The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-06-21

calls up: of our first parents and liz leaves; OF
| Horace, the classic article from 1ivol-thc ltal-
! ian Tiyoli OF coursc,-as well rs of the EN- gra-
ton agent from Ghappaqua; of hog and HON
my; of early birds catching the worms; and
green fields of corn-and weeds-with the mer-
curry at 1l7lI. Twas Cicero who said (this sub
cct Is really too fine for the English language;
FoBjo lptnc nd ,oiuptos agrico'a,pW, Y,ibuS ego
inciribtcJ de'ector; our nee MIA jmpediuntur So
nee tute, ct nMi I'D SapicntiS mtam prorime @denur
occc5e,e which literally interpreted is, "a dcuced
wise man isapieHfjs) is the huSbandman when
he is unable to chew his corn (,o,uptos) lie can
drink it and is not hindcred by any oldage (serec.
hWe)." Mans first passion as 1t is his last, is to
own piece of land to dig in, 'thc purest of hu-
nan pleasures" as Bacon hath ii, and he ought
TO know for the Hye Bacon knorS good deal I.
That's bad one.
Next to owning piece OF land and digging in
IT, the finest thing is to see some other fellow
who docs own farm dig in it, A. matter Of
fact we frefer to farm that way.
Your love in u cottage is hungry,
Your vine is nest for the flies;
Your milkmaid shocks the graccs,
And simplicity talks OF pies.
You lie down 10 your shady slumber,
And wake with bug in your ear
Aud your damsel that walks in the morning,
i Shod Ike a mountainccr.
However, to plunge in msijoS res, We went out
into the country few days ago. II very
fine: the waving corn" brokcn-down hedges,
dusty roads and all that. To most Of our party
the fields had lost their charn-the game was
gone. IL made our patriotic heart ache
rs ancient sloughs and field after field were pass
ed which, the veterans told Us, in early days the
hunter had found filled with water fowl, prairie
chickens and quail, now gone never to return
ing of the noble sport compared with the shoot
ing of twenty-five years ago. The
GROWING CROPS
were also Il fruitful theme, and everywhere corn
looked excellent. Our companions repeatedly
remarked that they believed they never saw corn
looking cleaner; and indeed it was hard to see Il
weed anywhere. In places where replanting was
not necessary it was fully foot high and else
where ranged in height from two to ten inches.
The grass crop will probably be a hzzle. Very
lew fields in the long ride from Ottawa to the
center of Freedom (Mr. G. pcnnys farm) show
ed anything near an average crop, and in a few
pluCts tHt tdtllC Dctu hIOn IL W 'uS-
turc Though for hay the fields were worthless,
an animal in such pasture must have felt like a
boy with u cartc blanche to "go through a candy
shop. Oats and other small grain looked much
better and a few fine fields were seen.
| That was ten days ago, however; no doubt
there Is much change since thcn--in the appear
ancc of the corn at least
CORN IN STORE.
| Another noticeable fact was the fri.htful con
trnaton of the statements of farmers that there
was no old corn in the country. The absence of
corn was certainly alarming. We II; that is,
hardly farm was passed that did not show up
from one to halt II dozen cribs-full to the caves.
One poor farmer had sold all Of his-eXceptiug
the paltry matter of some 27,0O0 bushels; and
numerous others had only three, six, eight and
ten thousand bushels left; and now comes s.
Fisher, of Springiield) who tells us that only 80
per cent of last years crop is still in the cribs
No wonder the farmer runncth after the Alex.
Campbell lunacy and the Warner silver bill.
FARM HOUSES.
As Il general remark, rs our companions
thought, nothing but farmers taste can equal
the taste of farmer in the erection Of his dwell
ling house and the development Of It's surround
lngs. For spelling naturally beautiful build.
Ing sitc,-our experience on the roads leads lis to
think, nothing can equal the average farmer
II Is awful the way he sometimes succeeds in de-
facing nature. OF the eternal fitness Of things
In landscape gardening he has no more conccp-
ton than Buffalo Rock Giant had of Mozart.
For instance, the house is built on the corner
on the right between the house and the road is n
filthy pig-pen with hogs of all degrees wallowing
in Its foul mud the front yard is filled With litter
of all descriptions from worn out reaper To the
empty fruit and oyster cans OF nine generations
the barn is within fifteen feet of the back door
and the compost heap" lies under the dining
room window, This Is an actual farm house, and
while il is an exaggerated case, we saw many
not far removed from tins. Ii is really astouish
ing: the violation Of all the commonest rules
of health and cleanliness, (Which is nigh unto
godliness,) to say nothing of the first principles
Of good taste. IL is common thing to hear the
southern people condemned land rightly for
their general shiftlessncsS, but really IN the
tire length of the ride from Cairo through Ken.
lucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana TO
New Orleans or through Texas and Arkansas
Der of having seen more complete shiftlessnc>,
than can be seen around many farm house in
La Sale county, energetic rs we are supposed 10
be here. The same fact is noticeable in the way
many farmers horses are harncsscd On car
rage horse IL is not infrcquent to four times
as much harness rs Il city truck man would think
of putting on his horses to draw ton. The
horses head is fairly hidden with harness, blind
ers halters, etc, while hardly spot on the body
of the animal i, visible for straps buckles ropes,
and such like. OF course, a man may be good
farmer, so far rs raising corn and paying his
debts are concerned, for all this; but-well, We
commend the subject 10 an cssayist oil the next
county grange. tANMA.