596 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 10 



servants, and calmly stated, that, being unable to 

 give directions, he requested each of us to manage 

 ihe worli of \ik owu department in the best way 

 possible, till the issue of his indisposition was de- 

 termined ; and added, "You all know my <;eneral 

 intentions so well, and have acted so faithfully in 

 my service, that I have the firmest triisi mailers 

 will go on much in the same way as il" I were at 

 your head." Afier sitining a draft on his banker 

 in favor of ihe clerk fur one hundred pounds, out 

 of which the working people might be paid during 

 his illness, he shook each of us by the hand when 

 we retired from the room, oflering our earnest 

 wishes lor his recovery. 



That same evening we had a meeting in the 

 clerk's office, when with a view to [)romote the 

 inierest oiour employer, it was agreed upon, that 

 Elliot should assume the general control, and 

 that each of ns should submit iuipliciily, ad interim, 

 to his directions, in order that regularity might be 

 preserved. Orders were therefore given out in the 

 eame way as if they had proceeded from Mr. Ja- 

 mieson himself; and so powerful is ihe Ibrce of 

 former habits, that prompt obedience was given 

 by every one to the orders issued, i hough it was 

 well known Mr. Jamieson had no handiii them. 

 I will not say that the like obedience could have 

 been long maintained, as probably the steady dis- 

 cipline exercised by Mr. Jamieson, like the cen- 

 trifugal force of a machine, carried Ihe system on, 

 even when the iaipelling power vvas withdrawn. 

 Be this as it may, J rejoice that Mr. Jamieson's 

 recovery prevented the streiigih of ourirovernment 

 from bemu: ascerlaiiied. In lour days, his liisorder, 

 which oriirinaied in <i severe cold, took a fiivor- 

 able turn, and, on the etirhdi day of bis confine- 

 ment, we were admitied to his room. He is 

 gradually geltinur belter, tlioui:h, hiiherio, be has 

 not been out; — a caulion justified by the season ol 

 the year. 



I have often reflecled upon the critical situation 

 in which the affairs of a farmer are placed, when 

 he is confined to a sick-room, and cannot help 

 thinking, that his case is then more to be lamented 

 than that of other classes, when deprived ol health 

 and strength, and prevented from attending on 

 business. The chance of loss from dislionesty 

 and unfaithlijJness in those employed, may be 

 viewed as the same in every instance; but, laying 

 these things aside, the nature of the farmer's af- 

 fairs or business is such, that the best arranged 

 system cannot be Ibllowed out, or carried into ex- 

 ecution with the like precision or uniformity, as is 

 perliiclly practicable with a business carried on 

 within doors. Hence in the first case, when the 

 main-spring or impelling power is'parlially imped- 

 ed, the motion of the small wheels is "likewise 

 irregular and disordered. To speak in plainer 

 language, the propriety and expediency of every 

 field operation depending upon the weaiher, mis- 

 chief^ instead of benefit, is often eommitted by the 

 most active exertions, when not tempered by 

 judgment. Not many led farms, as they are cal- 

 led, are therelbre managed judiciously, except 

 when committed to the chaige of a servant qual- 

 ified for being entrusted with discretionary man- 

 agement; and where such guide, the master's 

 presence is of less importance. The same remark 

 applies to farms possessed by widows, especially 

 if they interfere in the executive department. 

 Unless a very steady and clear-headed overseer 



lis procured, it would, in nine cases out of ten, be 

 more for the interest of those concerned, even for 

 the landlord, that such Itirms were instantly sub- 

 set, then to reinain under the feeble management 

 j and imperlect husbandry geni^rally exercised. 

 i Dec. 30. — Mr. Jamieson is now quite well, and 

 i has resumed his superintendence as formerly. I 

 I can assure you, that the resumption afibrds every 

 j one ol us much happiness, on more accounts than 

 i one, because, during his confinement, we felt an 

 1 anxiety not to be coveted. We have got thanks 

 ! Irom liim for our attentive management, as he was 

 I pleased to characterize it; and what some people 

 j would consider as cf more value, a guinea a piece 



I to buy a new hat, as a compensaiion for extra 

 ' trouble. 1 have intimated lo him your desire that 



I I should return home at Candlemass, which he 

 j kindly acquiesced in; and am vain enough to tbiiik 



myselfnow qualified, either to give you material 

 I help, or to take charge of a farm, should such be 

 ' procured on my own account. 

 j The land intended for turnips and beans, next 

 season, is now all ploughed over, and Elliot is pro- 

 ceeding with what is meant lor summer ftillow; 

 though, in my sigh?, this field does not stand great- 

 I ly in need of that operation. It is better, however, 

 J to Aec/j clean than make clean; therefore, as the 

 j field has run its course, a summer dressing must 

 : be highly beneficial. Mr. Jamieson has repeated- 

 I ly said to me, fhat in no way whatever can the 

 same benefit be received from manure, as when 

 applied to a summer fi^llow, because the pores of 

 the earth are then open, and duly prepared lor re- 

 eiviiig a supply of nourishmen'.; whereas, when 

 laid Up.on grass or unploiighed land, and turned in 

 vviih a whole furrow, the ground is only paitially 

 impregnated by the manure. I think this accords 

 wiih reason, — therefore felt surprise when I learn- 

 ed, that there is a set of agriculturists who decry 

 suimner liillow, as an unnecessary and uselesis 

 practice. 



We liave got abour two hundred cartloads of 

 turnips home to the stack-yard, where they are 

 built in a long slack, with an arched roofj and well 

 covered in, for resisting the weaiher. The tops 

 and tails were all cut away, and given to the win- 

 tering stock. I suppose the turnips thus broiiirht 

 home may answer lor twenty days food; therefore, 

 as snow storms are rarely of loiiirer duration, little 

 inconvenience can be sustained from hard weaiher. 

 Besides, we have a large houseful of yam pota- 

 toes, which will make uji lor any afier deficiency. 



1 mentioned before, that the bean straw is tied . 

 in bunches by a part of my squad, and lately had 

 the curiosity to ascertain what quantitty of ground 

 was required to furnish straw, lor one day, to ifie 

 workmg stock, and the quantity of grain yielded 

 from the straw of one day's consumption. I first 

 inquired at Fairbairn, about the number of acres 

 on which the conients of each stack were raised; 

 and finding, on an average, that the bean stacks 

 contained the produce of seven acres each, I kept 

 an exact account of the bunches of straw; and the 

 result was, that six hundred bunches, of one stone 

 and a hallj of 22 lib. avoirdupois each, were in 

 the stack. Now, as 1 learned afterwards that the 

 quantity of grain amounted to 63 bolls, of4 bushels 

 each, which vvas at the rate of nine bolls, or thirty 

 six bushels per acre, and as the working slock (3t) 

 j)lough horses, and 4 old ones for driving turnips,) 

 require GO bunches per day. it appears, that a stack 



