Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-08-17
ENGLISH AGRICULTURE.

A late letter from Charles Barnard, tAs
wsll-knovn .prsesicai--in -inded linesueerv 70
the New York Evening Pess. givss the
following interesting account Of one Of the
most original as well a. characteristic and
practically successful farning experiments
Of our time. The letter ID dated London,
June IS:
The ld.fashiousd fsrmise II EAslasd
doss not differ grsstly fron the eommoa
farming of the Northsrn United States.
The crops are slightly 6fGioo11 skn1c1t1e
iugs very diaerect. bus a. vafIoaS fSrm
processes are nearly identical. Piow and
sou and rsap--they mean the same in both
countries When We come to the young
farmers everything II changed. Science
and brains are coming 10 the aid Of the
toiling hands. and farming 10 about to en-
Ter upon . new. more honorable and. il
possible. more useful stage. II is be-
coming an art, and young men of rultu-e
and capital are preparing to win the eol.
den rewards that rightfully belong to that
6rst Of all professions
As TO which leads in high farming nv
opinion is that America. If not leading, Is
destined 70 lead. As this is not the slight
est consequence to ss We will drop it
Let us for our own benefit examine what
our cousins in the front rank Of modern
farmers are doing
Ctr sAaMxRs.
These gentlemen farmers. with their
chemists and steam plows. are making a
deal Of stir in England. The sturdy old
toilers. born and brought up on the soil.
rsss with scorn upon their snoring en-
gincs and bags Of phosphatss "Oh he'll
fail soon. He does not do As his grand
father did. and ho'll aeon see the end Of
his land and his money"
Wait bit. Seems to me the crops on
che city mans farm appear very respecta-
bic. Let's have good look at the Place
and its produce. Taking the railway le.
US run into the county Of Hertford and
visit remarkable farm in the town Of
Sswbrid gsworth. On leaving the cars We
pass through 6ns farming district. OF
the exquisite beauty Of the landscape. and
Of the picturesque old farmhouses. we have
nothing to say. Photographs have made
both familiar. We will only remark, in
passing. upon the excessively disagreesble
of all the rural dwellings.
and upon the pretty but absurd English
hedges. How the English wife can allow
her visitors TO appr oach the door through
such slough of barnyard ofsenses is pas.
finding out. In America We at least
thrust the b,f aa' with its sights, sounds
and smell. cit of sight. and do not leave
it before the parlor windows As for the
hedges. about which so much poetry has
been wasted. they are blunder-a nest
for vermin. the home Of the weeds and
bar to good culture.
AN ENGLISH YARM.
All. now we reach something different.
Coming out of the close and narrow lanes
We enter new country. The high he'd &c
that entirely shut out the view gives place
to q sensible two -fcet-high railing. or stone
wall. and the country spreads out wide
and smooth on every hand We are now
approaching the centre Of farm of four
hundred and City acres. Yonder is the
dwelling house, with i.s group of barns.
Evidently the owner Of this place is in ad-
vance of his neighbors. We reach the
picturesque old house. with its red roof
and lattice windows. and ask permission
to see the place.
The owner. Mr.. John Prout. of Lon
don. is not At home. The foreman, . very
intelligent young man, appears.
Like to see the place :? So ycu NAV.
with pleasure. From America I suppose
Glad to hear it. Mr.. 3rout lived in Can
ada six years. He was . farmer there"
That accounts for things. The barns
and ou.-buildinss are upon the American
plans. and much better than the thasched
absurdi,ies of England. Though they stand
unpleasantly near the house. yet they have
been evidently remodsied upon new IDEAS
Crossing the yard We enter . stone house.
and the young man shows huge pile Of
crushed bones and . number Of bags Of
super-phosrhates and other chemicals.
We go ou, upon the farm. Mex. the
entrance gate is field Of whea. hfty-
ave acres-one smooth square Of growing
wheat. The heads. just appearing. glis-
ten in the warm sunlight. and the plants
stand tall. thick and even, q triumph of
agricultural science. Never in America
or England have ! seen such wheat. I
do not dare 70 say much about it. for fear
YOU will think me INDUCING in travellers
tales" The color Of the foliage was some
thing remarkable. and The sire Of the straw
marvellous. From the wheat We passed
through al the six fields into which the
place is divided. With the exception Of
about forty acres Of clover (injured By last
Summers drcught) the appearance Of the
land and its growing crops was something
almost past description. Success had
crowned this farm. IL no other.
Standing near the farmhouse. the en-
tire place can Be seen as . glance. Not .
hedge marred the estate. The only di-
visions we're BY the road where the steam.
engine Travelled. and the open drains where
The snderdrains discharged themselves.
HIsroRY on IN. yxRx.
The character and hissery Of the farm
vas given me. in part by the foreman and
in part BY Mr. Thomas Rivers. The veil
ksown nnrscry man. Who lives in the came
town. The farm is What Is called By the
lcsal geologists a.'boulder clay Il con-
tains some chalk. aud was probably .. one
tine the bed Of IN old lake. This,
think. - correct. Il 10 real clay farm.
y has besn occupied for loag time
fdfy ysars ago e VA eaisivased spsn ths
''erer and fallo-"syssen. Little manure