No. 8. 



James Gowen on Improved Farming. 



253 



would appear from the amount of premiums; 

 yet as free course is given for every one to 

 exhibit the product of his iiigennity, the 

 Li;rcatest advantage has been gained to the 

 community, that exhibitions of tlie kind are 

 susceptible of. 



It must have been gratifying to the com- 

 mittee having the implements in charge, to 

 observe the great interest manifested in al- 

 most every improved implement, by the real 

 farmers of the country. To convince every 

 one that some change in the cattle depart- 

 ment is requisite, it is only necessary to re- 

 mark how much greater the interest, and 

 how much larger the attendance at the trial 

 of ploughs, by persons engaged in farming, 

 than at any display of Durham cattle the 

 country can produce. I. U. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 James Gowen on Improved Farming. 



Mr. Editor, — Through a sense of justice, 

 as well as in defence of the improved system 

 of agriculture which for years I have labour- 

 ed hard to establish,! am compelled to notice 

 the second edition of the remarks of H. S. 

 in the last No. of the Cabinet, growing out 

 of my communication to General Richard- 

 son. 



While, however, paying my respects to 

 your correspondent, I must confess that I am 

 at a loss as to placing him in his proper pO' 

 sition; sometimes I am inclined to class 

 liim among those anonymous writers whose 

 shrewdness in screening themselves from 

 the obloquy that would attach to them person- 

 ally were they known, is prima facia evi- 

 dence of a design to do mischief Such 

 persons are ever ready to depreciate the ex- 

 cellence which they cannot appropriate to 

 themselves, and for the attainment of v. hich 

 they will take no pains nor make one bold 

 or spirited effort — they take to the unenvi- 

 able plan of decrying the practice or the 

 virtues that lift other men so far above the 

 narrow and selfish sphere in which they lie 

 bound, under the chain of corroding envy or 

 blighting prejudice; literally carrying out 

 the policy of not only refusing to do them- 

 selves, but of denying to others "the luxury 

 of doing good." These remarks may not 

 apply to FI. S., and in the spirit of a liberal 

 charity I hope they do not; but it requires 

 more I think than a common stock of that 

 virtue, which in its perfection " hopeth all 

 things," to exempt him fully from being 

 somewhat obnoxious to the charge; else why 

 does he make issues unwarranted by facts or 

 circumstances, but for the purpose of bring- 



ing my practice into disrepute, and placing 

 me in a false position before your readers'^? 

 Here is a sample. lie says, "my assertion 

 is, that it is unprofitable for the farmer of 

 Pennsylvania, east of the Alleghany moun- 

 tains, to raise cattle to any extent. Mr. 

 Gowen says I stand singularly alone in this 

 view." I never said such a thing; for I 

 well knew that most of the graziers and 

 farmers purchased their stocks from the 

 drovers — it was against this general practice 

 that I undertook to recommend to some farm- 

 ers, under certain circumstances, to provide 

 themselves with a thorough-bred Durham 

 bull, and breed for themselves. Mow then 

 could I have said H. S. was singular in his 

 assertion, if he made it, when I not only 

 knew that the practice was common — gene- 

 ral, but zorote against it, taking exceptions 

 to its expediency and soundness? What I 

 said Mr. H. S. was singular in, was, and I 

 am free to repeat it, his diliering with my 

 views or advice on farming, as communi- 

 cated to General Richardson. What I said 

 was this, and every reader of the Cabinet 

 can see for himself, and judge of the appli- 

 cation H. S. makes of it. "I flatter myself 

 H. S. stands singularly alone in the view he 

 has taken, for I never wrote or advanced 

 any thing during my agricultural career that 

 seems to have met with such general favour 

 from all quarters, as that communication." 



In keeping with H. S.'s carelessness, is 

 his advocacy of bestowing care on cattle, as 

 though I had recommended a different prac- 

 tice ; when, as may be seen, in my commu- 

 nication to the General, I spoke in terms of 

 unqualified censure of neglecting the cattle, 

 thus: "It appeared strange to me, as passing 

 through some farming districts, to see such 

 devotedness to raising grain, to the almost 

 utter neglect of cattle; as far as the eye 

 could reach from the road, nothing could be 

 seen but grain, with here and there a corn- 

 field, while a few stunted cattle and sheep 

 might be seen running along the road-sides 

 excluded from the fields, till they and the 

 swine should have a harvest feast in the 

 stubble." That I should by implication be 

 placed in the category of those who abandon 

 the cattle to ".straw and the winter winds," 

 is somewhat amusing, if not provoking. 



But I could forgive H. S. all his blunder- 

 ing or prejudice, under whichever of these 

 heads his criticisms on my practice may be 

 classed, had he abstained from giving the 

 one-sided view he did of the business on my 

 farm. What had the expenditures on my 

 place to do with the subject matter that 

 claimed his animadversion.s, viz: "the rais- 

 ing of cattle and grain," as practised among 



