The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-10-08
DisceIiapcops.

P Miss HARRIET MART1NEAU, hav-
ing farm of two acres, lives in the coun-
try, and thus appreciates the life she
lives
Whoever grows anything feels new
interest in everything that grows; and, as
to the mood Of mind in which the occupa-
ton is pursued, it is tostown-bred women
singularly elevating and refining. To
have been reared in farm house, remote
from society and books. and ignorant of
everything beyond the bounds of the par.
ish, Is one thing, and to pass from an in
dolent or literary life in town to rural
pursuits, adopted with purpose, is anoth-
er. In the first case the state of mind
may be narrow, dull and coarse, in the lat
ter itshould naturally be expansive, chez.
ry and elevated. The genuine poetry of
man and nature invests an intellectual
and active life in the open universe of ru-
raj scenery. j flistiess young ladies from
any town in England could witness the.
way in which hours slip by in tending
garden, and consulting about the crops,
and gathering fruit and flowers, they
would think there must be something in
it more than they understand. If thew
would but try their handnst making a
batch OF butter, or condescend to gather
eggs, and court acquaintance with hens
and their broods, or assume the charge of
single nest, from the hen taking her seat
to the maturity of the brood, they would
hnd that life has pleasures fer them they
kEow not Of-pleasures that have as much
romance and poetry about them as any
book in Mudie's library"
Among the many pleasant things the
lady is able to say about the farm, is. the
following suggestion to educate cats a..
I'VE educate. our own cat, and that at
the cottage; and if the neighbors would
do the same, there would be an end eve.
rywhere to the loss and discomfort and i'll
will which arise from this cause. When
a cat is seen to catch a chicken, tie it
around her neck, and make her wear it
for two or three days. Fasten it secure.
ly, for she will make incredible efforts to
got rid Of it. Be firm for that time, and
the cat is cured. She will never again
desire to touch a bird. That is what we
do with our own cats, aud what we recon-
mend to our neighbors aud when they
try the experiment, they and their pets are
secure from reproach and danger hence.
forth. Wild, homeless, hungry, ragged
savage cats are more difficult. to catch
but they, are outlaws, and may be shot
with the certainty that all neighbors will
be thankful" -, -
The toad-ugly and venomous, hath
yet precious jewel in his appetite and
taste. So think the market gardeners o.
Paris and London, who employ toads tc
destroy insects that prey upon the pro
duce of their vegetable beds. Insuch de
mand has come this auxiliary to success
ful cultivation, that he has become gam,
reptile, and trade in toads has sprun.
upin both those cities. The market pric,
in Paris is about fifty cents to dozen. Ii
London they have been sold as high as
dollar and a half, and this difference il
value has produced q considerable impor
from France. ~ -.
The kitchen gardens that surround Lon
don cover four thousand eight hundred
acres, and employ thirty-6ye thousan'
persons. The minutest care is bestQwet
upon their cultivation, and the same piec
OF land is, in some instances, made TO pro
duce, in single season, FIVE successiv
crops. Not single weed is permitted :
show ITSELF and magnifying glasses ar
used to detect mildew, blast or parasite
that it may be removed as soon as it ap
pears. -.r
-. Slugs, ,snails, and other insects, are 8
,voracious in some localities. around Lou
don especially. as inSa single night to d.
prive. all of q Commercial value, aspars
gras, lettuce, carrots, and also the earl
spring fruits. The toads wage an exte
minating war on all these destructiv
pests. Besides the toads, the gardene
have recourse likewise 70 chickens. The'
are employed to destroy wood lice. Bl
frst their feet are covered with a speci,
Of stocking to prevent them from scratcl
ing up the soil, and to oblige them to pr
cure their prey with the bill only.