American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-08-23
The Sat,ners department.
The Farmers = Door Yard"

W '1Aeb q htSN-Ah inv j W tAN'N -
said young farmer to "a friend Of
ours few days since. you have
the most beautiful aowersI have ever
,sean.a Ip5a13a4 5'SeA'eN "v4A@
The young man is the son of one
of the most successful farmers in the
neighborhood. Coming to the "Gen-
esee Country" when it was to the
resident of the Eastern States "West"
as Kansas is now, he cleared a farm,
raised large family and gave them
an excellent education. He has plen-
ty of apples, cherries and peaches.
and we are not sure that he has not
what is quite rare in a farmers gar
den, a good patch of the best varie-
ties of Strawberries and raspberries.
The house is delightfully."- situated,
with some noble deciduous trees and
fine evergreens surrounding it. The
young ladies are fond of flowers, and
succeed pretty well with their annu-
ais. There is bell on the front
door, piano in the parlor, with half a
dozen or 50 oil paintings on the walls,
the work of one of the daughters. Ten
different periodicals are taken and pleas
anter country home is seldom found.
Now why should not such a farm have
a well kept lawn, with few choice
shrubs. eyergreens, ornamental trees, nc.
Has he not land enough Can he not af-
ford it? What would it cost? Would
not hundred dollars a year be a liberal
estimate, even charging full price foraey-
cry balf hour occupied in keeping it in
order. Wethink fifty dollars a year would
convert some of the unsightly door yards,
70 frequently seen in the country, into
delightful lawn And there is positively
no reason why this is not done, except
that the farmer has never been in the
habit of attending to such things and
has no taste for them. If man is real
ly poor, their is some excuse for neglect
ing those things which do not afford an
immediate profit But we have in all
parts Of the country hundreds of thous-
ands Of farmers who can afford to have a
nice lawn and garden if they only desired
it, Here is a farmer who has spent $40,
900 in erecting a house. His ''door
yard is-well, no better than hrs neigh-
bors. Perhaps he would talk about it if
twas A big house is allowable in the
country, but the agricultural Mrs. Grun-
dy would be Mortified should a farmer
pay much attention to ornamental
grounds. But what is the good of a
big house with it's neglected "door
yard ?" Does the good wife feel any
happier in it? Are the children
more comfortable? Does it afford
any p easure to the passer-by?
Wo Id it not have been better to
have spent less on the house and more
on the grounds and garden Suppose
instead of spending $40, 900 on the
house and nothing on the grounds,
he had spent 81. 600 on the house and
reserved the $4,000 for making and
keeping up nice lawn, planting out
a few hedges, making good walks
and setting out ornamental trees
Had he spent 81, 900 on his grounds
the interest on the remaining two
thousand would have kept them in
good order. Would not such a
course have been better Admitting
that it does not pay, we would ask
how much the extra $4,000 invested
in the house pays. 1tnot only brings
in nothing, but requires more money
to furnish the rooms &c. And in
case you want to sell it, who would
not prefer to have the money invest
ed in setting out trees, &C., than in
the house?
Not many months since a rich
gentleman in one of the Eastern Cit
les, wanted to buy farm for his
son. He preferred Western New
York. He was willing to pay any
SUM from $4,000 to $50, 900, if he
could get such farm and buildings
as he wanted. But he wanted every
thing ready to his hands-a pleasant
house, good buildings, and well laid
out grounds, roads, &c. We were
asked where there was such farm
in this section that could be purchas-
ed j; and we were obliged to confess
that we did not know of any in this
neighborhood that would fill the con
ditions. We have many farms in a
good state of cultivation, many good
houses, but where do you find well
laid out grounds (? We are confident
that there are farms where thous-
and dollars spent ten years ago in
judicious planting, with hundred
dollars a year in keeping up the
grounds, would have added, in this
case at least, from five to ten thous-
and dollars to the value of the farm.
But this is not the main reason for
attending to these matters We
want famrers to make pleasant homes
for their children. This young man
who admired .'door yard y kept
little better than is generally found
on farms, is. already anxious toleave
his father and go to the city. He
thinks farming nothing but hard
work, and sighs for some pleasenter