144 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Mat 
lands produce. Many are ready to believe that farmer 
is most prosperous who turns off the greatest amount 
of produce, without taking into consideration the rela¬ 
tion the produce bears to the capital employed. The 
table of statistics which I have prepared, shows the 
relative value of the improved lands in Vermont., and 
the value of stock and grain. All buildings and lots 
adjoining, not exceeding two acres, were appraised at 
their true value in cash, and set in the list at four per 
cent.; and all improved lands were in like manner ap¬ 
praised and set in the list at © per cent. All kinds 
of stock at a certain rate-“-oxen at $2 each, cow t s at 
$1.25, &ec. From these lists we get the value of the 
improved lands, and the number of all kinds of stock. 
The value of stock and grain I have put at a price 
quite low, at this time, but near enough to its true 
value for the object I have in view-—the relation the 
value of produce bears to the value of improved lands. 
The stock was appraised on the first of April—the hay, 
beino 1 consumed, is not estimated; nor is the value of 
the dairy put into the account. I have valued oxen at 
$25 each, cows $15, horses at $40, colts and young 
cattle in proportion. Yearling cattle were not ap¬ 
praised. I have put their number the same as two 
year olds. From this valuation, the stock, grain, and 
swine, exceed in value the value of the improved lands, 
without the buildings. The value of sheep at $2 each, 
with their w’ool on, exceeds in value any other kind of 
stock. The value of stock is to the value of grain 
nearly as 9 to 2. 
I have also taken the value of improved lands, and 
stock and grain in the different counties; and I find the 
value of produce in a reverse ratio to the value of im¬ 
proved lands. Addison County improved lands are ap¬ 
praised the highest of any in the State, being $10 1-9. 
Caledonia County $6 per acre. Yet Caledonia County, 
with one-fourth less acres, and two-fifths less in value, 
has in value of stock and grain over $100,000 more 
than Addison County. The value of improved lands 
in Addison, Windham, and Caledonia Counties, stands 
Improved lands. Produce. 
Addison,. $10 1-9 $7.50 
Windham,. 7.34 8 53 
Caledonia,... 6 00 11.32 
Addison County produces more hay per acre than any 
other County in the State. It produces about 112,000 
tons, which will furnish at least twelve tons of hay to 
each acre of plowed ground. This with the straw and 
corn stalks, will make sufficient manure to keep the 
soil in a high state of cultivation, without resorting to 
artificial means of making manure. 
The lands of Vermont, particularly the western and 
northern portioru are well adapted to grazing. The 
deep rich soil of the northern counties produces abun¬ 
dantly of hay and grass; and the numerous rivers which 
flow into Lake Champlain, by overflowing the inter¬ 
vales, spring and fall, keep these flats rich without the 
application of manure. The Otter Creek and Batten- 
kill rivers, which run nearly 100 miles near the base of 
the Green mountains, overflow their hanks annually. 
These intervales produce heavy crops of excellent hny 
without any manure. The pastures on the hills and 
mountains afford good range for cattle and sheep; and 
the hill and mountain pasture, though of little value for 
entire farms, wffien connected with the flats and inter¬ 
vale meadows, are nearly as valuable as the best low¬ 
land pasture. These rich hill and mountain pastures, 
can be purchased at from $3 to $8 per acre. 
When we look at the low price of improved lands in 
Vermont, and their adaptation to the growth of cattle 
and sheep, we may as well expect a great outlay in 
making manure in Wisconsin as here. There are sec¬ 
tions of Vermont that require more manure than can 
he made from stock, so long at least as the plow is 
used ro much. There are less natural meadows, prob¬ 
ably, in Windham County than in any other in the? 
State; and that eouniy is the only one that has, as far 
as I have been informed, offered a premium for the best 
heap of compost manure. There is, no doubt, more 
manure made in that County than any other in the 
State, or in all the other Counties. I have never seen 
a heap of compost in Addison County, which is con¬ 
sidered naturally the best grazing County in the State* 
The value of stock there to the value of grain is eight 
to one. With all these natural advantages in favor of 
Addison, Windham County, with but. 3,000 acres more 
improved lands, has 3.000 oxen, 4,000 sows and three 
year old cattle, and 200 horses, more than Addisois 
County, and neaily twice as much grain. 
These facts may , in the opinion of your able corres¬ 
pondent from Brattleboro, favor book-farming, while 
others, more intimately acquainted with the habits of 
the farmers on both sides of the mountain, will attribute 
this increase in the value of produce in Windham Coun¬ 
ty to the industrious habits of the farmers on that side 
of the mountains; for there is, I think, twice as much 
labor performed annually by the farmers in Windham 
County, as is done by the same number of farmers iu 
the counties of Addison, Rutland and Bennington. 
But without going into the investigation of the com¬ 
parative merits of difl’erent counties, if we look at the 
produce of the State as a whole, or by counties, it will 
appear that a greater value of cattle and grain is pro¬ 
duced in Vermont, from the same amount of capital 
employed, than in any other State in the Union; and 
the amount of produce will, in the course of a few 
years, by means of the different lines of railroads now 
in progress, be doubled in value. J. S. Pettibone. 
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Average value of improved lands, with buildings, for 
the state, $14,90 per acre; average value of the same 
for Addison County $17.62V per acre—without build¬ 
ings, $10.11 per acre ; average value of improved lands, 
with buildings, in Caledonia County, $13.50 per acre—• 
without buildings, $6. Manchester March 30, 1848. 
