Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-30
Agricultural.
Farmers Wives

Nh EDITOR A writer IN late number of
the Farmer, pas inir Jduced a very proper cub
ject, IN my estimation for discussion IN lie col
umns. l refer TO farmers wives. l presume
there no class OF women 10 New England.
subject 10 80 much hard and perplexng labor as
Is the farmers vile. And | believe she gets
'.ong with fewer conveniences than any other
class.
Many of the present farm houses were built
fifty or d hundred years ago, and are utterly dts-
tltute of plan arrangement. look ing to con-
venience tor doing Work, or tor pieasan tness IN
occupation. The kitchen is usually on the
darkest aud gloomiesr side of the house, q mere
residence In which almost equal to prison life,
without the addition of hand work. l am not
sure however, but woman would die sooner
without work IN such place than she would
with, for labor somewhat relieves the min from
the surro Inding gloon. | think il Is not q
wonder that sny become insane, but that
there are 30 few. Undou bteuy there would be
many more, did net death step 10 and snatch
them from a worse fate.
But let us see what can be done. Many are
destitute of good soir water. Let US take the
man by the ttOE-hole and lead Nun right down
cellar. Here we are, in a large roomy cellar,
that, in days long gone by, Contained from
twenty five TO sixty barrels of cider. Don't
SIN lie, kind reader, at The statement. L am tod
by living witnesses, that the cellar Of the house
III which am now writing. has often contained
twenty barrels of CIDER. Nay, more there Is d
cellar oue-fJurth of a mile from me, and anoth-
er twice the distance, IN which there have often
been stored fifty barrels every tall. and all for
family use Aud then the supply would often
get short before the year Came around. Let
some little school boy or girl figure up the miles
Travelled IN get ing up the htty barrels, one quart
at a trip, calling the distance forty feet each
way Blu. then, there were large families then !,
AMI The labcr fell lightly on each oue-
We have found room for fifty barrels of cider,
DOW let about the water Here 10 this
corner (n0t under the kitchen. for we have
OIL her plan with which lt might interfere), we
hnj ample room for a CHS err. LIT the pick axe
and shovel be applied ami eXcavate u bowl
shaped cavity, SIX feet acr g., and three feet be-
low The surface OF the CELLAR bottom, leaving the
gravel IN q ridge all srouYd. Smooth the in
eiIe. ana lay a coat Ut mortar. made of one
part of hydraulI cement and three parts OF
coarse sand. Let this harden, and then apply
another Coat with half the sand Gaze should
be taken 10 comp ict and harden the gravel that
has been thrown out by pounding, before ap-
plying the mortar
For a fi,er, build light box, on one side, a
little above the DO tom, using about twenty live
bricks, ADD lit The pipe In tight at tim7 OF fuill
ing. DJu'G forget the Waste water pipe, which
l. TO take IF the surplus water before the cis-
tern ru0s over. Over the whole with plank
aud bJards, to keep out dirt and rats, and 1t Is
ali ready fo6 the water. When that comes,
apply pump, and presto change" up
comes tie water q - clear quill Ii goes
into The litter box last needed doubtful as
1t looked. ~, we have practical, perma-
nrur prov mouI that has cost but little, and
"ue he Xilcn-n folks Will always r,Joice over
Lit US oil auJ usn e. IN -et IN tue Kitchen some
Iuluie lIme-N E Farmer