The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-09
FARM AND GAROEN N.
A GRANGER AIRS HIMSELF.

farmers and Gardeners to exchange their opin
ions on topics pertaining to agriculture.
have looked in vain for an original conlibu
ton. 1t is pity that none should embrace
the opportunity of ycntilating thcirsentimcnts
iftor no other reason than to indulge in cR
r0ethfs Scribcndi. But since none Of our rails
crs of shorthorn, or Jerseys Norman> or
Clycles, Southdowns, Bcrkshircs or Shanghais
see fit to respond 10 your kind invitation, |
shall cndcavor to do it in ny humble way,
and upon humber topics than thcahove ifmy
lucubrations should prove acceptable to the
Farm and Garden"
But before tell all Of What know about
farming" which might be done in "A few short
sentences, before ! send in my dissertation on
the hog" in which shall endeayor to prove
that he is naturally Il clearly animal, from the
fact that when let loose from his dirty stye ne
picks up the first bunch of straw he can ilho'
puts en- extra curl in his tail, and dances Tor
very ioy,-or my Thesis on the Cow, where
in | shall show you without the shadow OF Il
doubt that she is a Illuminating mammal be-
cause she invariably chcws her own cud ana
not that of any other animal; or my "Keiiec-
tons on the Mule" wherein | may show that
he is a recalcitrant hybrid, and that your hat
is not safe upon your head when standing With
in ten feet behind him, and that he is nearly
ms stupid rs an ass and SLOW of understanding,
though he has Gears to hear :"-bctorc enter
,r ,.itnl tn,,ipS
necessary to be known by all intelligent far
mcrs, allow me, by way OF Introduction, to
show up the farmer himself, he was
and what he is, how he regards himself and
how he is regarded by others,
The occupation Of thr farmcr-aS is admit,
led by Geology and Kindred Sciences'-haS
been of all the most ancient; ifnot not pre-his-
torc or pre-Adamite, it extends 50 far back in
the ages that the memory man runneth not to
the contrary" Saturn, the father OF Jupiter,
is supposed to have been the first agricultural
list. He is represented as regular old coun-
try Jake, bent up and doubled over by care
and labor, carrying upon his shouldera scythe
or in his hand sickle; while his daughter
Ceres, the queen OF spades and other such I'M
plements, follows behind, bearing under her
arm a sheaf of wheat, or in her hands Il hoe
and basket 1t was she that presided over
the Changers festivals, and other such Sat
urnalia-pouring out the nectar and serving
rural gOddcsses were her waiting maids. Ter
minus stood at the door and kept off all intru-
tlcrs, while Satyrs and Fauns danced within.
The praises OF the farm and Of the farmers
life have been sung from the earliest ages.
Homer sang of the vineyards devoted to Bac-
chus, and the points of the Trojan horse; Nir-
Gil used to spread himself rccumbcnt SHJ
tcgmiHe fugi when he composed his g"orSics,
bucolcs and other pastoral poems while in
modern song, Burns did the same under the
hawthorn's fragrant shade or on the verdant
banks of the gurgling Ayr; and all lntermc-
diate and subsequent poets and poetasterN
both Brobdignags and Ltlliputs, have delight
cd in portraying the charms of rural scenery
the simplicity Of pastoral life, and the lnno-
ccncc Of rustic amuscmcntS Lyrics, idyls
sonnetS, odcs and every species OF poetry, from
Jingle to doggcrcl. have been tried i'll order to
picture the happiness and the contcntmcnt of
the "unsophiStcatcd farmer his manly SWains
and his lovely nymphs. OdcS to spring, when
the heart vcarns tor something green, are of
common occurrence while many Of the apoS-
trophies to sunrise smell strong Of the mid
night kerosene.
Not only the poets but the writers otromancc,
lecturers, cssayists al all the workers and
ploddcrs in itcra'0r clight in cXpatiatngon
the life of the f. ,". his health, his enjoy
mcnts, his pur,u, IS, nd his advantages and
his attainment, t. .lowlcdgc and in virtue.
Much wholcsoA 0dyice has been given to
him, too which Goes not always heed; and
much that is nu wholesome, 10y those who
claim superior l.uWlclgc in matters pertain
ing to his wclt, More sentimental trash
and more sickcu. uu,n have been said and
written about lum AID his pursuits than
of all other men put together. \ weekly pa
per would not bc complete if a column or 50
were not devoted To his Interests. lie is the
grand target at which both the wise man and
the fool may shoot 06lbitul0, and it matters
not whether they hit or miss The great
snake and fish ~tor::, are generally enacted in
the rural districts
The dcmagoguc, whether lawyer or poli;-
clan, or both, when he has the opportunity of
becoming the orator at a county fair, has a