The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-05-20
Mistellaneons.
A Sketch Of German Life.

William Hewitt gives the following
graphic sketch Of Life in Germany,
which will perhaps, both amuse aud in
form our readers
Each German has his house, his or.
chard, his roadside trees, so laden with
fruit, that If he did uot carefully prop
up aud tie together with wooden clamps,
they would be torn asunder by their
own weight. He has his corn, his plot
for mangel wurzcl, for potatoes, for
hemp, etc. He is his own master, and
he, therefore, aud every branch Of his
family, have the strongest motives for
constant exertion. You see the effect
Of this in his industry aud his economy.
Ia Germany, nothing is lost. The
produce OF the trees and cows is carried
to market. Much fruit is dried for
winter use. You see wooden trays OF
plums, cherries, and sliced apples, lying
in the sun to dry. You see strings Of
them hanging from the chamber win.
dows 10 the sun. The cows are kept
up for the greater part of the year, aud
every green thing is collected for them.
Every littlen enoos where the grass grows,
by roadside, aud river, and brook, is
carefully cut with the sickle, and car.
ried home, on the heads, Of the women
and children, in baskets, or tied 10
large cloths. Nothing of any kind that
can possibly be made Of any use, is lost.
Weeds, nettles, hay, the very good grass
which covers waste places, ID cut and
taken for the cows.
You see the children standing in the
streets Of the villages, 10 streams, which
generally run down them, busy washing
these weeds before they are given "
the cattle. They carefully collect the
leaves of the marsh grass, carefully cut
their potato tops for them, and even, il
other things fail, gather green leaves
from the woodlands. One cannot help
thinking continually of the enormous
waste OF such things in England, ,---of
the vast quantities OF grass on banks,
By road-sides, iu openingsof Of plantations,
ib lanes, in church yards, where grass
from year TO year springs and dies, but
which, if carefully cut, would maintain
n-auy thousand cows for the poor.
10 pursue still further this subject
of German economy. The very cuttings
of the vines are dried and preserved for
wipter fodder. The tops and refuse Of
the hemp serve as bedding for the cows;
nay, even the rough stalks OF the pop
pies, after the heads have been gathered
tvr oil, are saved, aud all these are con
verted into manure Tor the land. When
these are not sufficient, the children are
sent into the woods to gather moss /;
and all our readers familiar with Ger
many, will remember to have seen them
coming homeward, with large bundles
Of this on their heads. In autumn, the
falling leaves arc gathered and stocked
for the same purpose. The ir-coues,
which with Us lie and rot ia the woods,
are carefally collected and sold ior the
purpose Of lighting fres.
ln short the economy and care Of the
Germsn peasantry are an example TO
all Europe. He has Tor years nay for
sges--beea doing that, AZ i regards
agricultural management, TO WHICH the
British public is but Just beginning to
opca iss eyes. Tine. also, is ax care
fully ecopowized as every thing else.- -
The Germans arc early risels, as may
well be copceiyeds whoa the children,
many Of whom come from eensiderable
distances, are in school at six ia the
morning. As they tend their cattle or
their swine. The knisting never ceases,
and hence the quantities OF stockings,
aud ether household things which they
accumuIate, aro astonishing.