The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-10-30
Changes in New England Farming,

With the development of the Wesi-
ern grain lands, farmers in New Eng
land, to very large degree, abandoned
the raising OF wheat, rye and corn, and
rather gladly than otherwise. The
laud is, for the most part, ill suited to
,hese crops, and but small return was
to be had, even under the most favor
able circum ,tances, for the labor ex-
pended. Thus it came about that,
with the Ger al raising belt moving
westward, the New England farmer Of
twenty or thirty years ago was not slow
in using his ingenuity TO cope with the
problem OF making living by some
new means from his stony, thin soiled
acres. @ lite naturally, the raising of
cattle was resorted TO, and with good
results. The raising of sheep became
mo- g profitable than the production Of
grain had ever been, but this was back
at a time when considerably over 50
cents pound was readily obtained for
wool, and when lambs could be sold
for considerably more than at any per-
iod in the last four or five years.
1t was at about this last-named period
that the farmer in New ENGLAND had
again TO make changes in his plans.
Some NV change must be made, and
some new method found profitable, or
the New England farmer must go out
OF cuisines. True, when two changes
in method had been forced on him, he
was coming TO feel that he was not
"anted, or at least was scarcely
needed-tht the great ominous West
was something against which he
could not long compete. But all this
OF The country had not been growing
large in vain, even SO far az he was
C ncerHed. Sooner or later The real
truth OF the situation was forced on
him; he had become, more than ever
before, factor in the wellbeiug of the
city. Indeed, the growth of the New
England cities had been little short Of
marvellous, and statistics of COMPARE
son do not tell the entire story OF their
devtl ppment. Not only has this in
crease en- in population, out in in
dustries aud splendid homes as we'll.
All this has aft )rded The New Egg
l,nd farmer, il he were but thrifty and
wise, greater number OF opportuni
ties Than can at single glance be I'M
agined. Unfortunately, the wolf cry of
abandoned farms" has been raised
and this has brought wilderness to
the mind of many persons. These
new and changed conditions have
brought the farmer in New England
forward as a producer OF fresh veee.
tab es, honey, poultry, small fruits,
milk butter, eggs and cheese. until it
has come to pass that more ways than
ever before to making a living have
presented themselves. From all the
products here mentioned, it is observed
that the work involved ia not 80 great
as what might be termed "straight
farming" Itinvolves more knowledge,
it ia true, to produce a good crop of
honey, or to conduct profitable hen
merry; but the hard, "bone" labor is
less, aud if the farmer aud his wife will
it 20, they can become less hard work
log than IN former times. Then, again,
there is less need than ever before for
large farms. 1t has always been be-
lieved among agricultural people that
the average farm OF less th IN fifty acres
would produce more 10 proportion than
u larger one, and in New England, as
matters staud today, twenty or twenty
five acres of air land will bring an ex.
C | cut revenue II properly cared for
i I'm Davis Anderaun in COuntrv