serve at every variation of the soil. They have 

 been farmers time out of mind, rotation farmers 

 for centuries : there is not a cullivated acre, the 

 proprietors of irhich are not jnatter of notori- 

 ety; and according to those prapcrties, the 

 most suitable succession and the 7nost profitable 

 application of manure have been long since re- 

 solved on, and are now invariably practiced." 



It maj- not be out of place here to introduce 

 the manasjement of a farm in the high country, 

 or Walloon distrift. The farms there are much 

 larger than in the low country : LiO acres are 

 there considered a small farm, and many of 

 them are 1,000 acres in extent. The size of the 

 farm about which I obtained most information 

 was 200 acres. The whole of it was under the 

 plow, but twelve acres of meadow. There 

 were only three plows used : but twelve horses 

 vrere kept, and used for farm work alone. The 

 cause of this great number of horses is, that 

 tboy never put fewer than fourhorse.s, and often 

 six, into their \vagon3. They have, besides, 

 twelve young horses of different ages, and fif- 

 teen cows, which is the whole of the stock kept 

 on the farm. The rotation is generally potatoes, 

 wheat, rj-e, oats, with clover sown with one or 

 other of them. "When we speak of this being 

 the rotation, we do not mean that it is followed 

 with unaltered regularity ; for the most profita- 

 ble crop here is wheat, which the fanner en- 

 deavors to grow on a third of hi^farm. They 

 are near lime here, of which they avail them- 

 selves, by applying considerable quantities to 



the soil. I saw some applied as a top-dressing 

 to young clover. Ashes are also used for the 

 same purpose ; but they are much redder in 

 color than those I saw in the low country. The 

 coal burnt here is always mixed with clay, to 

 bind the pieces together, as it is all in small 

 pieces, the largest not being larger than a hen's 

 egg. This may cause the red color in the ashes 

 referred to. They are not so careful of their 

 manure as in Flanders, nor does the same atten- 

 tion seem to be paid to the land. Wages are 

 much the same as those mentioned before. 



This is a rough outline of Belgian farming, 

 from personal observations there. I must admit 

 that there is much that might be ven.- profitably 

 introduced and mingled with Scottish husband- 

 ry. A little more latitude and variety in our 

 rotations would, while it would increase our 

 productions, benefit the soil. But such a 

 change would have to be introduced with cau- 

 tion, as otherwise it would shake the whole fab- 

 ric of our Agriculture, which rests so firmly on 

 its present foundation; and while we would 

 cull out the excellences of Flemish farming, 

 and engraft them on our own system, we would 

 not commend it as a whole. And he who 

 would attempt to introduce it into this country, 

 either as a whole or in certain of its parts, 

 would not only expose himself to ruin, but 

 prove himself ignorant of the different states of 

 the two countries, and of the first rudiments of 

 good farming. P. M'L. 



[Jour, of High, and AgjL Society of Scotland. 



HOUSEWIFE'S DEPARTMENT. 



THE FLOWEB, GARDEN. 



Fi-OWERS are the ornament of vegetable ex- 

 istence, and have in all ages been cultivated by 

 persons of leisure and taste, for the pleasure 

 which they yield to the eye and the fancy. 

 While generally healthful and exhilarating from 

 being pursued in the open air, flower-culture is 

 justly reckoned to be a pure and harmless recre- 

 ation, which, by leading to the tranquil contem- 

 plation of natural beauty, and diverting the mind 

 from eross worldly occupations, has a positively 

 moral and therefore highly beneficial tendency. 

 It has also the advantaire of being alike open to 

 the pursuit of high and low, the peasant and the 

 peer, tlie overtoiled man of business and the in- 

 dastrions artisan. It may be followed with 

 equal enjoyment by individuals of both sexes, 

 and, as is well known, on every imaginable 

 scale, from that of a single flower-pot or orna- 

 mental border, to the princely green-house and 

 exquisitely varied parterre. 



The natural grace, simplicity, and attractive 

 coloring of flowers, have afforded endless themes 

 to moralists and poets, and volumes have been 

 penned to show how many associations of feel- 

 ing, simple and sublime, these beauteous ob- 

 jects are calculated to excite. As our desire is 

 to improve the feelings as well as to instruct the 

 nnderstanding, we hope to escape blame for 

 pausing an instant over tliis aqreeable view of 

 the value of flower-culture, and would refer, for 

 one of the most glowing eulogies on the subject, 

 (S29) 27 



to the elegant work of Miss Sarah Stickney — 

 the Poetry of Life. According to the well-ex- 

 pressed sentiments of this lady, few natural ob- 

 jects are more poetical, or more calculated to 

 refine the taste than flowers : " From tlie ma- 

 jestic sunflower, towering above her sisters of 

 the garden, and faithfully turning to welcome 

 the god of day, to the little humble and well- 

 known weed that is said to close its crimson eye 

 before impending showers, there is scarcely one 

 flower which may not from its loveliness, its 

 perfume, its natural situation, or its classical 

 association, be considered highly poetical. 



" As the welcome messenger of spring, the 

 snowdrop claims our first regard, and countless 

 are the lays in which the praises of this little 

 modest flower are sung. The contrast it pre- 

 sents of green and white (ever the most pleasing 

 of contrasts to the human eye), may be one reason 

 why mankind agree in tlieir admiration of its sim- 

 ple beauties ; but a far more powerful reason ia 

 the delightful association by which it is connect- 

 ed witli the idea of returning spring. Perhaps 

 we have thought long of the melting of the 

 snow that impeded our noon-day walk. But it 

 vanishes at last ; and tliere. beneath its white 

 coverlid, lies the delicate .snowdrop, so pure and 

 pale, so true an emblem of hope, and trust, and 

 confidence, that it might teach a lesson to the 

 desponding, and show the useless and inactive 

 how invaluable are the stirrings of that energy 



