Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-13

There ls opportunity. however. for giving
permanent character to country roads and
State highways and I do not hesitate to
advise earnestly and specifically that far
mers ought to take n sincere ana steady
interest in the question. Nos the least
advantage to accrue from good ROADS,
from permanent roads all over the State,
will be their increasing use by TOURISTS
and city visitors. who are bound To M
crease vastly in number in such case;
and this will needs have strong in
rnencc in lettering prices for everything,
even to the extent of increasing the values
of farms 1t is not a question of to-day.
The foundation for a future prosperity
should be laid.
THE, PRESERVATION OF OUR
FORESTS.
Another need of great Importance to
the future of agricultural interests in
Vermont and elsewhere is the care and
preservation of our forests. u subject as
hacltncycd as the forests themselves. How
this shall be accomplished is question.
perhaps. for state government itself. az
the prevailing notion seems 20 he to lot
tho future take care of itself ard to Keep
saving wood. even in the front yard of
the state. Tho idea seems to be- /. O.,
the law, to work no interference with
private individuals in their use or abuse
of what they own and with their right
to make all they can out OF what they
own, without regard to the ultimate cf-
fects upon the property values belonging
70 other men or upon the future conditions
of the State. Yet how true ii is and how
often proved that de-wooding States hurts
AZ t.;. x-if1
first. by shcaring them of their natural
beauty. next. by surely leading to a false
aud Temporary increase in population and
Nalues only to reduce same abnormally
when the lumber business is done. and.
finally. by rendering their taxation bills
uncertain ard subject ultimately and ire-
vocably to unbcarable increase To de-
nude II State. like Vermont. is tho act
Of a spcndthrift who. coming into his
fathers fortune. prudently saved over
half Il century. runs il through in a
decade and has neither means nor char.
acter left OH which to found a new pros.
perity.
II has also been noted that the vast
destruction of tree life reduces the power
of the hills and plains to absorb and
hold water. which results in lack of water
or very low water part of the time. and,
mt other times. in dashing. turbulent,
angry torrents and freshets, which rip
up and carry off many good acre of
profitable meadow. Continuous farming
Is better than Incidental lumber pr ,fits,
with nothing afterwards. Prudent lum-
boring is as profitable and as reasonable
as any other kind of work. 1t is a need.
perhaps one of the chief needs. of New
England farming. particularly whore the
day is not yet lost. to consider the wise
husbandry and cultivation of timber,
grove and wood lot. to study the prescr-
walton of meadows from floods by plant
ing willows or other devices and to sup
port cordially all legislative measures
which aim and give some hope of tend
ing to increase. renew, preserve and
maintain the forests in this State. This
does not mean no cutting and no lum-
boring. hut merely no absolute. whole
sale wanton, irrational and uncconomical
destruction of tree life in the State.
The last agricultural report, if rightly
recalled. gives an estimate of some one
and a half million feet of lumber left in
Vermont. 1t is pure guess. probably
short of the fact, but, if only approXi-
mately correct. the margin is meagre
enough. 1t would seem as possible for a
State to regulate and supervise this mat
ter, at least. to influence 1t for better
ment. as to create, regulate and SUPER
wise a corporation. Its future and its
we'll being are certainly hound up in
great degree in the care of its tree life,
the maintenance of permanent highways,
the development of local markets and in
doing all those things which will definite
~ favor the continuous and general use
Of its soil AbandOnments should give
place to occupancy, attempts at preser-
walton to destruction. and, whVever pos
sible, tho application of scientific farm
ing to time worn and easy methods of
improbable work.
PERSONAL THRIFT TIE MAIN
THING.
] speak of the next need with diff
idence. because ii applies only To some
so called OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES need of cul-
tivating Il greater personal habit of thrift
and care of what they have il the way
of property and stock and farming tools
In many cases there is real need for =,
greater concentration Of thought and
WORT, 20 the purely local question OF
making every mans farm count. GEN
lcral principles are all right aud so is tho
,turiti and politics which will serve as Il
biennial diversion but the real thing, af-
ter all. L. for each man to get along, Il
make good living, TO even save some
thing above that and to come to full
--------''----