St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-03-04
Home 4dOrn M ent:
Or the Poetry of Farm Life.
BY /. W. SANBoRN.

The follow ing is the essay read by /.
W. Sanborn at the Farmers Festival
in this place:
Somebody has said, :'Encourage the
beautiful: the useful will encourage it.
SELF and perhaps, nowhere is this more
applicable and true than with the Amer
lean farmer. He is utilitarian to a
fault, in habit, thought, word and deed,
and, too frequently, can see very little
beyond the almighty dollar" in the
means and accomplishments of his farm
operations.
As farmers, we possess too little poetry
in our compositions, U have no reference
to literature in this remark); we are too
prO>aic in inclinations and habits, and
are better prepared to appreciate the
merits Of Il Liebig or Flint than of
Wardsworth or Longtellow, practically
applied to the exercises of farm life.
To farm well is laudahle aim, and
one i'll which, | am glad to be able to
say, Caledonia county farmers excel;
bur, ''it is not all of life to live," neither
is it all that the farmer has to do, or
should do, to raise large crops of grain,
produce fine horses, cattle and sheep,
and distinguish himself as an excellent
farmer i'll these respects: he can be true
to himself and his avocation in this re-
glrd and still he negligent of an inter-
est equally meritorious and important to
himself and family, namely, the embel-
/ li>Ement Of his home and its surroundings
/ with ornamental shade trees and flowers.
Flowers have been aptly termed the ''poet-
ry of nature, ,''-comprising worldwide
volume. pcnned and protusely illustrated
by the hand OF the great Author, and
placed within the means and reach of
all. Now, shall we, whose right it is to
TIL the soil,-to work in the very bind
cry of these poetic gems,-shall we neg
cct their prru-al, and lose the inspira-
tiol AMI teachings which they are so
wisely calculated to afford? We should
not.
Every one loves flowers. Some evil
lenrly lave a higher appreciation of
thrm than others but where is the per-
son who does not p rs-ess some kind re-
gard for them, and even for their care
and culture? The cultivation of flow
ers is an ennobing recreation, and one
which every farmer and farmers family
especially ought TO appreciate and en-
Joy. To prepare and maintain a flower
GARDEN Of some kind is the privilege of
every one who owns land on which to
make it. TO do this great outlay of
expense or labor is not required BY do
Ing Il little at a time, by way of change or
recreation, adding this improvement To-
lay, and perhaps another Tomorrow,
very soon, almost before we are aware
IF it, our little flower plot has taken an
attractive form and, become a floral oa-
SIS OF grace and beauty for our enjoy
mcnt.
Chillrcn, with scarcely IN exception,
are enthusiastically fond of flowers.
They seem especially fitted, if not de-
-lgned, TO call forth the love and admi-
ration of their little minds and hearts
,,l f,,.r, nf,nr ShpnlI
interest ourselves in the culture of flow
erS. to make glad the little ones of our
refining influence on young minds, ten
ding to keep them pure and to inspire
them with cheerful views of life They
do much toward making home pleasant
and attractive; they inspire in the heart
a love for tie beautiful, and give charac-
Ter and grace to the heart and home bles-
~ed with Their presence.
Ho,c the flower garden shall be made
and arr anged, and what plants and flow
ers we shall cultivate, is not SO much
our theme or interest at this time, as to
inspire in the mind and heart an increased
regard for them, TO awaken an interest
in the work the other matters are of
minor importance and will naturally
follow.
The transplanting and culture of orna-
mental shrubs and shade trees is a sub
Jcct Cf even more Importance to the farm
cr Of today than the cultivation O. flow
ers. The time is past when we are to
ignore the uses and advantages of COOL
ing shade, in screening US, or our herds,
from the scorching rays of a mid-sum-
mer's sun. And, besides, a well-devel-
oped ,hade tree is of itself an ornament
OF grandeur, grace and beauty. 1t may
occupy place by our dwelling, by the
way side. or in the pasture or field it
possesses the same noble and picturesque
appearance.
There is nothing that adds SO much to
the prospectiveness and beauty of we'll
arranged country farm house-giving it
, spirit of real loveliness-as surround
ng of ornamental shrubs and stately
trees. They may comprise the elegant
maple, the graceful oak, or the tall and
4 ,tely elm, occasionally interspersed