Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-04-11
A CONTRAST.

the practice of an individual or COM
munity, this purpose is lacking, then
we have a right to indict such prac-
tioe and say it is not true farming, but |
soil robbipg. We believe it fair to
say that no man can call himself a
farmer in the true sense of the word,
unless his practice results in a con-
slant increase of the productive
power of his farm. In that very
interesting address, "The Influence of
the Monks in Agriculture" by DR..
Henry Goodell, president Of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College, a
very instructive account is given of
the wonderful results wrought by the
| Catholic monks .of England in the
early centuries, in improving the
soil. He says:
''The half at least of broad North
CUMBERLAND, covering an area Of about
two thousand square miles, was lost
in sandy plains and barren heaths;
| the half at least of East Anglia and a
considerable part of Mercia were
covered with marshes difficult of
access. Yet in both these regions
the monks substituted for these I'M
inbabitable deserts fat pasturage and
abundant harvests. The latter dis
trict, the present name of which (the
Fens) alone recalls the marshy and
| unwholesome nature of the soil,
became the principal theater of the
triumphs of agricultural industry,
performed by monks. Medehamp-
stead (now Peterborough, Ely,
Craylard, Thorney NOW Southamp
tom, Ramsay, were the first battle
fields of these copquerors of nature,
these monks who made themselves
plowmen, breeders, and keepers of
stock, and were the true fathers of
English agriculture, which, thanks to
their traditions and example, has
become the first agriculture in the
world"
That is d noble and impressive
picture. 1t satisfies the heart and
brain in the measure of what consti
tutes true farming. These toiling
monks were "conqu6rors of NATURE"
not robbers of nature Nay, more
than that, they took poor, infertile
soil and made it fertile, to the bless
ing of all subsequent generations.
And these monks lived in what are
called the ''dark ages"
Contrast this impressive picture
with the effect of the march of the
American bred farmer across the
western continent, from the Atlantic
ocean toward the Pacific. He has made
this march in the full blaze of all the
knowledge of these last centuries.
He has been greeted with a soil
wonderfully endowed with native
; fertility.
Yet every step of his way has been
: marked with destruction of fertility
From the New England states, throu gh
J. New York, Ohio, Indiana, to the rich
prairies of Illinois, his progress has
[ been one of soil robbing and fnal
> decline in the values of farm lands
Why is this thus?
i, We believe it is because the Ameri
can farmer has refused to make ar
p earnest soil student of himself. He
If has been of different order of mino
/ from the old monks. They gladly
e hailed knowledge and every aid thai
1t study and thought could bring them
e The American farmer for years ha!
condemned the idea of making {
. scientific study of farming. Hi
r constant sheer against so called SD pol
r farming'' was only another plea that i
r. is better to remain in ignorance. AnC
t so the land has suffered at his hands
The monks had no books, but the!
IS were profound students; the.
re farned with their minds. The.
p constantly thought and wrote an
- talked on agriculture. They guarde'
y well the fertility of their lands an
n held up the doctrine that it is th
bounden duty of the farmer to s
st. farm as to increase it.
Id Mark the difference that has bee
is wrought in the destinies of countr
y. by these two systems of procedure
"a One was the product of thought
~ the other is the effect of despisin
- thought, and living for to-day onl.
- The American farmer has said
at effect: "Wbat care l for preservir
es fertility. When this farm is worn oil
he I'll 60 west and wear out anotht
ng farm" And he has so educated hin
OF self and his sons.
But, thank Heaven, change b;
10 set in and he is coming to see the III
ed and value TO himself and his caIlir
ne of study, of schools, of books ar
lst papers and all that shall aid
enhghtening the mind.