The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-02-17
AGRICULTURAL.
Backward or Forward,

~ was III u iarmer meeting nelu Dy
the State Board of Agriculture in one
of the best farming sections of Yer
mont. The member of the Board who
had the first place on the program had
given most interesting and instruc.
tive talk, had put many new ideas into
the minds Of the thinking farmers pres
ent. When the meeting was opened
Tor discussion, a well known farmer
arose and actually advocated that farm
ers 90 back to the old-time methods
In this he was joined by prominent
farmer from another town, and the two
gave utterance to the most ultra con-
servative ideas that it has been our lot
ever to hear. Now, who was right
the members of the Board of Agricul-
ture, who advocated the adoption of
methods which are being used by the
most successful farmers the country
over, or the men who said, Let us re-
turn to the old ways"? For our part,
we believe the return to old methods
would work the ruin of every one who
undertakes to do thus. For instance,
one speaker said it was not best to try
to have cows make more than $50
pounds of butter year; that when
cows produced more, the market was
glutted and prices went down. Men
said that they did not want the Board
to tell them how to grow more crops
upon an acre, but how to get better
prices for what they did grow.
Now a little of that wonderful thing
which the Bible calls wisdom, and
which Yankees call common sense,
should have taught these men the folly
of such utterances. All farmers agree
that labor is the costliest thing on the
farm. Most men know that COW
which makes $50 pounds of butter will
not eat much more than one making
$50 pounds, and that it is vastly better
to grow three tons of hay from an acre
than ton or less, and 80 with all
other crops. Now if man can keep
10 good cows which will make $500
pounds of butter, while his neighbor
has to keep 16 poor COWS to make an
equal amount, which man will make
the most money? Put ii in another
way: One man keeps 10 cows at an
expense of $3.50 and makes 5000
pounds of butter, for which he receives
$3.50; he will make 500. His neigh
Dor, who clings to the old methods,
keeps 20 COWS at an expense of $500,
from which he makes 5000 pounds of
butter, for which he gets $3.50. He
will lose $50. Now which is the best
way?
Who would make money the fastest,
the man who cuts over ten acres TO get
thirty tons of hay, or the man who cuts
over thirty-fve acres to get the same
amount? Shall the farmers of Vermont
go forward in better ways, or 60 back
to the old dark days of ignorance and
crudeness? Shall we give up all the
light and knowledge which science has
given US, shut our eyes to all. the Light
which shines on the future and 60
cropping and stumbling. along in the
darkness?
The plain fact is that when prices
are low we need to produce all the
more to get the same income. When
butter is only fifteen cents pound, we
want TO learn 10 produce it for ten
cents. If we can do that, we can still
make money. We have all heard of
the silly bird which, when nearly over
taken by its pursuers, hides its head in
the sand, thinking it has hidden itself
because it cannot see. 1t is equal, or
far greater, folly for q farmer to hide
his face in the fogs of ignorance when
he is being pursued by the demon. hard
times. These are days for keeping
the eyes open, boldly facing this enemy.
You can never fight with your eyes
shut. Get all the light you can. DO
not let 60 of your common sense. Re-
member the Bible rule which is an I'M
varying law of Gods working: "To
him that hath shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance; but from
him that hath not shall be taken away,
even that which he hath" That means
that when man uses what he has,
God gives him more, but when man
refuses to use the light and knowledge
which God freely gives, it is taken
away. God delights in giving; that is
the Bible picture of Him, and shows
how infinitely superior the Bible is to
all man-made systems. But God never
gives to men to have them wrap the
gift in napkin and bury it in the
ground. What lie gives to men He
gives for them to use, and If they fail
40 he n.sft to1~ d