The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-31
What Advertising Means for Vermont
Farming interests.

roneous impression created by an
old time publication to the effect that
this commonwealth is filled with
abandoned farms.
That the frst-class farming lands
of Vermont still reflect the effect of
that adverse influence is demonstrate
ed by the fact that farms on this
side of Lake Champlain are supposed
TO be held at prices from twenty to
thirty per cent. below the valuation
of farms of similar grade in north
ern New York Indeed not few
people have come to Vermont from
the west side of Lake Champlain in
recent years on the supposition that
they could secure splendid farming
lands at almost any price they might
name.
This experience shows that while
it still is and always will be true that
advertising pays" the axiom is in
variably to be qualified by limita-
ton to the right kind of adyertis-
ing"
Vermont has learned from repeated
bitter experiences that adverse adj
vertising does not pay, and that I'M
favorable publicity seems to travel
with even greater rapidity than ia
vorable mention" made familiar by
political agitation
Weeds always flourish without cul'
tivation where good seed fails to ma
terialiZe in harvests without assidu-
GUS attention, and so with publicity.
Vermont must overcome the ad-
verse effects of abandoned farm talk
with the sort of farm publicity that
has been spread abroad through APP
parently simplest statements.
The announcement that Vermont
has a $4,000 orchard was printed in
every farming paper in the country
and it did not cost a cent for print
ing. 1t showed our neighbors the
possibilities of Vermont soil, and
many of our farms which are com
monty regarded as the least valuable
may contain soil specially adapted to
successful and highly profitable or
charding
Our publicity department under
the direction of Secretary of State
Bailey as been doing effective work
in this direction. and every news
paper in Vermont and Vermonters
everywhere can cooperate in the
movement for a greater Vermont in
the field of agricultural development
as well as otherwise.
Editor II. W. Collingwood of the
Rural New Yorker and other authori-
ties on agricultural subjects outside
of this State are doing yeoman ser
vice by directing attention to the
great future Vermont and other New
England States are destined to en-
joy. They are helping us to realize
that the right kind of advertising for
Vermont farms pays.
Mr.. Collingwood says that forty
years from now the best paying
farms in the United States will be in
strip of country along the Atlantic
coast. He says that the days when
the New England farmer invested all
the money he got from his crops in
western farm mortgages and the
money he furnished was used in de-
veloping the farms of the West have
passed. Now the New England far
mer realizes that bigger profits lie in
reinvesting his money in his own
farm than in loaning it out, even at
good interest, for other men to use.
BY constantly building up his land,
his capital is increased, and its earn
ing power raised.
Some properly cared for New Eng
land farm land that has grown from
250 to 800 yearly crops since the
white man began to till it, is today
its best crops, continued
Mr.. Collingwood. One Massachusetts
farmer last year raised 5000 worth of
asparagus on one acre of land that
has produced crops for $50 years
since the white men came. II is true,
said Mr.. Collingwood. that much of
the New England land is unsuited to
farming and ought never to have been
TILED. but there are large areas that
simply need rebuilding. For genera
tons many New England farmers
have been raising crop after crop,
selling off every bit of grain, hay,
clover. etc. and returning almost |
to the land in the way of fer
tlizers. Now they are beginning to |
build up the land. are finding the par
ticular crops that are suited to the |
New England soil, and are making
the farms productive once more.
The day of overproduction of farm
products in this country has passed, |
and with the markets of the East
the best in the country-at their very
doors, in 40 years, when the New Eng |
land farms Have been brought to a |
high state of fertility by proper man.
agment, they will be the best paying !
ones in the country. said Mr.. Colling- |
wood.
The farmers of Vermont are fool |
ish TO sell any land for a song when |
this promising prospect is before |
them. We say without a moments |
that one of the best forms |
Of Investment in Vermont OF any
where else at this time is farm land |
and especially a farm that can be de- |
voted in part 10 orcharding. We |
should all talk Vermont farms up in
stead of down. There is every rea-
son why We should believe what we
say in favor OF farming in Vermont.
and IL We promote the right kind OF /
publicity for our agricultural inter
ests instead OF dyspeptic and jaundic-
ed pessimism concerning the future
Of Vermont agriculture. we shall soon
have the whole country talking with
rs instead OF against us.-Burlineton
Free Press.