1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



47 



For the New England Farmer. 



KURAL SCENES, OCCUPATIONS AND 

 PLEASURES. 



Mr. Editor : — I am well a-\varo, that I cannot 

 do justice to this interesting subject in the brief 

 space allowed in the crowded columns of a news- 

 paper ; yet, without taking up too much of your 

 valuable room, I would like to ofl'er a few remarks 

 upon this subject for the consideration of those 

 who are anxious to leave their paternal homes in 

 the country for a residence in the city. 



It is freely admitted, at the outset, that city life 

 has sbme advantages which country life has not. 

 These need not be particularly pointed out, as they 

 will readily occur to every one. Yet, after all, city 

 life runs quick, is giddy, intoxicated, high-minded, 

 and under contiiuial excitement. ]\Iuch is con- 

 densed into little time and space. Men live, as it 

 were, under a high-pressure system. The candle 

 of life is kept in a continual blaze ; and it frequent- 

 ly goes out at a very early period. 



But country life, on the other hand, has its own 

 ])eculiar advantages, and its scenes, its occupa- 

 tions, and its pleasures, are favorable to health 

 and reflection, to long life and true enjoyment. It 

 is no part of my present object to set up city and 

 country as rivals ; they are both, perhaps, neces- 

 sary to make human existence pleasurable. This 

 is almost self-evident. Whence come the motives 

 to change from city to country, and from country 

 to city, among those whose circumstances or oc- 

 cupations do not bind them to one locality ? Yet, 

 I would ask all those who are so anxious to leave 

 the paternal roof in the country for some garret- 

 loft in the city, to tell me, how they account for 

 that rush of cooped-up men and women — mechan- 

 ics, artisans and merchants — to the green fields of 

 the country, to the mountains, hills and valleys, 

 and wild woodland scenes, which invariably takes 

 place when a holiday is proclaimed ? It is instinct 

 fleeing to the balmy breath and soothing influen- 

 ces of country scenes, to revive the powers that 

 have been impaired, and heal the bruises that have 

 been inflicted by the artificial mode of city life. 



The scenes, occupations and pleasures of rural 

 life are too well known to need a particular de- 

 scription. It is suflScient to say, they are the 

 scenes of every day life, and of every day pleas- 

 ures ; such as fill the mind with joy and gladness, 

 and lift the soul to God. They are the scenes, oc- 

 cupations and pleasures which all parts of the 

 country present, and from which thousands of our 

 city friends yearly drink in delicious, untainted 

 pleasure. For they leave the scenes of their busi- 

 ness and of profit behind them, to ramble where 

 the breezes blow, and amid the bracing mountain 

 air, where many an invalid has picked u]) health, 

 and received, as it were, a new lease of life. But, 

 as they do not engage in the occu])ations of coun- 

 tiy life, they cannot enjoy all its pleasures. There 

 is a real pleasure in rural occupations and pursuits, 

 which city life, with its competitions, anxieties 

 and continual excitements, cannot yield. There is 

 a real satisfaction of mind in beholding the fruits 

 and productions of one's own industry and labor, 

 and in Avitnessing the blessings and bounties of 

 Divine Providence. The scenes, occupations and 

 pleasures of rural life, are all alike healthful to the 

 body, and invigorating to the mind, and conducive 

 to human happiness. 



The country may be said to be one great book, 

 which is open to the eye of every one Avho can 

 read and understand it. It has a language of its 

 own, peculiar to itself. There are passages in it 

 of exquisite beauty and unjiSrallelcd grandeur. Wo 

 read its beautiful passages when we gaze iipon the 

 fair landscape, reposing under the sunny sky of a 

 summer day ; when Ave listen to the sighing breeze 

 among the leaves of the forest ; Avhen we hear the 

 warbling of the songsters of the grove, making 

 the air vocal with their music ; Avhen Ave listen to 

 the gentle murmurings of the running stream, as 

 its limpid avuvcs ripple over their pelibled banks, 

 the SAveetest of all nature's music. The scanning 

 of such passages imparts a pleasure to every 

 thoughtful mind. And yet many, very many, in 

 their hot haste to become rich, and anxiety to cut 

 a figure in the Avorld, are Avilling to relinquish all 

 these pleasant and quiet and healthful scenes and 

 employments for the busy mart of trade and traf- 

 fic ; to be covered all over Avith the dust, and to 

 be surrounded by the hubbub, the pcri)lexities and 

 the temptations of city life ! And all this for the 

 sake of acquiring riches and honorable distinction 

 in the Avorld, Avhich nineteen-tAventieths fail of ob- 

 taining. John Goldsbuey, 



Warwick, Mass., 1859. 



CONDENSED MILK. 



The Hartford, Ct., Homestead, gives a detailed 

 description of a "milk-factory," which a Mr. Bor- 

 den, has put in operrtion "in one of the wildest 

 gorges of the Litchfield hills." 



"The long and short of the whole process is, 

 that fresh milk is received night and morning, and 

 condensed to one-fourth its original bulk by evap- 

 oration, and in this shape, that is, looking like 

 very thick cream, it is sent to market, requiring 

 only to be diluted Avith as much Avater as has been 

 removed from it, to be as perfect and excellent 

 milk as it was at first, and in fact, a little better, 

 as Ave Avill explain : The cost in market is 2.5 cents 

 per quart, or 6j cents for a half ])int, Avhich by the 

 addition of three half pints of Avater Avill make a 

 quart of milk decidedly better, more healthy, and 

 less Avatered than the milk bought of milkmen in 

 our cities ; and capable, after being diluted prop- 

 erly, of ansAvering all the piu-poses of the best 

 miik. The cream Avill rise as usual, and butter 

 may be made, and the milk Avill shoAv itself pos- 

 sessed of all the properties of fresh milk." 



The Avriter regards it as a most valuable discov- 

 ery, — a saving of three-fourths of the expense of 

 transportation is made, and the milk thus prepared 

 remains sAveet so long that it may be sent from 

 Connecticut to New York or Boston, and arrive in 

 a condition to keep longer than milk fresh from 

 the coAv. 



Too Much Grain. — Such is the heading of an 

 article in the California Farmer, m Avhich the 

 editor, after admitting that they "have an abund- 

 ant harvest the present year — tAvice, and thrice, 

 perhaps, the Avants of the State," says it is un- 

 manlv for the farmers to murmur, as they do, be- 



