NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



183 



practised what they preached," and on whose 

 teachings we may rely with undouhting confidence. 

 The books arc printed and bound in the neatest 

 manner, illustrated by numerous engravings. And 

 what is still more valuable, both are accompanied 

 by correct and comprehensive indices. You are 

 not obliged to waste time in hunting through the 

 volume for a particular subject, but turn to it at 

 once on looking at the index. 



We find pleasure in speaking of these works, and 

 in calling attention to the agricultural publica- 

 tions of Mr. Saxton. It is doubtful whether any 

 publisher of agricultural books will find an imme- 

 diate return of his outlay — and as the books are 

 really what are needed, we look upon him some- 

 what as a public benefactor. We have examined 

 his works which relate to the farm with interest 

 and care, and do not think of one but has the stamp 

 of sterling merit. A multiplication of these 

 works will multiply the profits of the farm and 

 garden. 



Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in 

 England : By F. L. Olmstead, a Farmer of Long 

 Island, N. Y — This is one of Putnam's Semi-Month- 

 ly publications for travellers and the fireside, and 

 an admirable book it is. Mr. Olmstead, with a 

 brother and a friend, strapt on their knapsacks and 

 took a ramble of several months among the far- 

 mers of England, saw the cottagers in their rural 

 homes, conversed with them, and their wives and 

 children, ate at their tables, and slept in their 

 thatch-covered attics. There is no grumbling or 

 fault-finding in the book. The writer found hos- 

 pitality and friends everywhere, or if he did not, 

 he has had the good sense not to mar his interesting 

 pages with dolorous complaints. The book is writ- 

 ten without the slightest effort to appear learned, 

 in a pleasant, attractive, common sense way, and 

 thus will come home to the heart of every person 

 of common sense who reads it. 



The author has seasoned his rural narrative 

 most judiciously, with brief descriptions of some of 

 the old castles, parks, halls, furniture, &c. It is 

 a delightful book every way ; and this opinion will 

 appear to the reader an honest one, when he is 

 informed that it was purchased with a "quarter" 

 from our own pocket, a part of the profits from a 

 last year's crop of eggs and potatoes ! If we find 

 ourself upon Long Island again, we shall be strong- 

 ly tempted to turn aside and hold a further chat 

 with the good-natured author of Walks and Talks 

 in England. We have only room now for an ex- 

 tract or two. 



It may be proper for me here to record my ob- 

 servation of the general disposition of the English 

 people towards our nation, which I confess I did 

 not find to be exactly what I had anticipated, and 

 which I think must be generally much miscon- 

 ceived in the United States. 



There is a certain class of the English, conserv- 



ative Whigs more than Tories, as I met them, that 

 look upon the United States people as a nation of 

 vulgar, blustering, impertinent, rowdy radicals; 

 very much as a certain set with us look upon the 

 young mechanics and butcher-boys of the town — 

 troublesome, dangerous, and very "low," but who 

 are necessary to put out fires, and whose votes are 

 of value at elections, and whom it therefore pays 

 to make some occasional show of respect to, and it 

 is best to keep on civil terms with. A considera- 

 ble number of snobbish, pretending, awkwardly 

 positioned, sub-aristocratic, super-sensihle people, 

 that swear by the Times, and have taken their cue 

 from Trollope, follow in their wake. But the great 

 mass of the educated classes regard us very differ- 

 ently ; not with unqualified respect and unalloyed 

 admiration, but much as we of the Atlantic States 

 regard California — a wild, dare-devil, younger 

 brother, with some most dangerous and reprehen- 

 sible habits, and some most noble qualities, a cap- 

 ital fellow, in fact, if he would but have done sow- 

 ing his wild oats. 



# # # # * 



Altogether, considering the exceedingly queer 

 company English travellers seem usually to keep 

 when in the United States, and the atrocious car- 

 icatures in which, with few exceptions, they have 

 represented our manners and customs to their coun- 

 trymen, 1 was surprised at the general respect and 

 the degree of correct appreciation of us that I com- 

 monly found. There is no country not covered by 

 a British flag in the world, that the British of 1850 

 have anything like the degree of sympathy with, 

 and affection for, that they have for the United 

 States. 



The Cottage and Farm Bee-Keefer. By a Coun- 

 try Curate. Saxton, N. Y. — This is an admirable 

 book every way — text, illustrations, paper, type 

 ana binding. Those who desire information on 

 the subject had better obtain it. It is sold, beau- 

 tiful as it is, at the low price of fifty cents. We 

 have marked passages to transfer to our columns, 

 and shall allude to it again. 



"An Essay on Manures," and "The Elements 

 of Agriculture," two small books in pamphlet 

 form, both prepared with great care and printed 

 handsomely, are also issued by Saxton. Sold at 

 25 cents each ; so cheap that they may be pur- 

 chased by all, and will prove of great service to 

 those who are seeking a better course of cultiva- 

 tion. 



LARGE CORN FIELDS. 



A statement is published in some of the Ohio 

 papers that J. Davis, of Ross county, in that State, 

 cultivates 1800 acres of Indian corn, and that he 

 has this winter, "a corn crib filled, which is three 

 miles long, ten feet high and six feet wide !" 



The corn crib part of the above story is pretty 

 tough, but in the number of acres cultivated Mr. 

 Davis is beaten by a farmer in North Carolina, 

 who cultivates 3500 acres of land, and makes an 

 average annual crop of corn, (unless in bad sea- 

 sons, or loss by flood or accident,) of one hundred 

 and fifty thousand bushels! The Plow, a new 

 agricultural monthly, published in New York, 

 vouches for the truth of the above statement, and 



