OUT-OF-TOWN PLACES 



doubt greatly if there be any people on the 

 face of the earth, equally intelligent, who farm 

 so poorly as the men of New England; and 

 there are tens of thousands less intelligent who 

 manage their lands infinitely better. I do not 

 quite understand why the American character, 

 which has shown such wonderful aptitude for 

 thrift in other directions, should have shown 

 so little in the direction of agriculture. I feel 

 quite confident that seven out of ten of the 

 most accomplished and successful nursery- 

 men, gardeners, and farmers in the country, 

 are of foreign birth, or of foreign parentage. 

 Within the limits of my own experience, I 

 find it infinitely more difficult to secure a good 

 American farmer, than to secure a good Scotch 

 or even an Irish one. And I observe with not 

 a little shame, that while the American is dis- 

 posed to make up the tale of his profits by 

 sharp bargains, the Scotch are as much dis- 

 posed to make it up by liberal treatment of the 

 land. Why is this? The American is not 

 illiberal by nature; a thousand proofs lie to 

 the contrary ; but by an unfortunate traditional 

 belief he is disposed to count the land only a 

 rigorous step-dame from which all possible 

 benefit is to be wrested, and the least possible 

 return made. 



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