Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-10-21

dragged the field severely with straight
steel-tooth harrow, when the corn just came
! above ground, and the result was was mas
ter Of the weeds then, and kept the same
place TO the end Of the season.
July was nearly gone No busy scenes Of
haying, because hay could be cut after har-
| vest sometime in September, when the wild
grass became woody and hard, and took less
work TO make II. However, my own stacks
had gone up, with what 1 thought sufficient
quantity to carry me through the long cold
winter, and with others ] carefully watched
| the clouds Of grasshoppers which daily flew
over us, carried by the light winds which
then steadily blew from the southwest. The
| crises was past. Our wheat was saved, and
bread was sure. The reapers, the harvesters
and the harders were busy through the long
hot day. No trees to stop under for a cool
drink from brown jug such as New England
farmers are now storing in their cellars from
their abundant orchards; but bind from
morning to night though the hands are sore
and arms and body ache The grain is ripe
and no shop hands are out of work, for there
are no shops near the great wheat fields. 1t
may seem quite feat--it does to me now
when go into field of ten acres of grain
and see what fuss is made to bind ito
know that in those ten days Of harvest one
man and myself bound the grain on 80 acres,
ana u hoy VI Seven years uTONb lnb lehu1,
sometimes working far into the night TO shock
up the grain which had been cut during the
day. My faith and hope were both strong, -
why should they not have been, with strength
to perform to me such unparalleled labor,
and the anticipation Of 10 or 20 bushels of
wheat to the acre, which was going to help
fill that long train of cars which every morn
ing could see start out, winding its way
within sight for ten miles, aud sure 10 reach
the Mississippi before nightfall2
Wheat-growing on hundred farms in
sight was all in shock, and the hum of the
thresher hoated out with the morning sun.
Teams were busy, carting TO stack or the ma
chine, and time is too precious to wait for
help. II il is not ct hand. Such members Of
the family as are able must bear part, and
not unfrequently the farmers wife drives the
machine or in some other way assists in the
outdoor labors. 1 had gone to cart wheat
for a neighbor so as to receive help in like
way about threshing. Ten horses worked
the power, ten more horses carted the wheat
to and from the machine and twenty men
kept the whole in running order. At dinner
time 100 bushels from 10 or ~ acres was the
forenoon's work. More work brought all to
standstill. Some triae about the power had
broke. Twenty men and twenty horses must
90 home; days must elapse for repairs which
an eastern shop would do in a few hours.
The wheat must wait in the field. Another
day rain stops all.
That first days threshing on the prairie
forced some healthy thoughts on my mind.
Wheat selling at Csc crop eight or ten bush
els straw burnt total value, Sc. 80 per acre
cost $15, while no end of back ache sore
hands and rags predominates. Rye in New
England, 10 bushels with three-quarters of a
ton straw total value S2j; more with fer
tilizers or manures; two or three extra men
to call in for harvest when the farmer can en-
Joy shade and carry the men the brown Jug
filed with ice water These reflections came
at once they were strong.
l said to the other part of the family: We
have spent a summer in Minnesota and en-
joyed its climate, its bracing air, its wonder
full invigorating winds; have seen the match
less and treeless prairies, the fertile soil
which in good season yields 10 bushels of
wheat and % of corn and 80 of oats. We do
not want to see winter. 1t is enough TO
hear of them. The flies and mosquitoes can
not be described they are too abundant.
When our crops are put in market, we will
take the morning train that starts for the
Mississippi, and we will again take up our
abode among the hills of New England, to go
no more out. We took that morning train,
and when we reached the hill country where
trees grew, it was a meeting of old friends,
and New England hills grow lovely every
year, and her valleys more productive. The
vine fourishes, the apple the pear and peach.
The sudden storms are not terror by day or
night and the hum of the factory town, with
its busy hands to consume the wheat, are
more pleasant than the machine which thresh-
es it for market.-HOmestedd.