The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-08-18

lconciuded to give mp. It's your turn now.'
any turn for what" asked Ben.
"To take charge Of the Farm, Ben -
, You're young. stout and healthy. I'm go.
ins TO give up the homestead to you; and
'lir you continue 10 labor constantly as I've
done, and Us your grandfather have did,
, aforc us-you Can get good hvin Oh on .
rs we have done. We can't take no'hin
on, OF this world with US, Ben. Naked we
cameinto il aud so must 90 out. but the
old place is free from incumbrance, there
never was dollar mcrtgage on II. ana
hope there never will be. l shall give you
the farm, fee and clear tomorrow.
Ben slep, on this. and next day he was
! master Of. farm, thirty rods wide and two
and half miles long.
d 81 shall Ike the place, father" he sa'd'
aud carry it on; but not as you ana grand
father, and his father did
And though the old gentleman shook his
head, and looked earnestly over the bridge
Of his specs at his son. Ben was rs good rs
his word, forthwith he went TO work IN
earnest. ..
Spring came. Ben went into The old
eish, acre field and ploughed up one hall OF H.
Upon this he had deposited the whole OF the
seasons manure, that had hi herto Tor years
been sparsely spread upon double the sur
face. He narrowed thesa four acres and
narrowed them carefully H"eing lime
came, and Ben had only ore hall The space
10 po over Though the corn and potatoes
booked finely, and The beels, the cabbagos,
and the CA, rots grew maryellously the old
man grew crssty. and declared lit wouldn't
do ~ and that there wnuidn't be RIOTS
enough. But Ben wen, right along his own
way. =.
At his second hoeing Ben went into his
fonr acres hut not with the hand hoe lie
got some kind ola jimcrnek (as the old man
termed it) hitchedt To the old mares heels
instead OF hOcing his potatoes man fashion,
he'd begun with his improvement; out mat
eultiratJr, us Ben called it, wouldn't work
ho how"
Ben continued the use of the cultlvator,
however; the old gentleman continued To
crumhle. and corn aud potatoes continued
10 flourish.
Ben Smith had gore over to neiShbor'
ing town early in the Spring, and run ir
debt tBen was the first Smith that ever did
this thing.) for two bundled bushels "i
'hasty ashes which he tugged the cattle 10
draw 10 the farm and with which he top
dressed the meadow. Here was an innova
tim sue. And he had subscribed lor a
weekly too. what with his jirncraes OF u
eul,iyutor. his ashes and book frmiag
tie old gentleman was nearly crazeu' i,
would ne,e er do TO 50 ON at this rate, saiu
the old gentleman. .
But the hour acres OF corn and p"tatoes
aud vegetables stil. grew finely. Never had
the Smiths seen such corn, such potatoes
aud carrots. The grass came up thick nnd
st, oug and thrifty, and the harvest time
came round al last.
The caule had plenty Of good feed, and
they were ia, aud sleek; the pigs were tat,
The poultry was fal, The old horse was fa',
and Ben grew fli aud jolly rs he garnered
his hi.h corn. his biz potatoes, his generous
sized b.els, and his gIeal bright yellow car
ro,s Rem had found time during his eve.
Inmgs TO read the agricultural articles IN his
new paper, aud 10 pos, himself in regard 10
the markets.
Winter came. The good oil father en-.
tered the barn. II was cramned WIN nay
and corn-s,alks and and wheai and rye
The granary was loaded with corn, ana
Ben, who hal been carefully taught TO she'll
the cobs acloss the edge OF the shovel, now
stood beside another stupid machine, throw
lug in a bushel Of ears a, the top, while The
lh;,, Golden Kernels rushed on, in constant
shower al the bottom. Ben Smith had
souand.ied, six dollars lin cash) upon a
corn shelter! .Ah, what is the silly boy
lcominp to- exclaimed the venerable pro-
geniior, as he sighed aud turned 10 The barn
, again. 90.
1 The old man examined The harvesting =
: There was more hay in The mows than ever
before. The corn had turned out grandiy.
There was everything in proinslon, aud only
! half the ei.ht acres had been TILED Ben
pointed 10 this gratifying result, aud his la
iher only shook his head, and said, Ben,
vou have been lucky; re're had a rendrka-
be seaso1. Thugs have growed timely. A
very forward season, Ben, vesy.'
Ben Smith, Jr only smiled a, this. He
lcon,inu.d to cad his paper, subscribed Tor
another paid for both, fab, what ex'rava'
pancel aud winter passed glibly away.
He killed off the old razor backed gruni.
ers that had been bIed upon The ancient
farm hom tins immemorial, aud bought
-, improyed Suffnlks = instead oi the three
ali yalors ,ha, had previously been annually
tolerated on the Smith place.
The superannuaed cows, with ihe crnm-
pied horns, were turned into beef, aud a
brace of shining North Devons supplied
their places. A subSOll plow found lis way
INTO the yard one morning early IN the
| snriny. and a .new.iangled' harrow fol.
!, lowed this. Then came new patent churn,
then a capital straw cutter, then more nasty
/ ash,s f, then a seed dill - and there was
no end, lsald Ben, seuioT) I 10 The internal
! masheens that Ben, junior, elulleTed up The
4 place wilh.' ......... 49,.
r Ben had been no idler meantime. He
had drawn iulo the cowyard two hundred
; loads of pond muck the previous fall. He
got plaster and crushed bones ana miAei
with il, aud When February came 1t was
:, heaped out generously upon four acres
; again. Everything went Oh sml'ingly, and
) al haying lime the cap sheaf OF machinery
auived! ..
swha, on earth is ,ha,?' asked the old
! gentleman, rs Ben put his team before a
J new horse rake. Ben laughed outright, and
asked his respected dad why he d,dn', read
, the papers But his father said, he had
: no occasion, he knew enough!
Again the old bams creaked under their
!, generous haIves, of hay, and grain, and
! vegetables, and again the old man looked
r aud sighed, aud declared that the season
: had beeu remarkable, very
! Ben hadn', room 10 SLOW away ,wothirds
Of his years produce! Blu, his hay was
, excellent, his potatoes were noble ones, his
5 carrots, bee,s and onions were splendid
he had suIplus tu,a bagas by The cord, and
Q lurnips and squashes, aud cabbases by The
lion, all Of which readily found good mar.
8 ke, seven miles distant. Nobody believed
Il =. ,h.,.. taa ,,.o.l,,,. ~.