1856.] Grandfather^ s Old Farm. 335 



right along his own way. At his second hoeing, Ben went into his four 

 acres, but not with a han.l hoe. He got some kind of a jimcrack (as 

 the old man termed it) hitched to the old mare's heels, instead of hoeing 

 his potatoes man-fashion : he'd begun with his improvement, but that 

 cultivator, as Ben called it, wouldn't work no how. Ben continued the 

 use of the cultivator, however ; the old man continued to grumble, and 

 the corn and potatoes continued to flourish. Ben Smith had gone over 

 to a neighboring town early in the spring and run in debt (Ben was the 

 first Smith that ever did this thing), for two hundred bushels of " nasty 

 ashes," which he tugged the cattle to draw to the farm, and with which 

 he top-dressed the meadow. Here was an innovation, sure. And he 

 had subscribed iov a weekly paper too; what with his jimcrack of a 

 cultivator, his ashes and book-farming, the old gentleman was nearly 

 crazed. " It would never do to go on at this rate," said the old gentle- 

 man. But the four acres of corn and potatoes and vegetables grew 

 finely. Xever had the Smiths seen such corn, such potatoes and carrots. 

 The grass came up thick, strong and thrifty, and the harvest time came 

 round at last. The cattle had plenty of good feed, and they were fat 

 and sleek ; the pigs were fat, the old horse was fat, the poultry were fat, 

 and Ben grew fat and jolly as he garnered his high corn, his big potatoes! 

 his generous sized beets, and his great bright yellow carrots. Ben had 

 found time during his evening.., to read agdcultural articles, and to 

 post himself in regard to the markets. 



Winter came. The good old farmer entered the barn. It was filled 

 with hay and cornstalks, and wheat and rye. The granery was loaded 

 with corn, and Ben, who had been carefully taught to shell the cobs 

 across the edge of the shovel, now stood beside another stupid machine, 

 throwing in a bushel of ears at the top, while the big. g.)lden kernels 

 rushed out in a constant shower at the bottom, Ben Smith had " squan- 

 dered " six dollars— in cash — upon a corn-sheller I " Ah ! what is the 

 silly boj coming to ? " exclaimed the venerable progenitor, as he sighed 

 and turned to the barn again. The old man exami'ned the harvesting. 

 There was more hay in the mows than ever before. The corn had turne'd 

 out grandly. There was everything in profusion, and only half the ei^ht 

 acres had been tilled ! Ben pointed to this gratifying result, and his 

 father only shook his head and said, "Ben, you have been lucky; we've 

 had a remarkable season. Things have grown finely. A very forward 

 season, Ben, very." 



Ben Smith, Jr., only smiled at this. He killed ofi- the old razor-back 

 grunters that had been bred upon the ancient farm from time immemo- 

 rial, and bought six improved Sufi^olks — instead of the three alligators 



