1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



479 



libelled this bird of all beauty. You say, "it 

 has been charged with having the plumage of 

 an angel, the voice of a Devil, and the stomach 

 of a thief." 



The first and second charges I shall not at- 

 tempt to refute or deny, for I have never seen 

 even the wings of an angel, nor has his lord- 

 ship, the Devil, ever piped his voice in my 

 hearing. But the charge of having the "stom- 

 ach of a thief," I consider a foul slander. 

 On the contrary it ppssesses a most delicate 

 and fastidious appetite. We have had one on 

 our premises for twenty years, and part of 

 that time two, three or four, as the case hap- 

 pened to be ; and I would as soon think of 

 charging them with relishing young lambs, 

 calves, or even children, as "chickens, ducks 

 or goslings !" Never was a grosser. mistake 

 made, if those we have had the care of are fair 

 specimens of their race. They are smaller 

 eaters I think, for the body they have to sus- 

 tain, than any domestic fowl I have ever noticed. 

 We have but one now, and he picks almost 

 as daintily as any canary bird. The cost of 

 keeping him would not exceed that of any 

 common hen, though he is much larger. He 

 often visits our neighbors, and I am quite 

 sure he is no unwelcome guest, which he cer- 

 tainly would be were he the glutton represent- 

 ed in your article. 



The only objection made against him is his 

 disagreeable voice, which can be heard in a 

 still morning two or three miles, and one not 

 acquainted with it might think it proceeded 

 from some child in distress. But to me even his 

 voice has a charm, inasmuch as it keeps the 

 hawks away from the chickens, and the crows 

 from the "cornfield. 



His plumage is universally admired. Many 

 of the feathers when full grown are more than 

 a yard long. He seems to be justly proud of 

 displaying his charms to the greatest advan- 

 tage on a bright and sunny day ; and on a 

 rainy one, or when he goes through thef wet 

 grass or mud, he will as carefully raise his 

 trail from the ground as a fashionably dressed 

 lady does that of her silken dress. 



Young chickens of any kind attract his at- 

 tention, but instead of devouring them, he is 

 apparently desirous to become their protector. 

 He will even drive away the mother and 

 watch over them himself. But if Dame Part- 

 let, arming herself with all her powers, suc- 

 ceeds in keeping him at bay when she first 

 comes out with a young brood, he accords to 

 her thereafter all her maternal rights ; — though 

 as he retreats in acknowledgment of his sub- 

 jection, he looks back upon the young brood 

 with evident admiration and it may be too with 

 a little regret that he cannot force the mother 

 to resign her charge. But he was never 

 known to harm one of these little ones in any 

 way. 



If a shower be gathering in the distance, or 

 if a storm is approaching, he usually notifies 

 us wiih hi§ shrill voice, in frequent screams. 



Having known the Peacock from childhood, 

 we have become much attached to him ; anp 

 even his voice, which is counted as his great- 

 est, if not only failing, is not unmusical 

 to our ears. And so, as a friend to the Pea- 

 cock family, I have attempted to refute what 

 I consider a libel upon its character. 



c. w. M. 

 West Gardiner, Me., Aug. 20, 1868. 



Remarks. — We are always pleased to have 

 unfavorable impressions of either persons or 

 things corrected, and are therefore so well 

 pleased with this defence of the Peacock's 

 habits and disposition, that we shall attempt 

 no justification of the "foul" and "libellous" 

 aspersion on its character which accompanied 

 its carte de visite^ but hope that henceforth 

 the whole Peacock family will so conduct them- 

 selves as to justify the good opinion of "C. 

 W. M.," and all the numerous admirers of 

 the gay feathers of this beautiful bird. 



BAKEFOOTED BOY. 



Blessings on the little man. 



Barefoot boy with cheeks of tan ; 



With thy turned-up paataloons, 



And thy merry whistled tunes, 



With thy red lip, redder still, 



Kissed by strawberries on the hill ; 



With the sunshine on thy face, 



Through thy torn br m's jaunty grace; 



From my heart I give thee joy — 



I was once a barefoot boy I 



Prince thou art — the grown up man 



Only is Republican. * 



Let the million-doUared ride; 



Barefoot trudging at his side. 



Thou hast more than he can buy. 



In the reach of ear and eye — 



Outward sunshine, inward joy — 



Blessings on thee, barefoot boy I— Whittier. 



A SPRING OB DAIRY HOUSE. 



I constructed a spring-house during the 

 summer of 1861, which has been very much 

 admired, and believing it to be very perfect 

 in principle, I will describe it for the benefit 

 of your readers. This house Is for a small 

 dairy ; it will accommodate but twenty pans 

 or crocks, that are fifteen inches in diameter 

 each, though Its capacity may be doubled with- 

 out increasing the size of the house, by placing 

 another sink for water twelve inches above the 

 one I shall describe, supported In the same 

 manner, and allowing the water to flow Into 

 the uppermost one first, thence to the lower 

 one. The building is circular, ten feet in di- 

 ameter on the inside, and has a ten feet ceil- 

 ing. 



The wall may be of brick or stone. If of 

 brick, it need be but nine inches thick; if of 

 stone, eighteen inches thick. 



The floor to be cemented on the earth. The 

 building to be located below the spring, so 

 that the water will flow through a pipe to the 



