Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1827-06-29
MISCELLANY
THE GOOD FARMER.

called is good farmer. do not mean by this that
he cultivated vast deal of land on the contrary
he had but so acres but what he undertakes to cul-
tivate, he manages in the best manner and reaps
more profit from his small farm than many others
do from their large ones. 1t is not those who plant
and SOW the most, who gather in the most abundant
harvest
Willy Snug has no Improbable land on his farm.
Every rod is required to produce its due proportion
of the yearly crops. Nor is this unreasonable, for
the ground is so we'll MANFRED, so we'll TILED, and
so we'll fenced that in tolerable season it cannot
help rendering good account ofitsef at the time OF
harvest. Willy Snug knows as well as any other
man the value Of manure. Of course, he suffers
none to be lost, nor indeed any thing out of which
manure may be made. You do not see large heaps
of dung lying year after year in his barn-yard, for
want Of carrying out. He is not afraid of song his
fingers with the dung cart, well knowing that no man
can keep his hands cleaner Of debts lawsuits, sher
ifs and the jail He has sort of hollow scooped
out, near his barn, which he calls the catch a'
and into which, straw, weeds, ashes, the refuse of
the wood pile, the cellar. and the Kitchen and what
ever else may be converted into manure, are con-
stantly thrown. The consequence is, that he car
ries out of this place yearly several loads of excel
lent manure, and brings back in return number Of
bushels of as good, sound corn, as ever granary
was filled witha
| Willy Snug is mortal enemy to bad tlage. His
soil is always poughed in the very best manner,
we'll narrowed, and made mellow for the seed Not
wthstanding the we'll known saying, that smore
corn grows in crooked rows than in straight ones,
his rows are planted straight arrow, SO that
in ploughng between them he is not obliged to tack
every rod or two, like vessel sailing with head
wind And as he is particular in the preparation OF
the SOIL and planting the seed, so he does not stand
with his hands in his pockets after planting His
hoes which he has the best kind are bright, and,
as it were, polished with labor Not weed IS al
lowed to claim right to his fields by long posses
sion. In fact, he elects them (as the lawyers say
by summary process. In the time of drought
he does not keep turning his eyes to the clouds with
a lackadaisal countenance, and exclaming, " there
Twill be no corn this year!' while his fields are
baking to death for want Of ploughng and hoelng--
He is constantly on his feet, stirring the ground
and keeping its bosom open TO the deIVs and what
ever moisture may be gained from the atmosphere
or from the earth beneath. And while the corn OF
his neighbor Look-on is dropping its head and roll
ing its blades with thirst that of Willy Snug green
and fourshing, and finally yields reasonable, i
not abundant harvest.
Willy Snug is well aware ofthe effect of moisture
in producing plentiful crops. OF course, wherever
the water can be turned by raising small dam ano
digging channel it is done, and the refreshing ele
ment spread in gentle and almost invisible rls
f over the surface of his meadow which are always
to be seen smiling and verdant, and annually repay
ing the small expense of cultivation in double ant
triple crops of excellent hay. Neither is the boun
ty of nature thrown away in haying time by ba'
management. The grass is cut in the proper seas
IS on for making the best hay and the most oft. It'll
a not mown so early as to be what some people would
; call wishywashy, not allowed to stand so late as t.
lose all its sweet and nourshing juice, and drop Of
its seed and blades in handling, leaving nothing TO
the poor horses and cattle but the bare, scar good