Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-04-09
From Ariemus Wards New Book
ARTEMUS WARDS EXFERlE nee AS
FARMER

ARTEMUS WARDS EAFEulE II NCE AS A
FARMER.
The Barclay County Agricu ltural Society
having seriously invited the author of this
volume to address them on the occasion of
their next annual fair, he wrote to the Presi-
dent of that socieLy as follows:
New YORK, June IL 1865
DEAR SIR 81 have the honor to scknowl-
edge the receipt of your letter OF the 9Th inst,
| in which you invite me to deliver address
before your excellent Agricultural Society.
| | feel fiattered and think will come.
| Perhaps meaniime, brief history of my ex .
perience as an agrieulturst will be acceptable;
| and as that history no doubt contains sugges-
tioHs ef value to the entire agricultural COM
munity, have concluded to write to you thro'
the press.
| four years.
| My arm is in the interior OF Maine. Unfor-
tunately my lands are eleven miles from the
| railroad. Eleven miles is quite u distance to
haul immense quantities OF wheat, corn, rye,
and oats, but rs haven't any to haul, do not
| after all, suffer much on that account
Ny farm s more especially grass farm.
Ny neighbors Told me SO "a. irst and, as an
evidence that they were sincere in their opin-
ion, they turned their cows onto it the mo
ment went of " lecturing,"
lhobo SOWo hlt hpn uultc iat. thho pilub
in these cows, in fact, and am glad own
erase farm.
Two years ago tried sheep raising.
| bought fifty lamts and TUNED them lose
on my broad and beautiful acres
1t was pleasant on bright mornings to stroll
leisurely out to the farm ia my dressing gown :,
with cigar In my mouth and watch those in
nocent little lambs as they danced gayly DER
the hill side. Watching their saucy capers re-
minded me of caper sauce, and it occurred to
me that should have some very fine eating
when they grew up 10 be " "muttons.
Ny gentle shepherd, Mr.. Eli Perkins, said
We must have some shepherd dogs"
l had no precise idea as to what shepherd
| dogs were, bnt | assumed II rather profound
| look, and said
1--WE must Ei. spoke to you about this
some time ago"
Wrote to my old friend, Mr.. Dexter H. Fol-
| lot, of Boston, for two shepherd dogs MIR.
Follett is an honest old farmer himself, hut
| thought he knew about shepherd doge. He
kindly f1rsook far more important business 10
accommodate, and the dogs came forth with
| They were splendid creatures-snuH coored,
ha eel eyed, long tailed, and snapely jawed.
| We led them proudly to the zelda.
"Turn them in, Eli" | said. Eli turned
them in. They went IN at once and killed ~
Of my best lambs, ir about four minutes and IL
half Ny friend had made some trifug mis-
take in the breed of these dogs.
These dogs were not partial to sheep.
Eli Perkins was astonished, and exclaimed;
l"Wal, did you everW
certainly never had. There were pools Of
blood on the green sward, and fragments oi
wool ana raw lamb chops lay arouEd in con-
fused heaps.
The dogs would certainly have been sent 10
Boston that night, had they not rather sud
denly died OF the throat distemper, II wasn't
n swelling of the throat, it wasn't dipthera
IL was violent opening of the throat from eai
to ear.
Thus closed their life-stories. Thus eudes
their interesting tails.
failed as a raiser of lambs. As sheepis
was not success.
Last summer, Mr., Perkins said " | thiul
we'd hetter cut some grass this season, SIR"
We cut some grass.
To me the new mown hay is very nice AM
sweet. The brilliant George Arnold sing
about 1t in beautiful verse down in Jerse
every summer so does the brilliant Aldrich
at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. And vet
doubt II either Of these men know the price O
3 "a ton Of hay to-day. But new mown hay is
dne thing. II is good for man ar beast.
I We hired four honest farmers TO assist u:
and we lead them gayly to the meadows.
|, was going to NOW myself.
saw the sturdy peasants go round once er
o dipped my flashing scyihe into the tall gree
10 grass.
"Are you ready 2" said Il. Perkins.
al am here |"
"Then follow US I" followed them. Fo
lowed them rather too closely, evidently, fer
white-hair old man, who immediately fol
. lowed Mr.. Perkins, called upon US to halt
. Then in low, firm voice, he said to his SOL
= who was just ahead of me, John, chang
!. places with me, hain't got long to live an
70 how Yonder berryin ground will coon ha'
these old bones, and it's no matter whetht