Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-02-26
The Old Stone Wall.

1
for more information about putting
old stone walls under ground.
Well, friend, that depends somewhat
on the nature of your soil. With me,
| have a clean, clay soil that needs
draining: and / can serve double
purpose by draining my land and dis
posing of an eye-sorc at the same
time. once heard of a western mar
that came east and bought stony
farm in Connecticut. He proposed
to dig deep bitches and bury the loose
stones that laid so thickly all over his
fields. He was going to give some OF
his nelghbors pointers on farming as
it should be done. He hired a gang
of men for a week digging the ditch
and prying out what stone came IN
their way. The workmen threw the
dirt out on one side of the ditch and
the stones on the other side.
When the ditch was completed he
told them to fill it up with stones first
and put the dirt on top, but the men
found that the ditch would not hold
all the stones that they threw out, to
say nothing about gathering up more
to gut in. Nature had packed them
in more closely than the men did in
their attempt, SO the enterprise was
abandoned. Now, all this we said to
have happened in Connecticut, but if
subscriber is situated anything like
this Connecticut man, he had best
not attempt getting the the stone out
of sight.
Ordinarily, however, it is good
economy to make Use of field stones
in this way: Stones of all sizes, from
eggs to half bushels, can be used in
building a drain, 1t requires some
Judgment and care to select stones of
medium size to start the bottom with.
They should be put in by hand and
built up on .either side, leaving an
opening between not wider than the
largest size stones will cover. After
getting the drain archer over
with large stone, the rest of the stone
can be filled in promiscuously, ending
with the smallest ones. 1t is a good
plan to throw light covering of
straw or marsh hay over the stone to
form thatch or covering to prevent
the water working quantities of dirt
down into the channel of the drain.
Of course, man must use his own
Judgment about making drains, but l
I'M sure that it is subject that is too
lightly considered by the vast major
ty of farme,s. 1t is frequently true
that the very poorest land before
Training becomes the most productive
litter it is properly drained.
The School Law.
l. hear good deal Of dissatisfaction
lrisng from the operation of the new
chool law. | say new law, it is now
hree years old, but it can hardly
walk alone yet, has to be held up by
rutches. For two years it couldn't
ak SO any one could Understand it,
ven its father and mother could not
ell for a certainty what it meant.
'he courts could scarcely interpret it,
nd | am not so sure that it is fully
Understood at this late day. Some
armers who have had to do with
uditing town accounts say that I'M
Ell the present school law it costs the
own about double what it formerly
I'd and they do not think the results
re any better than under the old law.
90 not wish to be understood as
itching into any one on personal
rounds. | SIMPLY give it as | get
. should like to hear from others
l this subject. We are all interested
the growth and prosperity of our
hools, and if there is anything
rong now it should be understood
I'd corrected at the proper time.
Town Meeting.
Every farmer should attend his
wn meeting. That is the only {
ace where he can get in his work to 3
y advantage in this state. Nomina-
ms are about as good as elections
Vermont, and if the farmer does
t take hand in nominating the
mt men, he has only himself to
lme. A word on this subie ct OUGHT e.
be enough.
SAMUEL M. CHITrENpEN.