NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



August 29, 1832, 



Miscellany 



RETROSPECTION. 



'T is sweet in seclusion to look on the past, 



In life's sober twilight recall the day dream. 

 To mark the smooth sunshine and sky overcast 



That checker'd our course as we moved down the 

 stream. 

 For oh, there 's a charm in retracing the morn 

 . When the star of our pleasure beam'd brightly awhile, 

 And the tear that in infancy water'd the thorO, 



, By the maf;ic of memory is changed to a smile. 

 How faint is the touch no perspective bestowing, 



Nor scenery in nature's true colors array'd— 

 How chaste is the landscape, how vividly glowing, 



Where the warm tint of fancy is raellow'd by shade I 

 With cheerfulness then, Retrospection, I'll greet thee, 



Though the night-shade be twined in thy bouquet of 

 sweets, 

 In the eve of reflection this bosom will meet thee, 



While to the dear vision of childhood it beats. 

 And the heart that in confidence seeks its review, 



And finds the calm impress of innocence there. 

 With rapture anticipates happiness new, 



In hope yet to come possesses a share. 



If in world's beatific affections unite, 



And those once dissever'd are blended in. love — 



If dreams of the past quicken present delisht. 

 Retrospection adds bliss to the spotless above. 



oxen went straight and fearless over the pitch of 

 the hill, and it seemed as if they must be crushed 

 to death. The animals squatted like a dog, and 

 rather slid, than vralked to the bottom of the hill. 

 Have we any animals that could have done it ? 

 And if they could, have we any docile enough to 

 have done it with the driver in the cart ? Thus 

 superior is this mode of yoking in holding back 

 the load in difficult places. 



It gives them still more decisive advantage, in 

 drawing. A fillet of canvas is laid on the front 

 below the horns; and over this fillet the cords 

 pass, and the animal presses against the most in- 

 vulnerable part of his frame ; his head, his neck, 

 his whole frame are exerted iu the very manner 

 in which he exerts his mighty strength in combat. 

 It is the natural way, therefore, of availing your- 

 self of this powerful and patient animal to thetwst 

 advantage. ' 



There is a third peculiarity, in managing the 

 ox in the Spanish mode, of the convenience of 

 which, I am better satisfied, than of the humanity.] 

 The cartilage between the nostrils is perforated, 

 and a rope is fastened to the nose of each animal, 

 and they are governed by the reins, like horses, 

 and are stopped, or turned to the right or left, or 

 forced backward, with all imaginable ease; I have 

 seen no animal so fierce or sullen, as not to be 

 pliable as a lamb, by this check rein. The dri- 

 vers seldom speak to them ; they intimate their 

 pleasure by the rein, and fpiickcn their pace by 

 the goad, but never strike them. They, in gener- 

 al, move quick ; I have often seen them on the 

 trot; and next to hor.ses, they seem the best dis- 

 CUBA OXEN. j ciplined animals 1 liave seen in the service of man. 



In this country, the oxen are not large, com- If the force of habit and prejudice could so far give 



.Inecclole of Race Hurses. — In the summer of 

 1^31, while Capt. T. and Lieut. R. of the II. S. 

 Army were engaged on a survey at Canton near 

 Baltimore, they had frequently noticed Bachelor 

 and Jumping Jenny, at ijasture in the field of old 

 Canton course. One day after playing some time, 

 the two horses were observed to walk sp leisure- 

 ly, side by side, to the judges' stand, where they 

 stood for a moment iind then started and ran two 

 rounds out regularly. After the heat, they play- 

 c<l together for a few moments when they again 

 walked up, side by side, stood at the judges' stand 

 as iu the first heat, and again started, and ran an- 

 other heat of two rounds. 



Speaking of the dogs which infest Philadelphia, 

 several of which have lately run mad, one of the 

 papers says : " Every component member of the 

 canine tribe should display his nose, with a leath- 

 ern and sanitaiy cord-on. 



pared with those of our own country, but power- - way 

 ful, and tame, and docile, as the Boston truck ' ■ ' ' 

 horses; in fact, they are used in the city for the 

 same purposes, as those excellent animals. You 

 may sometimes sec a mule in a dray or cart, hut 

 usually the trucking of Matanzas is performed by 

 Cuba oxen, 



our country, as to make the experiment, 1 

 think Yankees, with all their shrewdness, might 

 take a valuable lesson from Spaniards. 



In a team of four or six oxen, the forward pair, | Bus'on and^Andover, 

 usually draws by a long cord, with space be- 

 tween them and the rest of the team for another 

 pair. This appears uncouth, and ordinarily is, 1 



them out. They have little to do with chains, 

 but draw by a pole, fixed at each end with ropes, 

 or thongs of leather. — .Ibbott's Letters from Cuba. 



East Indian Superstition. — On our return to 

 camp, I found there a fine specimen of those holy 

 mendicants called fakirs, although, by the by, I 

 apply the epithet of mendicant undeservedly to 



Their harnessing strikes me oddly, but I really think, a disadvantage. The reason given for it, 

 am convinced that they can draw more, and with I belongs to bad roads— that when the rest of the 

 much less inconvenience to themselves, than if I team is swamped, the forward cattle may draw 

 harnessed in the American mode. I have taken 

 pains to observe the difference. In the .American 

 mode, the ox-bow in a strong drauglit, presses 

 with great force, against jiarts that are tender and 

 fleshy, against the passage for the breath, and 

 .ngainst bones and joints of but secondary strength. 

 This pressure must in some measure^iffect the 

 wind ; and if it do not excoriate, it ^^K render 

 flesh and skin tender ; and we actuall^Pfserve the 

 animals after resting awhile, shrinking from the 

 touch of the bow, as a blistered breast from the 

 touch of tlie nurse. If this is a correct staPtiient, 

 it will account for the greater indocility of the 



American oxen, and for, what I believe to he the 



honest fact, their ilrawing less than those of Cuba. 

 The yoke, in the Spanish mode, is made fast 



to the horns near the root behind, so that it does 



not play backward and forward, and gives to the 



oxen a similar, but better chance for backing, (as 



in teamster's phrase it is called ) I have been as- 

 tonished at atja^^iwer of these oxen in holding 



back. There is a short hill, in one of the streets 



of this city, at an angle nearly of 45°. Standing 



at the foot of it, I saw a cart and oxen approach- 

 ing at the top with three hogsheads of molasses, 



and the driver sitting on the forward cask. The 



Jriver did not so muc 



Farm for Sale. 



TO be sold, at private sale, that well known country- 

 seat, formerly owned by Joseph Cordis, Esq. located in 

 South Reading, on the easterly side of" Reading Pond," 

 so called, and adjoining the Forrester farm, now owned 

 liy John Clapp, containing sixty acres of excellent mow- 

 ing, tillage, .ind pasture land, surrounded with a goo>i 

 slnne-wail ; also, a lane, two rods wide, passing tliroujfh 

 ttie centre of the farm, which renders it convenient to go 

 to any part thereof, and is peculiarly advant.i:. oiis, it 

 being fenced with a good wall, into lots aver.);. ;■ : from 

 live to six acres each. 



The buildings on said farm consist of a large two-storv 

 House, about forty feet square, finished throughout, witB 

 f^hi'ds, and every other convenience, including a never- 

 faiting Well of excellent water. 



Also, a Barn, ninety teet long by thirtysix feet wide ; 

 and adjoining said barn, is a large, convenient building 

 for stables, carriage house, chaise house, &.c, with a good 

 well near the same. 



The above buildings arc all in good repair. 



The above larm is well calculated for a country-seat, 

 or public house, as it lies about an equal distance from 

 here a number of stages pass 

 daily, and the public travel is increasing. 



For further particulars inquire of the subscriber on the 

 premises. MOSES SWEETSEK, Jr. 



N. B. Twonlyfive acres of Wood Land can be pur- 

 chased with tlie above farm, if desired. 



South Reading, Aug. 7, 1S32. -It 



White Mulberry Seed. 



THIS day received at the New England Seed Store, 

 No. 5()i North Market Street, Boston, a lot of White 

 MuU)erry Seed, saved the last month expressly for us, 

 from one of the largest white mulberry orchards in (;on- 

 necticut — warranted (nsh and of the very first quality. 



Aug. 1.5. 



Published everv Wednesday Evening, at ^3 per annum, 



an,.,y .n.. «......<=. u. ,.,....„.<• ». , ... payable at the end of the year-- but those who pay with.R 



.ipi '.y '""' 1 , ,1 . 1 1 \ siity da\8 Irom the time of Bubsciibing, are entitled to a 



him, (as I also do most probably the term holy,) (j^j^^ji^^ ;,, gf;^. pg^,^ 



as he woidd not take from me the money I oBir- 

 cd. He was a pitiable object, although he had a 

 handsome, and, iu spite of his downcast eyes, rath- 

 er a roguish countenance. One arm was raised 

 aloft, and having been in that position for twelve 

 years, the power of lowering it was lost ; and it 

 was withered to one fourth of the size of its fel- 

 low, and the nails were nearly two inches long. 

 He was about to undertake a further penance of 

 standing on one leg for twelve more years ; after 

 which he had some thoughts of measuring his 

 length to Cape Camorni ! Poor miserable enthu- 

 siast ! " in hope to merit heaven by making earth 

 a^ell !" — Mufl^lll? Pen and Pene^ Sketches in In- 

 dia/^ 



[To measure his length to any place, means to 



•^ ,, „ , " 111- . ulA-'^usta.Me. — 'Wll.MAKli 



go on all fours, and scrupulously placing at each Ylaliftu: N S — P. J. Hor.i 



0= No paper will be sent to a distance without payment 

 being made in advance. 



ntedfurJ. B. Russell, by I. U. BcTrs--by whom 

 all descriptions of Printing c.nn be executed to meet tti« 

 wishes of customers. Orders for Printing received by J. B. 

 PdssELL, at the Agricultural Warehouse, No. £'2. NorOi 

 Market Street. 



AGEPfTS. 



iVeio York — G. Thorbukh *t Sons, 67 Liberty-street. 

 Albany — Wm. Thorbitkn, 347 Market street. 

 Phiiailflphia — D. & C Lanprkth, 85 Chestnut-streel. 

 Ballimnre — G. B. Smith, Editor of the American Farmer. 

 Cincinnati — S. C. pARKHimsT, 23 Lower Market-street. 

 Flushing. N. V. Wm. Prince& Suns, Prop. Lin.Bot.Gardea 

 Middlehvry, Vt. — Wight Chapman. 

 Hartford— Goodwin & Co. Booksellers. 

 Springfield, Ms. — E.EnwABUs. 

 Neirliinjport. — ErEKEZKR Ste»»ian, Bookseller. 

 Portsmouth. N. H — J. W. Foster. Bookseller. 

 Portland, Me. — Sami'el Colman, Bookseller. 



as leave his ])erch ; the move his toes where his head had been.] 



[.LAND, Esq. 

 Mmitreal, L. C— Hknby Hillock. 



