The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-09-16
VERMONT OPPOR-
TUNITIES ARE
OF MANY KINDS
Secretary of States Publicity Depart,
ment Sets Forth Some of the
States Advantages in Ag-
ricultural Lines.

publications OF the publicity department
lof the secretary of states office to be
issued this year is vermont Farms,
containing more than 1875 pages, which
has just come from the press, the print.
ing having been done by the Oaledonian
Press of st. Johnsbury. The greater
part of the book is devoted to set.
ting fourth in considerable detail of the
resources and opportunities of Vermont
agriculture. This is followed by a long
list of free publications having a bear.
ing directly or indirectly upon Vermont
agriculture and by list of 233 farms
and residential properties offered for
sale, representing every one of the Ia
counties in the state.
The book endeavors to correct some
of the prevailing misconceptions regard.
ing Vermont farming. One of these Is
that Vermont farms are small, and that
the census figures are quoted to show
that the size of the average Vermont
farm is 1926 acres, while the size OF
the average farm in the United States
is only 1881 acres. Only two of the
| great farming states in the central West
surpass Vermont in the size of the aver
age farm. A few census facts are quot
ed, relating to area, population, value OF
farm property, crops, domestic animals,
/ etc.
An interesting and valuable article on
Vermont soils by Prof. L. j. Hills, dean
of the agricultural college of the Uni
versity of Vermont, is embodied in the
text, This article, prepared for the book
! by Professor Hills, shows that there are
practically no abandoned farms in Yer
! mont x.sif d tha t0r ne norf
that are better fitted by nature for
| forestry than for agricultural purposes.
| He shows why Vermont soils are more
| fertile than those of some other states
and calls attention to the fact that Yer
mont is far in the lead of other New
| England states in the matter of ag1i-
cultural advisers and that few states in
the Union are as well covered as Yer
mont in this sort of public service. An
article on expert aid for farmers, writ
ten by Hon. Z. S. Brigham, state com
missioner of agriculture, lis quoted in
this connection and shows what excel
lent progress Vermont is making.
The subject of dairying is treated at
considerable length and facts and fig
ures are quoted from the census reports
and publications OF the United States
department of agriculture, which show
that taking into account area and popu
lation. Vermont is the leading dairy
state in the Union. This state stands
at the head Of the list in the number
of COW testing associations, being tied
with New York for first place when the
last reports was made. While exact re-
ports could not be obtained regarding
the shipment of milk outside of the
state, reports from two of the leading
railroads and estimates for the third
railroad based on the reports for the
other two, indicate that in the year 1912
practically 56,000,000 quarts of milk and
100000 quarts of cream were shipped
out of Vermont
The opportunities for raising beef cat
tie are also set forth.
A series of tables is published, the
first of which shows that Vermont leads
the Union in the ratio of dairy cows
per population, having one COW TO l.3
persons. The only state that approaches
this record are Iowa, Wisconsin and
South Dakota, with ratio of one TO
1.5.. Vermont makes a notable record
in pounds of butter per capita, with a
record of 96.6 pounds. No other state
approaches this record. Only three
states produce half as much, Minnesota
with sos pounds, Iowa with 81 pounds,
and Wisconsin with SO pounds. Only six
states produce third as much. and
only eight states produce a fourth as
much per capita as Vermont. Vermonts
average production of pounds of but
ter per farm is l,ll2.6 Only four states
produce half as much, only seven states
a third as much, and only Is states a
fourth as much. Vermont leads the I'm
ion in average number of pounds of but
ter per COW with 1898 pounds. In
pounds of butter per square mile, Yer
mont is far in the lead of any other |
only one state leads Vermont, and in
all cattle per square mile only two states !
lead Vermont.
Those persons who think Vermont |
farms are not fertile win do well to |
perrse the tables given, showing the
average yield OF staple crops per acre |
and the average price paid for such |
crops. Last year only eight states raised /
more bushels of corn per acre than Ner'
mont. For the past four years the aver
age number of states raising more corn |
per acre than Vermont is six. Yer |
mont's average yield for the four year
period mentioned was nearly twice the |
average yield for the whole country.
The average price in Vermont paid farm
ers Dec. for the past four years was
43.6S per cent greater than the average
price paid throughout the United States.
During only one year of the aforemen-
toned period did one of the big corn
states surpass Vermont's yield of bush
els per acre. For the 40 year period,
from 1870 to 1909, inclusive, Vermont /
ranks first in average yield of bushels
Of corn per acre.
Last year only five states, and those
in the irrigated region of the West,
raised more bushels of spring wheat per
acre than Vermont. The average YER
mont yield during the last four years
was nearly twice that of the United
States. The average price paid in YER
mont during the last four years was
more than 20 cents per bushel greater
than that quoted for the entire United
States. During the period, from 1870 to
1909, inclusive, only two states and those
in the irrigated regions of the West,
surpassed Vermont in the average yield
IF bushels of wheat per acre.
Last year only seven states raised
more bushels of oats per acre than Yer
mont, and this state led all the big
,at producing states in average yield and
price. Vermont's average price for the