Decorah-posten., 1898-07-08
Our Homes.

. and low prices and bad seasons,
the paving side of farming must
he kept in view, if the farm is TO
be kept free from mortgage and a
surplus secured tor old age, or
the wherewithal to give our sons
and daughters a fair start IN lite
But is the question OF money, and
getting rich the only one to con-
sider /? ] think all will agree with
me-, when | say that a man whose
only object in life IS the acquisition
of money. and whose sole delight
is to tug and slave from early
morn till late at night, is a miser.
able creature. We have souls as
well as bodies, yea of infinitely
more value than our bodies. These
minds OF ours have wants that
cannot be satisfied with mere gain.
Let us. by improved methods and
scientific agriculture make all the
money we can; but let us not neg
lect to cultivate the better part
of our natures, and enjoy all that
is beautiful and elevating around
US.
may be met with the objection,
eve have no time for anything but
hard work. After the days work
we are too tired for reading or
music or cultivation of flowers,
and we have no taste TOR such
things" reply that the average
farmer works too hard. | have
known young men OF twenty years
whom hard work has deformed
and stunted, who have never had
a chance to grow up lusty, grace
full men, who know but little eX-
cept to pillow, to SOW and to reap.
No wonder they become tired of
the farm and crowd into our cities,
often to fall into evil ways or to
gain but a poor living. The far
mer's wife also suffers in the
struggle. She becomes prema-
turely old and loses the grace and
comeliness of early womanhood.
Induced by these thoughts desire
to say a few words about our
homes. While the past twenty
years have witnessed great inn
provements in farm homes, | have
this criticism to offer regarding
them. A good deal of money has
been spent in the buildings and
their furnishings, and too little at
tention and outlay have been de
voted to the surroundings /; as
lawns, fences, trees and flowers.
Allow me, then, to make a few
suggestions about the outside
of our homes. The site should, il
possible, be on the higher ground
of the farm front, in order that
proper drainage may be afforded
to secure a dry cellar and dry
yards in wet seasons of the year.
The barns and stables should be
at sufficient distance to avoid un
pleasant and unhealthy odors and
at a lower elevation to hinder i'm
pure water, in rainy seasons, from
approaching the house or spelling
the well, from which the family
supply is drawn. In approaching
our home the visitor should not
be obliged to pass a barnyard, or
come in sight of pigpens or heaps
ofreeking manure. In most home
steads these suggestions can be
observed and at no additional cost
or trouble.
A good lawn is a thing Of much
beauty. After the new house is
erected, the clay and gravel from
the cellar should be carted away,
for it is almost impossible to Sc
cure a good sod upon it or make
trees and flowers flourish on it.
With the pillow, harrow, scraper
and roller, a level or sloping sur
face can be made in front and
around the house in a few hours ;
and a suitable mixture of lawn
grass can be got from any seeds
man for a thrilling sum. For a year
or two it will require rolling in
spring and a coat Of we'll rotted
manure in the fall. A lawn now
er will be necessary, if you would
have a perfect lawn. A sharp
scythe, however, will do very we'll.
would avoid disiguring a nice
lawn by cutting it up by too many
ttower-beds or too much shubbery.
Nothing is nicer than the broad
level, velvety-green of nature.
Place your flower garden away
from the front Of the house, anc
your shrubbery in clumps at the
side of the lawn.
And now a few words about the
trees. In the first place, they
should not be near enough tc
shade the house at all times. Tn,
sunlight is needed to keep off the
m%ouldiness and dampness which
are deadly enemies to the health
OF the inmates. Do not plant toe
many trees about your house, o
too near together. Choose tree
Tor home adornment and shad'
that have straight trunks and tina
may be trained and have we'll
shaped tops. The maple is largel,
planted and rightly so. If yol
plant e~vergreens, do not cut ava
the lower branches. They shout
form a Derfect cone the hasa =