Vermont’s land began to weaken because of the intense deforestation in order to make room for vast merino wool farms and increasing numbers of crop farms after 1811. With the growing realization of land deterioration, Vermonters started to worry about Vermont’s land becoming unsupportive, which could cause economic decline. The decline in soil quality was drastic, which led to the decline in the number of farm animals the land could support. Vermonters had no idea how drastically they were actually altering the land and ecosystem.
The state’s soil had always been marginal, and now was hanging by a thread. “There was a 92% drop in the nutrient-greedy wheat crop between 1969 and 1899…in 1870 there were still 580,000 sheep in Vermont, but by the end of the century numbers were down to 297,000” (Albers). Although animal numbers and soil quality was decreasing, land clearing continued. …show more content…
Catamounts and wolves disappeared from the land because their habitat was destroyed. Deer populations got to be so small that it was illegal to hunt them from 1865 to 1897. Soil erosion flooded many fresh water sources causing the populations of fish to decline. “George Perkins Marsh of Woodstock, an early voice for conservation of the land, began his warnings in the 1840’s. In his book Man and Nature Marsh cautioned against uncontrolled deforestation and recommended careful management of forests, soils, and the natural watersheds. For the most part Marsh’s warning went unheeded, as most people did not share his philosophy. Vermonters continued to use the land as they always had, consuming the natural resources and moving on when their farmland became unproductive”(Freedom and Unity). The ratio of cleared land to forested land was 70 to 30. Even with 35,522 farms, the Vermont economy still found it difficult to compete with the
The state’s soil had always been marginal, and now was hanging by a thread. “There was a 92% drop in the nutrient-greedy wheat crop between 1969 and 1899…in 1870 there were still 580,000 sheep in Vermont, but by the end of the century numbers were down to 297,000” (Albers). Although animal numbers and soil quality was decreasing, land clearing continued. …show more content…
Catamounts and wolves disappeared from the land because their habitat was destroyed. Deer populations got to be so small that it was illegal to hunt them from 1865 to 1897. Soil erosion flooded many fresh water sources causing the populations of fish to decline. “George Perkins Marsh of Woodstock, an early voice for conservation of the land, began his warnings in the 1840’s. In his book Man and Nature Marsh cautioned against uncontrolled deforestation and recommended careful management of forests, soils, and the natural watersheds. For the most part Marsh’s warning went unheeded, as most people did not share his philosophy. Vermonters continued to use the land as they always had, consuming the natural resources and moving on when their farmland became unproductive”(Freedom and Unity). The ratio of cleared land to forested land was 70 to 30. Even with 35,522 farms, the Vermont economy still found it difficult to compete with the