The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-11-30
A Gentleman Farmer.

some capital in money, and very little, II any,
in agricultural knowledge. He pays for his
Information as he gets it, and, If endowed WITH
| moderate share Of prudence, abstains from
being lavish of his opinions before his prac-
tcal hired laborors. When no assumes the
direction of things, his orders have very much
the appearance, of n declaration of hostility
against first principles, being often irreconcil-
able with each other, and somewhat at varl-
ance with the laws of nature Like q newly
made General At a militia muster, no Is apt TO
oet the rank and file into a hard knot, without
Knowing by what earthly process bo shall dis
ontanalo them, putting them as they we're
lie can sympathize with the sailor embarrassI
ment in blowing, who managed tolerably weq
before the wind, but, in going about missed
stays, and involved the whole team IN mex
tricable confusion. ., 90
He fills his barn and corn-crib at an expense
which may well enttlo the contents :sa, o Inc
latter TO the graphic appellatoh OF 'goidep
grain" He talks learnedly of crops, and
buyes his vegetables; has the most wonderful
cows. and often wants milk; is well suppiied
with newly invented churns, and is furnlshed
with butter from passing market wagon, al
though occasionally, tho product of his dairy
enables him to exult over, what seoms to be,
mmp of white tallow He is strong on poul-
try. making the ornamental with tho usefuf,
gives them crystal palaces with many curious
devices to induce hens to become perpetnai
laying- machines, and is lucky If he can eat
few Of his own eggs at dollar piece, depenu.
inc for his supply On his poor neighbors, WHO
can. nt anv time. sell him an apronfull, hurried
ly collected from old sheds and rickety hay
mows. He turns for relief to his fruit, a.
nerennial source of consolation, there beng,
A. least one element of unadultefatSd enjoy
ment demanding care from no hand but that
of Nature. Her operatives are at work Tor
him. The borer riddles his apple trees: tho
curculie anticipates him in tasting his plums;
his peach orchard gives him crop or two,
and then surrendors to tho leaf-cur: or the
yellows. and becomes poor firewood; ana a1ter
waiting for several years for the rlch harvest
from his dearly bought, and imported pear
stocks. he finds dependent thereon, nothing
but a few gnarled, wrinkled excresconces. be-
inc annaiently. a cross between stringy
turnip and third-rate potato.
The experiences of the -hortlculturist,
are not entirely exempt from similar degrees
of perplexity, sorely testing his, philosophy.
There is charm in the close-shaven lawn. IN
the we'll kent flower ground, and hard rolled
halfway. the shady trees and fragrant shrub
bery. the murmuring bees, to silver brook, and
the Claude landscape, with its sett'ng sun,
are things which make the city VISITORS turn
with abhorrence to his stified home-lammed
with its fellows. looking alike uncom1orlaoly
among kindred nuisances. He has tot seen
the means which bring about and preserve TINS
hooutv and in delightful simplicity supposos
that the whole is the result OF self-regpiating
machinery, that requires neither winding up
The hoeings and scufllings, the pruniugs and
the weddings. and sweepings and rollings, ana
ali the hurry -skurry of the morning, that tho
evening guest nv find order and repose, are
not fathomed by the plummot OF his magma,
ton. He has rural longings, which must oe
gratified, and after much seeking. ne mas inc
paradise that is to embody ms VISIONS Oh
earthly bliss. Some lurking DOUBT OF MS own
qualifications suggests the expense EI, pa
ctical assistant. and he most efiectually depars
himself from obtaining information by choos-
ing for his prime minister an important under
linz. who from the drudgery OF some long
establishment of the old world
feels authorized to transplant himself TO the
new-a full blown gardner.
Under the dictation Of tho lattcr, our be-
o;nner commences operations. Ho is told that
everything on the place is wrong; that rad
zeal reform is necessary; and the modo OF man
agement practiced on the Dukes estate, wnere
his tormentor last bunglcd. is dinned INTO nun
until he believes there can be no other moue''
and blndly submits to his manifest dcs,ny.-
fellow. who. i'm his own country, would not
have been trusted to trim gooseberry bush,
now slashps and saws orchards, ard gardens,
as though he were still soaking in the humidity
of his old home. Tho tree which there moui-
as in eternal damp. gaping for ray OF sun
shine is here mcrcilessly laid open to thq
scorcbino sun of a New England summer, and
70 it's winters storms. He Knows nothing OF
climate beyond tho fog and drizzle OF his land.
He however. gaines some knowledge IN DO
stroying, awakening, gradually, to the astonu-
ing fact that difference OF position ana circum-
stance, requires corresponding management'
and his education is paid for by ms employer.
Tho latter finds that the promised beauties
which were to supercede the old arrangement,
arc slow in coming. Tho lawn oil velvet, the
nride of English gardening, is merely o patch
of brown stubble: the hedge becomes tophcayy,
below a series of archways Tor tho
= accommodation of such animals rs have no
objections to STOPPING.
Ho sees that in tho race between flowers and
weeds. tho latter glorv in exuberance whicn
defics compoton, while tho former arc oeh,nd
time. being no where. Ho discovered that
brooks, perversely, stop running IN summer'
when most wanted. that no skill IN hydrau"cs
can make a fountain play without water, ena
that the pond is admirably adapted for depos-
i,ino ANYTHING that should be kept dry.
Finally. he begins to suspect, that he him.
self is the most yerdant thing in the place, and
that for CARRYING out tho Dukes improvements
II wouId be rather n convenience to have the
Duke's income. How uncertain are human
expectations! An advertisement proclaims
That valuable and highly finished estate IS
for sale, tho red flag denotes the locality, and
Is Knocked off at the cost of the additions,
generously throwing in the original property.
A wag says il is folly to expect girl 10 iovo
man whom everybody speaks well OF: Gee
up apersecution, and her siioc'lon WI, r0roxe Um~