Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-01-17
From the American Statesman.
HOME INDUSTRY. s''
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON.

Winter is upon us a SHVery carpet
ing of frost aud snow has already covered
the earth the radiant orb Of day has
withdrawn his searching rays. and vegeta-
tion has thrown off her green robes of au-
tumnal sweetness, to repose IN the season
of Nature rest. The stiffness of winter,
the repose of vegetation, the inactivity ct
living insects and vegetable vitality, have
often been compared to the close of life.
That winter was designed by Nature as
the season of rest from the more active
and busting pursuits of life is natural to
suppose. ' >a
The sturdy farmer that can sit down
by his quiet Preside in the repose of a
winters eve, and know that his barns
and storehouses are we'll filled for the
cold and dreary days Of winter, his hap
Ply family smiling in plenty-with no
want--in health and cheerfulness around
him, from the abundance of his blessings
unconsciously thanks.God that the hand
which provides for his every want has
never failed or forsakeu him. W.
The winter in the country is the season
for home instruction and home enjoyment.
The district schools, the singing schools.
the spelling schools. the grammar schools,
and the debating schools, have each their.
devotees, and in which all classes aud
ages more or less engage, We have fire.
quently seen district school taught by
young man of eighteen or twenty. and at
tended by young ladies twenty to twenty
three, and by Young men of twenty seven
and over, We have seen the father and
mother with son and daughter learning
the ruliments of music in the same class
We have seen the gray-harcd patriot of
sixty holding debate with the youth of
fourteen on mooted question of history or
politics. In these social gatherings the
old and The young alike find amusement
and gain instruction. The parent forgots
his cares and the old man his age, and he
passes through life surrounded with the
associations and pleasures of youth I'M
conscious of time or his advancement in
years. Such associations. such social
gatherings. and such pastimes are always
pleasant and good to encourage.
But there arc other duties and labors
withal for the husbandman during win
ter. Aad we do not now speak of what
are generally termed chores, like feeding
and attending the clttle and poultry-for
this every farmer understands and does
But there is class of duties which es
pecially belong to the winter lnonths.and
are often neglected. Among the first We
wovld mention that of getting up wood.
The winter season in this country is
the time when, above all things, every
farmer and husbandman should lay in an
abundant supply Of wood for the entire
year. While the ground is frozen and
covered with snow, the woodland is easily
entered, and the wood cap be drawn in
any shape with one quarter the labor re-
quired at any other season of the year
At this season wood should be drawn,
chopped, split, and stored away in quan-
titles to be ready and dry for summer use.
when small quick fire is required for
cooking. Nothing will make more
pleasant housewife, or produce more real
affection and good feeling in family.
than good pile of well seasoned wood.
Let the husbandman who has never known
its influence on his domestic happiness,
and who has suffered the fury of scold-
ing from his wife. try this experiment
thoroughly for one year and if he don't
perceive a change in his affairs we are
much mistaken.
But the winter again is the season of
the year for the husbandmau to provide
himself with lumber and building ma
terial Spring never approaches but it
brings the want of new fences, new gates,
new buildings or roofs. new harrows and
implements, and with these wants the
necessity for rails. posts, boards, lumber
and material
Now every farmer who has wood and
timber land, and nearly all have, or
should have, can, with but little expense,
always keep good supply ofthe necessary
kinds of boards, scantlings, and timhers.
A few thousand for large farm, and for
a small farm few hundred good rails
and stakes should always be at hand
ready to patch up or mend break iu the
fence. A few thousand feet of fence
boards, roof boards, plank aud scantling
he should never be without. which can
always be supplied at small cost, by
putting few logs into the mill in winter
to be sawed out in spring.
And let US here again repeat what We
have often suggested, that every farmer
should have aud keep ready for use Il
small set Of carpenter tools. A saw. q
set of planes, augers, chisels. and brace OIL
bits, can all be had at a trifling expense
These every farmer should have. BY
having them and learning to use them
every man can become sufficiently good
mechanic to Nuke or repair most any i'm
plement used Oh the farm All OF thi,
work should Re done IN winter, before the
hurry of spring or summer comes. Ne