St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-03-21
49, 75srJ a
Weeds.

Weeds. .-'@~',~.----.,
"Good for Printer" soys the Farmer
and Gardener, in noticing that Mrs. Slo-
cum, printers wife in St. Anthony, had
raised wonderful stock OF vegetables in
her garden; had gathered them all in and
cleared off all weeds and refuse before win, win
ter? Mr.. Ford thinks it is good thus to
clear the ground in the fall, us it leaves
fewer repositories for insects which will
come out and destroy the spring crops
All very we'll; but Is Mrs. Slocpm prin-
ter, if not how does her industry reflect
credit on the craft? Then again we doubt
the praiseworthiness Of raising tall vegeta-s
bles and clearing off the weeds. As it is
a custom oc do not follow, it must be of
doubtful utility.
What would become of the birds in the
winter it all the earth was brown and bare
like Mrs Slocum's garden? We can tell
you. Monsieur Fore, that we raised gard
en- full Of the tallcst weeds in the State last
summer, beating those of the summer be-
fore by all odds; and they arc on the
ground yet. They grow all in and out
amongst the goosberries, Lawton blackber-
ries, blush roses, Dutch currants, Isabella
grapes, &c., &C., which we got from your
great Nursery, and which are all we'll
enough in their way, bnt are nothing COM
pared to our weeds. What would become
Of our birds if it were not for these? Where
would those hundreds and hundreds of lit
tie chipping orators get their breakfasts and
dinners and teas if We had cut down and
raked up and burned all their seeds p
Doubtless Our Father would have fed them;
but we should not have been able to set by
the window taking our own breakfast and
watching them eat. We can tell you, Mr..
Economist, that none of our investments
pay half SO we'll as those weeds which grow
close up to tie kitchen, pantry and dining
room windows. Why, old Dame Nature is
so pleased with them that she comes night
after night aud dry after day to dress them.
Sometimes she clothes them in powdered
pearls, sometimes in spear-shaped dia-
monds. All the jewellers in Paris could
not initiate one of hundred sets with
which she decks them during the season.
Then, they are not as ball room bellies,
who only serve for sign posts for the jew
eller, for they feed our birds, besides COL
Letting and holding fast the snowy cover
lid which protects our roses, grapes and
other helpless things All through the
summer they stood holding their umbrellas
over our little evergreens and other newly
transplanted exotics which otherwise
would have tainted and persisted in the
searching rays Of the sun. bless the tall,
graceful weeds, which deck our summers
With many flowers, and our winters with
fairy traceries of sparkling splendors which
mock at the wonders of Aladin's Lamp,
which stand reckoning in every storm with
their overfowing hands to the little, hun
cry wanderers Of the upper deep, to come
and cat and come again.
Oh, We are very glad we do not live in
Mrs. slocum's model garden and it she
will send up we will cheerfully forward her
package of the INCEST weed seeds, which
will stand up all the winter, and cover the
"nakedness of the land" which Mr.. Ford
has been spyingout.