35?6 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 19, IPQG. 



JM:zscEi.i.Ainss. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NATURE'S BLUNDER, OR THE DOG-WOOD 

 BLOSSOM. 



Flora at her task one day, 

 Pleus'd to gract her favourite May, 

 Laboui'd hard with might and main, 

 Cray to di ck the verdant plain, 

 'Though by her favourite sprinsf inspired 

 'i'o various toil ; at len»h grew tired. 

 Good mother Night, coiue here, says she, ) 

 A prettier leaf you'll never see \ 



I made it for the Do2f-»-ood tree. J 



Quoth the old woman, 'tis well done, 

 And if you please, I'll stick it on ; 

 But where the petal should he tied. 

 The wrong end of the leaf applied. 

 Heavens ! cried Flora, what you've done ! 

 You've stuck the wrong end of it on ! 

 Quoth Night, no matter, pretty creature, 

 I'll make variety in nature. 

 Mansfield. G. 



* * * " As I )iave gazed upon these quiet groves 

 and sliadowy lawns, silvered over, and imperfectly 

 lighted by strealvs of dewy moonshine, my mind has 

 been crowded by " thick coining fancies" concern- 

 ing those spiritual beings which 

 Walk the earth 



Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep. 

 Are there, indeed, such beings ? Is this space be- 

 tween us and tlie deity filled up by innumerable 

 orders of spiritual beings forming the same grada- 

 tions between the human soul and divine perfec- 

 tion, that we see prevailing from humanity down- 

 wards to the meanest insect ? It is a subii ne and 

 beautiful doctrine, inculcated by the early fatliers, 

 tliat tliere are guardian angels appointed to watch 

 over cities and nations ; to take care of the wel- 

 fare of good men, and to guard and guide the steps 

 of helpless infancy. " Nothing," says St Jerome, 

 " gives us a greater idea of the dignity of our soul, 

 tiian that God has given each of us, at the luo- 

 ment of our birth, an angel to have care of it. 



"Even the doctrine of departed spirits returning 

 to visit the scenes and beings which were dear to 

 them during the body's e.xisteuce, though it has 

 been debased by tlie absurd superstitions of the 

 vulgar, in itself is awfully solemn and sublime. — 

 However lightly it may be ridiculed, yet the atten- 

 tion involuntarily yielded to it whenever it is made 

 the subject of serious discussion ; its prevalence in 

 nil ages and rountrius, and even among newly dis- 

 covered nations, tliat liave had no previous inter- 

 change of thought witJi other parts of the world, 

 prove it to be tine of those mysterious, and almost 

 instinctive beliefs, to wliich, if left to ourselves, 

 v,'e should naturally incline. ********«. 



"It is more the manner, therefore, in which this 

 SrUperstition lias been degrailed, than its intrinsic 

 absurdity, tluit has brought it into contempt. — 

 Raise it above llie frivolous purposes to which it 

 has been applied: strip it of the gloom and horror 

 witli which it has been surrounded, and there is 

 no!>e of the whole circle of visionary creeds that 

 could more delightfully fclevate the imagination, or 

 mci-e tenderly affect the heart. It would become a 

 Btnerciii'n couifort at tlie bed of death, soothing ll e 

 bitter tear wrung from us by the agony of our 

 mortal separation. What could he more consoling 

 than the idea, that the souls of those whom we onr-e 

 loved wore permitted to return and watch over our 

 welfare ? That affectionate and guardian spirits 

 sat by our pillows when we slept, kesping a vigil 

 over our most hefpleai hours .' That beaut\ and 



innocence whicli had languished into the tomb, 

 yet smiled unseen around us, revealing themselves 

 in those blest dreams wherein we live over again 

 the hours of past endearment .•' A belief of this 

 kind would, I should think, be a new incentive to 

 virtue ; rendering us circumspect even in our most 

 secret moments, from the idea that those who we 

 once loved and honored were invisible witnesses of 

 all our actions. 



" It would take away, too, from that loneliness 

 and destitution which we are apt to feel more and 

 more as we get on in our pilgrimage through the 

 wihlerness of this world, and find that those who 

 set forward with us, lovingly and cheerily, on the ; 

 journey, have one by one dropped away from our i 

 side. Place the superstition in this light, and I 

 confess I should like to be a believer in it. I see 

 nothing in it that is incompatible with the tender ' 

 and merciful nature of our religion, nor revolting i 

 to the wishes and affections of the heart." [Irving.] i 



Raniniscence. — By an ordinance of Congress, 

 1784, the territory northwest of the Ohio, and east , 

 of the Mississippi, was erected into ten new < 

 STATES, by tl\e names of Assenisipia, Chersonesus, . 

 Illinoia, Metropotamia, Micliigania, Pelisipia, Poly- j 

 potamia, Sylvania, Saratoga, and Washington. By \ 

 a subsequent act, the above territory was divided | 

 into three districts. And by still later acts, the 

 large and flourishing states of Ohio, Illinois, Indi- 

 ana, and the Territory of Michigan have been 

 formed. — [Communicated.] 



"In the si.xteen miles of the Canal [Junction Ca- 

 nal in Scotland,] which we traversed, there is ve- 1 

 ry little either in the work itself or on its borders 

 deserving of particular notice. Although this ' 

 would seem to be the principal commercial chan- 

 nel across the country, it does not exhibit one tenth 

 part of the business and active bustle, which are , 

 observed at any point on our own great work be- 

 tween Albany and Buffalo. The freight-boats are 

 clumsy and awkwardly managed in comparison 

 with those of the United States. From what has 

 been seen, I am satisfied that the British govern- 

 ment could not do a better thing, than to send out 

 a naval commission to learn the construction of 

 ships, steam-boats, and vessels of all kinds in our 

 coMitry. The functions of the mission might be 

 profit.ibly e.xtended to all great public works, which 

 are calculated for utility rather than ornament. — 

 Sucli a measure would confer a more substantial 

 benefit on Great Britain, than the volumes of tlie 

 whole corps of tourists, who have received the 

 countenance of the ministry in their aiiuse of the 

 United States. — [Carter's Letters from Europe.] 



Col. Si/mmes has arrived in New York, and has 

 been delivering lectures on the theory of the Polar 

 openings of the earth to tolerably large audien- 

 ces. It is said that the Colonel has made several 

 proselytes. The following texts of Scripture have 

 been thought applicable to this theory, by a corres- 

 pondent of the Pittsburgh Mercury : 



Which maketh Arcturiis, Orion, Pleiades, and 

 the cHAMEEns of toe south — Job ix. 9. 



He stretcheth out the north over the empty 

 PLACE, and hangeth tAe earth tipon nothing^}oh 

 xxvi. 7. 



V\ M. PRINCi'., Proprietor of 

 the j.inu.Ean Garden, near 

 ■^ew York, offers to the publio 

 his very extensive collection ol 

 the choicest Kriiits. which have 

 been select' d with the greatest 

 care from the most celebrated 

 esiablishmeuts throusrhout the 

 world, and to which very large 

 additions have recently been 

 made. The assortment of Or- 

 ^^^naraental Trees. Shrubs, and 

 Plants, is very extensive. Above 1900 species of Green 

 House Plants comprising the most rare and ."iplendid 

 kinds. In the collection are above 500 varieties of 

 Roses, including 54 varieties of China Ros'^s, and 9 of 

 Moss I'loses. Also, about 10,000 thrifty Grape \'ines, 

 of the finest Europiaii kinds. The new catalogues for 

 1825 may be obtained of .'osEpn Bridge, No. 25 Court 

 Street, Boston, and orders thro' him will meet prompt 

 attention. 3m March 17. 



LINCOLN FEARING & Co. at No 1 10 StlTe-s'.reet , 

 have for sale, all sizes of Lead Pipe Irom 4 to 2 inches, 

 warranted equal to any imported or manutaclured in 

 this country — Contracts for any quanti'.y made and 

 furnished at short notice. April 14, 8t. 



(KrCRUDE ROCK ?ALT.— The Subscriber has 



for sale at No. 69 Broad Street, 



50 Tons Crude Rock Salt, — iu large lumps for cat- 

 tle, or for sheep. 



This article deserves the attention of Farmers, both 

 for its economy and utility ; being less than half the 

 expense of the common salt, and less liable to waste. 



Feb. ^4. 3m. F. WILRV. 



0:>=SIJGAR BF.EP SEED, for sale at this omce, 

 raised last season, by John Prince, Esq. of .Roxbury. 



FOR SALE at this otfice, seven glasses of VVhi e 

 Mulberry Seeds, raised by a genlleinan iu Connecticut. 

 Price 60 cents a glass. Each glass contains about 3000 

 seeds. May 5. 



THE snbserilM r has for sale a number of pigs, fio.-n 

 five weeks to live months old, of the Bedford race, «na- 

 dutleia/ed by any mixture. To those who know the 

 circumstance of his havinsf so far trusted to a recom- 

 mendation of *' an irnproved cross," as to scmiH for one, 

 and who have iteen the animal, it may be necessary to 

 state, that he was not suJiVred to be even in sight cf the 

 breeding sows, until he was incapacitat' d from doing 

 mischief. O. FISKE. 



Worcester, May 3. 18^6. 



PATENT HOES.— .L & A. tale's Patent Hoes con- 

 stantly for sale by French & Weld, 31 iz 3'2 South 

 Market St., and French ic Uaveiijjort 7lo Washington 

 Street, who are appointed sole a^^ nts for vending tlie 

 same. eptf. Boston; April 28, 1826. 



WANTED in a Mechanical business near this city. 

 a healthy Ca|iable boy ; from 14 to 16 years of age — of 

 a mild disposition and good habits — one from the coun- 

 try would be preferred, to whom good encouragement 

 wdl be given. Enquire of NATH. DEARBORX en- 

 graver. No, 30 .Market St. 



BELLFOCXDER. This rel-brated borse. of a 

 bright Bay, with black legs, standing 15 hands high, a 

 celebrated trotter, and a true descendant of the Firt- 

 uwaijs, will stand at Col. Jaa'ies' stable, in Charles- 

 towo, during the season. Charge $20, and $1.00 the 

 groom — see New England Farmer, April 14. 1826. 



SIR IS.Q.IC. This fine young seed horse of the 

 Cleaveland Bay Breed, will stand at his stable, oppo- 

 site the Bull's Head Tavern in Brighton. The charge 

 for each mare will he ten dollars the season, in ad- 

 Tance. A more particular account of Sir Isaac will be 

 found in the New England Farmer of the 31st of March. 



A lady asked a gentleman the time of the day 

 He ,said he kept no watch, and that in the morn- j 

 ing Chanticleer was bis timepiece. " I did not i 

 know," rejoined the lady, "till now that the fowl j 

 was so accurate a rromnometer." f 



'TO" Published every Friday, at Thbef, Dollars, 

 per annum, payable at the end of the year.— Int those 

 who pay within sixty (tay.i from thelim(' of subscribiig 

 will be entitled to a deduction ol In rv CfkTS. 



Gentlemen who procure /?!'( responsible subscribers^, 

 are entitled to a sirlli volume gratis. 



New suhscribert ran be furnished with the preced- 

 ing nUQibers of the current volume. 



