USA > Vermont > Addison County > Salisbury > History of Salisbury, Vermont > Part 4
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The facts of this case were subsequently examined before the county court, in a trial against Mr. Blake for manslaughter, but which resulted in his acquittal .*
* The schools of Salisbury, like those of every other town, have had their fun-loving and truant boys, who have at times learned, from sad experience, what books would ever fail to teach them. An incident occurred in one of our schools, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, which illustrates this idea, and was substantially as follows :- Two large boys, who had become fatigued with the monotony of the school-room, and who, perhaps, by nature, had at that time a greater inclina- tion for the incidents and pleasures of the woods than for those of the intellect, concluded they would leave the school one afternoon, and go into the woods in search of tamarack gum. They entered the woods at no great distance from the school- house, and had not proceeded far, when they discovered in the snow the track of some wild animal, which neither of them had previously seen. The thought struck them at once, that if they could make this animal, whatever it might be, their captive, it might mitigate, somewhat, the offence of running away from school, at the same time that it would furnish an object of curiosity for all the neighborhood. So they followed
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
No country was ever settled under auspices more favorable to the education of the common people than New England. Education of the masses was
the track until it entered the hollow of a large log. Eager in the prospect of so easy a prize, they cut a stick and prepared the end of it, so that by twisting it into the hair of the animal, he could be drawn out to their reach; but, on trying, the stick was found too short for the purpose, and it was finally agreed between them that one should crawl into the log, while the other should stand with a club in hand, ready for any emer- gency which might arise on the occasion. So, with no little uncertainty as to the result of an interview with an unknown animal, one of the boys took the stick and entered the log. When he had crowded himself in a distance nearly the length of his body, he succeeded in reaching the object of his search, and proceeded to stir him up with the end of his stick.
Now, the first occupant having taken up his residence here, and established his rights thereto by possession or discovery, or other natural laws, supposed no human authority could expel him ; and being endowed by his Maker with instruments of self-defence sufficient, in this case at least, to repel inva- sion, he directed, with the precision of a perfect marksman, a shot of that nondescript character so peculiar to his kind, into the face and eyes of the intruder, which, from its native pun- gency and suffocating influences, rendered the young man in- sensible until he was drawn forth by the heels from the log into the open air. With his returning breath came the con- sciousness that he had learned more of the nature of wild ani- mals that afternoon, than he could have done in a much longer time from his books at school. It must be added, that while
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
rightly deemed the foundation of every permanent beneficent institution, and it has ever been the sure guaranty for their perpetuation. All towns and set- tlements at their beginning felt the importance of good teachers and good ministers. The people wanted instructors not only pious but learned. On the other hand, those who had the power, made this want felt by the people. One of the leading points in the application of a church and people to a council of clergy to settle a minister among them, was a guar- anty on the part of the people that he should be well and liberally supported, to enable him to devote him- self to his studies, rather than compel him to devote a part of his time to outside employments to procure a living. Most of the settlers of Vermont came from the New England states, and inherited the habits and customs of their fathers, and in respect to liberality towards their ministers, did not lose sight of the ex- ample of their native states. One of the first things of a public character we find among the early settlers,
one of the boys declared the truthfulness of these facts, the other was unwilling to acknowledge that he, at any time, either in the log or out of it, lost his consciousness ; but, at any rate, his presence the following day, and for several sub- sequent weeks, gave evidence to the whole school that he had been in strange, if not in bad company.
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
is the institution of common schools and churches, which are soon followed by colleges and benevolent institutions, exerting a most salutary moral and liter- ary influence in the land. The cause of education has advanced in a marvelous way, and now, as we look upon the books and studies of this later day, we are lost in reflecting upon its strange contrast with the quiet, unlearned simplicity of early life.
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
CHAPTER VIII.
GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION. - SOIL .- TIMBER. - CROPS AND PRODUCE. - SHEEP .- AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
THE distance between the eastern and western boundaries of the town of Salisbury, including the strip ceded to Ripton, is seven miles ; and a line from north to south through the town, on the head of the second tier of home lots, measures four miles and thirty-three rods. It is probably a little wider than this at the west end.
It is estimated that one third of the town or more, in- cluding Lake Dunmore, lies on the mountains, much of which is good loam soil, capable of being made into good pasture land, but which is, for the most part, too cold for tillage. Many fine lots of timber are yet found here, composed chiefly of spruce, maple, birch and other hard-wood trees, together with some stately pines. The difficulty of making roads upon the mountain-side has hitherto prevented any great improvement in these lands, the most of which are yet in a wild state. That body of land lying along the western side of the mountain, varying from one
-
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
to one and a half miles in width, is somewhat hilly, but is excellent land for the purposes of tilling. Wheat, corn, rye, oats, and all other crops raised in this state, are successfully cultivated here, and with less liability of failure (the hay crop excepted,) than in any other part of the town.
Notwithstanding many of the pines which once dotted the hills and covered the valleys with their evergreen shade, have gone to supply the markets of the world, a good number yet remain, and still an abundance of oak is found for the various branches of the mechanic arts, for building purposes and fencing the land. The middle and western part of the town is more level and better adapted to grass. Much of it is of an alluvial nature, bordering on streams which meander through the town, from the mountains. Leicester river, which takes its rise from Lake Dun- more, runs through the village and along near the southern boundary of the town until it empties into Otter creek. To the north of this river, a swamp, with a little of that land called interval, forms quite an extensive tract, and extends to the north nearly one fourth of the distance across the town, and nearly to the swamp which borders Otter creek. This swamp which borders on Otter creek varies in width from about ninety rods to a mile, and extends throughout the entire width of the town. There is another swamp,
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
about half a mile in width, which extends from the northern boundary about two miles to the south. This swamp was made by the combined influence of Middlebury river (the channel of which for about a mile is found in Salisbury), Flat brook and Beaver brook. These two latter streams empty into the former.
Most of these low lands are covered with timber, valuable for purposes of building and fencing. Of this timber, white pine, cedar, red ash and oak, are the most valuable. The soil is chiefly interval near the streams, while a black muck, on a clay subsoil, varying in depth from about four inches to seven or eight feet, is found in the swamp. On trial, this muck has been proved to make good fuel, and would, undoubtedly, be a fair substitute for wood or coal.
About half of the town is composed of mountainous and swampy land ; the latter, so far as they have been drained and thoroughly cultivated, are found to be more valuable for grazing and for some purposes of tilling than any other. Most of these lands yet re- main in a wild and uncultivated state.
All the land in the middle and western part of the town is well adapted to the growth of grass, and con- sequently admirably fitted for the profitable raising of cattle and sheep. The ridge lands are nearly equally divided into clay and loam. The loam is 6
-
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
usually stony, and was formerly covered chiefly with hard timber, interspersed with pine and oak, while the clay is most always free from stones, and was originally covered with hemlock and pine, inter- spersed occasionally with oak, becch, maple, bass- wood and other kinds of trees.
The loam land was most productive of wheat when the land was first cleared. Forty bushels was con- sidered a good crop, while at the same time, a yield of thirty bushels on clay was all that could be ex- pected, though it is believed that the average crops of wheat, previous to 1800, did not exceed from twenty to twenty-five bushels to the acre. Holland Weeks raised, in 1791, seven hundred bushels of wheat from a little less than thirty acres of new land, and though one acre of it was known to yield over forty-three bushels, yet the average was only about twenty-three bushels to the acre. John Mumlo made distilled liquors from grain in the southerly part of Middlebury this year, and paid fifty cents per bushel for wheat. Fifty bushels of corn from an acre was called a great yield in 1805, as was also fifty bushels of oats, and four hundred bushels of potatoes per acre, though it is believed that an average crop through town would amount to but little over half this quan- tity. The following table shows the principal va- rieties of timber found in this town when it was first settled.
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
White pine,
White elm,
Pitch pine,
Red elm,
Norway pine,
Black cherry,
Red ash, White ash, Mongrel ash, Mountain ash,
Red or pigeon cherry,
White oak,
Red oak,
Red cedar, White cedar,
Over cup oak,
Black oak,
Ironwood,
Blue oak,
Hackmatack,
Yellow oak,
Poplar,
Basswood,
Sweet walnut,
Small white beech,
Bitter walnut,
Large white beech,
Butternut,
Red beech,
Balsam fir,
Blue beech,
Pepperidge,
Black birch,
Sugar maple,
Cherry birch,
White maple,
White birch,
Moose maple.
Yellow birch.
To this list list might be added the names of some other trees, which are valuable for certain purposes, and which will be noticed hereafter.
Norway pines were found near the base of the mountains in considerable numbers ; and that was their only locality. But the demand from abroad has been so great for this timber that but little of it now is to be found.
Sweet walnut was known by most of the early set-
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
tlers only by the bark of the trees lying on the ground in the woods, while the timber had gone to decay and disappeared. These relics of bark showed that this timber, at some period not very remote, had grown here in great abundance. As late as the year 1800, a few of these trees might have been seen in the wes- tern part of the town. Some of them were of im- mense size, and grew up like the stately oak. They were afterward cut and split into rails to fence the land on which they stood. They evidently had es- caped the pestilence which had caused the universal overthrow of this valuable timber. The second growth of the walnut is more valuable than the first. It is within the memory of many now living, when this timber first made its appearance in its second spontaneous growth. It appeared on the land which had been cleared, as it also did in the forests.
Black cherry was also found by the settlers in con- siderable quantities, and answered valuable purposes in the construction of household furniture. Butternut is now taking the place of black cherry to a conside- rable extent, as the former has mostly disappeared.
Maple is valuable for its timber, as well as for its sap, which is made into sugar, and has always done its part in contributing to the convenience and luxury of the inhabitants of the town.
Maple sugar has always been made in greater or
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
less quantities in this town, and at one time formed one of its principle articles of export to the various markets of the older states, and to Montreal ; but the axe and fire have done much in the destruction of the maple tree. Moreover, the forest worm, the diamond- backed caterpillar (which first made its appearance in town about the year 1826), destroyed so many of these trees, that many sugar-works were completely ruined ; so that very little sugar was made for many years afterward. The second growth of the maple tree in- dicates, at present, a return of sugar-making, at least to some extent.
Salts and potash made from the ashes of log-heaps burnt in clearing the land, were at one time a source of some profit, as those articles were sold for exporta- tion to cities, and even to foreign countries. But as the country became cleared, and timber became more valuable, the yearly product of ashes grew rapidly less, and now very few engage in this speculation.
Wheat was formerly raised in great quantities in Salisbury, and was a crop of a good deal of profit to the inhabitants. The first crops taken from the land were far superior in quantity, and of better quality than those of subsequent years; and although the annual quantity of wheat became so reduced in the course of thirty years from the first settlement of the town that it was insufficient to sustain all the inhabi- 6*
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
tants, yet the crop was generally considered a fair re- muneration for the farmer's time and expense in rais- ing it.
About this time (1827), the midge, an insect improp- erly called weevil), made its appearance, and de- stroyed so much of the wheat that its culture was in a great measure abandoned for many years. This in- sect appears to be a successor to the Hessian fly, which appeared about the year 1801, and did great injury some subsequent seasons by attacking the wheat-stalk near its root. Since the midge made its appearance, the Hessian fly has seldom been seen. The weevil is found underneath the innermost integu- ment of the seed or kernel, the egg from which it is hatched being deposited there through an incision made in the outer covering of the kernel when in a milky or tender state; so that when the egg assumes the larva form, it subsists on the nutriment intended to fertilize and mature the kernel, and thus lives and thrives at the expense of the grain. This insect, like the diamond-backed caterpillar, is so periodical in its visits that its attacks can in a measure be avoided by the farmer ; and this has been done to such an extent that nearly a sufficient quantity of this grain has been raised in town, since the year 1840, to meet the con- sumption of its inhabitants.
Rye has never been raised to any great extent in
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
the middle and western parts of the town, though in the eastern parts, near the mountains, it has been raised in considerable quantities, and of the best quality.
Indian corn, or maize, has always been considered one of the most important and useful crops, both for making bread and feeding stock, though but little has here been raised for foreign markets.
Oats were not extensively grown by the first set- tlers, though the culture of them has been found quite profitable in later years.
Flax was cultivated with great care in the early years of the town, for it was then one of the most im- portant crops. It was this crop that sustained the busy work of the distaff, wheel and loom-"those ancient exponents of domestic prosperity."
Field beans have been cultivated from the earliest settlement, in quantities just about sufficient for the consumption of people, all of whom use them more or less as an article of food.
The cultivation of field peas was also encouraged by the early settlers, both as a food for the table, and for the purpose of feeding stock; but their cultivation was interrupted about the year 1804, by the appear- ance of insects of the bug tribe, which eat out quite a large portion of the best part of the pea. This, of course, detracted from the profits of the crop, at the
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
same time, that the presence of these animals in the soup dish was decidedly unpleasant to the taste.
These insects propagate their species by making an incision through the pod into the pea, and depositing therein an egg, while the pea is yet young and tender. This egg soon assumes the chrysalis state, which it retains for a long time, and transforms to the perfect winged insect, early in the following spring, just in time to commit their devastations on the early-sowed peas of that year. From the time of the appearance of this insect, pea-culture began to decline, and con- tinued to decline until it was found that late sowing brought on the young pea at a period too late for the enemy to do its injurious work. Then the cultivation of the pea revived again, which was about the year 1818.
Buckwheat, though a crop of secondary importance, was raised in this town as early as the year 1804; perhaps earlier. It is a peculiarity of this grain, that it can be raised on ground not very rich. Its flour is esteemed by many as an article of food. It is oftenest made into griddle-cakes-which are perhaps best known in New England, or at any rate in Salisbury, by the peculiar and funny soubriquet of slap-jacks. The blossoms of this grain yield a good supply of honey, though of an inferior quality, so that it is of use to the apiarian, as well as to the farmer and epi-
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
cure; and, more, it blossoms at a time when most other plants have passed their bloom. It has never been raised in this town for a foreign sale. Other grains might be mentioned, for instance, barley and hemp, and also that plant of more subtle and danger- ous use, tobacco; but as none of them were of any great success, we will pass them over in silence.
As it regards vegetables ; as a field crop, potatoes have always taken the lead, and have been deemed of the highest importance as an article of food for both man and beast. Ever since the year 1844, the potato crop has suffered every year, to a greater or less extent, from the disease called the potato rot. All the skill of the farmer, in preventives, has thus far, in a great measure, been unsuccessful, and this monster disease still moves on without much molesta- tion. Not only the farmers but the men of science have united their talents in the cause of the potato, and are now directing their energies for the preserva- tion of this most valuable of all vegetables. Losses from this disease were greater during the first years of its existence here than in the few years past, still the potato fields of every autumn reveal hundreds of bushels of these vegetables not worth the gathering. Should all human means fail, let us hope that a kind Providence will save for us this blessing, or raise up a substitute which will fill its place.
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
Turnips of all kinds, as well as beets and carrots, have always had a limited share of the attention of our inhabitants. These vegetables are very easily cultivated, and made to yield abundantly, yet their true value seems not to be fully appreciated ; this is probably owing to the fact that hay is so easily ob- tained, and can be fed out to stock with so much less trouble. Hay, as it stands in stacks in the fields and in the barns, can usually be bought for about five or ' six dollars per ton, and a good supply of this will keep most all kinds of stock in a thriving condition during winter ; and, as comparatively few sales of fat cattle have hitherto been made for market in the winter, vegetables for the purpose of feeding have not been in great demand. But undoubtedly the day is not far distant when all the root crops will be better understood, and we shall see our farmers turning their attention to the cultivation of them, to fat cattle for Boston market ; for on the one hand beef is higher in price in the winter than in other parts of the year, and on the other, the farmer can well afford the time to prepare his roots and feed them. Moreover, rail- road facilities are such, at the present time, that fat cattle can be taken to market in a few hours ride, thus avoiding that shrinkage and other loss conse- quent upon driving them two hundred miles.
Garden products generally, and most of the useful
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
plants raised in New England, can be cultivated with great success in this town. The writer is not aware of any exceptions to this, though there may be and undoubtedly are many different kinds cultivated in other places which have not, here, been tried. The difficulty of finding a market for the surplusage has hitherto prevented much if any more outlay in horti- culture than has been needed in home use. Even the mechanics and other citizens of our villages usually raise their own garden sauce. Among our towns- people we find gardens, generally containing the fol- lowing vegetables, viz., onions, beets, carrots, cucum- bers, lettuce, a few early potatoes, beans, and perhaps a few hills of early corn and cabbages. In some in- stances we see added to these, peas, peppers, parsnips, squashes and melons, also radishes and early turnips, together with some medicinal and aromatic plants, while at the same time some farmers depend wholly on their fields for all they have that can be called garden sauce, and do not set apart, nor fence in, any portion of their farms for garden purposes.
There are many varieties of soil used for gardens which vary in their capacities for producing the dif- ferent varieties of plants, as well as shrubs and fruit trees. Fruit trees and horticultural plants generally do not flourish for any great length of time where the subsoil lies very near the surface, especially if that
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
subsoil is clay, sand or hard pan. A deep gravelly loam is our best land for the purpose of gardens, as is most strikingly exemplified all through the town.
The dairy and raising neat stock have probably been the greatest sources of wealth to the farmers of Salisbury. The early settlers kept a few horses; and a few sheep were, of course, necessary to furnish the wool wherewith to make the " homespun clothes."
The business of the dairy was zealously prosecu- ted, and increased from year to year as the settle- ment advanced, and as hay and pasture became more plenty, until the speculation in merino sheep com- menced, which was not far from the year 1825. With the increasing interest for sheep and wool, that for cows and neat stock grew less, until the dairy was al- most entirely lost sight of, and butter and cheese no longer a staple article of export to any of the markets -though it has always been thought, by many of our farmers, that the dairy business, if well conducted on many of the farms in town, would be more profitable than any other.
The first sheep kept in this town was a small flock purchased in Massachusetts, by Col. Thomas Sawyer, in the summer of 1786 ; and the first improvement of much importance in sheep and wool was made by in- troducing the merino sheep, in the year 1809 or 1810. William Lampson, of New Haven, took the lead in
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
this movement. He purchased a buck which had re- cently been shipped from Spain, at a great price (un- derstood to be $1300), and allowed the farmers to drive their ewes to him, giving, as compensation, one-half of the increase. Though this resulted in a great im- provement in sheep, and one of the highest import- ance to the wool-grower, the remuneration coming to Mr. Lampson was so slow, and the encouragement which he at first received so little, that in the under- taking his own purse was nearly drained to the bot- tom.
We much regret that we are unable to find any statistics by which a comparative account could be given of the stock, and of the various agricultural products of the town from year to year; indeed, we should be content if it could be given once in ten years from the settlement of the town. All the avail- able statistics we have, are taken from the United States census of 1840 and 1850, as follows :
Horses. Cows. Oxen.
Other Sheep. Hogs. Bush. Cattle.
Wh't.
Bush. Rye.
Corn.
Oats.
A. D.
1840.
164
740
5200
490
1460
800
5060
6300
A. D.
1850.
136
255
96
228
*2971
*177
1962
1272
5940
4417
Bush. Peas &
Pota-
Wool.
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