Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-02-25


the floor. ivy is sometimes trained up
wards 10 the roof, giving the room a
festive and refreshing look. Not un-
frequently. the worthy farmer is proud
10 have the dresses OF his daughters
hung In conspicuous positions, in order
that swains who call may see that the
damsels are well provided with gar
ments in case OF matrimonial al
lance.
The cowhouses are generally an i'm
provement on those usually seen in En-
gland and Scotland. The building Is
larger, and mora space Is allotted to
each animal, while clean wooden
floor Is ordinarily beneath the cattle.
Little or no bedding is given. The
level OF the cowhouses Is in most cases
raised high enough TO allow Of a space
beneath, into which the refuse is regu-
larly swept through an opening In the
floor.
Outside the buildings, one Is apt to
ask: But where is the farmP Look
about you. Mountains hem MS in on
all sides, there is no room for fields as
we know them at home; but grass
grows luxuriously among the rocks,
with occasionally patch as large as
nm ordinary villa-garden. There, the
farmer cuts portion OF his hay-crop,
on which his horses and cattle are
mainly dependent during the eight
winter months. But his bayfield, is
yet wider spread. Glance upward some
fifteen hundred feet, there, where an
opening occurs In the dwarf-birch, and
you observe the diminished form OF a
man busy at work. This is the farmer,
thorough mountaineer, cutting the
grass which grows on yonder mar
row ledge Of rock. He has been
up since early morn and will
probably not descend till evening.
Not tuft OF grass will be left un-
gathered; not foot OF level ground on
that steep and rugged mountain side
but will be visited, and its small crop
carefully removed by the industrious
bergsmau. II he has wide stretch OF
field (hill-pasture or moorland) In his
boundary, the farmer erects wooden
sheds In which he stores his hay till
winter. when. by an ingenious contriv-
ance, he has tho whole rapidly and
easily conveyed to the valley. A
familiar object In Norwegian glen Is
the strong steel wire which stretches
from the foot TO the summit OF the
mountain. Down this wire the bundles
OF hay are expeditiously sent without
labor, and then carried on sledges TO
the steadings. Without such method,
many weary Journeys would be neces-
sary ere all the hay required for long
winter could be brought down. II ap-
pears the Norwegian farmer borrowed
the idea OF this hay-telegraph from his
brother hillsman OF the Tyrol about
eight years ago. The hay crop is the
product OF natural grass, no seed being
sown, nor any admixture OF clover be-
ing used.
The cereals are generally oats and
barley; these are planted wherever
there is q likelihood OF their growing.
Small patches from twenty feet to as
many yards square are common; while
not unfrequeutly tho cornhelds are
but name. for. they meandcr like a
stream In all directions among the
huge bowlders and bare rocky hilloclks
which compose so great part OF the
surface OF a farmland. The heads are
usually very light, and their appear
ance would causo q painful smile on
the face OF Western farmcr. Still,
the people cheorfully SOW and thank
fully reap their scanty harvest, con-
tented II Providence gives them suiii-
cient for their few wants.
The method employed In drying the
hay and corn crops is different from
that which obtains In this country. In
the former case, poles are erected on or
near the patches, and between them
ropes or long sticks are laid till o sort