The Russellville Democrat., 1891-06-25

Society a. lOuOWS.
NEW York, June IL, 1865.
| DEAR Sm---I have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt Of your letter Of
| the 5th inst, in which you invite me to
deliver an address before your excellent
agricultural society.
feel fattered, and think will come
| Perhaps, meanwhile, brief history Of
| my experience as an agriculturist will
be acceptable, and a. that history no
doubt contains suggestions Of value to
tho entire agricultural community, l
have concluded to write you through
the press.
have been an honest old farmer for
some years.
| Ny farm is in the interior Of Maine.
Unfortunately my lands are eleven miles
from the railroad. Eleven miles Is quite
q distance to haul immense quantities
! Of wheat, corn, rye and oats; but as l
hav'n't any to haul, | do not, after all,
suffer much on that account.
Ny farm is more especially grass
| farm.
/ My neighbors told me 80 at first, and
Is an evidence that they were sincere in
| that opinion, they turned their cows on
to It the moment / went off '1ectur-
ing"
These cows are now quite fat. take
| pride in these cows, in fact, and am glad
own grass farm.
| Two years ago tried sheep raising.
| bought fifty lambs and turned them
loose on my broad and beautiful acres.
| It was pleasant on bright mornings to
stroll le;surely out on to the farm in my
dressing gown, with cigar in my
mouth, and watch those innocent little
lambs as they danced gayly DER the hill
side. Watching their saucy capers re-
minded me Of caper sauce, and 1t oc-
CURED to me should have some very
fine eating when they grew up to be
"muttons."
Ny gentle shepherd, Mr.. Eli Perkins,
said, 1--WE must have some shepherd
| dogs"
had no very precise idea as to what
shepherd dogs We're. but / assumed a
rather profound look, and said:
eve must, Eli. spoke to you about
| this some time agor"
| wrote to my old friend, Mr.. Dexter
Fl. Follett, of Boston, for two shepherd
dogs. Mr.. F. is not an honest old farmer
himself, but l thought he knew about
shepherd dogs. He kindly forsook far
more important business to accommo-
date, and the dogs came forthwith.
They Were splendid creatures snuff coll
ored, hazel eyed, long tailed and shapely
| jawed.
We led them proudly to the fields.
"Turn them in, Eli. | said.
Eli turned them in
They went in at once and killed TWEEN
| ty of my best lambs in about four min
utes and half.
My friend had made trifiing mistake
| in the breed of these dogs.
These dogs were not partial to sheep.
Eli Perkins was astonishei and OBJ
served.
"Waal! did You ever"
| certainly never had.
There We're pools Of blood on the
greensward, and fragments Of wool and
raw lamb chops lay round in confused
heaps.
The dogs would have been sent to Bos-
ton that night, had they not suddenly
died that afternoon of q Throat distem-
per. 1t wasn't swelling of the throat.
| 1t wasn't diphtheria It was violent
opening Of the throat, extending from
ear to ear.
Thus close their life stories Thus
ended tbsir ipteyrsti-g tails
! failed as raiser of lambs. As .
sheepist, was not a success.
Last summer Mr.. Perkins said. II
think we better cut some grass this sea-
son. sir. !"
We cut some grass.
To me the new mown hay Is very
sweet and nice. The brilliant George
Arnold sings about it. in beautiful verse.
down In Jersey every summer; 30 does
the brilliant Aldrich. at Portsmouth, N.
II. And yet doubt IL either OF these
men knows the price OF ton Of hay to-
day. But new mown hay is really
| fine thing. 1t is good for man and
beast.
us, and | led them gayly to the mead
ows.
was going to NOV, myself.
saw the sturdy peasants go round
once ere dipped my flashing scythe into
the tall green grass.
fare you ready said E. Perkins.
Al am herei"
sThen follow u.s."
--.-s-~--- -
followed them
Followed them rather too closely evi-
IDENTIFY. for white haired old man who