The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-16
D COUNTY, OHIO, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY IS, 1856.

reand at last. The cattle had plenty of
gdad feed, and they were fat and sleek !;
tbA pigs were fat, the old horse was fat,
the poultry was fat, and Ben grew fat
and jolly as he garnered his high corn,
his big potatoes, his generous sized bcets.
aa4 his great bright yellow carrots.
Bta had found time during his evenings,
toeread agricultural articles and to post
lReelfin regard to the markets.
-. ,tl.,-----...4 p 1 fseo<lQld fern. el
/ kEk.d cernstocks, and wheat and rye.
Tes granary was loaded with corn, and
Bsn, who had been carefully taught to
stood beside another stupid machine,
throwing in bushel of ears at the top,
while the big, golden kernels rushed out
in q constant shower at the bottom
Bbai Smith had "squaudered six dol
laysF in cash - upon corn-sheller !
"Ah ! what is the silly boy coming to ?''
exclaimed the venerable old progenitor,
as he sighed and turned to the barn
again. The old man examined the har-
veaing. There was more hay in the
NOW than ever before The corn had
turned out grandly. There was every
thing in profusion, and only half of the
eight acres had been titled Ben point
ed to this gratifying result, and his ia
ther only shook his head. and said,
f" Ben you have been lucky we've had
remarkable season. Things have grown
finely. a very forward season, Ben,
very.
Ben Smith, Jr., only smiled at this.
He killed off all the old razor back
grunters that had been bred upon the
ancient farm from time immemorial, and
bought six improved Sufolls-instead
of the three aligators that had previous
ly been annually tolerated On the Smith
place. The supernatural cows, "with
crrmpled horns" were turned into beef,
and brace of shining Durhams sup
piled their places. A subsoil plough
found its way into the yard Que morning
early in the spring, and "newfan
glcd harrow followed this. Then came
uew patient churn, then capital
sFaw-cutter, then more nasty ashes"
then a seed drill-and there was no end,
said Ben senior, to the internal ma
Il ines that bun junior -ciutterea up the
place with.
Ben had been no idler meantime.
He had drawn into the cow-yard two
hundred loads of pond muck the pre-
vious fall He got plaster enough and
crushed bones and mixed with it, and
when February came, it was heapsd out
generously upon tie four scres again.
Everything went on smil;ngly, and at
haying time the "cap sheaf" of ma
chinery arrived. What on earth is
that? asked the old gentleman, as Ben
put his team before new horse rake.
Ben laughed outright, and asked his
father why he didn't read the papers.
But his father said he had no occasion,
he knew enough. Again the old barus
creaked under their generous harvest of
hay aud grain and vegetables and again
the old man looked and sighed, and de-
clared that the season had been remark |
able, very.
Ben hadn't room to stow away two
thirds of his years produce But his
hay was excellent and his potatoes were
noble ones his carrots, beets and on
ions were splendid he had surplus ru-
tabagas by the chord, and turnips anl
squashes and cabbages by the ton, all of
which readily found good market sew
eral miles distant. Nobody believed it
at first, but all these fine products came
from the old Smith farm. When the
snow and sleet ratified around that an
cient mansion that winter, Ben owed no |
man dollar his barn and bins, and |
cellars were we'll filled, and he had 500 |
dollars in clean cash on hand! Here
was fortune. Verify, Ben, said his
parent, you have been lucky, and the
seasons have been favorable. The elder |
Smith has been gathered to L fathers
Benjamin Smith, Jr., Esq, is now
man of solid substance, a justice Of the
peace He knows the difference between
partial and thorough cultivation; he
can tell you the benefits of sub soil plow-
ing and shallow furrow; he can tell you
whether and wherefore piece of Suf-
folk pork or Durham beef is preferable
to the greyhound hog or the shingle-
backed OK; he knows how to use the
horserake and the potatoe dropper he
will inform you of the advantages to be
derived from irrigation, from draining,
from the use Of phosphate of lime, and
the ike; he will show on his farm big
hay stacks, generous squashes, huge po-
tatoes, twelve-rowed corn, fat hogs, i'm
proved poultry, sleek, yelvety cattle,
and all "jimcracks " of modern Agri-
cultural progress-and you will fnd, in
a snug corner of Ben's sleeping room, at
old Smiths homestead, the choicest ag
ricultural library in the State; while he
is constant reader of, and paying sub
scriber to all the book farm publications
in the country.
No one that knew the old Smith farm
five and twenty years ago, would recog-
Dize it now. Squire Ben is worth a
pretty fortune, has a buxom wife and
h off do1an obi1draD and thouoh |