48 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



pared for us, and his family expecting us. This hospitality 

 was entirely unexpected : the gentleman was a stranger to us ; 

 we had not even ever heard his name before ; nevertheless, 

 he contrived to make us feel perfectly at home, and free to 

 dispose of our time to suit ourselves. 



After tea he walked with us about the town, and took us a 

 little into the country, to see a small milk-dairy and orchard- 

 farm. The cows were of the Hereford breed, but not full- 

 blooded, nor have we seen many that were. Most of the 

 cattle in this vicinity have more r less of the marks of the 

 breed, and their quality is about in proportion to their purity. 

 The poorest cattle I have seen in England were within two 

 miles of Hereford, but there was no mark of Hereford blood 

 in them, and they had probably been bought out of the 

 county, and brought there to fatten. The best milkers on 

 this farm were not the best-bred cows. The average value 

 of the herd was not far from $35 a-head. They were kept in 

 a long stable ; mangers and floor of wood, a slope of half an 

 inch in a foot to the latter, with a gutter in the rear. They 

 were entirely house-fed, on green clover. They were milked 

 by women, and the milk all sold in the town. 



Late in the evening, our host called with us on the Rev. 



Mr. , a right warm, -manly, Christian gentleman, who, 



though in domestic affliction, on learning that we were Amer 

 icans, received us most cordially. We found him singularly 

 familiar with American matters, both political and theolo 

 gical ; a portrait of Dr. Bushnell, of Hartford, along with that 

 of Dr. Arnold, and other worthies, was over his mantel, the 

 last &quot; New-Englander&quot; on his table, and a fragrance peculiarly 

 adapted to make an American feel at home, soon pervaded 

 the atmosphere of his study. We had a most agreeable and 

 valuable conversation, and it was long before we could re 

 turn to the hospitable quarters which had been provided for 



