Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-31
House, Farm and Garden.
Notes by the Way.

Although Ine 1OllOWluS 10 hoo dSiiSuA
turaI matter, yet on account of some sug-
gestions to farmers in the beginning, we
place it in this department.-ED.
1t is proverbial of American farmers that
they are not only the hardest working peo-
pie in the world, but contine themselves
the most constantly to their business, If we
except the poorer classes of mechanics and
operatives in factories and kindred employ
ments. Very few of our farmers ever leave
home from one years end to another for a
longer period than day or two at time,
and when they do, in a majority Of cases it
is upon business, and even then they do
not "leave dull care behind" but carry |
the burdens of their business with them,
allowing their minds no relaxation, nor
their bodies any rest. Now, according to
my notion of things, this is all wrong. 1t
has a tendency to narrow the mind to the
small circle of home surroundings, and af-
fords it no opportunity for growth and ex-
pansion; not only this, but it confines the
wear and tear of life both mentally and
physically to one narrow groove, and con-
sequently disables the whole machinery
sooner than if the wheels of thought and
action were sometimes turned out of the
old worn ruts and allowed to run for a time
in new direction. Again this constant
confinement at home and business believe
to be mistake pecuniarily as well as men
tally and physically. Let farmer who
has confined himself closely to his business
for eleven months of the year, so arrange
/ his affairs that he can take his wife and
spend the remaining month or even two
| weeks away from home, visiting friends,
| looking over their farms, examining their
stock, enquiring into their methods Of cul-
tivation and comparing the respective re-
suits, and when he returns he will find
himself not only possessed of fund of
new facts and ideas, which may be protita-
| bly, incorporated into his own future oper-
| ations in his business, but he will also find
his mental and physical system so rooted
and refreshed that he can bring to his bu-
siness a new energy, that will more than
compensate for the loss Of time in the
greater ease and rapidity with which he
will be able to plan and accomplish his
work Reducing my own theory to prac-
tice, have for the past fifteen years at
least once each year, laid aside not only the
implements Of my business, but the cares
also, and with my wife spent from two to
four weeks in visiting, rest and enjoyment
not that "houe, sweet home" Is not the
best place on earth to me, but the 6est viii
sometimes pail upon our senses, and after
short absence home seems all the better
| when We return. | am at present upon
one of these annual Journeys, and though
do not expect to see or experience any
thing startling in my brief tour, perhaps
some of the readers of the Standard may
be interested in reading Of what do see
and hear, and perhaps Of what think up
on the way.
Leaving home on Thursday morning the
) 18th inst, we passed through Craftsbury
Albany and Glover to Barton. where We
stopped and were served with a good din.
ner at Capt. Little's. On the way thus fal
the most noticeable things were the fine ap
pearance of all kinds of English grain
which appears to be unusually heavy, al
though somewhat backward the back
Yardness of the corn crop. and the almo>
universal use Of the moving machine. !
majority of the farmers on the road W,
passed over had some grass still uncut an(
= all were improving the fine hay weather
the first of the season which could reall,
r be called such-to finish up the harvest
and in nearly half the fields the sharp clicl
i of the moving machine could be heard
e | The almost universal use Of these labor 81
| wing implements. di-provaS the thanr.
r which was almost as universal but few
/ years ago that they could never be adapte
t to the rough surfaces Of most Of our Yer
, mont farms, and the rapidity of their ir
t PRODUCTION make it evident that in fey
], | years more no farmer viii be without hi
9 moving machine unless he happens to b
the owner Of a very small or a very roug
farm. From Barton we went to Burke. fol
lowing the valley which is traverSed by tn
= railroad and passing through the town O
= Sutton, if | am not mistaken in my geo2
J. raphy. As far as agriculture is concerne
o there is nothing worth noticing after lea1
r ing Barton village until we reach the vi
h lage of West Burke The valley is nal
e row, the hills upon either side steep an
V reaching an altitude that in many section
d of the country would entitle them to /
l. called mountains, and the narrow belt O
% cultivated land rocky, and | Judge not I'll
l. best Of soil, as the growth Of grain did II,
= testify to any great fertility OF soil. 81
/ | there seems to be an abundance of wat,
7r power at least for the purposes of CONVEX
E. ing the abundant timber Of the hillside
t. into lumber, and this power is well impr
Re we'd, should judge by the number of sa
V. mills in the vicinity of South Barton, ar
it seemed almost superfuous to find aft
passing q short distance over the height {
land, steam saw mill in full blast, turl
Is ing out l should judge, not only commc
OF lumber, but clapboards and laths But Il
ne one thing which any one who traverses tn
he | valley must unavoidably notice, unless
If haply is riding on a rail, is the execr
nd | bic condition of the road. Though Il
ne route is Of very easy grade, there is hard
D. place of more than a few rods togethC
Id where it is safe or hardly endurable to dri
er faster than a walk, on account of the roc
" that infest the way, and what makes Il
,st case more aggravating to the traveller al
h less excusable in the towns, they are all
Nv such character that they could easily
e: removed. Any one in need of exercise
lot that character, has only to ride over tn
n road and his tortured frame will soon c
lal enough. This is on the main thoroughfa
70 through this section, and in the midst
of scenery naturally attractive to the travel
nv enlivened as it is by the beauties of t
,se lake stretching from Barton village I
ar some miles up the valley. But | did n
I'm intend to preach a sermon to the people
that vicinity alone, though 1 admit til
the text suggested itself to my mind VIII
riding over that road, Cast up the hig
way and gather out the stones" Perha
les our farmers will not be so ayerse 20 iol
w. neying when the above precept is obey
,st as it should be throughout the state.
4, After reaching West Burke the roa
US were good all the way through to Il
to place The first piece of oats that saw
, is the way which had commenced turni
iv- was near West Burke. Stopping wi
,cs friends at East Burke over night, Frid