Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-12-15
AGRICULTURAL.
tFrom the New England Famerl
HOW TOKEEP YOUR HOUSE WARM
IN THE COUNTRY.
WArDswoRTIT.



BY HENRY F. FRENCH.
Open Fire-paccs nearly Obsolete-Old-fa
Misunderstanding Wood-Franklin Stoves and
Fire places-lleat and Fresh Air, Necessares as
well as Luxuries-IIow much air Man uses
How agreeable to breathe the same Air that has
just been used by dozen others Close Stoves
-Carbonic Acid by Stove Combustion-Pos
from red-hot characterization, Principles Of.
Discourse as pleasantly and as learnedly as
we may, of the cheerfulness and healthfulness
of an old fashioned wood fire on the hearthstone,
we can never bring back any more of that a
greeable idea than the pleasant memories Of one
generation which has jus, lived through it, choose
to furnish to posterity.
Wood piles on the hearth, like wigwams and
Lighthouses, are, as the clearings increase, get
ting 10 he matters Of history They are very
pleasant things 10 remember, but on the whole
would be. to our more cultivated substitutes, in
these times, very uncomfortable to depend on,
for house warming, in New England winter.
trust am not ungrateful in what am saw
ing. Many pleasant evenings have danced
with the boys and girls of the village by the
light of the blazing fire on the kitchen hearth
Many time have sat on a stool in the chin
ney corner, and looked up and seen the stars
twinklng through the broad nue Well do |
remember the high-backcd settle, which was as
essential then in kitchen, as sofa is now to
the parlor. There may be readers of the Far
mer so Ignorant as not 10 know what a settle is
1t is high-backed wooden bench, long enough
for four or five, or occasionally, six or eight
boys and girls 10 sit on, boarded close, from top
to bottom on the back, and with arms at the
ends, and board over head piece of furni-
ture doubtless designed, not only for seat, but
for screen TO break the cnrrent of cold air
that always whistled past every door and win.
dow towards the big fireplace to supply the
tremendous draugh. | remember we'll, too,
the fun we had, getting in the wood for the
fires, at one of our neighbors' where the old
fashioned fireplace Aourished in its puritv.-
The boys had Sled with yoke at the end Of
the tongue, for the two largest 10 pull by, and
rope hitched forward, for the smaller ones
We piled on the wood, four-fpot length, TO the
top of the stakes, about three feet high, and
then at the word, with the doors set open. in we
went, into the kitchen, sled and all, and unload
ed near the Fireplace, A backlog of any size
not less than foot and half in diameter, and
atore-stick of half the size, were essential to
every respectable fire, and a supply of pine knobs
for light, finished the preparation for the even
ins's comfort, in the way of light and heat
They say there is house in Chester, where
the occupants always hauled The wood into lhe
kitchen, sled'length, with horse, but that was
before my day. In our own Homestead, we
used to burn four-fooi wood in the kitchen, and
ours was modern house, built about the wear
one, of the present century. Now as 10 the
comfort of this style of fires-everybody knows
who ever lived in an old fashioned house, in the
country, that in cold day, everything froze.
even in the back part Of the room, with the big
fire blazing, aud the chambers where there were
40 fires, seemed considerably colder than out
doors. Who, that remembers how his breath
was frozen like snow upon the blankets,-(we
should have persisted in shee,s)-at waking,
ever desires TO 60 back to the old way of keep
ing warm.
And then the labor and expense To be
sure the wood was reckoned of little value on
the lot But, at my fathers, and at every re-
spectacle establishment, it was the winters work
LOT two men and team of four oxen and rs
many steers, to get up the years stock of fuel.
The men and teams were off by daylight. and
brought home the wood, sled-length, load after
load, and rolled it up into huge piles in the
door-yard, and he was considered an uncommon
ly iorehanded farmer, who ever had stock of
seasoned wood on hand And so they toiled all
summer, TO raise corn and hay and potatoes G.
nough, to keep the men aud teams through the
winter and worked all winter long, getting up
wood TO keep from freezing!
Wood fires, on The hearth are out of the
question. They cost too much, and that is de-
clslVe OF tho matter. Next in order, came
Franklin stoves, and fre-frames and patent fire
places OF all descriptions. The old fashioned
people must see me fire, and war was, for a long
ume' waged against close stoves, mainly be-
cause they shut the fire from sight have al
ways fancied, that the reason WHY we love IN
see the fire, is because we are usually cold
where open fre-places are used. Never knew
person who thought blazing FIRE very bean
tiiul object in dog-days, and am inclined TO
mink, that person who is comfortably warm
usually thinks very little of the presence or alb.
sence Of the FIRE that warns him; while il is
very natural for one who is Obliged to stand
close by the andirons, and turn round. like
goose suspended by a string to roast, once
minute, TO keep from freezng-it is very nat.
ural for him to like the looks of a wood ERE
some one has suggested, as an economical sub