Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-12-22
AGRICULTURAL
From The Plough, The Loom, and The Anvil
COUNTRY HOUSES,

Mr.. EDiToR One Of the most common
features in The houses Of the country is the want
of taste, visible in all sections of tho country.
These dwellings are mostly the homes Of the
farmer, and surprising it is to see how little
time is spent in improving them and making
them look as a farmers home should. Most of
them were placed close to The highway with a
dooryard perhaps in front, oftwelve by twenty
feet, fenced of from each corner Of the house
and running to the street fence. Hence this
yard comprised all the grounds" the house
had, and sometimes even this was wanting, as in
many cases these houses were set directly on
the street. AT the present time a little more
taste may be shown in the buildings or houses
than formerly. But in the situation of Il far
mer's and the grounds around, very little fany
improvements have taken place in the last forty
years. For some reason or other, people living
in the country have a fear that they shall not
see everybody that passes in the street, and SO
the houses must be built directly on the high
way, to crafty this curiosity and of course all
the dust and dirt of the street in a dry time
must be endured for the sake of seeing the ina
tives' as they pass by. Now it is astonishing
to see what parsimony many farmers with large
farms, will exhibit in reference 10 an acre or
two Of ground for building a house. But ordi-
narily it is more owing to a want of a Just APP
p~recaiion Of what a farmers house should be,
than from q real pennriousness. All this differ
ence comes from education, an education which
every farmer may have by a little care and study
but which they so often neglect, believing it
more necessary to increase the number OF acres
than to make permanent and lasting improve
ments on what they now possess. OF course
those farmers who occupy old farm-houses of a
former generation cannot change the situation,
though the ba k-grounds may often be enlarged
and the whole premises can be changed when
the right spirit is set at work. For instance,
if the kitchen garden is close 10 the house, as
is often the case, take up all the old board and
picket-fence between the garden and door-yards
also remove all the old rail fences near the
house, and make one good substantial fence a.
round the outside, making but one yard Of the
whole. The kitchen garden Of course, will be
removed TO a place outside of the yard-fence,
while the old garden can be used for fruii-trees
flowers, shrubs, etc.
The old cow-houses, hog-pens, etc., if they
are pretty near the house, as they often are,
should be removed if they can be, especially the
hog-pen, or a high board-fence may by put up
in fIont TO cut off the view from the house.
Here we only give some ideas how an old
fashioned farmhouse may be improved by a
little labor and taste. And when the farmer
once commences an improvement of this char
acter, he will find that as he goes forward with
his Improvements, new ideas will constantly
turn up which will show him the value Of such
embellishments All that is wanted by the far
mer is a little exertion on his par, to go forward
aud enter into this business. or course where
new grounds are 10 be laid out, a different plan
will be carried out. In this case, the farmer
can select his own grounds and make all the ar
Judgements to his liking. An acre Of land
1.-TWO are better, and three or four better slilD
for a courtyard or 'lawn," with the house
standing on the highest point Of land the out
buildings a little below this level and in the
rear, country place can be made 10 make a good
appearance. Whatever is the size Of the ward
allow no cross sections Of fences, but have one
good substantial outside fence of wood, wire or
iron, as the case may be-. Where the yard is
composed of Ave or six acres, the kitchen and
flower gardens may be placed in the rear ofthe
SN'NhbS "Fh SaAAooiN OhNi"oouits. IL Is also
well to select the site for your house and out
buildings in or near a group Of natural forest
trees, for shade and protection, if they are at
hand. Apple trees and cherry trees may be
used for this purpose. Should neither of these
be within reach, as will often be the case. then
1t will be tine and money well-spent 10 trans
plant some large forest trees of six, eight, and
ten inches in diameter at the trunk, to shelter
your house and out-buildings from the suns
rays and storms, This may be done by the
''irozen ball METHOD which we have often
named before, which most northern cultiyators
understand. The plan is just before cold wealth
er sets in, go TO the forest and select your trees
for removal, then dig about them, cutting offall
the branching roots, leaving main tuf roots at
the bottom uncut. In this way the tree must
stand TIL the earth about the roots is frozen 10
a solid ball. In the mean time the holes for
the reception Of these trees must be dug, and all
prepared before cold weather sets in. They
should be dug some two feet larger than the
ball OF roots, and the space filed ia with ward
soil 50 as TO give the ~rootlets a good start in the
spring II there Is slight snow on the ground
the trees may be removed on an ''ox-sled" or
two draRs fastened together. The trees must
be raised from their bed by means Of long lev