39 



I knew that if all their land was like that, a 

 man could not live in plenty and splendor 

 from the produce of such crops as it would 



bring. 



It was natural for me now to inquire, 

 what they kept their cows and horses on 

 during the winter. They told me — their 

 horses on blades, and their cows on slops. 

 I neither knew what blades nor slops were. 

 The people seemed to laugh at me for my 

 inquiry ; as by this time they had learnt 

 that I was the English farmer who had 

 come over with a quantity of horses, bulls, 

 cows, hogs, and dogs, and taken a farm of 

 General Washington at Mount -Vernon. 

 I have reason to say, indeed, I was not a fit 

 man to farm in their country ; which I 

 heard said repeatedly, both at that time and 

 afterwards during my stay in America. 

 This I knew to be true : nor is any Eng- 

 lishman : — it does not suit very well to take 

 any thing from rich land to poor. 



Now to return to the slops and the blades. 

 — The latter proved to be blades and tops of 



