The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-11-30
9grnnlturd.
A Looking Glass for Farmers.

Hero is something which the editor of the
Country Gentleman saw in recent journey
through the rural districts:
I. House with broken windows-somc-
times with old hats or rags thrust in to keep
out the weather, but usually with free ycn-
tilation.
Q. Houses with unfinished chilnncys, and
with brick and mortar lying on the roof.
3. Houses with loose clapboards, somo Of
which have been knocked of, and Others
hanging by q single nail
4. Door-yards rooted up by pigs, the lat
ter having free access, for tho convenience OF
ready feeding with kitchen slops.
5. Door yards grown up with burdocks
and thistles, with few scattered, half dead
fruit trees, surrounded with suckers.
6. Door yards with scattered boards, un-
corded wood, old barrels, and boxes, and
slOp puddles, ,. A..
roof deeply bent down in the middlc-shinglcs
partly oif-boards occasionally of the sides
or hanging at one end by nails.
s. Barns With doors of the hinges, and
propped withrails.
o. Barns with large piles of manure
against the sideboards, and wagons, harrows
and plows scattered about the yard.
10. Orchards with dead limbs. broken
branches and an abundance OF suckers and
coarse weeds about the foot Of the trunks.
IL. Piles Of apple brush thrown along
fences, and plcntiiully invested with thistles,
mullens and burdocks-the fences often hall
down with many scattered rails in every
variety Of position. :,
l2. Fences lined and mostly hid with tall
nettlcs and elder bushes.
l3. Board fences with posts set very shall
low and leaning Mt various angles OF inclina-
ton, sometimes prorped with stakcs-boards
occasionally knocked of or hanging at one
end.
IL. Pastures in thin or partly cut woods,
or in newly cleared lands, with many decay
ing piles oil brush, and luxuriant growth
Of thistlcs. iron wood and poke.
Is. Pastures innumerably filled with o
dense growth ofambrosia or rag-weed.
l6. Wet pastures, poached while wet
with tho feet of cattle, into rough knobs,
and grown up with coarse grass and smart
weed.
IL. CornGelds with dense underground
Of weeds, and poiato-Gelds with adensc over
growth of the sane.
is. Plowed fields with wet patches or un.
plowed portions. the latter yariously covered
with coarse grass, woods and bushes.
10. Cows running at large in the streets
droppinc their manure in tho most incon-
yen,cnt places amd thrusting their heads
through poor fences into ncighbors' cabbages
und cornfclds.
20. Attempts at hedging made by care
lessly and irrcgularly setting out plants IN
unpreparcd ground, never cutting, and ai,
loving the line to be covered With weeds ana
grass.
These results will always take place when
tho owners forget that the price OF neatncss
and success is eternal vigilance, and that the
original curse Of 'thorns and thistles' Is IN
tended to be converted to q blessing by in
ducing industry, enterprise, and the cultiva'
ton Of the vigorous virtues.
We ere glad TO say that very many farms
were nearly free from thee blcmishcs-oftcr
not more than one or two TO be secn at q time
and we are informed that they arc rapidly
decreasing and disappearing before the in