The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-03-02
AGRICULTURAL.
DR.. BOardman OIL Vermont Farms.

Rev. DR.. George N. Boardman spoke
upon the subject Vermont Farms "
at the recent banquet of the Sons of
Vermont in Chicago. In closing he
said:
Every part of Vermont farm has
its appointed office, and brings in its
quota of produce, from the sugar stolen
from the spring sap of the maple to the
butternuts gathered in October. And
the Vermont farmer, as he reads his
Bible, supposes he was the man in
David's mind when he spoke of the
good man as being Gin league with the
stones of the field"
There is a great deal of sentiment
connected with Vermont farm; it is
n faithful servant; it comes 10 be cher
ished as member of the family; it is
thought of as taking an interest in all
that interests the household. Talk with
n man, perhaps sixty years old, as you
stroll with him across his fields, aud
see how he feels himself indebted to
he acres where lie has labored. When
his father and mother died, the farm
kept on its way responding to the chill
dren's plans and efforts as it had to
those of the first settlers. 1t paid the
bills when the old folks were sick, il
buried them decently, and set up hum
BILE headstones over their graves hot
so stately as some of those in Grace
land, but they tell as mach truth per-
haps, and well become the place where
''the forcfathers of the hamlet sleep"
The farm has worked out many other
debts, that will come, sometimes un-
looked for, in the experiences of life.
The farmer has buried one OF his
daughters, who faded away under the
blight of that disease known too well
under the shadow of the Green Noun
ins-cOnsumption. The old home
stead missed her tread, and mourned
with the others; it did what it could, it
took the bills and paid them one by
, one (for these men do not pay their
debts by simply drawing checks), and
was proud 10 do to the full whatever
was required. The good old father,
now in years himself, can tell you
many tale that he remembers with a
stirring of tn. heart. He remembers
how the girls Were portioned off when
they were married, and how one of the
boys, perhaps now Chicago lawyer,
was sent to college, and drained oil a
little more than his surplus income.
lie thinks the little scamp might have
been somewhat less liberal with his
money that he did not earn, but it is all
well enough, if he can take care OF
himself now.
These Vermont farms sometimes go
into winter quarters rather early, but
they lose less time after all than We
are apt to suppose. Farms, West aud
South, do but little after September
closes, and those among our eastern
hills are bright and CHEEKY, if sere and
leafiess, through October, and I'LL past
tie Indian summer. Let them lie
quiet under the snow; they are not
dead. When another year comes, the
days will lengthen, the sun will cal
them to their work, and you may be
sure they will come TO time. Already
before the snowdrifts have left The
hills, you will find he liverworts and
snemones in bloom, aud the sunny ex,
posures are awakening from sleep be
fore any one has thought of it. 1t i,
true, The spring comes slowly, the hills
hold their snow long, and the winds
occasionally breathe out frosty all
quite down to the middle of June, buI
with the help of 4 blanket now ano
then-in truth not really needed THE
early garden plants hold vigorously to