1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



195 



Cabics' SDrpartintnt. 



We really don't know what we should do without 

 our Ladies' Department. It is our flower garden 

 — a summer-house in a shady nook. Here we retire 

 from our cares and labors to hold converse with the 

 fairest and best, for our mutual benefit Here we 

 are confined by no arbitrary rules — to no particu- 

 lar subject. We gossip about matters and things 

 in general, always, however, aiming to unite pleas- 

 ure and profit. Within the border of this page we 

 allow no critics or grumblers to enter ; they may 

 look in, if they choose, and admire our fine gardens, 

 inhale the fragrance of our flowers, listen to our con- 

 versation about equestrian excursions at sun-rise, but 

 they can go no farther. It is sacred to ourselves 

 and the ladies. We always give the ladies an oppor- 

 tunity to talk first, having something to say ourselves 

 to fill up time, and make things pass off pleasantly. 

 " Mignonette"' has a word to say on Earlt Rising : 

 Messrs. Editors . — Will you be so kind as to allow me 

 the privilege of saying a few words about early rising, to 

 the young ladies who read your columns. From my own 

 experience I consider early rising to be almost a virtue. 

 Nearly every person of remarkable longevity on record has 

 testified to the habitual observance of this practice ; and it 

 was no doubt designed by God himself, as one of the pre- 

 ventives of disease and mortality. Then there is so much 

 pleasure to he enjoyed in the morning — pleasure of the truest 

 kind, peculiar to this season of the day, whether we employ 

 our lime, either in bodily or mental recreation. During these 

 beautiful summer mornings, while the leaves are glistening 

 with dew, and the flowers are emitting their delicious fra- 

 grance, and the sweet little birds are making the air vocal 

 with their delightful music, the very consciousness of life 

 seems a luxury. I have a cousin, Emma, who had formerly 

 not been guilty of rising till the sun had made quite a re- 

 spectable angle with the horizon. After some leasing, I 

 persuaded her lo rise one morning at four o'clock, and take 

 a jaunt upon horseback. At a quarter past four we started 

 up Main street. It was as lovely a morning as I ever beheld. 

 '• From fleecy clouds of pearly hue 



Had dropt a short but balmy shower 

 That hung like gems of morning dew 



On ev'ry tree and ev'ry flower.'* 

 The air seemed to be actually lilled with music, issuing from 

 little tiny throats ; the new mown clover sent up a sweet 

 fragrance like incense to the skies — indeed, it seemed as if 

 the whole earth was one magnificent temple, where God's 

 creation were praising him for his beneficence. " Well, 

 really, this is the most lovely ride I ever enjoyed," cried 

 Emma, her eyes as bright as two dimonds, and her cheeks 

 glowing from exercise. ** I am sure, n^w I have found out 

 how to enjoy so ranch pleasure. Prince .vill have to trot out 

 oi^ener than usual,'' I will say here that this resolution has 

 been kept pretty well ever since. \Ve trotted along by 

 Clover street seminary, our tongues in the mean time keep- 

 ing up quite a lively rattle about this bird and that, this 

 pretty wild flower and yonder towering tree, till we came 

 to the road that leads to the city by Monroe street, where 

 we turned about and began to beat a retreat. Before this 

 time people were moving about quite briskly — milk-maids 

 carrying into the house pails almost overflowing with their 

 snow-white treasure — boys were turning the grindstones 

 while the men held the scythes, sharpening them before 

 commencing their daily toil — children feeding the hens and 

 chickens, — and the whole together forming a peaceful, pic- 

 turesque scene, w^orthy of a painter's genius or a poet's verse, 

 Thtis we jaunted along until we reached the city's limits, 

 passing along Monroe street, and just as we turned into 

 Clinton street the bell tolled seven from St. Paul's tower, 

 waking many, I have no doubt, from their protracted slum- 

 bers, vi'ho had '.bus lost the loveliest portion of the day. It 

 has been said that '"man is a bundleof habits," and we have 

 it in our own power to establish such habits as shall promote 

 our happiness and well being, or such as shall tend to sor- 

 row and disease. Youug persons may so accustom them- 

 selves to early rising as to cause it to become a practice 

 which they will follow down to the latest period of their 

 life. Mignonette. — Rocliester, July, 1850, 



Early rising would destroy about one-half the ills 

 that flesh is heir to, and exercise in the open air 

 nearly the other half. Both are connected. Many 

 are go situated, that unless they rise early they have 

 no opportunity for out-door exercise. In tiie sum- 

 mer season the noon-day sun is oppressive, and often 

 injurious to those unused to bear the intensity of its 

 direct rays. The birds then retire to the shady grove 



— they are not in your garden to welcome you -with 

 their songs. We rather think Mignonette and 

 Emma had a good appetite for their breakfast. Too 

 many get up at seven or eight o'clock, take break- 

 fast almost immediately, and then wonder that they 

 have no appetite. 



There are some foolish men in the world, that 

 prize women in proportion to their uselessness and 

 ignorance. The less they know and the less they 

 do — the nearer they arrive at the perfection of a doll 



— the better they are pleased. If a woman reads 

 useful books, cultivates her mind, reasons and thinks 

 for herself, she is a blue-stocking ; if she takes an 

 interest in the cultivation of fruits and flowers, and 

 the products of the farm, the orchard, and the garden 

 generally, she is unwomanly. But the number of 

 such men is growing less, and their good or bad 

 opinion was never worth a straw. We rejoice that 

 there are hosts of women not afraid or ashamed to be 

 useful. Wo have the names of many such on our 

 books. The following is an extract of a letter from 

 one in Michigan : 



I will here say. as an apology for not enclosing subscrip- 

 tion money as soon as ii may he expected, that I receive but 

 very little money on subscriptions : but being under the 

 necessity of supplying my domestic dflbirs, indoors and out, 

 I can get chopping or hoeing done in payment for the Farm- 

 er, and thus get subscribers when, if I required them to pay 

 the money, I could not. K. E. P. 



Our fair friend need make no excuses, as we feel 

 proud of having her name on our books. We know 

 of more than one lady taking active measures to in- 

 crease the circulation of our jo\irnal ; but taking pay 

 for the Farinet in "hoeing" and "chopping," and 

 sending us tlie cash, is something we were hardly ex- 

 pecting, and entitles the lady to our warmest thanks. 

 It is facts like these, almost daily occurri,;T, that ren- 

 der our duty pleasant. We have twen ' thousand 

 names on our books, that for intelligence- in short, 

 for all that makes man great — we would placi against 

 any twenty thousand that could be selected in the 

 universe. As we pass over their names month after 

 month, and have communication with them through 

 our paper and otherwise, they become associated with 

 us as friends and acquaintances, from whom we hope 

 never to part. 



The following, though delayed a little, would never 

 be out of season. It is just such a production as 

 we might expect to originate at Floral Cottage, 

 from one surrounded by "blossoming wreaths": 



Messrs. Editors ; — Summer has come. June, delight- 

 ful June, with her blossoming wreath, is now the queen of 

 tho season ; and her regal step, as she advances to resume 

 her empire, is greeted by all. Walking out this morning in 

 our "flower garden, "my mind involuntarily recurred to your 

 pithy sentiments, relative to your "FInral Rake:" and I 

 thouglu if you, in your liberality, would only favor me with 

 one of those valuable appendages to a flower garden, I could 

 certainly cultivate flowers with more ease, and to better 

 advantage. Should you favor me with one of those rakes. I 

 will esteem it as a token of generous friendship, to be prized 

 by me as an appendage to my garden. I will use it with 

 proper " intellectual " care, and pledge you a tasteful boquet 

 iu return. A Farmer's Wife. — Floral Cottage, N. Y. 

 June, 1850. 



