The Press., 1890-09-18
Connecticut Farmer.1 CONGRESSMAN SIMONDS, FARMING.


 Curiosity having been expressed from sympathy with agricultural interests, we are impelled to satisfy that curiosity in some degree, partly from past knowledge, partly from information specially acquired recently.
 His actual and legal residence is on 'Brookmead Farm" in the town of Can ton, just outside the village of Collinsville. It is the property of Mrs. Simonds, a daugh- ter of the late Hon. A. Mills it has been in her family for six generations, and it is @ somewhat singular fact that for five genera tons it has been in the hands of the ladies of the family. The main part of the dwell ling house was built by the original settler, Mrs. Simonds' ancestor it's antiquity is evident in various features it has floors fastened down with oaken pins, doors hung on huge strap hinges, other doors furnish ed with curious oval brass knobs operating latches of rude strength and simplicity, rooms with panelled walls, floors painted after the manner of modern frescos, and great beams traversing every ceiling.
 The house stands on gentle elevation, surrounded by graceful elms, and under MT. Simond's transforming hand it has be- come an object lesson, not surpassed any where, in the art of rendering farm house a thing of comfort and of beauty. No ex- pensive alterations or additions have been made, but rarely a day goes by that pass ing strangers do not stop to admire and to ask the name of the occupant. Within par titions have been removed and openings hung with portieres till size and comfort have been attained, not only in effect but in substance also. In spring and fall the old fro f,lonoo orc 1,lo for hoot ing purposes, but in midwinter furnace lends substantial aid.
 The exterior of the house, with piazza on two sides and far extending ell at the rear, is well broken out of straight lines and fiat spaces this effect is aided by three window dormer in the big front roof and by ground floor extension, ,enlarging a room for the special use of Mrs. Simonds' moth CT. The colors used upon the house, ma room, old-gold, bronze green, and dull red, seem to have been created expressly for this structure.
 The broad slopes of green grass, sweep. ing away from the house in all directions, have been without expensive grading, con- verted into smooth lawn, abounding with roses, lilies, phlox, hollyhocks, and other old time perennials vines are growing everywhere in great variety.
 When MT. Simonds took this place in hand its appearance did not differ material. ly from that of hundreds of other farmers homes in Connecticut it is now @ fine ex. ample of the possibilities of beautifying an old farm house at an inconsiderable cost, and in doing it a service of no small value has been rendered our rural communities.
 The barns, a massive pile, all of uniform dull brown, ,are ranged, after the old fashion along the street west of the house the barnyard, formerly on the street, will here after be in the rear, and the front is smooth. ly grassed. On one of the barns is wind. mill operating pneumatic pump which raises water from brook near by into g great wooden tank, once cider tub, locat ed just under the barn roof, whence the water goes for washing wagons, sprinkline the lawn and supplying the bath tub and water closet which have lately been put in to the house. Two of the barns contair long rows of stalls for COWS, fitted with , 'chain tie, invented by MT. Simonds. 4 silo of more than a hundred tons capacity on of the first built in the state, stands di rectly behind and communicates with ont of the barns it has canvass sealing an( weighting device invented by Mir. Simonds Under the "big barn" there is a collection | farmer who sees it break the tenth com mandment. A herd of more than thirty pure bred Jerseys, Guernseys, and Hol steins owned by MT. Simonds formerly oc cupied the COW stalls they are now dis persed, but everything is kept in order fol their successors on future day.
 The 'shome lot" of forty acres is nearly all in grass it must contain thirty acre. of moving. When MT. Simonds tool charge of the farm this great lot was, to us, farmer phrase, "all run out" Taking fiv, or six acres at a time MT. Simonds thor oughly cultivated and fertilized the who'll of this lot and then "seeded it down" witl orchard grass, which here proves decided success probably it is the largest singl body of orchard grass in the state. Thre acres of the home lot are devoted to cran berries this land was few years ago rich but valueless swamp; it has been cleared turfed, ditched, sanded, planted with vine from Cape God, and now gires promise o good returns. The dam by which the trac is flooded in winter stands in place wher it is peculiarly difficult to maintain it, ant has been carried away on different occas ions, but stood the unusually severe trial of last winter, and can probably be relied on hereafter.
 Brookmead is not the only place wher MT. Simonds "farms it." Four and a hal miles west of the farm where he lives partly in the town of Burlington ant crossed by the division line of Hartford an, Litchfeld counties, MT. Simonds owns an, carries on the "Nepaug cranberry farm which contains about hundred and lift, acres. About forty acres are moving about seventy five pasture and about fort, swamp. Thirty or more acres of tn swamp IS the finest natural cranberry bol in the world fourteen of these acres hay been cleared of occasional clumps of huck leberry bushes and during the past tel years, converted by MT. Simonds into al improved meadow, every inch of which i covered with the vines, the whole being l. the eye as level as floor and very hand some thing in farmers sight. It is pror erly damned; MT. Simonds is pushin the ditching ill the summer and the sand ing on the ice in winter. Just at presen ditch four feet wide, about three fee deep and half mile long is being pushe straight from the middle of the dam through the center of the marsh to the fun ther end !; some miles of smaller ditche are under way. It requires some nerve { stand to this project as MT. Simonds ha stood to it for some years, but he has goo reason for his faith for he has gathered g many as five hundred bushels in som years and seen as many more remain o the vines for lack of pickers. Two year ago he came to the conclusion that he mus