156 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



?9? 



From Notes of a TrmdUr in the Northern iitates. 

 SHADE TREES-INTEMPERANCE. 



Incomkstihi.y many comforts (iiid ailvaiitages 

 of dittereiit kinds migiit uccnii; from the improve- 

 meiit of ArchitectLiriil taste and science, in our 

 country at large. A sightly mansion may be erect- 

 ed at less expense than is often bestowed on a i)de 

 of deformity ; and not only convenience but health 

 may be secured by a judicious plan in budding. 

 The planting of trees on i)rivate grounds often 

 contributes to the gratilication of neighbors and 

 the beauty of a town ; and the laying out and <lec- 

 orating of public squares, althongh so generally 

 neglected among us, might be easily rendered sub- 

 servient to the improvement of a public taste, m- 

 telligence and morality. Whoever lias been in 

 Switzerland or other foreign countries, where ru- 

 ral seats are provided at the way side, near foun- 

 tains, on hill tops, or under the most venerable 

 shades, for the convenience of foot travellers, 

 must recal wtth pleasure the agreeable impressions 

 they give of the refinement of the iidiabilunts. 

 Wliat a total absence of all such feelings, on the 

 contrary, is caused as we pass along our own 

 roads, to see no trace of any thing done for the 

 benefit of a stranger! The roadside is often studi- 

 ously deprived of foliage ; and il is rare that so 

 much as a roclc can be found proper to afford a 

 convenient seat. On entering our villages also, is 

 there any little grove, or even a single tree provid- 

 ed with benches from which one may survey the 

 objects around him ? A trough may have been 

 placed for the benefit of the cattle, to receive the 

 water of a rill ; but why is man considered as so 

 far beneatli all notice ? The iim and the driidiing 

 ehop are indeed open, but would not their evil in- 

 fluence be diminished if every village Were pro- 

 vided with a little shady green, furnished at least 

 with a few seats in the shade, where the youth and 

 age of the place might meet at sunset in the sum- 

 mer? With how little expense might the spot be 

 beautified, and if necessary, protected by a keeper 1 

 Winding paths are easily made, trees are easdy 

 planted, and will grow if let alone ; flowers afford 

 a chea|) and delightful ornament; and how easily 

 might tasteful arbors and rotundas be supjjlied 

 with a vase, a bust, or even a statue, such as na- 

 tive artists can easily produce! 



There is one continual somce of pleasure to the 

 traveller in our country, let his course be turned 

 in almost every direction, that Is the evident de- 

 cline of intemperance. Even when I have been 

 passing through places with which I was least ac- 

 quainle<l, the evidences I have found of the do- 

 minion of this evil, have seemed like springs m 

 the wilderness; but in region^ which I have 

 known in less favorable limes, the changes are so 

 evident and so numerous, as to excite great pleas- 

 ure, I hope not uniniugleil with gratitude to Him, 

 who has said to the flood of devastation, " here 

 shall thy proud waves be stayed." How many u 

 pang oi" keen, sympathetic misery have 1 been 

 spared on my tour, by the partial scorching of that 

 serpent, that infernal deiiu)n, which was so lately 

 rangitig unchecked through onr country ? How 

 blesseil is the deliverance from such a monster! 

 It is with anguish now that 1 recal the days when 

 Itso often dreaded to inquire, in a family circle or 

 in a public festival for some one 1 missed from 

 bis placf!, lest the mention of his name should 

 wrest from tortured lips a confession that would 

 scorch the cheeks and scarify the heart. 



The late prevaleuce of iuleinperance, I trace in 



part to the broad foundations laid in the times 

 preceding our own. The close of the ^war left 

 the country in au immoral condition. The dis- 

 banding of the army converted our villages almost 

 into camps, so far as habits of men were concern- 

 ed ; and the vicious practices of soldiers co-oper- 

 ating with the desultory employment of leisure 

 time', which is naturally produced by a long peri- 

 od of war and public calamities, stamped a low 

 character upon society through a great part of the 

 country. Public calamities had proved fatal in a 

 thousand instances to private fortunes ; ami n)any 

 of those i)ersons who might otherwise have jios- 

 sessed the means of oHtaining an education, were 

 cut off from it by poverty, or by the prolonged de- 

 preciation of learning in the public estimation. 

 Gunpowder, bayonets, soldiers and military skill 

 I were objects of praise and admiration; and as 

 taste and literature could not purchase these, they 

 were but slightly esteemed. Of course, peace 

 found the country abounding in many young and 

 empty heads, and what was worse with morals 

 corrupt beyond their years. It was the teiulency 

 of such a state of things to honor the tavern, and 

 to break up the family circle ; and in many a town 

 and village the former was the greatest resort of 

 fathers and sons, while the mothers were too often 

 left to solitary regret and tears among the broken 

 fragments of the latter. Who does not remember 

 something of such a state of society ? Who at 

 least has not perceived traces of it in the Baccha- 

 nalian stories, and the tSles of village wit, whose 

 narration to a later generation has often served to 

 depict tlie tavern in colors and associations too at- 

 tractive to the children of a reformed or sobered 

 father ? To the discredit of a state of society now 

 fast wearing out of fashion, a large part of our tra- 

 ditionary narratives, and hnm(n-, and sketches of 

 local biography, are mingled with the oaths and 

 intoxication of the inn, or the more dangerous 

 liiiigunge and examples of fashionable diuner par- 

 lies and drinking bouts in city life. 



NOVEMBER 26, 1S34. 



es, ice. take those occasions. But it is mineces- 

 sary to multi|dv the things that might be made or 

 rep'aired in such times. Every farmer that looks 

 around him (if he is not in the habit of so dom^i 

 will find the wood work on his place lamentably 

 out of repair. . 



Besides, every fiirmer should accustom himsell 

 to the use of tools. When he wants a small job 

 done, it wastes as much time often as it is worth, 

 to go several miles after a carpenter. I know 

 some farmers who havenota hatchet, <lrawii,g, 

 knife, auger, plane or work bench about their 

 place! The consequence is, their jobs and repairs 

 generally go undone, and they have nothing to do 

 lalf ihe"ir time in rainy weather. Is this econo- 



my = Vet such men will carry their grain hve- 

 miles further to a tiiarket where they can get iwa 

 cents more on a bushel. Poor Richard. 



From the Genesee Fanner. 

 RAINY DAVS. 



How much time is thrown away by some far- 

 mers when the weather will u.ot |iermil them to 

 work out doors. And how well this time might 

 be improved ! There are many days and hours of 

 wet weather in a year in which it is impossible to 

 to do any work on the farm, and when these are 

 lost, as they are to many furiners of my acquain- 

 tance, thev amount to a considerable suni. " Time 

 is money" as my grandfather used to say ; and 

 fnrtlur, " Take care of the pence and the pounds 

 will take care of themselves." 



Now if this is good advice in money matters, it 

 will surely apply to economy in lime, to those 

 liours and half days when the rain drives us under 



cover. 



Well, bow are these hours to be best improved. 

 I will tell you my brother farmers. Get yourself 

 a set ol- Curpenter's Tools, and make a work bench, 

 and if you can plane a board and drive a nail, you 

 will find enough to occupy all your spare time. 



The tools will cost but five or six dollars— such 

 as are most necessary, and then you will be able 

 10 keep your out buildings, fences and many ol 

 your farming implements in good repair. If your 

 liiirn or stable doors break down, inend it immedi- 

 ately the first rainy day. If a board is loose, put a 

 nail in it or replace it. If you want any plain, 

 useful kitchen furniture, such as pine tables, bench- 



SETTIKG OUT TREES. 



Very early last spring, on a warm rainy day, I 

 went to a neighboring nursery and gave a dob.r 

 fur my choice of twenty of its finest ajiple ire. s. 

 I was careful to cut oft' all damaged roots ami a 

 part of the top ; then in fine soil, on the same d.-.y, 

 I set oul these trees, taking great care not to era. i,|; 

 in the least degree the fibrous roots, excavalii.); 

 for some of them a liole seven or eight ieet broa. 

 (the trees were not more than one and a hall mcl 

 in diameter,) digging deep and putting compn. 

 and the best soil at the bottom. Thus they re 

 mained until grafting time in May, when prnii , 

 ed and grafted as high as the size would admit i 

 from five to eight feet, taking care to leave one o 

 two small branches to perform tlie functions o 

 elaborating the sap, till the scions should be snfll 

 cienlly grown for that purpose. This was a to 

 -ether an experiment with me ; thus far it lia 

 succeeded well. Every wound healed, and ever ■ 

 tree has now a firm and healthy young top— Ih i 

 scions grew from one to two feet last sumnier 

 and some of them grew over the old slock. Eigl I 

 or ten of them blossomed, and some ol them prci 

 duced apples though none of them came to matH 

 rity. 1 prefer to have the end bud on the scion, 

 If any of your readers or correspondents c» 

 sn.Tgest, through the Northern Farmer, any m 

 provements on my mode of setting an»t graltui| 

 some other brother farmer may get a valnal) 

 bint and I obtain encouragement lo try the pel 

 ,be following spring. Indulge me to throw oi 

 one hint to those who intend lo graft next sprin 

 Sweet apples are sahl to be worth double to sou. 

 and equally valuable with potatoes for fattenit 

 bogs or cattle. It is important therefore to sele. 

 your scions from the richest varieties of the swe, 

 apple, if your object be to raise apples (or yo. 

 live stock. — 'VoW/icj-n Farmer. 



CARE OP THE AGED. 



As having their own way, is one of the greaU 

 comforts of life to old people, I think their fVien 

 ^li.uild endeavor to accommodate them in that, 

 well as in any thing else. When they have lo 

 lived in a lioiise, it becomes natural to them ; th 

 are almost us closely connected witli it as the U 

 loise with his shell : they then die, if you U 

 tliem out of it— old folks and old trees, if you 

 move them, 'tis ten lo one you will kill theni ; 

 let our good old sister be no more importuned 

 tl,at head. We are fast growing old ourselves, a 

 we shall expect the same kind indulgences ; an< 

 we give them, we shall have a right lo rece 

 Ihem iu our nxn.— Franklin's Familiar Letier». 



