The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-11-23

old minister used to call right minded
Such things keep them busy, and when
folks are busy about their own business,
they've no time TO get into mischief. Il
keeps them healthy, too, and as cheerful as
larks, I've mind VII light here and view
this citizens Improvements, and we shall
be welcomed TO a neat substantial break
fast, that would be worthy 10 be taken as
pattern by the farmers wife in America"
We were met at the door by Mr.. Horton,
who greeted my friend Slick with the warm
Salutatior of an old acquaintance, and ex-
pressed the satisfaction natural 10 one ha-
bitually hospitable, for the honor Of my visit.
He was plain, healthy, intelligent locking
man about fifty, dressed as farmer should
be, with the stamp of HoMEspUN,' legibIe
upon every garment, not forgetting very
handsome silk handkerchief, the work
throughout of his Oldest daughter.
The room into which we were ushered.
bore the same stamp of neatness and COM
fort that the outside appearance Indicted
A substantial homemade carpet covered
the floor, and well filled book case and
writing desk, were in the right place, among
the contents of which, l observed sever a
agricultural periodicals. was particularly
struck with the scrupulously neat and ap-
! lrrr NIotn oN11r or IL r.,
gent interesting daughters that were busily
engaged in the morning operations of the
dairy.
After partaking Of an excellent breakfast
Mr.. Horton invited us TO walk over his
farm, which tho small, was every part in
such fine state OF cultivation, that he did
not even express fear of starving unless
the Legislature did something to keep the
land from running out.
We bade adieu to this happy family. and
proceeded on our journey fully impressed
with the contrast between good and bad
farmer, and for my own part, perfectly sat-
isied with the manner that Mr.. Slick had
taken to impress it indelibly upon my own
mind.
Mr.. Slick seemed wrapped in contempla-
ton Of the scenes of the morning for long
! time. At length he broke forth in one of
his happy strains. "The bane Of this coun-
try, Squire, and indeed of all America, is
having too much land--they run over more
ground then they can cultivate, and crop
the land year after year, without manure,
till it's no wonder that it runs out. A very
large portion ofland in America has been
run out by repeated grain crops, and bad
husbandry, until great portion Of this
country is in fair way to be ruined The
two Carolinas and Virginia are covered
with places that are run out and are given
up as ruined, and they are a plagey site
too many such places all over New England
and great many other States. We have
not the surplus Of wheat that we used to
have in the United States, and it'll never be
so plenty while they are so many Nick
Bradshaw's in the country.
The fact is this, Squire, education is
deucedly neglected. True we have sight
Of schools and. colleges, but they amt the
right kind. The same Nick Bradshaw has
been clean through one on'em, and twas
there that he learnt that internal lazy habit
of drinking and smoking, that has been the
ruin of him ever since. wouldn't give all
old fashioned swing-tail clock, to have my
son go to college where he couldn't work
enough to earn his own living and larn how
to work it right tu.
1T aclilly frightens me whenI think
how the land is worked and skinned till
they take the gizzard out ont when it
might be growing better every day.-Thou-
sands of acres every year are turned into
barrens while an everlasting stream of our
folks are streaking it off to the new coantry
where about half onem after wading about
among the tadpOles to catch catfish enough
to live on year or two, actilly shake
themselves TO death with that everlasting