202 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mat 



sioned by the bad passions of men, and the physi- 

 cian treats diseases brought on by some violation 

 of the laws of nature, — either in the parent or his 

 ancestors. So of many trades and mechanical 

 arts, it were easy to show that they are founded 

 upon artificial wants ; but we can hardly imagine 

 a condition in which farming is not man's legiti- 

 mate pursuit. 



If Adam attended to the cultivation of the 

 earth, what, meanwhile, was Eve's employment? 

 We may infer what Milton thought about it, for 

 he makes her thus lament the expulsion from 



Paradise — 



"0 flowers, 

 That will not in other climate grow, 

 My early visitation and my last 

 At even, which I breil up with tender hand, 

 From the fir?t opening bud, and gave ye names, 

 Who DOW shall rear ye to the sun, or rank 

 Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount?" 



Most ladies, like their mother Eve, love flow- 

 ers by nature, though all do not like the care of 

 them. It is, however, a taste capable of cultiva- 

 tion. We believe any woman who can have the 

 time, and land enough and help enough to give 

 her genius full scope, will soon enter into the 

 matter with all the enthusiasm characteristic of 

 the sex. 



We find some excellent hints in "Rural Af- 

 fairs," a little annual published at Albany, N. Y., 

 by Luther Tucker & Son, Editors of the Coun- 

 try Gentleman. "Two very distinct styles of ar- 

 ranging and planting ornamental grounds have 

 been adopted. In the old-fashioned or geometric 

 style, everything was arranged in straight lines, 

 or occasional circles. Every care was taken in 

 this style to avoid irregularity." This anecdote 

 16 subjoined. "The old gardener of Selkirk, who 

 was very strongly imbued with this mania, when 

 he shut up the thief in the summer-house for 

 stealing the fruit, was compelled, for the sake of 

 symmetry, to confine his own son in the summer- 

 house opposite !" 



Nature delights in curves, rather than angles. 

 She puts a bank of violets here, a clump of pine 

 trees there — a wild rose on one side the brook, 

 and a clematis on the other. 



There are few who have been blessed with 

 homes, who cannot recall their early days with 

 pleasure, and associate with them some spots es- 

 pecially dear. The influence of all such memo- 

 ries is pure and refining beyond estimation ; how 

 nauch more so when the memories come linked 

 with beautiful scenes. The elm tree at the door, 

 with a robin's nest on a swaying branch — the 

 vine over the poi'ch, the morning-glory trained 

 about the window, and the flower-garden — yes, 

 the flower-garden ! — your little boy, or your young 

 brothers, may go to the grave with heads as white 

 as snow, but he will keep in his heart a daguer- 



reotype of this beautiful home of long ago, and 

 you in the midst as its presiding genius. 



Years ago we knew of a flower-garden — we 

 fear it was rather in the geometric style — but we 

 have never seen one so graceful in our eyes since. 

 The centre was a square — the four outside beds 

 were triangles ; the whole bordered with pinks, 

 while year after year grew in the same places, 

 peonies, marigolds, tulips, jonquils, lady's-de- 

 lights, and a few other common flowers. Far- 

 ther down the enclosure was a pear tree, and 

 ranged about it an oblong square of fleur-de-lis. 



A faint idea of the fine appearance of this last 

 arrangement seems to have daAvned upon some- 

 body, for it received the name of "Old Maid's 

 Row." 



Ah, it is easy enough now to look back from 

 the heights of modern improvements, and smile 

 at the want of artistic skill exhibited in the gar- 

 den we have described ; but we are content it 

 should remain an unaltered picture in our mem- 

 ory, which shall bring back to us a vision of the 

 fair florists who tended it. 



And you, madam, and you, sir, — have you not 

 a similar picture in your memory? and for what 

 price would you part with it ? Perhaps it is all 

 grown over with weeds now, and only a few stray 

 flowers mark the spot, but you will see it as it 

 was in other days, and you will see those whose 

 names 



"Have been carved for many a year 

 On tlie stone !" 



For the New Engloiiid Farmer 

 THE HYDBAULIC KAM. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been looking over the 

 pages of your interesting and valuable journal, 

 hoping I might find something from W. D. B., 

 of Concord, in reference to the Hydraulic Ram 

 he likes so well, and to which allusion was made 

 by him in the November number of the Farmer. 

 In the article referred to, he says, "I think so 

 well of the ram, that I should be glad to give 

 you a full article on the subject." It is this "full 

 article" that I have been looking after. I desire 

 to learn more about this machine, which over- 

 comes the force of gravity, and makes water run 

 up hill. 



I should be glad to he^r how his ram has win- 

 tered. So far as my knowledge extends, the 

 opinion seems to prevail that the greatest trou- 

 ble with these machines lies in their liability to 

 freeze. 



I have no doubt there are many readers of the 

 Farmer who sufler much inconvenience, especial- 

 ly in winter, for want of a convenient supply of 

 water for their stock. It is evident that where 

 streams are handy, the hydraulic ram, if it M'ill 

 v/ork, is just what is needed. I presume there are 

 many, even among those that have good wells, and 

 keep large stocks of cattle, who would be glad 

 to avail themselves of this seemingly easy method 

 of obtaining running water, when they become 

 convinced that it is reliable, and that the cost of 



