The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-02-20

work. H. is poetic and beautiful in the
eXtremc. | think that if Tennyson
could have witnessed a dozen grangers
threshing in all the beauty and har-
mony of drilled soldiers, while the cap
tain of the machine stands before the
cylinder with huge sponge hanging
over his mouth with halo of dust aud
thistle blossoms about his head, giving
his orders as with the voice of tram
pet, he would have caught the iuSpira-
ton aud have composed poem by the
side of which his "Chargc of the Light
Brigade" would have been but faint
shadow.
After threshing for some weeks the
farmer is comparatively idle. Unless
he is too avaricious he seldom labors
but six days in a week. ibis is while
he is putting in his winter grain, count
ing his potatoes, harvesting corn, and
such light work. He may have a crop
of stones to pick from his grain fields,
but as rain will not injure them he
can accomplish it by odd jobs in lowery
weather when he cannot work out of
doors.
But his apples he can in no wise neglect
Those large and golden apples,
Those Dlushing scarlet apples,
Those green and motted apples,
Must be picked, and that before
Jack Frost, with icy fingers,
Comes knocking ut his door.
During the fall and winter the farmer
has more time to work. His wood for
the next winter must be cut and drawn,
his ice packed and cattle properly cared
for. IL is a misfortune to the farmer
that during winter he has so little to do
He sits around and reads too much
Nothing is so hurtful as lack of exer.
else. He should not cndeavor to do his
work too fast, but keep himself from
physical rust by gentle III SECULAR ac-
tlon. A man can easily put up 20 cords
OF wood IN ~ days at two cords per
day. And what a wonderful amount
of health there is in it! The best time
to cut ice is in the winter. 1t is true
that it cannot be cut so fast as in the
summer, but the cakes retain their
form so mucn better that, on the whole,
1t seems to be the most desirable time.
and helps to keep off the rust. Stock
should be fed very early in the morn.
ing. Four o'cl Dck is early enough. At
any rate it should be done before light.
Cattle especially ought to learn to get
up early. BY spring you can count
their ribs more easily. which is a great
saving of time.
If a man has flock of sheep, it is a
duty that he owes to his family to COM
plete his shearing while he can sell his
wool for sixteen cents a pound. This
should be done in March, when there
is nothing to do, and the wool on the
sheep can be coaxeG out little before
turning them to pasture. In former
times sheep shearing was done later in
the season, but the farmer of necessity
was bound to have them shorn before
June training. 1t was common law,
sin such case made and provided"
that man who was found delnqu mt
in this respect, should treat the militia
company as penalty, and, as well
drilled company of the olden times
would absorb more New England rum
than 1t could reasonably carry, the pay.
nent OF the penalty became most SER
lous matter, aud the State was obliged
to do away with the annual .Iuue train
ing. 50 now we have no law compel
ling man to work even single day
in the year.
Now have mentioned few instan-
ces in which the farmer seems to enjoy
continuous recreation, but there are
a thousand more, by actual count,
where he INDUCES in the same kid of
sport, and in every succeeding year he
nnds "work growing" multiplying
that same kind of idleness. And as the
first of April comes around and the
listers appear before him, he is too or
Ell "sprlng-poor," and hid bound al
that, and all because he hasn't done
anything. So, ladies aud gentlemen, If
any one hereafter tells you that
Early to bed an early to rise
Makes man healthy and wealthy, he lies