1871. 



NEW ENGL AN]) FARRIER. 



181 



discouraging and paralyzing event that can 

 happen to it. 



Should tlie depopulation of our rural dis- 

 tricts contiiuie at the present rate the effects 

 will be felt indirectly, if not directly, in our 

 now Nourishing villages and cities ; and the 

 time is coming when manufacturers themselves 

 will be earnest to have every acre in their 

 town, country and State yield to its full ca- 

 pacity. To enable them to prosecute their 

 business successfully in this corner of the 

 union, so far from the great centre, withstand- 

 ing the com])etition that will come from the 

 rising establishments at the South and AVest, 

 they must have cheap labor, — cheap as the 

 cheapest. Cheap labor depends largely upon 

 cheap food, and where can food be oljtained 

 more readily and cheaper than from farms in 

 the immediate vicinity of our factories and 

 work-shojis ? I am well aware of the views, 

 frequently entertained by our business men, 

 that the agriculture of New England is nothing 

 compared to the other industrial pursuits ; 

 that it is no place to farm ; that a young man 

 of enterprise who wishes to be a farmer is 

 very foolish to settle down amid these rocks 

 and hills. Go West or South, say they, if 

 you wish to get a liviug by farming. Thus 

 they do, perhaps unawares, favor migration, 

 and discourage our agriculture. If this is 

 true of farming is it not of manufacturing ? 

 Why continue to build such large and expen- 

 sive establishments where there is nothing but 

 rock, sand and gravel, water, ice, and pure 

 air? Would it not be better to locate facto- 

 ries and work-shops where provisions are 

 raised more abundantly, and where fuel, raw 

 materials and the great markets of consump- 

 tion of your goods exist? 



When our manufactures were in their in- 

 fancy, New England produced a surplus of 

 food ; now we are sending five hundred and a 

 thousand miles beyond its limits for materials 

 and the common necessities of life. Everv 

 thousand dollars thus sent to the West or the 

 Canadas for provisions which might be raised 

 at home, is just so much taken away from our 

 wealth. 



Any one with few figures can form some 

 idea of what we are annually losing for the 

 want of more men to till the soil. A higher 

 development of our agricultural resources 

 would largely increase our capital and con- 

 tribute to our independence. To check all 

 retrograde tendencies and institute vigorous 

 progressive movements throughout our rural 

 districts is the work of the hour, — the imme- 

 diate work for our Boards of Agriculture, 

 County Societies, Town Clubs, and for every 

 public minded citizen. 



But many will say what can be done ? Five 

 and twenty years have our agricultural orators 

 been preaching against migration, and still 

 the tide from the farms of young men and 

 women and whole families have moved steadily 

 on. They are leaving it now ; and will con- 



tinue to leave it for aught that can be seen to 

 prevent. Very well, if they will go, it is use- 

 less to try to keep them back ; nay, it may be 

 unwise to keep back such as continually feel 

 out of their element, and that destiny calls 

 them to occupations, or some other part of 

 our country ; for from this tide of migration 

 many noted examples of success have sprung ; 

 many Aaluable euterjjrises in our own States 

 have been begun, and other States have re- 

 ceived most valuable additions. If the agri- 

 culture of New England has suffered from this 

 cause, other States have gained thereby, and 

 thus the nation may not have been a loser. 

 Trying to keep upon the farm, then, such of 

 our sons and daughters as cannot and will not 

 be contented may he be impolitic. 



How then can the depopulation of our rural 

 districts be checked, if those born and edu- 

 cated upon the farm are not retained within 

 our limits ? By filling the vacancies with an- 

 other and dili'ercnt class of citizens ; those 

 who will be contented to live in a climate and 

 till a soil Hke ours. This can be done, — 



1. From our cities. Notwithstanding there 

 is a continued stream of population pouring 

 from the country to the city, there are those 

 in every large town and city who long for 

 country life ; those who are weary of the din 

 and bustle of large factories ; those worn out 

 by unremitting toil in dark, damp, badly ven- 

 tilated work shops ; those who are sick of the 

 perplexities and uncertainties of mercantile 

 pursuits, and who are anxiously looking for- 

 ward to the time when they can own and cul- 

 tivate a few acres and enjoy somewhat of coun- 

 try life. Some may have no means save willing 

 hands, wlule others could command a small 

 capital, and a few possess a competency. 

 With a little perseverance these can be sought 

 out, and many a farm now Avithout an occu- 

 pant, or which has been in the market for 

 years, could be readily disposed of, if the 

 seller would look toward our cities for custo- 

 mers. 



2. From the thousands of incmiigrants annu- 

 ally landing upon our shores. From these could 

 be selected those who have always worked up- 

 on the land, who desire to do so all their 

 lives ; and who by their patient industry and 

 frugality can more than make a living from 

 the soil our native born sons disdain to culti- 

 vate. They only need to be invited to towns 

 in which there is much land for sale, wel- 

 comed and encouraged a little at first. 



o. Another way of maintaining oumn-al pop- 

 ulation is for farmere who employ help through- 

 out the year or for a greater part of it, to erect 

 neat, comfortable, but inexpensive houses upon 

 their farms and hire more married men. Were 

 there five farmers in a town who would adopt 

 this plan this year, and five more who ^ould 

 follow their example next year and each suc- 

 ceeding year of the present decade, that town 

 would add to the population fifty families and 

 at least two hundred inhabitants. More per- 



