The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-03

WEDNESDAY. ........JANUARY 3, 1865.
Artemus Ward as Farmer Experience Of
City Man on Farm.
Artemus Ward. (Nrr. G. +. Brown,) having
been invited, rs the letter stated, by the
"honest old farmers" of one Of the counties
of his State to deliver the annual address ut
their next Agricultural Fair, responded rs
follows' o,
Dear Sir-I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter OF the 9th instant, In
which Won invite me to deliver IN address be-
fore your excellent agricultnrai society.
feel f1attered and think VIII come
Perhaps meanwhile. brief history OF my
experience as an agriculturist will be accepta
Bile and as that history, no doubt, contains
suggestions of value to the entire agricultural
community, l have concluded to write you
have been an honest old farmer for some
four years.
NV farm Is In the interior of Maine. Tn
fortunately, my lands are eleven miles from
the railroad. Eleven miles is quite distance
10 haul immense quantities OF wheat, corn,
rye and oats, but as / haven't any tn haul,
do not, after all, suffer much on that account
My farm is more especially grass farm.
My neighbors told me so at first, ana, as an
evidence that they were sincere In their oplh-
ION, they turned their cows on TO II the mo-
ment went off Occurring"
These cows are now quite fat. look price
in those cows, in fact. and am glad l own
Two years ago tried sheep raising.
I bought fifty lambs and turned them loose
on nv broad and beautiful acres.
1t was pleasant on bright mornings to stroll
leisurely out on the farm in my dressing gown,
with a cigar in my mouth, and watch those
innocent little lambs as they danced gaily
-, do Not Two hoy "a
pers reminded me of caper sauce, and it occur
red 10 me should have some very fine eating
when they grew up to be "muttons;
My gentle shepherd, Mr.. Eli Perkins, said,
eve must have some shepherd dogs"
have no very precise idea as to what shep-
herd dogs We're, but assumed rather pro.
found look and said:
eve must Eli. spoke to You about this
wrote to my old friend, DR.. Dexter II. Fol-
lett, of Boston, for two shepherd dogs. He
kindly forsook far more important business 10
accommodate me, and the dogs came forthwith.
They We're splendid -colored,
hazel eyes, long tailed and sharply -jawed.
We led them proudly to the fields.
Turn them in, Eli, " said.
Eli turned them in.
They went in at once and killed twenty Of
my best lambs in about four minutes ana a
half.
My friends had made slight mistake in the
Thus closed their life stories. Thus ended
their interesting tails.
failed as a raiser of lambs As sheepist
was not a success.
Last summer Mr.. Perkins said, 81 think
we'd better cut some grass this season, sir
We cut some grass.
To me the new -mown hay Is very sweet and
nice. The brilliant George Arnold sings
about it in beautiful verse down in Jersey
every summer, and SO does the beauflful AID
rich, at Portsmouth, N. H. And yet doubt
if either of these men know the price of a ton
of ay to-day Rut haE Is really
q fine thing. II is good for man and beast.
We hired four honest farmers 10 assist us,
and led them gaily to the meadow
was going TO NOW myself.
saw the sturdy peasants go round once ere
dipped my flashing scythe into the tall green
grass.
!" Are you ready''' said E. Perkins.
"Then follow us"
followed them.
Followed them rather too closely, evidently,
for white haired old man, who immediately
followed Mr.. Perkins, called upon us to halt.
Then, in q low, firm voice, he said to his son,
who was just ahead of me, John, change
places with me. hain't got long to live, any
how. Yonder berryin-ground will soon have
these old bones, and its no matter whether l N
carried there with one leg off and terrible
gashes in the other, or not. But you, john
you are young"
The old man changes places with his SON a
smile of calm resignation lit up his wrinkled
face as he said, "Now, sir, am ready"
"What mean you, old mani" said l.
II mean that if you continue to bran ish
that blade as you have bran'ish it, some Of US
will get hurt
There was some reason mingled with this
white haired old PEASANTS remark: 1t was
true that had twice escaped moving of his
own sons legs, and his father was, perhaps,
naturally alarmed.
went and sat down under n tree. "Inever
know'd q literary man in my life overheard
the old man say, " that know'd anything
This year we are planting corn Mr.. Per-
kins writes me that on account of no skare
krows being put up, krows cum and digged
fust crop up, but soon got nuther in. Old Bis
bee, who was Trade you'd cut his sons leggs off,
SEES you better 60 and stan up in field yurself,
with dressin gown on, & gesses krows will
keep away this made boys in the store larf
no more terday from
Yours respectful ELI PERKINS.
"his letter"
Ny friend, Mr.. ID. T. T. Moore, of the R,trat
Eelo Yorker, thinks if "keep on' will get In
the poor-ho in about two years.
If you think the honest old farmers OF baf
clay county want me, ] will come:
Truly yours, CHARLES r bRo"S'