Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-13
Current Literature.

The KINGS MIsssIvE, AND OTHER POEMS. By
j. G. Whittier. Boston; Houghton, Miffiin &
| Co.-This charming little volume, with clear
legbe type contains Whittiers poems written
within the last two or three years. The poem
| which gives the title to the book is the ballad
which was written for the Memorial History Of
Boston. The Missive was the welcome document
| from the king that liberated the Quakers doomed
| to death. The twenty poems that accompany it
are largely religious, though few are in memory
| OF Standardization, Bayard Taylor and others
The Trailing Arbutus is very beautiful but per-
haps OF the whole collection nothing is so grace
full, strong, and yet pathetic as the Prelude
STEVENS ON ENsILAGE.-The author favors us
with copy OF this little work, which embodies
the experience OF twenty-five experimenters with
this method OF preserving green cattle feed, given
in their own language. 1t also presents plans and
pictures of silos that will be great help to those
who propose to build the coming season. The
universal approval Of ensilage by those who have
tried it is unique in the history Of agricultural
| novelties, and the first case on record OF "no
contrary minded" Not single man who has
tried ensilage but what believes in it. All the
criticisms and objections come from those who
have no experimental knowledge in regard to 1t.
Nevertheless we believe that some OF its friends
mlsled by their enthusiasm to over-estimate
the possible, or at least the probable yield per
OF corn for ensilage and also the value OF 1t
as feeding material At any rate II we start on
the basis OF twenty tons to the acre and of three
or four tons equal to ton OF hay, we shall DO
less likely to encouragement in the end than
when twice as good results are expected. Send
for copy of this book (the price Of which is six
ty cents) to the author II. R. Stevens, Boston.
EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. From the
Journal Of Henry d. Thoreau. Boston; Hough-
ton, Miffiin g. Co.-Those who have not read his
books know nothing Of the simple sweetness of
his meditations, and the religious spirit in which
he approached the mystery Of nature. The selec-
tons which make up this pleasant volume show
him at his best. We cannot indicate his quality
better than by giving his own words: "A mild
spring day. must HE TO the Great Mead
ows. -. My life partakes OF nfnity. The
air is as deep as our nature. . | go forth to
make new demands on life. wish to begin this
summer well. to do something in 1t worthy OF 1t
and OF me, to transcend my daily routine and
that OF my townsmen to have my immortality
now, in the quality Of my daily life; to pay the
greatest tax OF any man in Concord, and enjoy
the mostl May dare as have never done.
May perseyere as have never done May pu-
rify myself anew as with fire and water soul and
body. May my melody not be wanting to the
season. May grid myself to be hunter OF the
beautiful, that naught escape me-" The man who
could study nature in that spirit never came back
from the search for truth without having found
something worth reporting, Thoreau had his
faults, but he saw things as no other man OF our
time has seen them; and they who love nature
will do well to read his report OF what nature
vealed to him.