Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-03-28
German Life.

william Hewitt gives the following
graphic sketch Of Life In Germany"
which will perhaps, both amuse and in
form our readers:
Each German has his house. his orchard.
his roadside trees. so laden with fruit. that
II he did not properly prop up and tie to-
gether with wooden clamps. they would he
torn asunder by their own weight He has
his corn. his plot for mangel wurzel. for
potatoes. for hemp. &c. He Is his own
master. and he therefore. and every branch
Of his family. have the strongest motives
for constant exertion. You see the effect
Of this in his industry and economy.
In Germany. nothing Is lost. The prod
ucc Of the trees Aid cows Is carried TO
market. Much fruit Is dried for winter
use. You see wooden trays OF plums.
cherries. and sliced apples. living in the
sun TO dry. You see strings of them hang
ing from the chamber windows in the sun.
The cows are kept up the greater part OF
the year. and every green thing Is collected
tor them. Every little nook where the
grass grows. by roadside. and river. and
brook. 10 carefully cut with the sickle. and
carried home on the heads OF the women
and children. in baskets. or tied in large
cloths. Nothing OF any kind that can pos
sibly be made OF any use. is lost. Weeds.
nettles. nay the very good grass which
covers waste places, Is cut and taken for
the cows.
You see the children standing in the
streets of the villages. In streams which
gently run down them. busy washing these
weeds before they are given to the cattle.
They carefully collect the leaves OF the
marsh grass. carefully cut their potato
tops for them. and even II other things
t>n tho wood
lands. One cannot help thinking continu-
ally Of the enormous waste Of such things
In England-of the vast quantities Of grss
on banks by the roadside. in openings OF
plantations. in lanes. 10 churchyards.
where grass from year to year springs and
dies. but which. " carefully cut. wonld
maintain many thousand cows I. the poor
To pursue still further this subject OF
German economy. The very cuttings Of
the vines are dried and preserved for win
ter fodder. The tops and refuse Of the
hemp serves as bedding. for the cows
nay, even the rough stalks Of the poppies.
affer the heads have been gathered for ell,
are saved. and all these are converted into
manure for the lands. when these are not
sufficient. the children are sent into the
woods to gather moss and all our readers
familiar with Germany will remember to
have seen them coming homeward with
large bundles Of this on their heads. In
autumn the falling leaves are gathered and
stacked for the same purposes. The hr'
cones. which with Us lie and rot in the
woods. are carefully collected and sold for
lighting fires.
Ia short the economy and care of the
German peasant are an example for sll Eu
rope He has for vears-nav. ages-been
doing that. ~ Il regards agricultural man.
asement. to which the British public is jus,
beginning TO open its eyes. Time. also. is
- carefully economical as everything else
The Germans are early risers. as may well
be conceived, when the children. many OF
whom come from considerable distance,
are 10 school at six In the morning. As
they tend their cattle or their swine. the
knitting never ceases. and hence the qnan.
titles OF stockinge. and other household
things which they accumulste. are aston
ishing.