QL\]C Jarmcv's ilTontl)ln lliaitor. 



67 



we are often told, has been of more service to a 

 subscriber tlinn the cost of a year's stibscription 

 — jet we have many ianclliolflers who give not 

 the least encoiirageineMt to an agricultnral paper I 

 They hft not a finger to circulate facts, experi- 

 ence, knowledge of hnshahdry ; though they are 

 sensilile of their own deficiencies. 



There is one class of landholders which the 

 irorld will never cease to admire. They make 

 themselves familiar with the contents of these 

 papers yet contribute nothing for their support. 

 They persuade hired men to take them, or they 

 liorrowof neighljors — then they are heard to say 

 they can manage their farms as well as those who 

 subscritie. We hope, for the honor of the pro- 

 fession, they are but few of this class. — Mass. 

 Plotighma)!. 



For the Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 

 Blinders for Horses ajain. 



I also concur in the views contained in the 

 former Visitor upon the wisdom of dispensing 

 with blinds for horses. It is also recommended 

 by considerations of economy, as the plain bridle 

 will cost less, and will answer the double purpose 

 for harness and saddle. All horse dealers of ex- 

 perience know that dark stables are apt to make 

 horses shy and take fright, and it is cominon to 

 man as well ns animals to have most fear in the 

 dark; and apprehension generally outruns the 

 reality in danger. 



In Spain, where bull fights are a national diver- 

 sion, these animals are always previously kept 

 for some time in a dark place, which renders 

 them fierce and malicic.is; which would not be 

 the case to so great a degree if kept in the light. 



But we have to encounter fashion and long 

 usage ; and the former beyond all question the 

 most formidable of the two. If this was an af- 

 fair which was in the hands of the French milli- 

 ners, and they woidd but set the example, we 

 should see how quickly it would travel from me- 

 tropolis 10 metropolis, city, town and country. 

 Of all the moiiarchs of the earth fashion holds 

 the first and foremost rank, defying the power 

 of despotism itself. 



Like many other fiishions familiarity atone 

 could recommend its continuance; for a bridle 

 without blinds has the better appearance, and is 

 also better for the preservation of the vision of 

 the horse. There can be no doubt that to cover 

 the eyes closely and constantly, they woidd be 

 greatly injmed or destroyed, and every approach 

 short of that, has no doubt its influence. A free 

 and unobstructed communication with the air 

 and light is beneficial. Let us try it, and if 

 we find no disadvantage we will probably discov- 

 er the reverse. SVLVANUS. 



From Allison's History of Europe. 

 Napoleon. 

 When despatches overtook the Emperor, as 

 they often did, on the road, Duroc or Caulain- 

 court, who rode at the side of the carriage, re- 

 ceived and opened the bag, and presented the 

 letters to the Emperor without stopping. Di- 

 rectly a nmuber of envelopes were seen tailing 

 from the windows of the imperial carriage, and 

 it was evident from the rate at which they were 

 tossed over, that the letters were devoured with 

 the rapidity of lightning. The useless despatch- 

 es and covers were cut to pieces and thrown out 

 in the same way : often in such quantities, as to 

 strew the track of the wheels with little frag- 

 ments, which, tiodden under by horses or crush- 

 ed imder the wheels of the succeeding carriages, 

 made a while li.ne along the road. Napoleon 

 generally cut these despatches to pieces with his 

 own hands, or if not so em|)loycd, worked inces- 

 santly with the window sash or carriage door; 

 he coidd not remain a moment at rest. If there 

 were no despatches or morning statements to 

 read, he had recourse to the Paris join-nalsorthe 

 last publication of the day, with which the draw- 

 ers of the carriage were always stored ; but they 

 generally shared the fate of the imirnportant des"- 

 patches, being thrown out of the windows sifter 

 a few pages had been cut up. In such numbers 

 were these discarded literary novelties thus toss- 

 ed overboard, that the officers of the suit gener- 

 *ally contrived to collect no inconsiderable stores 

 of diveiting trifles by picking them up on the 

 traces of the carriagt. The emperor was insati- 

 able for something new, and opened with avidity 



every fresh publication ; hut his taste was for 

 solid and well informed writings, not amusing 

 trifles; and he had an incredible tact in discover- 

 ing from a few pages whether there wasanything 

 worth reading in Uie book, so that, in his hands, 

 the ephemeral literature of the day disappeared 

 almost as fast as it was introduced. 



The ante-chnmher of Napoleon during a cam- 

 paign—whether in his tent, in his field, or in the 

 apartment of farm-houses, or even cottages, 

 which were dignified for the titne with the aj)pel- 

 Intion of "the palace"— presented the most ex- 

 traordinary spectacle. No one could form an 

 idea of the fiitigiie there undergone by the whole 

 attendants, from the grand 'squire, Cualaincourt, 

 to the lowest valets. Duroc and he were them- 

 selves indefatigable, and by unwearied exertion 

 and extraordinary activity, had introduced the ut- 

 most degree of regularity into the imperial 

 household ; but it was no easy matter for the 

 strength of any others in attendance to stand the 

 rigorous services which were exacted. Persons 

 of illustrious birth or the highest rank— such as 

 Naabonne or Cualaincourt, were obliged to wait 

 here night after night, sleeping on straw or 

 stretched out on chairs, ready at any moment to 

 he called in by the emperor. 



Frequently he aroused his attendants eight or 

 ten times in the night when despatches requiring 

 instant exertion were received. All who were 

 there on service slept habitually on straw, wrapt 

 np in their cloaks, ready at a moment's warning, 

 either to mount on horseback and ride twenty or 

 thirty miles without hailing, or to take their turn, 

 tJie moment the emperor's voice was heard, in 

 the no less fatiguing duty of answeiing his des- 

 patches, or writing to his dictation. So crowded 

 was his ante-chamber in general with attendance, 

 that it was not inaptly compared, by those iidiab- 

 itingit, to the inside of the wooden horse of 

 Troy. The fitithful Rustan, whom he had brought 

 from Egypt, usually slept near the door; he 

 dressed and undressed the emperor; and when 

 he rode out, was constantly on hand to bring the 

 telescope, or provide the cloaks and umbrellas 

 which nfight be required for protection from the 

 weather. 



The true sense of Napoleon's glory, and the 

 most characteristic of the ruling i)assions of his 

 mind, was in his cabinet. This apartment was 

 never wanting even in the worst accommodation ; 

 the ingenuity of his attendanis, supplied every 

 defect ; and, if no room could be got, his tent 

 was always on hand, which was arranged, for the 

 purpose, in the middle of the squares of the Old 

 Guar<l. Although this important department 

 was overloaded with maps, and military state- 

 ment.«, and despatches, the most remarkable and 

 titiiform regularity was observed in ils arrange- 

 ment; and it was managed, that though the em- 

 peror so often moved his head quarters, every 

 thing was in the same [)lace one day with anoth- 

 er. In the middle stood a large table, on which 

 was extended the best map of the theatre of 

 war; and on it were stuck pins, with heads of 

 difl>!rcnt colors, representing his own and his 

 hostile columns. It was the duty of the director 

 of the topographic bureau to have the map with 

 these pins laid down the moment that head quar- 

 ters arrived at any place, and almost always the 

 first thing which Napoleon did was to call tor the 

 map when he arrived, for he held to it more 

 strongly than any other want of his existence. 

 During the whole night the map was surrounded 

 by twenty or thirty wax candles constantly burn- 

 ing, and a fine compass stood in the middle of 

 them. So frequently did the emperor call for 

 the ma|) when out on horseback, that Caulaincourt 

 had a portable one, which he kept constantly tied 

 on his button across his breast; and he was often 

 required to unfold it ten or twelve times in the 

 course of a forenoon. 



At the corners of the cabinet were four lesser 

 tables, at which the secretaries of Napoleon were 

 engaged in writing; and sometimes Napoleon 

 himself and the chief of the topographic deparl- 

 nicnt, were to be seen there likewise. The em- 

 peror usually dictated walking about in his green 

 surtout and grey boots, with his hat upon his 

 head precisely as he was interred at St. Helena. 



As his ideas flowed with extraordinary rapidity, 

 and as he spoke as rapidly as he thought, it was 

 no easy matter for his secretaries to keep pace 

 with his elocution. To facilitate the expression, 

 a certain number of hieroglyphic symbols were 



established by him to signify certain things ; and 

 they were not a little curious, as aflbrding an in- 

 dex of the light in which these things were re- 

 garded by him. Thus the tail of the dragon sig- 

 nifies the French army; a whip, the corps of 

 Davoust ; a thorn, the British empire ; a sponge, 

 the commercial towns. It was the duty of the 

 secretaries afterwards to decipher this chaos, and 

 extend it in proper sentences. Hut the emperor 

 had a singular facility in iriaking it out, as the 

 symbols had been established by himself. Often 

 there were despatches to which answers were to 

 be dictated at the same time — one from Spain 

 and another from a distant quarter of Germany ; 

 but the complication and a variety of objects to 

 Ije considered, made no confusion, on such occa- 

 sions, in the steadiness of his mental gaze. The 

 moment that a despatch was read, and its bearer 

 questioned, an answer to it was commenced ; and 

 not unfrequently, while the secretary in one cor- 

 ner was making out orders of the most important 

 kind for the war in Spain, the other that sat in 

 another was drawing a diplomatic note; a third 

 busy with the orders of twenty brigades ; and 

 the fourth with an A. B. C. for the king of Rome. 

 Nothing could exceed the distinctness with which 

 the threads of all these varied subjects were pre- 

 served in his mind, and although the orders which 

 he gave for the direction of the different opera- 

 tions were often unfortunate or erroneous, from 

 the impetuosity of his mind leading him to de- 

 cide without sufficient information, and their ef- 

 fect was still more frequently marred by the neg- 

 lect or incapacity of inferior functionaries; yet 

 they were always founded on an able and lucid 

 conception on his part; and the very errors they 

 contained, which sometimes were of the most 

 serious kind, generally arose from the intensity 

 of that conception, rendering him blind to the 

 opposite set of considerations. 



For the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 The Cnltivatien of Hemp. 



The growth of hemp to the extent of our 

 wants for the variou.^ uses to which that article 

 is applied, is not only interesting to the farmer, 

 but is of great national iin])ortance. It has from 

 time to time attracted the earnest attention of 

 the National Government, and a disposition has 

 been as constantly maniiested to encourage its 

 growth and manufacture, so far as its use was 

 required, for national purposes. In the inquiries 

 maile, no doubt was ever entertained that the 

 soil and climate of almost any part of the coun- 

 try are genial to the growth of this article ; and 

 the proofs adduced have gone fin ther, and show 

 iti the most satisfactory manner, that American 

 grown hemp is not only equal, but superior to 

 any other kind known. How, then, does it hap- 

 pen, if this fact is so, that little or none is used 

 in our national, or mercantile marines in the 

 manufacture of cordage ? This is so; for the 

 annual consumption of about seven hundred 

 tons for the United States navy, and a far greater 

 quantity for the cordage of the merchant ser- 

 vice, is principally Ru.ssian hem|). The gratify- 

 ing fact of the excellence of our liemp when 

 well prepared, is also attested by others, showing 

 that we are in the fair road for general improve- 

 ment, and that in a few years we will be able 

 not only to supply our own demands, but that 

 we may become the successful competitors with 

 Russia in other loreigu markets. 



A few years since, all uxiv hemp was dew- 

 rotted, when the article was comparatively very 

 inferior to what it now is; since which, in the 

 hemp growing Stales of Kentucky and Missouri, 

 the process of water-rotiiiic has been [iretty gen- 

 erally introduced, and the impiovemeiit of its 

 quality has greatly advanced, and is still advanc- 

 ing. The samples, small in quaiiiily, prcpaied 

 from the water-rotted hemp, have enabled those 

 experienced and competent judges to pronounce 

 our hemp, as already staleil, siqicrior to any other. 

 When the process of sowing ami rotting in the 

 best manner shall be generally adopted (and 

 from the aptitude of our people, and their Intel- 

 ligence, that tiuK^ cannot be distant,) we shall 

 doubtless supply our own wants, and rely no 

 longer upon a distaiii people for so essential an 

 article. 



Hemp of a suitable quality is the best material 

 for sail duck, especially in heavy ships of war, 

 and although of late, cotton enters largely into 

 competition with it, there can be little doubt that 



