The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-01-03
Artemlqsi Walrd's R1tIpD,etrienee tID,t as a FAR

direct the COmLnerce OF tnS WOIIu. 80
Artemus wards Experienee as aFar-
.si;y IS, sI-i ,siin mer. ~ ,l .Hi.'; E.
(FTom ATtenlps Wards Helo Bool-ls sd
The Barclay County Agriculture
Society having seriously invited the
author of this volume to address them
on the occasion of their next annual
Fair, he wrote to the President of that
Society Us follows: 41t -
.1ad1itil New YORK, June II, 1855,
:. DEAR SIR III have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 9th inst, in which you invite me
to deliver an address before your excel
lent Agricultural Society. .,5, ti-i-r
2 L feel flattered and think / will come.
Perhaps, meanwhile, brief history
of nv experience rs an agriculturist
will be acceptable, and as that history
no doubt contains suggestions of value
to the entire 'agricultural community, l
have, concluded, TO write you through
the Press.
4 i have been an honest old farmer for
some four years. ~, .r.s.7. .r.l 4.
3 MY farm Is in the interior of Maine.
Unfortunately my lands are eleven
miles from the raiiroad!t Eleven miles
is quite a distance to haul immense
quantities of whc-t, corn, rye and oats !;
but as have otany to haul u do not,
after nll, suffer much on that account.
Ny farm Is more especially q grass
farrn.' r nj - .iisjp.z is4irtc ,u.aF 80 -
NV neighbors told me so at first, and,
MS an evidence that they were sincere IN
that opinion, they turned. their cows on
it the moment went of .lecturing."
These cows are now quite fat. take
pride in these COWS, In fact, and am
glad I own a grass farm! u - .,
q Two wears ago Itried sheep raising. !
Thought. fifty lambs and turned them
loose on my, broad and beautiful acres.
q 1t Wns pleasant on bright mornings
to stroll leisnFely out to the farm inlmy
dressing gown with a cigar in my
mouth, and witch those innocent little
lambs, as they danced gaily DER the
hill sides. Watching their saucy ca
pers reminded me of caper sauce, and
It occurred to me i should have some
fine eating when they grew.-up to be
"mutton."
NV gentle shepherd, Mr.. Ell Perkins,
said, F'we must have some shepherd
ldops.'i III tx Eisg.3 ~ = ,,,- r.t5
had no precise idea as owhat shop
herd dogs were, but / assumed rather
profound look, and said:
"We must, Eli; Ispoke toyou about
this some time ago!n -..,,.s.
I wrote to my Old friend, Mr.. Dexter
n. Follet, of Boston, for Two shepherd
dogs. Mr.. f. is an honest old farmer
himself; 3. but I thought he knew about
shepherdf dogs! He kindly forsook
more important business to accommo-
Thew TTts w We're re-, splendid cfedtdres-snuff-
colored, hazel eyes, long-tailed, and and
We led them proudly to the fields. 10
"Tarn them in, Eli, 1 said. le4 ei
Eli turned them in.1 tiii - 7 ~
{. They went in at once, and Killed
twenty. of54ny best lambs In about four
a11fi n half o.
My friend had made some trthing
mistake In the breed of these dogs;
iri These dogs were not partial 70 sheep.
Eli Perkins was astonished and OBJ
served: -, .s8ssa,rr - SnrJtnH1 ~ -
i"Wall, did you ever2'j .,..,:1 81 ,i,.5-.a. ~
Z, I certainly never had, No., ,d3.ifi ~
& There We're pools of blood on green
sward, and fragments of wool and raw
latnb chops lay around in confused
heaps. Sifs5sslI I'D J. - JG-! :
6 The dogs would have been sent to
Boston that night, had they not rather
suddenly died that afternoon of throat
distemper. It wasn't diptheria. 1t was
violent opening of the throat, extend-
ing from ear to ear.
| Thus closed their lffe-stories.. Thus
ended their interesting tails.
/ failed as a raiser of lambs. As a
,sheepest was not a success, sE
z Last summer Mr.! Perkins said, II
1 mink Me.0 pttLoE SAg -SSAAS SAGAES SAAA'
season, Sir"
II We cut some grass.
To me the new Snown hay is very
sweet and nice. The brilliant George
Arnold sings about it, in Beautiful
verse, down in Jersey every simmer
50 does the brilliant Aldrick, at Ports
mouth, N. II. And yet doubt II eth
er OF these men know the price OF
Iiton of hay to-day. But new mown hay
isa really fine thing. 1t is good for
man and beast.
we hired four honest farmers to as
sistus, and led them gaily to the mead
ows. % - y =
(. i was going to NOV myself.
i saw the sturdy peasants go round
Iionce ere I dipped my flashing scythe
| into the tall green grass.
fare you ready 21 said E. Perkins.
.HI am here" FA-i
IiThen follow us ~
II followed them. rr1fflaiti
Followed. them rather too closely, evt-
/ IDENTIFY, for awhite-haired old man, who
| Immediately followed Mr.. Perkins,
tfl.lled upon us to halt. Then in q Iowi
| firm voice ha said to his son, who was
! iust ahead of me, "John, change places
l with me. hain't got long to live, any
fhow: Yonder berrin ground viii soon
u have these old bones, and it's no matter
whistler Pm carried there with one leg
Il or and terrible gashes in the other OF
I not. But you, John-4yOlt are young.
j 2 The old man changed places with
u his son. a calm smile of resignation
i lit up his WtfnkIed face, as he said
Il tllIoJv sir. I am read Sl'lzIss ~ 5ts4sa4 r