Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-08-13
VERMONT'S PROBLEMS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO

nothing can better these conditions
until we retain in the country the
right kind of intelligent, consecrated
leadership.
EARN life is Stunned by our boys
chiefly for the following reasons
They call it monotonous. a life of
drudgery. requires TOO long hours,
lacks freedom, social advantages,
pleasure. Many young men who
would otherwise farm, feel that in this
occupation there is no chance to achieve
fame, in politics. in society or in serv-
ice to humanity. They crave the
of the city. There is no getting
around the fact that many of these
objections have been valid in the past,
| but what about the present? The
new rural civilization of the present
| day OvercOmes every objection to
| living in the country. The rural tele-
phone overcomes isolation. The good
farmers wives can hold neighbor-
hood council with five on the line to
settle some question of village scandal.
Details and plans for church and
social events are conveniently arranged
by wire. Market and weather condi-
tons are reported by wire. The de-
velopment of the rural telephone has
were 81, SIT rural lines in the United
States with 266, 969 phones. Other
| factors which make country life desir-
able are better roads, parcel post,
electric roads, rural free delivery,
automobiles, farm machinery and
power machinery on the farm. So
much for the farm conveniences. and
the elimination of isolation. Other
forces which are tending to produce
the new rural life are: Agricultural
schools, crop contests among the boys
and girls in school unions, county
agricultural experts, local fairs, coun-
ty Y. M. C. AS, etc. These forces
combined are bringing about the social
and recreation side of life which young
people must have and which will more
than offset the glare of the city with
its artificial life. The teaching of
ing to these boys who love the country,
possibilities for splendid service, for
rearing healthy and vigorous families,
for leading long happy lives, that they
had little dreamed of before. The
study of scientific agriculture reveals
the fact that farming is a profession
worthy of the best efforts and keenest
study of any man. The man who sue
ceeds in doubling the crop of potatoes
or corn raised on an acre by the study
of plant breeding and seed selection is
worthy of as much fame as any
inventor that ever lived. Burbank
and other experimenters have increased
the efficiency of every live farmer in
the land and added billion dollars to
the nations wealth. Burbank has
out Edlsoned Edison. They have not
succeeded in making woven wire fences
by crossing the spider and the wire
worm, but they have have done better.
They have raised the efficiency of
the sugar beet from per cent to Is
per cent sugar. They nave produced
seedless oranges, plums, apples and
strawberry plants. They have pro-
duced the wonderberry and the Bur-
bank potato. Rural communities today
are calling for leadership as never
before in the worlds history and no.
where is the call greater and more
needy than right here in Vermont
''Four years ago Vermont was perhaps
the most backward state in the union,
affording opportunity for rural devel-
opment. Today she is in the fore front
from college of agriculture to county
agricultural expert and | am glad to
note that my friend, the good editor of
the Orleans County Monitor, has been
trying to boom things in Orleans
county. I hope you will have your
county expert, your corn shows, live
oranges and COW test associations.
You need them and must have them if
you increase your crop production and
create more interest in farm life. We
need leaders upon the farms. Think
ing men, men of large calibre We
need leaders in our rural schools, men,
who will emph asiZe the possibilities of
country life. No man who does not
love the country school should be there.
1t is too often made the stepping stone
for city schools by both men and
women. If the country principal S
heart is open to the sky and the woods
and the miracles of the soil, if he is a
man of vision and power, he has great
err local influence and social standing
than he would have in the city. 1t is
he who can teach a wholesome love for
t country life and help to stem the
downward tide. Likewise we need
leadership in the country lawyer, the
doctor and the minister 1t may mean
5 smaller incomes for some, at least for
, time, but it would also mean more
: opportunity for service to ones fellow
men and more influence for the great
majority of professional men, who be-
I come lost in the fierce competition of
the city. The country minister espe.
: cially has a wonderful future He
: needs to be trained in rural sociology.
He ought to know much about scientific
Il agriculture. He must revive some
country churches. and unite Others
The decadent rural church must be
: dealt with and more people of the
countryside gotten in touch with it
Narrow sectarian views must give way
to the broad sympathy and harmonizine
s. spirit of Christ. 1t must be the ain
- of every rural church. not simply t.
e get members. but to Christianize the
g community in which it is located.
1--WE of rural Vermont today are won
y derfully blessed. The New England
lie abandoned farm of a decade ago is
e thing of the past. A short time ago ex
n ahmed map of the UnitedStates show
g ing where farms were most sought afte
d | was surprised to find that more farm