1860. 



NEAV ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



199 



WILL WOOD OF THE FARM. 

 By B. rr. pearce. 

 The bright Spring days have come, Will Wood, 



The cold, bleak weather is past, — 

 The husbandman speeds his plow once more, 



The Frost King's gone at last. 

 The fields have cast their mantle of white. 



And are donning their carpet of green, 

 The cattle e'en now, on the hill-side graze. 



And the green bursting buds are seen. 



My mind's eye wanders to the farm, Will Wood, 



The farm with its meadows and trees. 

 Where in years gone by — bright boyhood's years — 



Our hearts were light as the breeze. 

 The house by the road, where years it has stood, 



Unscathed by the hand of decay — 

 The peach and the pear trees, 'neath whose shade. 



We went in the sunshine to play. 



The hand that planted them is cold. Will Wood, 



And is laid 'neath the white marble stone ; 

 But the trees he left bright monuments stand, 



To tell of the patriarch gone. 

 That old well -sweep you've taken away, 



And a "new-fangled" pump, in its stead, 

 Brings to your hand the pure cooling draught 



From the well that our good sire made. 



And don't you remember the oven, Will Wood, 



We built 'neath the buttonwood tree .■' 

 And how in that oven the apples we baked, 



And none were so happy as we ? 

 A score of years have passed since then, 



But the oven remains there still. 

 Though the soft, green moss now covers its sides. 



That oven close under the hill. 



There is one gentle voice now hushed. Will Wood, 



That we all so delighted to hear ; 

 Her form lies cold in the embrace of death, 



That was wont the dwelling to cheer ; 

 But her memory lives in the hearts of those 



Who joyed in her presence then ; 

 She'll mingle no more with the scenes of earth, 



But anon we shall meet her again. 



We're scattered all hither and yon, Will Wood, 



We ne'er again shall meet. 

 Around the board in the old farm-house. 



With kindly words to greet ; 

 But our hearts cling fondly around that spot, 



Where we never knew aught of harm, 

 And we joy to grasp thy hard, brown hand. 



Will Wood of the homestead farm. 



Fur tJw Neic Eiifjland Farmer. 



HEARING AND PATTIJSTG GEESE. 



Mr. Editoe, : — As I have been in the business 

 of raising geese for some twelve years, I will try 

 to answer that lady whom yon referred to, and al- 

 so others who have inquired of me by private let- 

 ters. I must confine myself to my own stock, as 

 I am not much acquainted with other breeds. 

 Mine are the pure Bremen, imported by Mr. James 

 Sisson, of Warren, R. I. ; they are of pure white ; 

 my gander now weighs 2-5 pounds, my two geese 

 are some lighter ; they lay the first of March ; 

 from 8 to 12 days before they commence laying 

 they will refuse their allowance of grain, then I 

 prepare nests for them under cover, Avhere it is 

 warm, and at sufficient distances so that they can- 

 not hear other goslings. I place a false egg made 

 of chalk, say about 2 inches in diameter, in the 

 nest, and if they will own these nests, they will 

 cover the nest egg up. Remove theii- new-laid 



eggs as soon as they are laid, so as to not let them 

 chill — place them on the small end in a box with 

 cotton wool, and keep them in a warm room un- 

 til wanted. I don't allow the gander to go where 

 the geese are sitting. They set from 28 to 30 

 days. As soon as I think there is a number out 

 of the shell I put my hand under and remove all 

 the shells, to give room for the rest. Do not be 

 in a hurry about getting them out of the nest too 

 soon — let nature have its way. Don't pick them out 

 of the shell, except in some extreme case. When- 

 ever you see the goslings crawling out from un- 

 der the goose while setting, place a green sod 

 snug to the goose ; they will soon find it ; then 

 give them a little corn-meal wet up with sweet 

 milk, if convenient, if not use water. Place a 

 shallow dish of water near by, so that they can 

 help themselves. Do not allow them to run out 

 in the dew or in a storm while young. In about 

 ten days they will take care of themselves by the 

 aid of the goose. If there is no grass for them 

 to feed on while very young, chop up some cab- 

 bage fine and mix it with their meal, for they 

 must have something of that nature. Keep your 

 goslings in separate flocks for two weeks before 

 you turn them into one flock. Two geese to a 

 gander is enough, but even mated is better sLill. 

 You will get more goslings according to your 

 stock. If you keep more than one gander, keep 

 them separate with their mates while they are lay- 

 ing. It appears that water is their element, but 

 they fat and grow faster away from streams and 

 ponds, but they must have a supply of pure water 

 to drink and to sport and play in. They must 

 have a place to go under, even in a shoMcr, if not 

 they will l^e as wet as a hen. They can be fiitted 

 for market in about 60 days by giving them all 

 they want to eat of corn and corn-meal, and 

 a few pork scraps, chopped fine and soaked and 

 mixed with their meal. About three weeks be- 

 fore dressing for market, shut them up in a yard 

 allowing each goose six feet square so as to let 

 them flap their wings and to stir round. Pluck- 

 ing geese while alive should be done twice a year ; 

 first, in the spring, when they shed their quills, 

 then in the fall. Silas Denuam. 



South Hanson, 1860. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



How TO Make Good Coffee. — Although cof- 

 fee is a beverage in daily use in almost every fam- 

 ily, there are comparatively few v,ho appear to 

 know how to make a really good cup of it. Gen- 

 erally, the first thing Biddy does in the morning 

 is to make the coffee, no matter if it is an hour be- 

 fore the other portion of the breakfast v.ill be 

 ready. During the whole of this time it is kept 

 boiling furiously, and the house is filled with its 

 fragrance. This fragrance is very agreeable, but, 

 unfortunately, when you have it, you gratify your 

 olfactories at the expense of your palate ; for lam 

 perfectly satisfied that this over-boiling produces 

 that acrid bitter taste so often found in coff"ee. My 

 plan is to leave the making of the coffee until the 

 last moment. Having the boiling water ready, 

 and my ground coflPee properly mixed and cleared, 

 I pour the boiling Avater over the coff'ee, and then 

 allow it to boil one-lialj of a mimite. Try it, if 

 you doubt the correctness of my method. 



