3 



THE HOMES OF THE FARMER. 



The following remarks made by the author at the ' ' Farmers' Club, " Rochester, N. Y. , 

 are copied from The American Farmer: 



At this stage of the proceedings the President stated that A. M. Purdy, a well-known 

 fruit grower of Palmyra,, was present and ready to respond to the invitation sent him 

 to address the Club. He was then introduced, and spoke at great length on the subject 

 of farming and horticultural operations, to the evident satisfaction of the assemblage. 

 Did our space permit, the address would be given in full, but as our restricted limits 

 forbid this, we must content ourselves with a condensed notice and such extracts as 

 the space allotted to this department will allow. 



He commenced by saying that it was not his purpose to discuss the subject of grow- 

 ing fruits t»r carrying them to market, nor to assume to determine what the profits of 

 the business might be. He then proceeded • — " As I understand this matter, I am now 

 before a Farmers' Club, made up largely of farmers, or those who are interested in farm- 

 ing. I recognize the fact that this beautiful city of Rochester is the center of as fine 

 a farming country as can be found in the State, or in the United States. I recognize 

 the fact that there is no section of the country where the farmers are more successful, 

 or have been more successful than in this and adjoining counties, and take it for granted, 

 that the men who are before me to-day are representative men of this class. I take it 

 for granted that the men who are before me are practical farmers, and to such I desire 

 to address myself. The first point that I wish to notice is how to make the farmer's 

 life pleasant, as well as profitable — so that the sons and daughters of such will form a 

 love and attachment for the farm and country life, so that no allurements can draw 

 them away." 



The propensity of farmers' sons to leave the farm and try other roads to fortune wa3 

 next adverted to, and the consequent disinclination of many farmers to give their sons 

 such an education as will make success in other callings easy to them. This was re- 

 garded as an unnecessary restriction as well as an impolitic one. Besides, farming life 

 was not opposed to the cultivation of the intellect, but rather invited to it, if "properly 

 pursued. The professional and mercantile departments are overstocked now, and 

 those who are successful in them are few, compared with the vast numbers who fail. 

 Make home life — farm life — attractive, as it may be, and the desire to leave it will be 

 greatly diminished. To accomplish this, a picture of farm life and its surroundings as 

 they should and ought to be, was thus sketched: — "Suppose we take our carriage and 

 ride through the country. Ah! do you see this neat farm we are passing, and the 

 residence we are approaching ! Do you see those beautiful well-proportioned maples 

 scattered here and there ? Do ycu see those clumps of evergreens, to act as wind 

 breaks, yet arranged with such artistic taste as to show off the. house, tp the best 

 ac'^antage ? Do you see that gracefully drooping weeping willow at the rear of 'the ' 

 houBe, near the sink's outlet? Mark that beautifully arranged flower garden on one 

 side of the house, in full view of the sitting room window, and yet showing off beauti- 

 fully from the highway. Its high colored flowers, and its shrubbery, making a lovely 

 contrast to the well kept lawn in front. See the majestic oak, the symmetrical Norway 

 spruce, the silver-leaf maple, blending their foliage together. See that neatly arranged 

 trellis in the rear with the grape viiie trained properly over it. Mark the latticed 

 arbors covered with the fragrant rose, the honeysuckle, and the woodbine. How 

 straight are the rows, and well trimmed and kept those pear, plum, and cherry trees 

 in the fruit garden ! See the well kept fruit and vegetable garden, sufficiently stocked 

 to supply the table with an abundance of the choicest vegetables and most delicious 

 fruits. The house kept well painted, with blinds, and with verandahs, the walks lead- 

 ing to it well kept, all in fact, show thrift, refinement, and contentment. Enter the 

 house, and the same neatness pervades all. The table filled with entertaining books 

 and papers. ' The wife and the mother with smiling face, endeavoring by kind words 

 and winning ways to make home pleasant and happy. The table supplied with the 

 best fruits and vegetables the garden can grow, and when seated around the same, the 

 family enjoying a feast of conversation and reason, as well of bread and meats. The 

 children encouraged by the parents to plant trees, to set out orchards, to grow live 

 stock, or in fact anything that will make them more strongly attached U> home and a 

 fanner's life. One son may have his mind run largely on growing fruits, another on 



