St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-12-25
A PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN PRO.
JECyF

/ J6CI
! [By J. A. Scheuerle, Secretary of the
Bennington County Vermont I'M
(From the Vermont Missionary
provement Association
On March IA, 1912, 10 promin-
ent citizens of Bennington county
met at Bennington, Vermont, in
response to an invitation by Mr.. J..
! B. wilbur of Manchester. At this
meeting the Bennington County YER
mont Improvement Association was
| launched. The object of this asso-
citation is to improve all vital aspects
of life and conditions in Bennington
county. According to it's author,
Mr.. ]. B. Wilbur, it is an endeavor to
! bring the rural life movement down
/ to earth.
The business men and farmers are
lining up with the movement in a
most encouraging fashion. A con-
slant stream of contributions, large
and small, is coming to the Office at
Manchester so that there is no lack
of funds and the work can enlarge
and move forward as rapidly as able
workers can be found and the var
ious fields developed. At present
six people are giving their entire
time to the work that is being push
ed by the association. These are all
paid and specialists in their respect
| i've fields. In addition to this the
founder of the movement has spared
no time or energy to help along in
| the work. There are also a multi
tude of local people who are taking
hold of the work.
Agriculture
The Bennington County Vermont
improvement Association is working
to improve agricultural conditions.
1t has in cooperation with the United
States government engaged John L.
Sherman, an agricultural expert to
spend his entire time in the county.
He goes from farm to farm and
helps the farmers with their prob
lens, testing the soil, suggesting
with regard to fertilizers, orchard
ing, dairying, etc. He is also going
to have. demonstration farms where
certain crops will be grown on a CIV
en- area of ground strictly according
to instructions. There will be about
40 Of these in the different parts of
the county. There will also be CO.
operative farms. That is, farmers
who will carry out Mr.. Sherman's
The Bennington County Vermont
Improvement association will also
endeavor to bring other farm experts
to the comfy. enlisting the help of
the state of Vermont with it's De-
partment of Agriculture, it's agricul-
tural college and experiment station,
and the u. s. Agricultural depart
ment with all its great facilities for
teaching farming, furnishing to our
citizens the useful information that
nay be gathered and bringing them
in touch with trained men full or en-
thusiasm and large visions.
A careful, painstaking survey is
also being made that will reveal the
exact condition of every farm and
all marketing facilities. Mass meet
ings are being held in every town
where three of the most successful
and trustworthy farmers are chosen.
These will form the executive com
mittee of the Farmers League.
Through these definite work of CO.
operation will be undertaken. 1t if
proposed to build cooperative cream
cries and cheese factories, to do CO.
operative marketing and ultimately
to have cooperative stores in such
places as New York and Boston
Wnere bennington county products
will be sold to the consumers.
Through cooperative producing
marketing and buying it is proposed
to more than double the resources of
Bennington county in few years.
KOads
Tho association is also getting !
back Of the good roads movement, |
believing that good roads are vital
factor in the economic, educational
social and religious improvements in
the county. The association was in
strumental in bringing D. H. Win
slow, the U. S. government road en-
gineer, to the County for one year.
He works in cooperation with the
road commissioners and selcctmen /
and writes articles educating and in
structing public sentiment. The as
ISOLATION has road maps made that
will be placed in the various post
offices. These maps viii reveal the
exact conditions of all the roads and
will enable every one to know what
others have to contend with. It is
expected that these maps win do
much to overcome rhe bitter differ
ences that often exist between the i