Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-24

county's soil Is perfectly capable of pro-
ducing all the food needed by New London
county's population during the crop-grow-
ing season But how about the long
winters? Well, there are great many
things which New London county can grow
in the summer and lay by for winter. l
need only mention such vegetables as
potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, cafbbag-
es, etc, such grains as corn and oats and
wheat; or stock foods like hay, slower
and sfage; and such fruits as aTtoles and
pears.
The modern development of canning pro-
cesses has also, made 1t possible to pre-
serve almost Indefinitely scores of perish
able things. No farmer who will follow
the simple 0Erectlons easily oltainaEolo
and inexpensive in use need lack, either
for himself or for sale to discriminating
consumers, such canned vegetables as
corn, peas, string beans, tomatoes, etc,
or such canned fruits as berries, peaches,
! plums cherries and the like.
Like most other New England counties
| New London doubtless buys these from
| abroad in large quantity. But there is no
| inherent reason why the county couldn't
| and shouldn't produce them all, within its
own -hsnits-produce them, harvest them,
| can them and market them
Even today. there is a nnited but
growing call for such home grown, home
canned products, and a few far-slghted
and progressive farmers are taking adj
vantage of it. That the county could sup
| ply its own full requirements along this
| line is unquestionable Why it does not
| Is another problem
Even the great canning factories them
| selves admit the wisdom of trying for local
rather than long distance markets. AT
a meeting of the Michigan Gamers AS
ISOLATION, a month or so ago, one of the
| principal speakers laid special stress on
this idea. He referred to the saving
| in transportation charges thus securafble
| and declared that intensified selling over
a comparatively small area was much
more effective than the same expenditure
of money and effort spread out over a
great area" He went so far as to assert
that there was mo earthly reason why the
Michigan consumer should ever use any
but Michigan canned goods" He was
right. There is, no good reason why any
locality should use any but locally canned
goods Within the limits of seasonal and
climatic conditions.
1t isn't so much the consumers whom
am thinking of in this connection as the
| farmers Why, in a county where soil,
| climate, and rainfall make it possible for
the farm producers to supply all the
| needs Of city consumers-why should sew
enty-f1ve cents out of every dollar those
consumers ray go out of the state into
somebody else's pockets? Why shouldn't
| it go to the local farmers themselves?
Oh, know that it isn't as easy as roll
ing off the well-known log I know what
lions there are in a way. There's the la
Dor question, and there's the marke
nnuddle: and there's the haulage bother
and 'steen other growing, gruntng
grouchy old beasts
Also-and don't minimize the import
ance of tnis-there's the old rut to be go
out of.
I oh, that old ruti Yoyr wheels nav,
been travelling in it for nobody knows
how many years and 1t is like puilin;
spokee right out of the hub even to thinl
! of getting out of it Moreover, if YOUR
an old fellow, like me, am not going Il
advise you to risk your spokeS or axIes
We you and l, are going down the Ion!
hill and Shall get to the bottom soon with
out licking up the old horse or trying t.
make speed.
f But think of the young fellows coming
up the other side of the hill. just starting
perhaps, and finding the grade steep am
the going rocky. We should be sorr
Sl)oil-sports If we insisted that they to
must follow old rl1ts.
They may be little brash and hea
strong. Wen. well; you and I weren'
: models OF docility or wisdom at their age
They make lots of mistakes So did we
. don't let's pretend we didn't! We learn
ed from our own plumbers. Don't yo
= suppose they will, too?
!. 1t is on their shoulders that the hopes @
the farm lands rest. 1t is to them tina
: we must look for the future And it Is t
= them that 1 am frankly appealing in thi
t attempt to show the possibility of thei
t obtaining and holding the best marke
e any farmer can ever have-his own HON
Il market.
: 1t is not the Has-Been's but the VIII
Be's who count.
THE FARMER.