Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-14
places, and left the insects to commit thel
raVaoeS unmolested


There is certain kind of beauty in
high cultivation there is still more In
neatness and simplicity; there is even
sort of relative beauty in badness, when
it is plainly necessary to make free and
convenient passage for constantly NOV
ing crowd. There is no man who cannot
appreciate the beauty of a well-tilled
farm, nor is there one who would prefer
rubbish and litter to neatly dressed paths
and borders But if it be question
whether the perfect smoothness and bald
ness of gravelled walk, weeded OF every
bush and herb, is more interesting than
the rustic negligence of another walk,
covered with variety of shrubs and in
tersected by footpath worn by the feet
of men and animals, there are but few,
even among the most sordid, who would
not prefer the neglected pathway. For is
it nothing to US that the singing-blrds
should find bushy knoll to nestle IN, or
a leafy perch to rest upon, when they sing
to the passing traveller? Is it nothing to
US that we may gather few violets under
a hazel bush for the little child we lead
by the hand? Is it nothing to the young
maiden that she can loiter by the roadside,
in quest Of wild-fowers, instead Of roam
ing in distant fields, where she dares not
venture unprotected?
On those by-roads where there Is but
little passing, all kinds of native shrubs
full, than anything that could be put IN
their place. Especially in the borders of
fields near the town are these spontaneous
growths, with their grassy turf embossed
with wild-fowers, needfuI for the protec-
tion of birds that live in shrubbery, and
not in trees, and will not accept the bushes
of the garden because they have no tangled
underground. Insects, in the different
stages of their existence, multiply with the
increase of tilage; for every fertilizer
that is mixed with the soil renders 1t more
porductive of verInin. Birds, which are
the natural checks to the over multiplied
tion of insects, would become more numer-
Gus in proportion to the increased supply
of their insect food, if there was harbor
for them in the vicinity. A great number
of small birds, all of which, not excepting
the granivorous species, feed their young
with Larvae, are exiled by the want OF
border shrubbery. The catbird, an invet-
crate consumer of insects, second only to
the robin in usefulness to the farmer, will
become very familiar, and build in our
gardens, if supplied with a plenty of wild
thicket to yield it that seclusion that suits
its temper and habits. Birds of every
species prefer certain description OF
shrubs or trees for a resort; and how
great soever their supply Of food, if nc
woods or thickets are near to afford them
a harbor and a nursery for their young,
they will leave it untasted. Any man who
owns an acre ofland might gather round II
nearly every species Of our small birds by
a very little sacrifice of space, which is tc
be filled with the wildings OF nature.
A formal clipped hedge-row affords the
birds no such shelter nor seclus;on. Why
an ugly mass Of sticks with few leaves
on the outside, should be preferred to a
beautiful growth of wildings, cherished
upon natural sod, is no less wonderful
than the - mystery of godliness." As or
naments to the landscape, shrubs are ot
no secondary Importance. While tree:
afford grandeur to the distant prospect, the
beauty of a near prospect is greatly de
pendent on shrubbery. \ rocky anC
uneven surface, covered by trees alone
would not affect the mind with so many
agreeable impressions as when combined
with their underground. When we are
iourneying, the wild shrubs that skirt tht
waysides, and hang their foliage, fruit anC
flowers over the walls and fences, add beau
ty and interest to the scenes of our jour
ney not equaled in any resg gect by tht
cultivated exotics in the spadcd lands OF
gardens in our suburban towns. La some
foreign countries the superstitions Of tn,
people cause them to preserve many 0
these things which are so valuable in way
but little understood. 1t is the misfortun,
of our land, that these conservative super
stitions which we have rejected are no
supplanted by philosophy. In place of i
we discover only barren inidelity Il
Nature, and sceptical disregard Of he
benevolent laws.
The growth OF spontaneous shrubber,
by the sides of the less trequented roads
and in all those situations where it doe
not interfere with needful operations, j
ore of the chief blessings of nature. 1t i
profitable for shade and for shelter, an
affords constant pleasure to the sight. Is
pecially on the borders of rustic by-way
it covers the nakedness Of the stone wal
with foliage and flowers, and produces a.
abundance of wild fruit for Children an
, birds. Tons of whortleberries would b
produced every simmer by rustic wayslde
and the borders of fields, if the sordid land
owner did not destroy the bushes tha
Weld them. [ cannot see that q growt
of this kind close to the fences would di
, minish the space that should be occupie
by the farmers crops. Yet were it nc
for the persistent efforts Of Nature, wh
plants her shrubs with liberal hand
neglected field and borders, they woul
, long since have been exterminated in a
, our old townships. 1t is true that the
, do not yield any immediate profit to th
, farmer; but they produce fruit which is
luxury to the children Of the neighborhood
they are valuable for the shelter they a
ford to the birds; they protect the imm
diate grounds from the winds, even MOI
than trees; and they constitute the mo-
interesting embellishments of a rustic farm
< SOCIETY HABIrs.--A New York papeI
, not given to sensationalism, says in regar
r to that city, that the use Of vine anon
/ gentleman at parties has grown to such
r magnitude that ifit is not banished, deceI
e women will not attend them, and that th