1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



677 



to the vvoik while it was executinir, I hope a reg- 

 ular braird may be procured, iiotwiihsiandiuif of 

 the unconiiiion dry wealher uhiih lias lately pre- 

 vailed. I niiglit have rufiiiioned, tiiat uvo addi- 

 tional laliDiers were eii^Mired lor hlliiiif'iiie dunir- 

 earis. as one of ni)0\vn was eniplnyed lo iiiaiia;:e 

 the seed- tiiarhine, wiule ilie Dllier was cuiiiiiir 

 grriss, and al other jol'S. The tluau was sjiread 

 by five buys, who, alier ihe -(irsi day, did it very 

 well wilii hght gra|)es, which I got made on. pur- 

 pose lor ihai operaiion. At firsi^they rarher ap- 

 peared to do llie woik iniperleiily ; but npotmlier- 

 iiriT a [jreniium ol half a crown lor the best spread 

 drill, Iheir attention was immediately exeited, and 

 a competition ensued, which alierwards was at- 

 tended with the most beneficial consequences. 



The rata baga and yellow lurnips, sown aliout 

 two weeks ago, have brairded pretty legularly, 

 and ni'jst soon be scrii|)ed bj- ihe Dutch hoe. 

 These were drilled al intervals of two leei, as the 

 plants, not jjruwinir so huge, as common turnips, 

 do not require intervals oi the like size. The 

 summer fallow is now to receive the tiiird I'urrow ; 

 previous to which, I mean to harrow and roll it 

 well. Owing to the severe drought, the ground is 

 very dry, and will require the lieavy stone-roller 

 to reduce it sufficiently. Alter rolling, my inten- 

 tions arc to harrow atrain ; then hand-pick all the 

 quickens, &c. that, may be brouyhi to the surliice ; 

 and these operations being over, ihe ploughs will 

 be entered, and the ground ridged up as expedi- 

 tiously as |)()ssible. 



Jane '60 ih.— Many thanks to you for the shrewd 

 and kind advices ccjutained in your last. You 

 c.iuiion me against kee[)ini;f much company ; al- 

 legiiiiT, justly, that great expense is nut only in- 

 curred' liy such conduct, but that a liirmer's mind 

 is thereliy abstracted from the regular inanaire- 

 nicnt of business. On these matters, my senii- 

 ments are precisely the same with yours. Indeed, 

 1 hav'e often wor.dered at seeing some of my I'riends 

 so eagerly set iqion gi\ ing and receiving visits, as 

 scarcely to have a whole day for the guidance and 

 superintendence of their own aHairs ; and have 

 entertained doubts, whether such persons wore in- 

 fluenced by tlie enjoyments ol' the table, or the 

 pleasures of society, to imitate the higher ranks, 

 who, haviiifj liiile or no real business to occupy 

 their attention, are necessarily influenced to devote 

 the greatest part of their time to the enjoyment of 

 social lilt'. The man of hu!=iness, however, is dil- 

 ferenily circumstanced. With him every moment 

 is [irecious. If hesfiends time in idleness, his pri- 

 vate afiiiirs must suH'er. His income depends, in 

 a great degree, upon his own exertions; and. il 

 these are weak, irregular, or misapplied, his re- 

 sources must proportionally be dried up and les- 

 sened. Let any man reflect, whether, afier spend- 

 ing one-half of the day and a part of the night in 

 company (a custom now too prevalent), a (armer 

 can have the same disposition lor business in the 

 morninur. as if the precediiiir day had been sfiein 

 in following the duties of his |iroft'ssioii, and the 

 right in relreshing his body by rest ami sleep. 

 Surely he cannot ; and, if so, his business must, 

 in one way or other, be thereby injured. Besides, 

 the racket of company is inconsistent with the do- 

 mestic economy of a iiirmer's house. It occasions 

 his family to be neglected ; throws his household 

 afTairs into confusion ; takes his servants out of 

 their proper ephere; adds greatly to his expendi- 



ture ; and, in short, places him in a situation in- 

 consistent with the real welfare and happiness of 

 those eiigaired in the rural prolession. 



AJisiake me not, l)y snpposinir I arn hostile to- 

 social enjoyment ; nor tliiek me so cynicai as to 

 condemn every rrlaxation, as a departure liom ihe 

 rules of renuiarity and business. No jierson likes 

 better to see a fiiw liieiids than I do ; and, short as 

 ilif time is that I iiave keept house, most of my 

 parochial neiyhbois iiave already taken a share of 

 dinner with ine. It is not the moderate enjoy- 

 merit, but ihe iibuse of social pleasures, against 

 which I contend; where visiting is regarded as 

 the chief business ; where eating and drinking is 

 considered as the summuni bonwn — and where the 

 principal care of one day is concerning the dinner 

 ol the next. Surely I am riirht in rejirobating and 

 con(iemiiiiig such [treposterous conduct. Indeed, 

 my sentiments concerning tliese thinjrs were learn- 

 ed at your house. When under your cliarge, I 

 noticed that the pleasures ol' society were not dis- 

 regurdeil, though, to your praise be it said, ihe 

 cup was never emptied to the last dreg. Your en- 

 tertainments were arranged in such a way as not 

 to inierlijre with proli?ssional duties; particularly, 

 I must remark, that, in seed time and harvest, you 

 seldom considered the visits of your friends as a 

 relaxation li-om business. Nay, if I am not mis- 

 taken, 3'ou one day declared, that a ticket, at these 

 [leriods, should be affixed upon every liirmer's 

 irate, containing these words, "No admission 

 here." Accoidinji to your system shall my con- 

 duct be squared. I will see my friends witii plea- 

 sure at convenient periods, and repay their visits 

 in the same way, without considering the business 

 of so much importance as to keep a debtor and 

 creditor account of it. I will constantly endeavor 

 to preserve regular houis ; and, above all, avoid 

 the absurd practice recemly introduced, of dining 

 al the same hour as the ancient Romans supped. 

 Common sense declares early hours to be best for 

 those engaged in the rural proli^ssion. The at- 

 tentive and diligent farmer will rise equally early 

 with liis servants, at least, for a considerable part 

 of the year ;. but early rising and late upsiiting 

 are at uttpf variance. In short, it is my firm re- 

 solution never lo sacrifice the duties of one day lor 

 llie pleasures of another. Having once n-ot into 

 the ri<rht road, perseverance will only be required 

 to preserve me from wandering out of it. At my 

 time of lilt?, sedulity and attention to business 

 ought by no means to be disregarded ; as inatten- 

 tion to these qualities may engender Iiabiis after- 

 wards not easilj' overturned. 



The turnips have not vegetated so regularly as 

 might be wished, 'hough I am inclined to think 

 the plants are sufficiently numerous to make a 

 crop. The ruta batra and yellows are set out, and 

 once horse-hoed. These crops are thriving and 

 reirular; and, beinii the first that I have cultiva- 

 leil on my own account, the siirlit of them afi'oide 

 me ixreat salislaction. 'JMie fallows are all ridged 

 up, and seem tolerably clean. I am now driving 

 lime for one field which does no: seem to have re- 

 ceived calcareous niatief lor many years. I find, 

 that, lor prime cost and carriage, the expense ol' 

 liming will not be less than ten pounds sterling jier 

 Scots acre. 



July 28. — I took your advice, and shut up the 

 grass fields for a month afier my entry to the 

 larntj as they were coiripletely eaten up by the 



