The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-11-27
vERMoNT's RESOURCES
Book Issued by State For Use in Pub
lie Schools.


copy of the hood entitled vermont
Its Resources and Opportunities
authorized by No. III of the Acts OF
1915, for use as a supplementary read
er in the public schools, and written
by Walter H. Crockett of the state
publicity bureau. The principal sub
jects treated are Agriculture, In
dustry", Water Powers, and THE
Vacation Business" While many of
the facts are compiled from previous
publications of the publicity bureau,
there is considerable new matter. The
Commissioner of Education win deter
mine the grades in which this work is
to be placed.
The book contains thirty ilnstra-
tions, showing various phases Of the
agricultural and industrial resources
of the state and pictures of lake, river
and mountain scenery. The Fronts
piece is a portrait Of Ira Allen, "a
Pioneer in Vermont Development,
and in the Foreword will be found ex
tracts from an enthusiastic letter de-
scribing Vermont's resources, written
by Allen to the Duke of Portland prob
ably about the year 1896, for which
the following paragraphs are taken:
"A writer of a warm Imagination
may embellish the most barren coun.
try, but there lis no occasion for aid of
this kind in treating of the present
subject. need not tell you that have
travelled through some of the finest
countries of Europe, and paused with
rapture on some of the most pictures
que views, and do not hesitate to
say that Vermont vies with many of
them, even in her present state
with respect to the face of the
country, if you ask me merely with re-
gard to rural views | can say that the
landscape painter will be highly
charmed, as know of no country that
abounds in greater diversity of hill
and dale, but ! must add that those
hills are in general capable of being
converted into arabic ground and that
the most craggy mountains, if cleared,
would produce tolerable pasturage;
some parts may be compared to the
sea in a storm, and others to a gentle
breeze.
They (the people of Vermon) have
no necessity to introduce foreign gras-
SEES where every hill and valley affords
abundance Of heritage spontaneously,
and every plain permitted to remain
few months untouched, becomes
meadow. The woods also produce
other fruits in great plenty. some OF
which you are obliged to pampeT IN
your hothouses in England. Our eli.
mate is mild our soil fertile, our in
habitants Industrious, our provisions
abundant and cheap, and it is' our de-
termination to avail ourselves of these
blessings and to hand them down at
least unimpaired to our children.
you ask what manufactures would
thrive best in Vermont. | am per
suaded the difficulty would be to point
out the manufacturing that would not
flourish in it, "*
IF you favor this country with Wis.
it you will find that have only failed
in one thing, and that is that my des-
criptive powers cannot do justice TO
the fertility and beauty of the coun-
try; to the hospitality of the inhabi.
tants; to the plenty that is found in
every house, and the content that is
pictured in every countenance and
that reigns in every heart. Would
that all mankind were as happy this
minute as the Vermontese."
The new material in the book in
Sc g.t,lt t.t.g Il
products at the time the last census
was taken, with similar products half
a century or more ago. The value of
farm property in Vermont increased
from s7S,449737 in 1850 to $145,399,-
72S in 1910 The average value of
farm was $2,646 in 1850 and $4,445 in
1910. The average value of farm
land per acre was $1,000 in 1850 and
S31,17 in 1910. The total value of liv'
stock was $12,643,22S in 1850 and 1922.
642 ,766 in 1910
Vermont's Importance as dairy
state is not a recent achievement. In
1850 Vermont produced 12,1S7 $50
pounds OF butter, ranking sixth In pro-
duction, and being surpassed only by
the states of New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Illinois and Indiana The same
rank was held in 1860 The amount
of butter made increased until 1880
decreased in 1890 and 1900. and show.
ed notable increase in 1910, the pro-
duction being 35,993,1S7 pounds. al
most twice the amount made in 1900
There has been decrease in the
amount OF cheese made. In 1850 Yer
mont ranked third In the production
of cheese, rank maintained in 1850
| and 1870 although the amount de-
creased. In 1860 Vermont made more
cheese than all the Western States,
exclusive of Ohio.
Vermont ranked second in the pro-
! duction of maple sugar in 1850 and
1860 but since that time has ranked
first. The largest amount reported
was in 1890.
Hay is the only crop that shows a
steady increase from 1850 to 1910,