUL VIEW OF THE sITUATIO


HOPEFUL VIEW OF THE SITUATION.
WEYBRIDGE, VT, March II, 1893.
Editor Of the Register The recent ar
tIcles published in your paper by Mr..
Winslow, secretary of the State board
of agriculture, and by Gov. Stewart, both
of which were melted by uncOmpimen-
tary remarks which Mr.. Sanford made
about the system of farming practiced
in this county, have been widely read
and excited universal comment. The
coat must very nearly fit or so many
would not try it on.
GOV. Stewart hits the nail squarely on
the head when he suggests the general
law of nature that "men in general labor
only to support life We see this il
lustrated the world over. fruitful
country with mild climate is inhabited
by shiftless men without either moral or
intellectual vigor, whereas a cold climate
and an unproductiye soil characterize
the birthplace of "rustlers".
Now Addison county is the banner
county of the State, ard, in the opinion
of the writer, there is no better place in
the United States, all things considered.
to make money farming than right here :;
but the trouble with us is that we are
too apt to spend our time looking back
ward and thinking of what we or our
fathers used to do with Merino sheep or
Morgan horses. We should "let the
dead past bury its dead take the situa-
ton as it now is and look forward. Life
is too short to be always waiting for
some great change to come about. There
never was a better time for a man with
an average Addison county farm to make
money than now, and you needn't have
a hot-house barn and keep Jersey cows.
either Mr.. Sanford's idea of farming),
unless your fancy happens to run in that
direction. Each man should follow the
particular branch of farming that he
likes best; keep the kind of stock which
he fancies most. | don't believe it makes
particle of difference whether it is cat
tie, sheep or horses, if he only takes
pride in them and keeps them always at
their best. One need not, and IN fact
should not "carry all his eggs to market
in one basket" The failure of the Ber-
muda farmers, owing to wet weather at
harvest time, to get their last onion crop
ready for market in time for profitable
shipment, sufficiently illustrates this
point. He should, however, have some
speciality, take pains to post himself, and
than have confidence in his own judy
ment.
We should stop this buying western
grain. Our farms are capable of rails
ing all we need, and the quicker we
make up our minds to raise everything
possible that is needed in our business
the better it will be for lis. We should
be sellers, not buyers.
If space permitted, | should like to
say something about fences-hOw stock
does better and looks better in we'll
fenced field; about general surroundings
and a tidy, pleasant home; how buyers
are more apt to come and stock sell bet
ter under such circumstances.
One of the most encouraging signs
that the writer sees of prosperity for
farmers in the near future is the wide
spread and almost universal feeling that
we must have good roads. 1t is dem
onstrated fact that wherever it has been
tried the real estate has increased in
value more than the roads cost
70 sum the whole thing up in a nut
shell, we must push our farming instead
of letting the farming push us. We must
do our best at whatever we undertake.
GEO. +. CHILD.
ANOTHER OPINION OF THE BUSINESS.
ADDISON, VT, March l3, 1893.
Editor Of the Register:- II have been
somewhat interested in the writings and
discussions published in the REGISTER
in regard to farming. In the letter of
Hon. j. w. Stewart he says: "Ihe
present purpose of the writer is not TO
suggest remedies for the evil condition
" hich Mr.. Sanford says he observed,
but rather to call the general attention
of my fellow citizens, who are farmers,
to these grave charges and TO put the in
quiries First, are they true; and, if so,
to what extent; and, second, If true,
what curative process shall be set on
foot?"
The old saying is, "experience is the
best school master" am farmer and
have been for upwards of 40 years in the
something about the haIdships and
draw backs of farm life. Although
have no reason to complain of my own
lot. thought perhaps might speak of
some of the drawbacks to farming.
In the first place, taxes seem to be in
creasing yearly. The tendency of our
lawmakers is to increase taxes, to create
more offices so that somebody can draw
a big salary. If some of these shiftess
ofiice-seekers would go out to work on
the farm think it would be much better
for the country. | remember when our
Town raised only from 20 to 30 per cent
tax, and one year in particular | remem-
ber we raised hO tax at all. Now look at
the per cent raised this year-in Addison
So per cent. According to the town re-
ports 1t ranges from 80 to 235 per cent.
At these rates it would take the wool
from quite flock of sheep at II cents a
pound to pay the taxes on an ordinary
farm.
Where is a man to get his money to fix
nm his farm? | think II some of This
money that has been put into agricul-
tural colleges had been spent where the
proceeds would have gone to lessen or
. raduna the amnnnt of taxas IL Aunuld ha We