Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-28


that Mr.. Arnold keeps from "a to 40
COWS, 16 horses, from so to 70 hogs, cuts
more than 100 tons of hay, raises from
500 to 800 bushels of corn, from 700 to
1,j00 bushels of oats, from 800 to 1000
bushels of onions and various other
crops in smaller quantities. He makes
a speciality of potatoes, for which his
land is admirably adapted. He plants
each year about ten acres and gets from
1900 to 1,SO0 bushels all of which are
marketed at North Adams and neighbor
ing towns at good prices. Mr.. Arnold
has given much attention to cheese but
at present his dairy operations are devot-
ed to the production of fine butter which
he puts up in pound packages and sells
at good prices. The cream is taken from
the milk while warm by a centrifugal
separator, machine which by swift rev.
olutions takes advantage of the differ
ence in the specific gravity of cream and
milk and separates them with far great
er nicely than the old plan of setting"
By this process better quality of butter
is made, and the skinned milk in its
best condition is ready for the calves and
from the cow. Mr. Arnold has one of
the finest orchards in this section. 1t is
one planted by himself in 1861 and al
though it is "a years old ii has hardly
reached its prime. This orchard is a
source of no small profit Another ele-
ment of Mr.. Arnold's mixed farming is
devoted to this use. AS soon as gar
den spot becomes a little run out, +" it is
made into hog yard. The hogs root
out the weeds, kill the insects and grubs
and fertilize the soil. After time the
patch again becomes garden, thus the
rotation goes on and the same patch
is in its turn play ground for hogs, a
nursery of cabbages and beets and to-
matOes and onions.
1t may be noted at this point that Mr..
Arnolds plan of variety farming is the
one followed by every farmer who is a
marked success. The farmer who stakes
his all on the dairy or on potatoes or on
years out of three. The more sources of
little money within certain limits the
farmer can develop on his farm, the
more certain he is of success. Young
men who contemplate leaving the farm
to find uncertain employment in stores
and offices, to become lawyers and pro-
feSsiOnal men with only slim chances of
success, should ponder we'll the Oppor-
tunities offered by the farmer, not only
for money making, but to achieve sue
cess. Likewise should those Vermont
| farmers who waste their time and their
substance in foolish desires to sell the
old home and buy farm in the West, in
Kansas or Nebraska or Colorado, take
lessons from the farmers here who, like
Mr.. Arnold, though sometimes tempted,
have never actually wandered after the
false gods of the prairies.
The subject of this sketch had the
Western fever once, and had it bad. He
contracted it from that peculiar cOmbi
nation of circumstances which enabled
HIM to buy land in Nebraska at S1.25 al
acre. He was offered $4,000 for hi:
farm, but before accenting it, he sa
down to figure upon the cost of his build
ings, walls and other Improvements. Ht
learned by this process that to sell his
Vermont farm for $l5, 900 was to sell his
land 1T 10 cents an acre. Mr.. Arnold
says the figuring cured the fever. He is
too practical a man to sell land here a
10 cents an acre in order to buy land ou
West at twelve times that price.
1t would be valuable lesson to many
farmers, especially those having discon
tented sons, and those who think tina
farming doesn't pay" to visi
Mr. Arnold and hear what h,
says on the subject.
Speaking out of his large experience
he says that on the whole farming is jus
as good to-day as it ever was. 1t affords
the same varied opportunities for max
ing money, and rightly followed gives ;
slow but sure road to success. In its re
suits it IS hundred fold more certain
than law or medicine or mercantile pur
suits. The mistake made in these day!
is in the assumption that farm will ruI
itself, that it needs no brains and affords
no opportunity for anything but muscle
The truth is that farming will give ;
larger average return for intelligen
brain work than almost any other occu
patton. Mr.. Arnold's life proves that I
man can succeed in farming and in Other
lines at the same time. He is one of tn,
best known men in the county, is strong
in the councils of the Republican party
has represented his town in the popula
branch of the State legislature and il
1878 was elected to the State Senate. Be
sides this he has been a delegate to ever.
State and county convention held during
the past twenty-five years. During hi
time he has seen great changes in ant
among the people. With very few ex
ceptions he has seen the heads of all tn
old families buried and their propert
| matters mass thrOuph the adjustments O