Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-05
THE FUTURE VERMONT.
(From the Rutland Herald)

A great deal OF complacent congratu-
lation has followed the speech of Am
bassador Bryce at the recent tercenten-
airy celebration. In which he referred to
Vermont as "this noble pleasure ground.
the most delightful region Of eastern
America" We have not only swallow ed
the dear old gentleman's compliments
entire but we have settled back con-
tertedly and said: True; now bring
along your tourists. your summer board
ers and dwell with us. We dare you to
come"
The Herald has called attention to
several reasons WHY Vermont is not
should all the dreams of the sum
mer hotel" enthusiast come true. even
II plain. human intelligence should be
applied to the states and the railroad $
advertising. even II Mr. Bryce's kind
advertisement should be blazoned abroad
and the State beseiGed by insistent sum
mer tourists and rest-seekers. it Is still
indisputablc that Vermont's chief des-
tiny lies elsewhere.
The State that produced Ethan Allen.
Justin Morrill, and George Dewey. must
have n greater ambition than to trans
form all it's citizens into landlords and
all It's young men and women into Wallets
and Sarah James.
There is nothing demeanng in the
summer guests and tourist business,
but II hardly constitutes career. YER
mont's future lies there but In part.
There are millions of IONS Of unQuar-
ried stone In our lodges and hills. There
are valuable minerals not yet thoroughly
developed-Mr. Bryce to the contrary
Notwithstanding There are mountain
rorges with everlasting water power
awaiting the bold promoter who will
drop dam across them and pile back
the wasted foot pounds. There are thou
sands Of acres OF waste land that need
but the farsghted thrift OF the forester
to make them priceless. and lastly.
there are scores, yes. hundreds of farms
that need more brains. more tillage
more industry. more intensity, ere they
yield a 1.-THE Of their capacity to their
owners and operators.
Although Vermont farmers are in an
industrial minority. the agriculture Of
the State must always he an important
feature. second to no other single inter
est While urging the development OF
Nermonts material resources, one must
never forget that farming the original
craft of the pioneer, Is OF positive anc
unquestionable importance.
In year like the present. when the
hay crop IL scant and thin. one cannot
help noting the fact that n large ma
torlty OF Vermont farms are badly titled,
w~edy and cursed with myriad vege-
table filths that choke down the hay
md fodder crops and are a standing re-
proach to the farmer. individually and as
class Daises witchgrass, thistles an<
the abominable villa mustard are far
more responsible for the traditional pow
erty OF the Vermont farmer than all the
taxation abuses the State supports.
While waiting for the building of those
lakeside cities and mountains resorts
that Mr.. Bryce spoke about so beauti-
fully, the Vcrmontcr might very profit
ably study farming crop rotations, the
summer fallow and A few elemental
Ideas about noxious weeds and their rem
rdy.
Along the line OF the Rutland road
between this city and Burlington. there
are perhaps a full hundred fields posi-
lively worthless. Between patches of
summer boardcrs 1t might be we'll for
the owners OF those farms to plough
up such fields. fallow and cross plough
at odd times and make them less a howl
ing reproach and standing disgrace to
the reputation of the Vermont farm and
the traditional thrift of the Vermont
farmer
Summer boarders; yes Miscellaneous
Industries. but first, last and continually
better farming. Learn how to do II. The
State supports a big staff Of know how
people.