Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-08-19
LAFAYETTE on HIS FARM.

LAFAYETTE ON HIS FARM.
Every thing connected with the patriarch OF
La Grange is interesting to the American people,
for whose independence he came when a strip
linz. to fight by the side of Washington; whose
confidence he always enjoyed. and whose virtues
he has as constantly emulated. Hence we are
induced to OTTER the following extract from a Ia
mlliar letter written by an American lazy ih
France. to her husband in America, giving come
account Of his farm, but without any idea OF It's
being published.
Snch details sometimes serve as well as more
pablo acts and duties. TO illustrate the indi,idu-
al man, aud To o of our readers they may
prove more interesting than political sPecu'ations'
G.9mericam Farmer.
HLA GRANGE. My %, 1850.
"The weather has been 81 wet since l have
been here that Yesterday was the first day | could
; get out. The dear old General took me entire
" through his farm-yard: YOU can have no idea OF
! the perfect manner in which his cattle are taken
care Of .the comfortable houses aud beds. the clean
Illness and regularity of feeding are astonishing.
He has here a flock Of 1900 of the finest Merino
sheep, all Of which | saw TUNED OUT, attended by
two shepherds and four dogs. The COWS are
much larger than ours. generally. and are treated
more like human beings than brutes. They are
turned out in the morning and brought IN IN the
heat Of the day, fed. suffered to rest a certain
time, and again turned out until sunset when they
arc put up for the night. In one OF the stables
there are TWENTY-FIVE cows. and two bulls. HE
veal we have here is the whitest. fattes' and Noes;
ever saw. The calves are attended by women.
and fattened by a peculiar process-they give
them eggS. four a day to each cali. which are put
down their II roats whole; this, with their allow
ance of milk. | am told fattens them in a very
short time. Each COW is confined with a halter
of sufficient length to let them lie at their ease;
their hide. are nicer aud cleaner than many OF
our eentiemeu's carriage horses. In another sta
Bile were thirteen cows. amongst which were those
Of the Devon breed. given him by Mr.. Patterson
of Baltimore. also nine half grown calves. all az
he told me we're of the same stock. The horses
in the generals stables are attended to with equal
care. There we're in the stables fifteen horses.
besides his carriage horses. and three d%onkeys.
one large one for farm use. the other two tor the
Young ladies and children to ride; | assure YOU
that they go quite pleasantly. as yesterday | rode
one all round the park, and to the lake. The
piaServ is the most complete YOU can imagine.
containing a great number of hogs of all sizes.
ageS and breeds. but the one YOU gave the gene
raj is the lars est ever seen, and is much more es-
,eetnch than any Of the others. The general re-
hates with much apparent pleasure. that an Eng
fish farmer of great wealth and knowledge. on
seeing this hoy. said, well sir. you may boast of
having the finest boar that was ever sent frOm
England. and would scarcely believe him. when
aith pride he told him, it came from the United
States. and not from England. The farm yard
is a very large square. with buildings extending
quite round it. The hoase for the sheep occu-
pies an entire side of the square; the buildings
are all Of stone. and built as if to endure fore
yer. The general has a great variety of birds.
poultry, and American deer; all provided with The
incest possible accommodations. We're YOU here
l am sure YOU might designate many thing that
would be valuable for our farmers TO know
They mike cheese here, as well as the finest but
ter | ever tasted. The dairy is admirably ar
ranged. indeed the whole is a pattern larm-the
general appears to take great pleasure in it: he
walks as nearly over 1t every morning as he can.
Since his fall on the ice he cannot ride on horse
back, which is a great pity. as he was very fond
of that exercise. and was in the habit Of riding
entirely over his farm when the weather admitted
You can have no idea of the benevolence Of this
good old man. There are at least twenty poor
families who are daily supplied from La Grange
with every thing that can make them comfortable.
besides | know not how many others that are pro-
vided for.
II am quite surprised at the freedom with
winch all in France speak of the king. his minis
tiers. and Of public affairs. had supposed that
in a Monarchy, people were afraid to open their
mouths. This country appears to be on the eve
of some crisis. The king
do not Imagine that | am going to turn politi-
oian--you Know | hate politics, but l thought
you would like to hear a little of the current news.
FL a description Of the Lafayette family |
refer you to Mr.. Nj The more [ see Of
them. the more | admire and love them.
"Just before dinner, on the dav | wrote to
you last, we heard ola fete at one of the villages
a few miles oil. YOU already know that each vii
lage In France has its annual fete, some oftener-
whist at dinner the generals travelling carriage
ives prepared fer Us, and the four young ladies',