Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-04-10
Our Farmers Homes and their Sons.
NY HORACE GREELEY.

j hear with regret, but without sur.
prise, that the abler and more intelligent
of our farm bred youth dislike ther fa.
thers' calling, and aspire TO live by profes-
sions, OF trade, or speculation--in short,
by anything else than farming. wish
IL were otherwise hope it may be !;
but it never will or can, without an en-.
largemcnt of the atiractivencss Of our av-
eragc farmers homes.
Judge that the estimate would be lib
eral which would make the average cost
ono hundred dollars--of the embellish.
mcnts of the homestead Of our American
farmers worth 5000. So far NJ my OBJ
servation may be trusted, a weeks work
IN planting shade trees is more than has
been given, iB the average, by our farm
same farm for the last 20 years.
A city man buys place in the coun-
try, and at once begins TO adorn aud em-
bellish it. He increases the number and
variety OF its fruit trees he puts down
n strawberry bed and some grape vines !;
he sets shade trees about the house and
along the highways (; he begins 10 grow
asparagus and other delicate vegetables !;
in short, he makes the place attractive
and habitable TO the extent Of his means.
The mighboring farmers, il asked by
their children or Others why they do mo-
thing of the sort, usually answer, at Is
very well for B. who has lots Of money,
and easily gets more, to cut such dash
but zoe must live by our farms, and can't
afford to spend half we earn in orna.
menting them" Those who say this are
often richer than their ci,y-bred neigh
Dor, and could do all he has done at half
the cost they 'ooUii do it If they sup.
posed it would pay. They resist tho
contagion of his example, not for want
of means, but for want of perception, Of
faith.
Now, l admit that the reward of we'll
doing in the matters above indicated is
not realized in an instant increase of the
farms annual product. The farmer who
should spend five hundred dollars this
year in judicious tr,e planting and kim
drcd improvements, would receive no
return in this years or next years crops.
Yet even he, if buying this very farm,
would give enough more for it, becaiise
of these improvements, TO defray their
cost twice over and what is true of him
is emphatically true of most people. The
farm thus embellished is soOrth more than
it was its newly planted trees are pro-
perty as truly rs the soil is, and will in
time have saleable value of their own.
Men often make lucky Investments, but
hardly anything else is 20 certain TO pay
in the long run as judcious tree planting.
] am cont, mplatng, however, moral
rather than Il mat, rial profit OH the out
lay. profoundly desire that farmers
sons should love their pat-rnal ho,ncs
and TO this end, | would have those
homes mad" worthy o. proud and fond
affection. l would have zach posscss n
distinct and individual character, reflect
ing that OF the family which inhabi,s and
embcllishes it would have its buildings
adorncd, constructed and painted, with
reference to their peculiar location, elc-
vation aud relation to others within
sight, so rs to form harmonious and
pleasing landscape. No farmer is 80 rich
or so poor that he can really afford 10
leave his buildings unpainicd in our eli.
mate for timber grows dcarcr twice as
fast as paint does. A poor man may
have home to love aud be proud Of
nay, he may render small, cheap home
attractive, 10y beauty without and COM
fort within. lie may do this at very
small cost, by devoting to it the odd
hours OF days broken by inclcmcncy or
by visits an hour or two each evening,
when not too weary, will soon tell, il
wisely improved. For my own part, l
could not sleep through bright, nioonlit
hours Oh place AS naked and forbildinr
as many that distigure each rural town
ship.
The love of beauty is universal. Mil
lions feel who do not clearly recognize
nor constantly defer to il. The man
never lived who would not have prefer.
red tastefulIy painted to unpaintcd farm
buildings and a farm well tringed with
lndiciously chosen shade trees and orna-
mental shrubs &c bleak, bare acres of pas. |
ture and tillage. Though too many have
so,ltlen their souls in whisky and tobac-
60 till they no longer clearly recognize
md respond to the sense OF the beauti-
tul, it still exists, and may be awakened
10 conscious activity. The God who ere
ited flowers aud Sunshine, waving trees
and rippling brooks, adapted human ma
lure to their appreciation and enjoyment.
Let every rural home be beautifed, tho
il be hut and its only ornament rose
bush, vine, and a solitary, stately, over
tree. But lot nothing be Civ
rn To ornament that shall preclude fit
regard to making it gladsome and win.
ing within. To this end, let the mind be
amply fed, though the body should fail
IN consequence TO be sufficiently clad
There is not day laborer in tho land
who, unless specially preysd upon by
sickness or other calamity, may not have
cheerful, intellectual fireside it he will.
A good Bible, to begin with, in fair sized
.ype, will cost him not more than the
price of days work and, IT he will
give the earnings of two weeks in each
year TO the supply of his mental needs
Ind those Of his family, he will soon
nave firesidG library sufficient for his
.l.acN u