The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-09-18
AN IDEAL FARM.

The Hon. EDWARD EVERETT conclud-
ed his address, several years ago. be-
fore the New York State Agricultural
Society, at Buffalo, with the following
mastery portraiture Of perfect farm:
One more suggestion, my friends, and
/ relieve your patience. AS work of
art, know few things more pleasing to
the eye, or more capable of atlording
scope and qualification to taste for the
beautiful, than well situated. we'll cul-
tivated farm. The man of refinement
will hang with never-wearied gaze on
landscape by Claude or Salvador; the
price of section of the most fertile
land in the West would rot purchase a
few square feet of the canvass on which
these great artists have depicted Il rural
scene. But nature has forms and pro-
portions beyond the painters skill her
divine pencil touches the landscape
with living lights and shadows, never
mingled on his pallet. What is there
on earth which can more entirely charm
the eye or crafty the taste than noble
farm? 1t stands upon southern slope,
gradually rising with variegated ascent
from the plain, sheltered from the
northwestern winds by woody heights,
broken here and there with moscow
cred powders, which impart variety
and strength to the outline. The native
forest has been cleared from the greater
part of the farm, but suitable portion,
carefully tended, remains in wood for
economical purposes, and to give pic
turesque effect to the landscape. The
eyes range round three-fourths of the
horizon over a fertile eXpanse-bright
with the cheerful waters of ripping
stream, a generous river. or cleaning
lake-dotted with hanlets, each with
hamlets, each with its modest spire-
and, if the farm lies in the vicinity Of
the coast, a distant glimpse from the
high grounds, of the mysterious, ever
lasting sea, completes the prospect. 1t
is situated off the high road, but near
enough to the village to be easily access
sible to the church, the school house,
the post office, the railroad, sociable
ncighbor, or travelling friend. 1t con-
sists in due proportion of pasture and
tillage, meadow and woodland, field
and garden.
A substantial dwelling, with every
thing for convenience and nothing for
ambitiOn-with the fitting APPENDICES
of stable. and barn, and corn-barn, and
other farm buildings, not forgetting
spring house with living fountain of
water--occupies, upon gravelly knoll,
n position well chosen to command the
whole estate. A few acres on the front,
and on the sides of the dwelling, apart
to crafty the eye with the chocer forms
of rural beauty, are adorned with q
stately avenue, with noble solitary trees,
with graceful clumps, shady walks, Il
velvet lawn, a brook murmuring over
pebbly bed, here and there grand
rock, whose cool shadow at sunset
streams across the field; all displaying,
in the real loneliness of nature, the
original of those landscapes Of which
art in its perfection strives to give us
the counterfeit presentment. Animals
of select breed, such as Paul Potter,
and Morland, and Landseer, and Rosa
Bonheur never painted roam the pas
lures, or fill the hurdles and the stalls
the plough walks in rustic majesty
across the plain, and opens the genial
bosom of the earth to the sun and air;
natures holy sacrament of seed time is
solemnized beneath the vaulted cathc-
dral sky; silent dews, and gentle show
ers, and kindly sunshine shed their
sweet influence on the teeming soil
springing verdure clothes the plain
golden wavelets, driven by the western
wind run over the joyous wheat field
the tall maize flaunts in her crispy leaves
and nodding tassels-while we labor
and while we rest, while we wake and
while we sleep, Gods chemistry, which
we cannot see, goes on beneath the
clods; myriads and myriads of vital
cells ferment with elemental life; germ
and stalk and leaf and flower, and silk
and tassel, and grain and fruit, grow up
from the common earth the moving
machine and reaper-mute rivals of hu.
man Neutrality-suspicious. their gladstone
task; the well-piled wagon brings home
the Fipened treasure of the year; the
bow of promise fulfilled spans the fore
ground of the picture. and the gracious
covenant is redeemed, that, while the
earth remaineth, summer and winter,
and heat and cold, and day and night,
and seed-time and harvest, shall not
fail.
A gentleman just arrived in town
from the East informs us that while