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NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Feb. 



from one, who, struggling through youth in a 

 hovel, is tarn h1 on to tlio world at some advanced 

 period of life to lig'.it for himself ? Or to particular 

 ize a little more, and to select one of our New 

 England farm housi-s as an example ; what benefi- 

 cial inthuMK-e will that homestead exert upon the 

 finer feulings, wliore the sole motto is, "Money 

 makes the mare go," or "A penny saved is a penny 

 gained ;" where not only thrift is taught, but where 

 IS seen the daily practice of storing in some stocking 

 find, old desk, or Itank vault, thoso dollars, a few 

 of which would have tightened the cracks in the 

 barn, rehung the door, reset the decaying fence 

 posts, repaired tlie paling or destroyed the hedge 

 of nettles, burdock and wild lettuce that disputes 

 the entrance. Is not that father to blame, who, 

 by neglecting all out door ornament, has lost all 

 vcstiges'Of beauty and comfort to tiie homestead, 

 so that the growing boy is ashamed to own that it is 

 his homo ? Does the son or daughter neglect one 

 bit of house or farm work in order to beautify the 

 front yard, train the vine over the window, (jr erad- 

 icate the weeds from the pathway ! 



On the contrary, do we not all know that the 

 time devoted to such things, uihcji once the begin 

 ning has been made, is "between whiles," and never 

 missed ■? And have we not all seen the speaking eye, 

 and swelling heart of the child at the gate, when 

 passing strangers have stopped to notice and praise 

 the farm-house, as embowered amidst flowers, 

 shrul)s and trees, its pretty vine-clad porch has 

 met the view ! 



Less often would the lad leave the half-finished 

 supper of a summer eve for the country store, were 

 there a little weeding or t3'ing to do in his sister's 

 garden; how proudly he would cull his Sunday nose- 

 gay for the little girl around the corner, and half- 

 chokingly whisper the invitation to come and see 

 our garden . It is not often that we see in country' vil- 

 lages attempts at real gardens ; it is commonly 

 some stray corner that cannot be used for anything 

 else, or some Int of Iwrder grudgingly spared, 

 that is devoted to flowers — Init wherever it does 

 exist it sets the example to all, and gives a certain 

 degree of character and elevation, to the house to 

 which it belongs. In our American homes too 

 much attention has been paid to the "almighty 

 dollar ;" and though some few pinks and a stray 

 rose or two, border the front Avalk, most get 

 no farther, and meet the argument of beauty, &c., 

 by the unanswerable rejoinder, "it won't pay! 

 won't pay!" Indced,if measured, even in money 

 value, it will pay. Somehow a connection with the 

 culture of flowers gives a delicacy and refinement to 

 the most boorish, and the more earnest tlie love for 

 them, the more sure are other refinements and culti- 

 vation to follow. It is really surprising to notice 

 how soon after even our rough Irishmen are intro- 

 duced into' gardens and green-houses, they begin 

 to soften and humanize, and thus stand ahead of 

 all their brot'ners. Certainly no one will be 

 found to deny that in America, education is of the 

 highest value ; we all know how difficult it is to 

 induce lioys and girls to study; they are too fond of 



f)lay ; 1)ut teach them to love flowers, and not on- 

 y to love them for their beauty and fragrance, 

 but for their relation to all other animated life ; 

 show them how mysteriously they are formed there 

 he earth, and coming up into daylight, grow 

 wax by a hidden power, not one whit less mar- 

 us than that which developes men and ani- 



mals; show them that it is not only for their 

 particular worth they are to be prized, but be- 

 cause — 



"There's never a leaf or a blade too mean 

 To be sunie happy creature's palace ;" 



show them that each flower has not its single 

 insect dependent upon it for its support, and that 

 just as in its weakness and diminutiveness it con- 

 tributes to the welfare of the animal kingdom, so 

 in its strength and might does the oak, and with it 

 all other ti'ees. 



In this way you may arouse their curiosity ; 

 3'ou may lead them along till they find themselves 

 enwrapped in the love and study of natural histo- 

 ry, and from that hoAV short a step to all other 

 knowledge ; for it is not the ground covered so 

 much, as the habit gained, of application. Were 

 no farther ))enefit obtained than polish of manners, 

 few would doutit of the moneyed value of tlic ac- 

 quisition ; for were it the market gardener, the 

 l)lowman, the shop-keeper, or professional man, 

 he will gain most wealth, who, other things being 

 equal, has most refinement of manners. 



In farming communities, however,too much work 

 devolves upon the males, to allow them to devote 

 a great deal of time to gardening, or to the ar- 

 I'anging and caring for Sowers ; tlie most that can 

 ha expected of them will lie, the doing the rough 

 work in spring and fall, and they must leave to the 

 females the remainder. No work can be more con- 

 sonant Avitli the best idea of woman, than the cul- 

 ture of flowers, and to them all lint heavy work 

 might be left. So predominant a thing, however, is 

 fashion, that but too often, many who would like 

 to have gardens of their own arc deterred because 

 they think it will look strangely to be seen work- 

 ing in them. Care nothing about looks ! Be assured 

 you will get more health, strength and looks into 

 the bargain, l>y devoting a portion of each day to 

 flowers, than by bending over fancy work, or de- 

 vouring the last new novel. What ever is true in 

 the country, where like seems not to breed like, 

 and where because the men work in the field, the 

 women feel they may not bo partakers of any out 

 of door employment, it is less so in cities and large 

 towns, where very many take the entii-c charge of 

 their flower gardens during the year, with the ex- 

 ception of the spring digging, and who, bringing 

 to their aid their usual taste and skill, seem even to 

 surpass themselves in all rivals of equal advanta- 

 ges. In close connection in the world of letters 

 with this kind of occupation, is botany, which 

 seems of all the sciences to be the only one special- 

 ly adapted to woman. For in it there is none of 

 the labor of the geologist or the dirt of the chem- 

 ist. But it is an investigation of the rarest l)eau- 

 ties of nature, accompanied with an entire free- 

 dom from all that makes learning disagreeable, — 

 oflering the attractions of sun and fresh air, flowers 

 and fruit, and at the same time giving a width and 

 comprehensiveness of mind unsurpassed by any 

 other study. AVe pass most naturally and easily 

 from the garden darlings, to the wild flowers; from 

 the idea of them as plants, to their connection with 

 the animal world ; taking some one plant as our 

 type,we may name and arrange hundreds of others 

 that before we could know nothing of, beyond the 

 fiiet of their.existence and general appearance. 



In the garden, too, the tired husbandman may 

 stroll, the day's work over, and at the same time 

 ho rests his wearied limbs, refreshes his whole 

 physical man, and instructs his mind. 



