Year: 1871

(SrILLMAN FLETCHER, ESQ.,, one of
the editors of the NeV England Farmer,
is native of Plymouth, Vermont, and
oa visiting his native place aud the
scenes of his boyhood last fall, has writ
ten two or three articles, partly retro
spective and partly with reference to
Vermont farming, and what courge, per-
severance and enterprise can do, forming
really good lesson and example for
young men. Many of our Windsor
county readers will be interested in his
last article, and We therefore copy the
material portion of it, as follows !:


AT the close of our last article we
we're about to cross a range of hills,
which, running parallel with the general
course Of the Green Mountains, separates
the towns of Plymouth and Reading
On reaching the summit of this range,
we pause few moments on


MOUNT MOSES


to take parting view of our old home
stead, the larger portion of which, how
ever, is hidden behind bare, round hill
which was cleared in our boyhood, and
on which "what we know about clear
ing new land,' was learned in much
more practical manner than that of "six





easy lessons" But aside from these per-
sonal reeollections, the prospect from
this summit is an exceedingly impressive
one. AT the west, as frame to the pic
ture, are the dark blue peaks of Killing
ton, perhaps twelve miles distant The
intermediate space and an extensive
range towards the northeast, being little
more than a sea of mountain pinnacles,


AS if an ocean in its toughest mood


Stood. fixed and immovable forever"


While the prospect is thus one of great
natural beauty, it is, at the same time,
one of


DBSOLATIoN AND RUIN. .AGRICULTURALLY


The farm buildings which once dotted
the comparatively small amount of
cleared land in sight on the hill sides,
have mostly disappeared. Near this
summit, four or FIVE families resided in
our boyhood, from the head of one of
which, Mr.. Moses Nutting, it derived its
name-but scarcely as much of their
old buildings as cellar-hole new re-
mains.


A short distance at the northeast, a
district of farmers then existed, in which
there were boys and girls enough to fill
an ordinary country school house, that
is now without an inhabitant. One far
mer in Reading, Asa Burnham, Esq,
Informed us that he now owns the land
on which once lived over twenty families.
These families have disappeared, and
their farms have become pastures and
wood lots, or bare ledges, from which the
thin soil that once covered them has been
washed by the mountain torrent, or
blown off by the mountain Winds
Square rods-almost acres-of the bald
rock are now exposed, where the reaper
once laid heavy gavels of wheat or other
grain, and where cattle and sheep were
cup to their eyes in clover" Other
acres, once equally fertile, are "bound
out" by growth of moss and other
plants and bushes of little agricultural
value. The highways, in particular,
have been washed down to a pavemen:
more lasting, if not quite as regular as
those in the streets of the cities.


The difference between the atmosphere
here and in the valley we had just left,
less than two miles distant, is so great
even in calm, pleasant weather, as to add
much to the wil9ness and sublimity of
the scene which is presented to the eye
and in the winter this difference impres
ses the visitor with sense of awe rather
than of sublimity, and makes one feel
that this is not a fit place for human
habitation.


Whether the first settlers on these hills
made mistake in clearing up these now
deserted farms, may be question for
discussion; but no one, we think, will
blame their descendants for choosing
more favorable locations, nor regret that
the forest is again springing up to hide
the bald pates of these bleak SUBMITS.
HALF A DOZEN FARMERS.


As we leave Mount Moses and descend
eastwardly, with Ascutney in full view,
the appearance of farms gradually i'm
proves. We are now on our way to visit
six families of our relatives, who COM
menced life about the same time with
ourselves, and who have made farming
their leading or sole business. Possibly
brief reference to each of them, so far
as their experience tend to the solution
of the question so often asked, Can a
young man pay for farm by farming 2
may not be considered a breach of cous-
lining etiquette.