The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-01-05
Washington as q Farmer.

The following extracts from "Irving's Life
Of WAsHINGroN,i showing his love for coun-
try life, and his habits as farmer, will in
terest our readers, if they love their farms
as he did his.
In his letter from Mount Vernon, he
writes: 81 am now, Ibel:eve, fixed in this
seat, and hope 10 find more happiness in
retirement than ever experienced in the
wide and buslling world.n
This was deliberate purpose with him
the result of enduring nclinat;ons.-
Throughout the whole course of his career
agricultural life appears 10 have been his
beau ideal of existence, which haunted his
thoughts, even amid the stern duties of the
field, and 10 which he REQUIRED with unllag-
glng interest, whenever enabled 10 indulge
his natural bias. Mount Vernon was his
harbor of repose where he repeatedly furled
his sail, and fancied himself anchored for
life. No impulse of ambition tempted him
thence nothing but the call of his country,
and his devotion 10 the public good. The
place was endeared TO him by the remem-
brance Of his brother, and of the happy
days he had passed there with that brother
in his boyhood; but it was delightful
place in itself, and well calculated 10 inspire
the rural feeling.
The mansion was beautifully situated on
swelling height, crowned with wood, and
commanding magnificent view up and
down the Potomac. The grounds immedi-
ately about il were laid out somewhat in
the English taste. The estate was appor-
toned into separate farms, devoted 10 diff
ferent kinds of culture. Much, however,
was still covered with wild woods and indent-
ed with inlets; haunis of deer and lurking.
places of foxes.
"No estate in United America" observes
he in one of his letters, s'is more pleasantly
situated. In u high and healthy county in
a latitude between the extremes of heat and
cold; on one of the finest rivers Of the
world-a river well stocked with various
kinds of fish at all seasons of the year, and
in the Spring with shad, herring bass, carp.
sturgeon, etc, in great abundance. The
borders of the estate are washed by more
than ten miles of tide.waer; the whole
shore, in fact, is one entire fishery"
WASHINGTON carried into his rural affairs
the same method, activity, and circumspec-
ton that had distinguished him in military
life. He kept his own accounts, posted up
his books, and balanced them with mercan-
tile exactaess. The products of his estate,
also, became so noted for the faiihfuness
as 10 quality and quantity, with which they
were put up, that it is said any barrelof -four
that bore the brand OF GEORGE WASHINGTON,
Mount Vernon, was exempt from the Gus
tomary inspection in the West Indlaports.
He was an early riser-often before day
break in the winter, when the nights were
long. On such occasions he lit his own FIRE,
and wrote and read by candlelight. He
breakfasted at seven in Summer, and at
eight in winter. Two small cups of tea and
three or four cakes of Indian meal, (called
hoe-cakes, formed his frugal repast I'm.
mediately after breakfast he mounted his
hotoS; oho fiSitSu tiosc pditS Vi HlS eStdte
where any work was going on, seeing 10
everything with his own eyes, and often
aiding with his own hand. Dinner was
served attwo. He ate heartily, but was no
epicure, nor critical about his food. His
beverage was small-beer or cider, and two
glasses of old Madeira. He took tea, OF
which he was very fond, early in the even-
ing, and retired for the night about nine
o'clock
We find him working for part of two
days with Peter, his smith, 10 make plough
on new invention. This, after two OF
three failures, he accomplished. Then,
with less than his usual judgment he put
his two chariot horses 10 the plough, and
ran risk ofspoiing them in giving his new
invention trial over ground thickly sward-
ed. Anon, during thunderstorm, fright
ened negro alarms the house, with word
that the mill IS giving way, upon which
there is general turn out of all the forces,
with WASHINGTON at their head, wheeling
and shovelling gravel, during pelting rain,
TO stop the rushing water.