AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



^ 



eUBLISIlKI) ItY JOSEPH BRKCK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STUEET, (A^i^icultural Wabehouse.) 



VOL. XV I- 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1838. 



NO. 26. 



^l&^'^J^W^J^lSc 



(I'or the New Eiiglami Farmer.) 



THOMAS GREEN FESSENDEN. 



Wk deoiii the cornmenccniciit of tlio yeai' " 

 oper season to peiforiii a duty of pratitii<le and 

 5[>ect to the niernoiy of a drparti'd friund ; to 

 eminent public man; a tnan eminent for ijis 

 tegrity, talcnt.-j, pulilic spirit, and nsefuhiess ; — 

 linent as the Faniur's friend ; and as havinf; 

 ntribiited as mucli as any man, and much more 

 in many, who have heen engaged in the same 

 jse, to the iin|)rovement of the iiiishandry of 

 w Enghmd. No one can he at a h).>js «s to 

 lom we refer. We mean Thomas GitF.F,.\ Fes- 

 «DEN, Editor of tile New England Farmer from 

 commencement, until the fire.s of tlie minri 

 re extinguished, and the pen which had so of- 

 instructed, amused, and delighted us, dropped 

 m the liand palsied l)y death. Tliis liappejied 

 the evening of the lllh Nov., 1837. Wlicre 

 life has heen lon:r and steadily devoted to use- 

 purposes, the character marke 1 hy an exem- 

 ry uprightness; and the mind so eminent for 

 wisdom end prudence, that the termination of 

 cannot hut have been a 'familiar subject of 

 templalion, we should not complain of the sud- 

 iiiess of the summons. A good man is never 

 re ready for death, tlian when occupied in the 

 ies of an honest and i;s(;fiil vscation ; ami there 

 easoM for gratitude, that, when the best purpo- 

 of life are accom|dished, we are spared tlio 

 V decays of age ; the graclual weakening and 

 pse of the miml ; or the pains of a linyerint' 

 ase. " [,et me die the death of the righteous ; 

 let my last end be like his;" beyond this, we 

 rl have no solicitude. Let the time and man- 

 rest wholly with that Heing to whom they 

 jerly belong; and whose wisdom and mercy 

 not fail to determine the best time and the 

 manner. 



i.s due to the cause of public usefulness and 

 rovement, that the character and life of our 

 :ased friend shouhl not pass away without 

 e public tribute to his memory ; and, imper- 

 as that junst bo which we design to render, it 

 I have the merit of sober truth ; and it will be 

 )ffering of sincere res|)ect. We shall alhule 

 le few incidents of his life which are known 

 i ; and notice his labors, and tlje prominent 

 i of his character. 



homas G. Fessenden, was the eldest of nine 

 Iren of the Uev. Thomas Fessenden, of Wal- 

 New Hum|]shire. He was born 22d April, 

 ; and trained in the quiet, frugal and simple 

 s of retired and rural life. These habits, so 

 gly established in childhood, followed him 

 igh life ; and, united v\ith uncommon indus- 

 vere the foundations of that comfortable in- 

 idence, to which, with very moderate means 

 id gradually risen ; an independence of a few 

 reds, better, infinitely better, than the heaped 

 cumulations of those, who, without a single 



effort of wholesome industry, without any of the 

 honest savings of an honorable frugality, hy tricks, 

 sjiecuhitions, and gambling, boast of their hundreds 

 of thousands. His was thi' honest increase of per- 

 severing labor ; the daily carrying of single grains 

 to the heap ; and the Christian gathering up of 

 the fragments, that nothing mitht be lost. 



Mr Fessenden was favored with the arlvantnges 

 of a liberal education, and was graduated i.t Dart- 

 moulh Collesre, in 1796. It is the just boast of 

 this institution, that with comparatively fi-w ad- 

 vantages, it has ti-ained to distinguished honor and 

 usefulness, some of the finest minds whi<-h have 

 adorned the various departments of professional 

 life in onr country. It has been the gooil fortune 

 of this institution, at least in earlier times, that its 

 pupils have generally been poor; and dependent 

 upon their own exertions, and character for sup- 

 ()ort and success in life. This circumstance has 

 made them value their advantages the more high- 

 ly ; and has not been without a most favorable 

 inlluenc.e upon their conduct and application. Mr 

 Fesseiulen was the son of a ))oor Clergyman, and 

 was imdoubtedly compelled to do much for him- 

 self, or as is often said in sea-phrase, 'to work his 

 own passage-,' and in this necessity of exertion 

 and self-depcn(hince, is conmionly laid the fijun- 

 dation of eminence and success. Alter leaving 

 college, he commsnced the study of the law at 

 Rutland, in Vermont ; and, at the completion of 

 his studies, etigaged in parinership in the practice 

 with his master, Nath'l Chapman, Esq. 



In the spring of the year 1801, he went to Lon- 

 don, where he remained three years ; and then, 

 at the earnest solicitation of lii.s friehds, returned 

 to his native country. After he returned, he re- 

 sided at New York and Philadelphia, engaged in 

 literary labor. From thcMice lie removed to Bra'- 

 tleboro' and Bellows Falls; and frotn thence, fif- 

 teen years since, he rejiioved to Boston, where he 

 was mainly occupied in the editing of the New 

 England F.irmer, and other agricultural works, in 

 exciting agricultural inquiry, and promoting good 

 Husbandry and Domestic Economy. He imblish- 

 ed, while ill London, a Hiiilihrastic Poem, of a 

 political and satirical character, entitled "Terrible 

 Tractoration," which excited considerable atten- 

 tion for its genuine caustic liumor, and of which 

 a revised edition was published hy the author 

 about a year since. Its title alluded particularly 

 to the ingenious quackery of Perkins' Metallic 

 Tractors, whicli were at that time in high favor ; 

 and by which the most extraordinary cures were 

 represented as having been [lerformed. He publish- 

 ed likewise, a volume of origind poems, about the 

 same time. While in New York, he puldished a 

 weekly paper, of a political and literary character, 

 called the "Weekly /iisjiector ;" and likewise a 

 book, entitled "The Uegister of Arts." About the 

 same lime, he gave to the public a humorous work 

 entitled "Pills, poetical, politcal and philosophical, 

 by Peter Pepper-box, Esq ;" and also "Democ.-a- 

 cy Unveiled." Afterwards he published one vol- 

 ume of the " Brattleboro' Reporter," a weekly 



Newspaper, printed at Brattleboro' ; and five vol- 

 umes of the "Bellows Falls Intelligencer," print- 

 ed at Bellows Falls. Here likewise he published 

 "The Clerk's Compai.ioii," a book of law forms; 

 and an enlarged edition of the " Law of Patents.'' 

 About this lime, he edited, with much judgment, 

 Deane's New England Farmer, a well known and 

 valuable diclionary of Agriculture; and a small 

 and useful book on Domestic Economy, called 

 " I'he Husbandman and Housewife ;" and another 

 work, which has never (alien in our way, entitled 

 the " Lady's Monitor." His pndific pen during 

 this time was pouring out continually, New Year's 

 Poetical Addresses, Fourth of July Odes, Epi- 

 taphs, Songs, Sketches, Almanacs, &c. He like- 

 wise edited fifteen voluuies of the New England 

 Farmer; and published his Complete Farmer,and 

 his American Gardener; besides editing, in con- 

 junction with able coadjutors, the " llorticullural 

 Register," and " Silk Manual." 



We shall not undertake to give any detailed ac- 

 count of his various publications. Tliey bespeak 

 most certainly extraordinary industry ; indeed, it 

 was his habit, for many years, to allow himself 

 onl/ eight hours out of the twenty-four, for his 

 meals, sleep, and recreation. His works, with the 

 exception of those of a lighter kind, which were 

 remarkable for their racinessand humor, and their 

 severity of jiolitical satire, were mainly works of 

 practical utility. To his honor, the honor of his 

 benevoicnceand his judgment in properly estima- 

 ting his talents, usefulness formed the prominent 

 object of his lal ors. The manner in which he 

 conducted the New England Farmer, was highly 

 creditable ; and received the most substantial ap- 

 plause in the liberal and intelligent patronage, 

 which has been awarded to it. 



His youth passed amidst rural scenes, and oc- 

 cupied in rural labors, made him acquainted with 

 llie general praciiital details of husbandry ; and 

 his inquisitive and observing turn of mind, sup- 

 plied to a degree, those obvious deficiencies, aris- 

 [ iug from a want of familiariry and skill in all its 

 various operations and labors. He was a devoted 

 lover of truth ; and this kept him always from any 

 intentional or careless misstatement of facts ; and 

 he was a man of extraordinary impartiality and 

 candor ; anxious to search for the best authorities 

 on every subject subiiiilled to him ; careful to ex- 

 ercise no undue bias over the mind of his readers, 

 and ordinarily leaving them, on a survey of the 

 whole case, to come fairly to their own conclusions. 

 This is usually termed, hy ^vay of derision, the 

 non-commitlul policy; but most certainly with an 

 individual not thoroughly and experimentally con- 

 versant with the practical features of the case, it 

 was the course of wisdom and duty. In many 

 matters, especially where an absolute and peremp- 

 tory decision, not based upon actual experience, 

 might lead to serious mistakes, it would not be 

 expected of him liiat he should assume the ulti- 

 mate responsibility. The course he look excited 

 curiosity and investigation ; and put the inquirers 

 in the itirect road of obtainiiiir for themselves the 



