The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-06-11
LYNDoNvILLE WITHOUT VAIL
Is the Cause of Reflections BY H. L. H.
In Rutland Herald.

Lyndonville without Theodore n
Vail is like Hamlet with the melan
eholy Dane gone. With the big, in
spring personality of Vail part o.
Speedwell farms and the big Val
house, anything seemed possible. Vail:
plans for a big estate, his project fol
breeding Brown Swiss cattle, his re
forestation, road making, educationa
and industrial enterprises, all seemed
not only possible but likely to be the
big and eminent successes which he
saw in his minds eye.
The same thing applies to the Vail
school and farms, which Vail in his
big-visioned generosity and love for
Vermont, presented to the state. With
Vail so enthusiastically committed to
the plan; with his generous benefac-
tons in prospect to make up deicien-
cies and tide over hard places; with
the school barns and farms in first
class, apple-pe order; with the stock
kept up to showing form; with the
problem of upkeep in the future in
stead of in the present: with the sill
yer.tongued Vail boosters on hand to
plug" the project of a big state agri-
cultural school, it is no wonder that
successive legislatures have fallen I'M
der the spell of the Vail idea.
To-day, it is cold, hard, business
problems that confront the state
without the genius, inspiration and big
fortune of Vail to fall back on.
Overhead and depreciation are some
thing that very few amateurs can be
induced to figure. Take the item of
buildings on the seven farms and big
central plant that Vail gave to the
state of Vermont:
Acres of shingles" is the way Har-
vey Goodell states it. He says if the
shingles on the buildings on the Vail
farms were spread out on the ground,
they would cover acreage enough to
provide demonstration crops for every
growing product native to Vermont.
After casting a layman's eye over
the vast expenses of shingles which
cover the barns, stables, show ring,
offices. dairy, sheds and houses, not
only at the central plant but on the
even outlying farms, ! should say
that Harvey had stated ii conserva-
lively. ] should be inclined to add
that a very fair forestry exhibit could
also be set out on such acreage.
These buildings are beginning to need
repairs. Several OF them are thirsty for
paint. OF the seven farms, only three
are occupied as to tenants and one of
them is abandoned so far as cultiva-
ton is concerned. 1t is and il has been
nothing but grazing farm, and I'd
hate to call for expert, unbiased opin
Jon on the kind of farming that is
being done on the others, but, vacant
OF occupied, the buildings must be kept
up.
The things too big. The farms ex
tend over so much area that it's
full days work merely to visit each one
and make any sort of casual inspection.
Work delegated TO students of school
or TO hired men can therefore only be
glanced at each day by the responsible
head of the school and farms.
Operating the Vail farms and central
plant is no schoolmaster's job. | doubt
II there's a man in Vermont capable of
taking over those farms as they lie and
making them pay as a commercial
Considering overhead, de-
probation and interest charges, the
problem COLOSSAL.
If the state could retain the closein |
at Speedwell farms-say 200 /
or 300 acres at the outside-dispos- |
ing Of the outlying property and dis
some unnecessary buildings, !
then move the school up on the hill (
Il forgot to say that before any of the /
students can begin work they have to
climb the -and-a-half hill from
Lyndon Center to the FARMS perhaps I
We could see a way through.
As il is, the stock isn't what il was.
According TO the terms of the deed. 1
something must be done right quick
in the way Of repairs. The faculty OF /
he school has done some ground and
lofty hustling for students and there
J. an enrolment Of 4O-odd fine looking,