The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-16
ESSENTIALS IN VERMONT'S
DEVELOPMENT.
Uyndonville Union-Journal.

The question was recently asked
Theo n. Vail what he considered the
main essentials in the future devel-
opment of Vermont and, in brief, he
replied as follows:
The development OF the natural re-
sources, principally agriculture.
think the tend of production is now
returning with the rapid development
of the West, the great increase in pop
ulation and individual income in the
East, the increase in the consumption
of those food stuffs which Vermont
is especially adapted to raise and
with a near and convenient market.
Vermont from it's situation never will
be large manufacturing State. Small
concerns, some specialties, will de-
velop, but it will never be able to
compete in a large way with sections
nearer the supplies or nearer the mar
kets. Fruits, large and small, and
the higher priced agricultural prod
ucts should be very profitable and
within the scope of any one.
The encouragement of belt road.
Industrial and agricultural education
in lines best adapted to Vermont
should be encouraged.
An idea of Mr.. Wallis which he
would especially like to see develop
ed and which would seem 70 be at
the very root of the States future
growth along the line of the summer
business so much discussed is State
reservations embracing the headwat-
ers of our various river systems.
These reservations to be reforested
and the woods and streams well stock
ed with fish and game.
The timber, after few years,
would give good returns to the State.
Within certain boundaries allow no
shooting or fishing, but let the reser-
vations be the nursery, the breeding
ground, for the whole State. Soon
fish and game would be abundant
enough outside the boundaries of the
prohibited limit to make the State at
tractive to the sportsman and the fees
for license would be source of profit.
Another thing, Mr.. Vail says, 1t
would open to the outsider the real
wonderful beauties of our State.
Strangers who travel up and down
our valleys on the railroads or main
highways know nothing of these.
While these valleys are beautiful they
are not so much superior to the val
leys of other States as 20 attract par
ticular attention, but once get the
stranger acquainted with our high
land scenery and soon our wonderful
highland situations would be taken
up by those who would contribute
largely to the wealth and prosperity
of the State.
Vermont never will be the same as
some of the other States, summer
resort of the average or moderate
farm boarding house type. The Yer
mont farmer II he wants to work
can make more by legitimate farming
than by keeping boarders and be
more Independent.
The following editorial from New
York paper shows what could be done
by the State exercising its police
power as we'll as that of eminent do
main. Buy those lands which could
be got a a fair price and make State
reservation, including bought lands
and privately owned lands which
would include all the principal head
waters and watersheds and put then
under police restrictions as to cutting
and preserving the whole within GER
tain boundaries. This is work which
is for the future ana may not appea
to all, but the sooner it is begun thu
sooner the benefits will come.
Much has been heard of public for
est preserves, little of the fact tina
four-fifths of the timber standing II
this country is privately owned. No
only do private interests own foul
times as much of the woods as thu
State and Federal Governments own
but these woods are the more valua
BILE. They are being burned over a
an average loss of s50,000,000. The,
are cut wastefully, at the rate of three