Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-09-27
From the ARerieaa Asricult uri.t.
What Agricultural Literature has Done
a TEUE sroEr-A>D NOT A FANCY sKETcH
NEKEiT FOUNDED oS TAer."

lANA s10hi-sNN NVA faNN' sAhlNh
NtKEiT "ToUNpED oS FACT"
T~en,y.hSe year. ago, was 4 boy Of
twelve, living near one OF the richest valley
farm, In the interior OF New England
State The farm comprised about three
hundred acres, OF which ssventy.hye were
.,rcug slluvisl so,l. IN meadow, flooded by
the high waters Of every spring one hun
drcd more in upland pasture and arabic
land. and the balance in woodland. The
occupants family consisted Of sOn aud two
sisters. the elder Of whom sas the house
keeper. The " help" was hired girl and
man. with an additional hand. aud some
.ine- two in haying. Here he spent hi. life
in fruiIless attempt to support hl. family
And educate hi, children. lie was an IN
tgsuiou'. hard working, frugal man,
who taught his children habits Of the strict.
e., economy but he was an aaii.bOSl far
msr. and pa,ron Of the credit system.
The merchant, the blacksmith, the wheel.
wright. and every one with whom hO bad
dealings, hal accounts, the balance OF which
were all on the wrong side. and somehow,
could never De reduced. Too often, they
were closed out by legal process, and | well
recolleel that the sheriff was the most IRE.
qucn,. though unwslcOme visitor. The
plows bad the old wooden mOldboaris, iac,d
with strap irOn; the harrow teeth were
made Of white oak hor-s rake We bad
never seen. The fcnces were r,cksty the
bailtins- dilapidsiei. There was an orch.
ard. but the knowledge Of frui, culture did
no, teach that IL ever required irln1uIs and
Its productions were about as large aud bard
as nutmeg. As the meadows lay eOuveh-
ieai TO the barns, they we're iei down close
ly m autumu-,he feed VAS better there
than IN the pasture The cattle were never
stabbed IN winter, nor were racks provided
in which TO fed them. and the quantity Of
forage they wasted equAlled that which they
consumed. The stock died in winter Of eI.
yo-ure; in spring Of weakness. The crows
Away. called in their early spring misra.
tiou.. and were always surO Ofan abuniancs
Of animal food The manure was rarely dis.
iribu.ei in the cattle yards, because the
meadows were thought TO be rich enough
without, il. aud l; would no; pay to draw IL
mp hill 70 the pasture lands. IL v,ni on
aSeamulstins until the yards wsrs higher
than the surrounding fields. The wash Of
the ward. vas conveniently disposed Of IN a
psishboring brook, towards which the yard.
sloped aud by which they were effectively
drained. Ii was the boast Of our neishbor'
hOod that h, cattle yards were alway. dry.
Cnder such circumstances 4" going 70 col
lego" va. oui Of the question for the son.
IL va, only through much tribulaiion that
be could attend for two terms a, the village
academy. Ill. sisters mus; be content with
the facilities for reading, writing. and
cyphsriDg Afforded by the district school.
on tbi. farm, IN those days, an srricAl.
iurAl paper. book, or periodical was never
.een. The father entertained sovereign
contempt. TOT the book .arming which one
or two Of his neishbors were beginning
.teallhily to practice. With him, change
Of crops consisted in breaking Up the msa-
do~. planting u 10 corn or potatoes, with
out manure the Gre; year, sDd SOW 1t With
cat. aud a .prinkIin: Of grass sesd the next.
This sometimss I" caught, as iI was term
Cd, but. ofteuer not, bu, j, was the "mow.
ing" next year IN either event. The idea
Of applying chemical knowledge 10 the atap
t.i,0n Of different manures, would have been
regarded a. bumbug, and the man who
should have predicted modern plow., har-
rows, culuVAtOrs, thra.hing machines, reap
CrJ GEf moWcr,. would have been treated in
that neishborhood with the pity and con.
sideraiioa due to an insane person.
The consequences were inevitable; with
each year the ends were further from meet
ins than the year before. Then the pine,
oak. and other valuable timber. and finally
the cord wood. were cut OF 10 satisfy 60 Old
creditor. while making new one. a. tbs
s1u grew older. hs become dissatisfied. bros'
away from the old homestead, and after en-
esgBtering the d,iheuliie. common ~ such
sgJrts. obtained an education without pa
,srnal aid. studied a profession. and settled
in the practice OF 1t in the county town oI
hi. native county.
Pas over score Of years. with their
ehanse-. The father hA. gone to rest. Ia
the family arrangement the homestead pas,
ed into the possession Of the husband OF nv
eldest sister. who has now occupied IL .oD'
eight or tsn years, aud has had no income
except that derived from the produe, Of th'
farm itself.
TAers IS a ciangs there aOV. 10 the plae'
Of the old. ruinous dwelling. is large com
modilus frame house, with its neat vln'
clad portico,. its shades and blind.. aud al
tie " modern improvements. The parlo'
ha. it, piano. and with the other rooms, u
finished in style OF substantial elegance
Young shade tree. are 'pringins up around
the lawn in front OF ia neat flower gar
den is laid cut at one side with yesetabl,
garden in the rear-young trees are pu,iins
forth vigorous shoots, giving promise oI
sbundan' fruit of various descriptions.
All the old OuI buildiDg, ar. torn down,
new one. erected in rear OF the house upon Z