Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-03-10

of Canada corn, planted on some Of its
warmest soil and over good shovelful
of warm manure, could be expected to
ripen. Getting something ahead by stock
raising, &C., on his hill farm, he pur-
chased one Of the best farms in Reading,
sheltered from the winds to which he
had been so long exposed, with warm,
quick soil, and entirely fenced with
stone wall This farm produced the
past season, $50 baskets of ears of corn,
81 loads of hay, Is of grain, besides
keeping a good flock of sheep, cattle,
horses, swine and poultry. His family
consists of one son, who remains at home,
and five daughters, all woman-grown,
and part woman. gone to homes of their
own.
A little further down the valley we
called on Sumner Fletcher. His farm
embraces considerable portion of the
first intervale for which Mill Brook is
somewhat famous. This intervale, or
brook terrace, on which the bui dings
stand, is we'll sheltered by hills, on one
of which is the wood lot and sugar or
chard. The desirableness of warm, shell
tered farms in this section can be appre-
ciated only by contrasting them in win
ter and spring with more exposed situa-
tions higher up the mountains. The
difference is almost incredible. The sun
of March day will soften the snow
here and make the caves run, while
mile and half up the mountain its rays
will fall as powerless as those of the
moon on the deep snow and while the
snow is fast melting in the valley. it will
be blowing about in the cold wind of the
mountain.
Passing on some two miles farther
down Mill Brook, we take road that
leads at right angles up its northern
bank, and as we tug up its steep ascent,
are reminded by the frequent bars which
cross the road.bed, of going up ladder.
This road which is always kept in good
repair, leads to the farm of Jarvis Pratt
and nowhere else. 1t terminates in his
door-yard. But once there, however
anxious we may be to "see the folks"
we always pause to look at the valley we
have left below, and to take peep
through an opening in the opposite wall
of the valley at the village of Felchville
and the mountains in the distance be-
yond. Before we go into the house we
take look at the barn, where We see the
owner and his son storing away load
of corn.
The next thing we notice is the neat
ness of everything about the premises
every stick in the woodpile, every hoe in
the tool-shed, being ranked and sized"
with military precision. This order and
system can hardly be ascribed to an am
bition ON the part of the owner to excite
the admiration of the passer-by, for none
are expected on this mountain shelf; nor
to the fact that he runs small farm,
for his fences include over 10 acres,-
every corner of which, as we'll as every
pile of stones in his fields, some of which
are rods in circumference, manifest the
same all pervading method. Less or
derly farmers sometimes justify the con-
trast between their own and Mr.. Pratt's
premises by saying they cannot afford to
spend time as he does in "fussing." Per-
haps not But as "the proof of the pud-
ding is in eating" let us inquire what
has been the result Of his system offarm-
ing.
We remember when, at the age of less
than eighteen, by the death of his faith
er, family os FIVE individuals looked to
him for care and advice. His mother
was in feeble health. and from the long
sickness of his father Ill were in desti-
tute circumstances. With the assistance
4
of friends, he obtained places in other
families for all of them, and indentured
himself with a neighboring farmer dur
the three years of his minority, for one
hundred dollars, in addition TO clothing,
&c.
The family thus provided for, he SUBJ
sequently worked by the month or sea.
son, for several years, when, having saw
ed few hundred dollars. he bargained
for the farm which included the build
| ings he now occupies, and perhaps one
half of the land he now owns. We re-
member, too, that when one of the neigh
bors heard of the purchase, he exclaim-
ed, "What, that little Jarvis Pratt bought
the Capt. Stearns farm pa remark that
we feel justified in repeating, only as it
may afford encouragement toother young
men who may be regarded by their sem
iors as too "little'' 10 buy a farm, be-
cause they may have been known ever
since they were small.
Having bought bis farm he succeeded
Il. L