The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-10-23
Misht =" Farmers.

Not only is it true that "the woods
are full of them from Moosehead Lake
to Lake Superior, but they are scat
tered over the prairie region all the
way from the Western Reserve in Ohio
to the Rocky Mountains aud beyond to
the Pacific. Many Of the misfit I"
farmers in the New England and Gen.
trail States inherited the estates they
occupy, and continue TO cultivate them
after fashion till they can find pur.
chasers for them. They have no love
for the work they are engaged in and
ton or education. Their aspirations
are toward store, a factory or an
office. II they follow the pillow they
perform the work with as much reluc-
lance as the animals do that draw il.
They are thinking of the time when
they will be engaged in a pursuit that
will be more congenial to them. If
their hearts are not in the highlands
they are in some city on the plains.
Almost any place seems more desirable
to them than the farms they occupy.
They are waiting to sell out, and they
are often sold out while they are wait
ing for some one to come round and
purchase their property.
In the West, where land could be
obtained under the homestead, pre-
emption or timber-tree acts, the num-
Der of misfit" farmers is much larger
than in the East. A considerable pro-
portion of them "took up lane" " and
complied with the conditions imposed
by the government till they obtained
title TO it-not for the purpose of estab-
fishing a permanent home and raising
crops, but with the expectation of rails
ing mortgage whereby they could OBJ
tain money that would enable them to
move away and engage in some en-
ployment that suited them better.
They generally offer their places for
sale as soon as they have acquired
title which will enable them to make
legal conveyances. They saw their
chance to obtain something for moth
ing, and lost no time in improving it.
These persons constituted quite pro-
portion of the crowds that rushed into
Oklahoma and Indian reservations
further north as soon as the gun was
fired that gave notice that they were
permitted TO cross line. They will be
in as great hurry to rush out as soon
as they have acquired title that will
enable them to sell their land.
In the states and territories where
there is little or no manufacturing or
mining, many of those who occupy
and pretend to till land are ennis
fit" farmers. They engage in agricul-
ture and stock-rasing for the reason
that there is no other occupation for
them to go into. In countries and
states where there is great variety of
industries few engage in farming eX-
cept those who do so from inclination.
But such is not the case where there is
no industry but filling the soil and rails
ing stock. In these places there is no
choice of occupation, and it is not
strange that the number of "misft "
farmers is large.
The "misfit " farmer, whether he in
herits his place or acquires it, gener-
ally improves it in much the same way
that the Goths and Vandals improved
ancient Rome. They destroy nearly
everything that is beautiful or valuable
and put nothing in its place. They de.
stroy more trees than they plant and
allow the weeds to grow where none
grew before. They buy no fertilizers,
save little manure, and sell the natural
richness of the soil by the bushel or ton
in the form of grain or hay.-American
Aericulturst