The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-26
FARMING IN NEW ENGLAND.


Something Wrong-We have just been
interviewing man whe has travelled ex-
tensively throughout New England, chiefly
in Massachusetts, going from house to house
among farmers. We asked him what he
thought about the prospect for the small
New England farmer Something is fun.
damentally wrong with agriculture in this
part of the country" he says. Certain il
is, that practically the only farmers who are
succeeding in a moderate degree are those
who are killing themselves doing it,"
"What do you mean by thst?"
III mean that the successful men are gen,
orally those that are hustliDg from twelve
to seventeen hours a day, and who have
the appearance of old men before they are
80.
"What seems to be the chief reason fol
it?"
almost every man meet has some spec
ial reason of his own, but the fundamental
trouble seems to be that the farmer, from
his peculiar position is unable, unlike the
manufacturer or tradesman, to make the
price of his product above the cost of pro
duction."
"That seems strange talk from New En-
gland, where one supposed that the home
markets in towns and cities gave farmers
an advantage"
WHAT Is THE MATTER?-"Even here, far
mers meet with competition. In nine cases
out of ten, when farmer buys at store
the question is asked, How much is III
When he has anything to sell, this ques
ton is reversed. and the query he asks is
How much will you give? This tells the
whole story, and country people generally
will understand it,"
"What other reason can you give2"
with US, another trouble is that farmers
are paying great deal more than fail
share of taxes. 1t is hard for the average
farmer to see the difference between foot.
ing the bill for the village peoples water
system, sewer, fire department and side.
walk, and settling the bill for another mans
groceries. Farm property in rural New
England liz, too often, heavily assessed to
pay for improvements in the town or vii
lage, and the farmer does not receive COM
pensating advantages"
"TheD, you say, that New England agri.
culture is at low ebb?'
''In one way, farming in New England is
enjoying the greatest degree of SUCCESS. /
am certain that most Of the farms in my
town are producing more than double the
crops of twenty years ago. The ship OF ag-
riculture is coaled for long trip. She is
making lots OF steam, her hull is strong, and
is manned by brave and intelligent crew,
but in spite of this, she is sinking, from a
dozen great and tagging leaks. What we
need to-day is the man with the wit to find
them, and the intelligent courage to stop
them"
Dark picture? Yes. Rather pessi.
mistic2 Yes. True? Too true, at least
some parts of it. Remedies? Well we
found one in looking over the same
number of the Rural, or at least found
some very valuable suggestions in the
line of remedy. 1t is written by II
W. Collingwood, managing editor OF
the paper. He was attending the dedi'
cation of the new dairy building at the
New York State Experiment Station
Geneva, N. Y. After telling of other
speakers and their talks, he says:
EDUCATE THE HOME MARKET.
Congressman S. K. Payne told about fill
ed cheese and the fight against it at Wash
ington. He took issue with those who
k1I 49, IL. - A. 4