Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-12-22


feel iattcred, and think | will come.
Perhaps, meanwhile. brief history Of my
experience as an agriculturist will be accept
able.
have been an honest old farmer for some
iOur years.
Nv farm is IN the interior OF Maine. Tn
fortunately my lands are eleven miles from
the railroad Eleven miles is quite dis
tancc TO haul immense quantities Of wheat,
corn, rye and oats but as haven't any to
haul, | do not, after all, suffer much on that
account.
My farm is more especially grass farm.
Ny ncighbors told me 50 at trst, and, as
an evidence that they were sincere in that
opinion they turned their cows on 10 il the
moment went of lecturing.'
These COWS arc now quite fat. | take
pride in these cows, IN fact and am glad
own grass farm.
Two years ago l tried sheep raising.
[ bought fifty lambs, and turned them
loose on my broad and beautiful acres.
II was pleasant on bright mornings TO
stroll lcisurely out TO the farm in my dress
ing gown, with cigar in my mouth, and
watch these innocent little lambs, as they
danced gaily DER the hillside. Watching
their saucy capers reminded me Of caper
sauce and ii occurred to me | should have
some very fine eating wien they grew up to
be 'muttons,
Nv gentle shepherd, Mr. Eli Perkins,
said, - We must have some shepherd dogs "
had no very precise idea as to what
shepherd dogs were, but / assumed rather
profC und look, and said
" We must, Eli, spoke toyou about this
some time ago :"
wrote to my old friend. Mr.. Dexter II.
Follett. of Boston. for two shepherd dogs
Mr. F. is an honest old farmer himself, but
| thought be knew about shepherd dogs.
He kindly forsook far more important busi-
ness to accommodate, and the dogs came forth
with. They were splendid ceatures-snuf
colored, hazel eyed, long tailed aud shapely
iawed.
We led them proudly to the fields
Turn them in, Eli, | said.
Eli turned them in.
They went in at once, and killed twenty
Of nv best lambs in about four minutes anC
half
Ny friend had made some triaing mistake
in the breed Of these dogs.
Eli Perkins was astonished, and observed
wall did you ever? p
| certainly never had.
There were POOLS OF blood on the green
sward, and fragments of wool and raw lamt
chops lay round in confused heaps.
The dogs would have been sent TO BostoI
that night, had they not rather suddenly
died that afternoon Of 4 throat distemper
1t wasn'ta swelling Of the throat. L
wasn't dipthcria Ii was violent opening
Of the throat, extending from ear to ear
Thus closed their lie-stOries. Thus end
ed their interesting tails.
failed as a raIser Of lambs. As sheep
Ist | was not success.
Last summer Mr.. Perkins said, " thin
we'd better cut some grass this season, Sir
We cut some grass.
To me the new mown hay is very s"ee
and nice. The brilliant George Arnol
sings about it, in beautiful verse, down l
Jersey every summer; so does the brllllan
Aldridse. at Portsmouth. n. ii. And ye
! doubt If either of these men know the pric
Of ton of hay to-day. But new-m9wn ha
Is really fine thing 1t is good for ma
and beast.
We hired four honest farmers to assist III
and led them gailY 10 the meadows.
was going to NOW myself.
saw the sturdy peasants 60 round on
ere dipped my flashing scythe into the ia
green grass.
=. Are you ready?'' said Z. Perkins
81 am here ~
Then follow US
followed them,
iE!lowed them rather too closely, evident
= foor white-hairel old man, who immt
diatcly followed Mr., Perkins, called upon
to halt Then in Lev, firm voice he SAID
his son, who was just ahead c. me, 20!
change places with me. | hain't got lol
to live anyhow. Yonder berryin' gou
will soon haye these old homes, an it's
matter whether m carried there with @
leg of and terrible CACHES in the other
not But you, JOhn-yON are young.
The old man changed places with his s.
= calm smile of resignation Int up
Hrinkled lace, as he said, 50 Now, sir, l
ready - -,
..What mean you, cid Elan?'' said.
Il mean that if you eontinpeT 30 bran
that blade as you have been bran ishing
You'll slash h-out Of some oil us Del
we're hour older !"
There was some reason mlngieo Win
white haired old PEASANTS profanity.
gaa true that had twice escaped NOV
of his sons legs, and his father was ]
haps naturally alarmed.
went down and sat under tree. -,
meyer know'd Literary man 10 ny W