Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-05
The Winter in Maine.

The middle of February has come, and rs
tl.e nights grow shorter though the days are
longer they seem to count faster towards
the tides of March" the abatement Of win.
ter severity, the melting SHOWS, the flowing
sap, and the newborn life Of spring. and
whilo these seasons of change. of natures
rest and mans trial of endurance and virtue,
are counting in toward the allotted timc,-
1.-The frosts OF seventy winters il is well to
watch the progress of events TO SEQ If we are
keeping pace with flying seasons toward that
rfpened maturity In life when the llarvests
Of all seasons shall be gathered in the gold
en- fruits OF the heavenly garden. Ii, rs is
said, there are sermons in stones and books
in running brooks" then there is wisdom in
thg alternate seasons of summer and winter,
IN the bnlmy breezes and driving storms by
which the value of each is measured by con-
trast in the power of God, who gives life and
can take It away. / do not care about dis
cussing the advantages OF cold, bleak win
ters, or OF rugged hills. 1t is well that we
are inclined to prefer our own, whether
northern, eastern, western, or southern, and
cheerfully say talking the year together
more night than day"
Frequently in my winter quarters, hem
med in rs now by impossible snow drifts, |
catch in my reading the name of some
"clnss- mate" battling with fortune and duty
on the plains of Nebraska, or it may be in
the deep guches of the mountains. The dis
lance of 5000 miles and thirty or forty years
time is in the passing thought forgotten.
We are together again in the one great bat
tle of life, and would like to hear far more
frequently from these struggling forces "how
goes the battle, my brother?" and here /
confess that while the fraternity of literary
associations and tho charms of college balls
are yet green in the memory, my conflict
Of duty and Of destiny has deepened and
widcned, to all the duties and kindred rela-
tons of life and the fraternity OF the race. l
love to tell my story OF victories and defeats
and to compare notes with others, though
would not spread my own winter clouds
over the sunny smiles of youth to dull or
abate their ardor of expectations, but while
the old men sit by their wood fires among
the hills, Il hope they have cider YETI and
the boys are replenshing the wood-pile, and
the sleigh bells go iingling with happy groups
to the social gathering of singing school or
grange would say TO all, make the most
OF winter opportunities and changes. 1t is u
season of consumption instead of production,
Tho summer was the season to provide for
winter and now the winter is the time in
which to enjoy the fruits OF summers toll,
that along with the sleeping earth both we
and our herds may gain by rest and change.
In Northern Maine we have now three
feet of snow, hard winter without water,
though by different means families and cat
tie are nude comfortable, large portion OF
families and small herds of cattle by melt
ing snow. The greatest Inconvenience yet
is the long suspension of grist mills where
we expected to make flour OF our Lost Ma
ton wheat. though VIC were fortunate
enough to got early grinding to test its Nor
its for white bread. a neighbor of mine
thrashed SO bushels of well dried grain from
IN acre, and report from tho south part Of
the state says 81 bushels from II acres.
laundering is receiving its accustomed at
tention. Starch factories and cheese facto-
rles have had one years trial with satisfaeto-
| Fy results III lIoS9uo lslo tho pleuseS ioi
potatoes to the factory were at first $4,000
bushels and at harvest $4,000 were offered.
Several other places now contemplate hav-
ing both the cheese factory and the starch
factory the coming season. The utility Of
the latter Is now conceded for few years,
while new farms are clearing or older ones
are fitting for the moving machine, while
the benefits ofassooiAted dairying are looked
to be perpetual along with what we look up
on rs our most important agricultural pur-
suit. that Of stock raising, meaning that OF
sheep, cattle, and horses, hut not mules, and
now the question is whether we can wait
for Natures laws to yield the just rewards
of labor according 10 our fidelity and pa
thence. In this fidelity wo cannot look foI
sudden or great fortunes. We work fol-
small pay, it is true, II we count all the steps
We take 10 rear a flock Of sheep or herd Of