The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-11-10

Of each year. These hardships Of liv
ing, such as lack Of simple toilet an'
bathing facilities are fully realized BY
every son and daughter sent away q
school and are remembered by them in
their final reckoning.
There are no openings worth Will,
for the young people as they come
along How can there be IL hard work
brings as much chance Of loss as Of
profit II life is a hard or a precari-
Gus grind, or both, why not 90 TO more
favored regions, or a city ?"
These statements, made before an
association organized TO promote the
welfare Of the State, carry with them
an added authority and If warranted
by conditions represent very deplor-
able state Of affairs. ! have great re-
spect for Mr.. Rossiter, and hesitate to
call in question any Of his conclusions,
bat II seems TO me that further ex-
animation Of the recent census figures
might lead him to change his opinions,
and know that he is thoroughly
earnest in his desire TO bring about
better conditions in Vermont.
For many years we have had to
combat the idea, exploited in comic
paper and stage jokes, that the people
Of Vermont were able with difficulty TO
earn precarious living from a
stoney and barren soil; that Vermont
ers were an uneouth, illiterate, pow
erty stricken people; and surprising
ly large number Of persons only few
hundred miles away look upon jour
ney to Vermont in winter as one in
volving almost as great discomfort as
a trip TO the Arctic Circle. Anything
that tends to strengthen such erron-
eous ideas is damaging to the reputa-
ton Of the State.
The average acreage Of United
States farms, according to the last
census, is 1882, and the Vermont av-
erage is l45.7. The Vermont average
is larger than that Of any other State
in New England, and larger than any
State in the Middle Atlantic, East
North Central, South Atlantic, or East
South Central groups of States. Only
the large farm areas in the States
west Of the Mississippi River bring
vermonts' average below the general
average
Nor does it seem to those of US who
i've in Vermont the year around that
,ur climate deserves TO be pictured in
'orbidding terms. 1t is the climate Of
he north temperate zone, with its ad-
and it's disadvantages, the
Innate of New England, and northern
New York. Although temperatures
ometimes drop below the zero mark,
he lack of humidity makes the
weather. seem less cold than the same
egistration Of the thermometer would
n some other localities. Surely the
rermont climate does not differ ma
erially from that Of Maine, New
hampshire, Massachusetts or northern
Few York.
Ii will be news to many Of our
eople that Vermont has a 'precarious
iarket," "no conveniences Of trans
and that the Vermont
lrmer "has no certainty Of good .
wing in any year" The latest cen
"a figures show that in 1919 Vermont c
crops, dairy products, poul- n
y. eggs, honey, maple sugar and n
-uits valued at almost ss5,000, 900 and p
lis does not include the sale Of live a
ock, beef, veal, lamb, mutton, or for c
It products. The total gold produc- d
on for the United States for that s.
sar was only a little more than d
5000, 900. a
The government crop reports for O
lis year are not yet available but last a
ar 1920 vermont's average yield 81
corn per acre was greater than that n
any other State in the Union. Only al
ie State in 1920 exceeded Vermont in Il
Ishels OF rye per acre, only one in u
Ishels Of buckwheat per acre, only II.
ven in bushels Of spring wheat and fo
shells Of barley per acre, only eight o'
bushels Of potatoes per acre (and ot
ly two Of these were east Of the "
,ck Mountains), only ten in bushels re
oats per acre. Only four States 4
81 Of the Mississippi River raised m
,re tons OF hay per acre than Yer ne
mt. In 1914 only one State exceed
Vermont in bushels Of potatoes per 70
re and only one in bushels Of spring M
Ieat per acre. in
For the forty-year period, 1s70-1s09 81
rmont led the Union in average re- tiT
ms per acre FOR the three most i'm CO
rant cereals. corn, wheat and oats. tei
? several decades Vermont has n
iked vel toward the top Of the list "a
yields of staple crops per acre. No Ter
ier State equals Vermont in the m'
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