FARMER'S HOME, PAST AND FUTURE. 215 



Having made his location, let the thought be, This is to be 

 my home, — the home of my children, and perhaps of my 

 descendants for generations to come : at any rate, it is my 

 business, first of all, to create here the conditions of the 

 happiest and best of human life for mj^self, and for those who 

 come after me. Such thoughts and such efforts make a man 

 more manly and noble ; and in no place have they so much 

 to respond to them as on a farm, for the farmer can ordi- 

 narily feel sure that his home, if wisely chosen, can con- 

 tinue a home for generations. In the city, the demands of 

 trade sweep away the houses on whole streets. In the city, 

 too, there are simply houses filled with families ; but there is 

 no family homestead to remain with all its sweet surround- 

 ing associations, as it is possible for the home to remain in 

 the country for generations. And this possibility of country 

 life is one of its greatest charms. 



If the farm chosen has already a house upon it, the first 

 question is. Is it in the right place ? There is not one chance 

 in twenty that it will be properly planned and constructed. 

 That can be in a measure remedied. If it is in the right 

 place, then begin to plan for it : if not, then select the true 

 place, and begin at once to plan for that, if not for yourself, 

 for the one who is to come after you. Let the permanent 

 work of the farm, the planting of trees, the cutting of trees, 

 and all other farm changes, have reference to the ultimate 

 place of residence on the farm. Wise forethought will make 

 a little labor of great future value to the place for yourself, 

 or for sale. 



Let trees be set that in time shall become grand oaks and 

 elms to form stately avenues and noble clumps, so that the 

 house, however humble, may have the advantage of these 

 grand creations of nature. I do not advocate planting stiff 

 rows of trees to shut the sunlight out of the house, nor the 

 surrounding of your house with an indefinite thicket to 

 keep the ground damp, and breed mosquitoes, as is some- 

 times done under the rage for raising trees and shrubbery. 



But I would advocate the planting of long-lived trees 

 that shall be grand in their growth, allowing air to circulate 

 among them, and sunlight to reach the ground between 

 them. If my ancestors had spared some of the grand old 

 oaks which once grew on my place, or had planted some in 



