^Q.'n. 



The Grove, 



351 



well got up, might become very popular, and 

 be of great utility to the most useful class of 

 the rising generation. It might consist of 

 dialogues between a father and his son, 013 

 the subjects of Agriculture and Husband- 

 dry; and if the boy be intelligent and the 

 father well instructed in his profession, which 

 would be found to embrace much that is not 

 usually considered as relating to farming in 

 the abstract, I am convinced that the work 

 might be read to profit, by other than mere 

 children. One thing ispretcy certain, in the 

 hands of an acute lad of 12 years of age, ac- 

 .customed " to follow in the fields his daily 

 toil," the P'ather would not enjoy a 

 sinecure. And, to follow up the idea, sup- 

 pose I give you a sort of outline, in the shape 

 of a preface to such a book, for your approval. 

 The title might be, " The Young Farmer, or 

 dialogue between a Father and Son, on the 

 subjects of Agriculture and Husbandry." 

 Preface or Introduction. 



The Grove Farm is situated on the great 



western road in the county of r^~r, and 



contains seventy-nine acres of land ; the fields 

 lie on the declivity of a hill, and the soil is 

 ho varied that the different inclosures pr.esent 

 almost every gradation, from sand to clay, 

 that might be found on estates of ten times 

 its magnitude. The present occupier's fli- 

 ther was the tenant fifty years ago, and by 

 dint of good management, the son contrives 

 to pay three times the rent, which was paid 

 by his father at that period. 



The family consists of a wife, almost une- 

 qualled in every desirable qualification ; a 

 daughter, 14 years of age, the pattern of her 

 mother, and of the same name ; a son, Fran- 

 cis, of the age of 12, and an infant. The fa- 

 ther is a working farmer, and his boy has 

 been his companion since the time he was 

 able to follow him into the fields: tiiis will 

 account for some of the inquiries which he 

 will be found to make, which, but for this 

 circumstance, might be thought premature, 

 and when it is known that the farm is in the 

 vicinity of a town, from whence books and 

 other meansof instruction are easily obtained, 

 and that our farmer had received a respect- 

 able oducation, and his wife is a suf)erior wo- 

 man for her sphere, it will not be wondered 

 that their leisure is spent in instructive con- 

 versation, leading to examination into, and 

 reflections upon, the phenomena with which 

 persons of such occupations are peculiarly 

 conversant, or that their children are supe- 

 rior in attainment to the generality of those 

 of their rank in life. 



As the soil of tbe farm is various, so also 

 are the crops which are cultivated there- 

 upon] and from the circumstance, of the fields 

 forminsr as it were a belt around the ascent 

 ©fthe hiK, they are in general of small dj- 



mensions, being in many instances divided 

 by small streams of water and vallits, and 

 courses and ditches made for the purpose of 

 carrying off the superabundant moisture, 

 which in many places rises to the surface, 

 in consequence of meeting with beds of clay 

 in the substratum, giving the opportunity of 

 practising Elkington's mode of draining, witii 

 complete success. From the number of trees 

 growing around the house, it has taken its pre- 

 sent name. At the time of the entrance of the 

 present occupier's father, there was not a tree 

 j,rowing upon the farm : the owner, finding 

 him an intelligent man, presented him witi* 

 fifty dollars with which to purchase trees for 

 planting at his discretion, and from this trifling 

 circumstance it is that the estate has chan"'ed 

 its name from 'Rainwell's" to that of 

 THE GROVE. 



Citron Pumpkin. 

 'Mr. Samcel Sowkr, of Schuylkill town.- 

 ship, Chester county, presented us last month 

 with a citron pumpkin, of his own raising. 

 We cut it on tiie 25th of of May, and it was 

 as sound and perfect as on the d;iy it was ta^ 

 ken from the vine, and we believe it would 

 have kept in good order until fall. It was 

 decidedly superior to any pumpkin, or any 

 other member of the same tribe of vegetables. 

 In gathering this pumpkin, Mr. Sower was 

 careful to leave about three inches of the 

 stem attached. It has been found that by 

 cutting oft" near the insertion of the stem, the 

 air is apt to penetrate the pumpkin, and de- 

 cay soon ensues; whereas, if two or three 

 inches of the stem be left, this evil is guarded 

 against, (ireat care should be taken in se<- 

 paratingfrom the vine; a sharp knife or Cue 

 saw ouffht to be used. 



A New Form of a Ilorso Rake, 



Planned by a Practical Farmer. 



The Flexible Horse Rake, is distinguished 

 from all others by a joint in the centre of the 

 head, by which the rake yields and conforms 

 to any uneven ground, and takes the hay 

 clean ; also by the form of the teeth, which 

 glide over liillocks, &c., like sled runners ; it 

 also has a smooth back board on a level with 

 the teeth, that supports it and is not liable to 

 become entangled with the liay when it cants 

 over forwards to be emptied. Twenty-fijur 

 acres a day are raked perfectly clean with 

 this instrument — one man holding it and a 

 small boy riding tlie horse ; the labor of mas- 

 aging it is less than tiiat of holding a small 

 plough. The price of this article is less than 

 the sum it will save any farmer in oyiesinsle 

 hour when a shower is coming. 



For sale at the Implement and Seed Ware- 

 house, No. 63 Chesnut st. Those interested 

 are invited to call and see it. 



David Landreth & Co. 



