192 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan 1, 1S30. 



Mdrtat of the Carrier of the A*eu> Etif^land Farmtr 

 to hii Cuatomers and Patrons. 



Old ChroncM, and liis restive train 

 P*"'»"<">"" :.„„niscent strain. 

 Tn which we register whate'er 

 Most worthy note in Time's career, 

 Our tinkling talisman can 8ave 

 From dark obhvlon'3 shoreless wlive. 

 And cicvalc lo site sublime. 

 As hi^h above the " Course of Time," 

 As Cynthia's silver planet rolls 

 Above the tide her power control!. 



But how shall we, the Farmsb, raise 

 Our unassuming rustic lays 

 To proudest elevation, piven 

 By Fancy in Invention's Heaven ? 

 That super- sublimated place, 

 Which caps the pinnacle of space, 

 Won only by the lightest wing 

 Of phantasy's imagining ? — 

 That extra-elevated spot 

 Between what is, and ivhat is not, 

 From which Sol's brightest radiations 

 sno<r fai.il^r Iiian Uie scintillatione, 

 Which stud with many a tiny gem 

 Night's dim and dusky diadem, 

 Wlien flitting lire-flies flaunt and flare 

 In summer twilight's sultry air; 

 Or glow-worm's glitiipse, in dreary dell, 

 Makes total darkness visible ; — 

 A site from which our earth would seem 

 A trausicnt glimmer of a gleam, 

 Our moon not more than half a grade 

 Above the shadow of a shade — 

 Our lirmamcnt, from pole to pole, 

 A soiled and scanty scrivener's scroll. 

 Dotted with stars, beneath the size 

 Of petty animalcules' eyes 

 Which colonize the down of figs, 

 And dance their agonizing jigs 

 In microscopical displays. 

 Roasting alive in solar rays — 

 In short, so high above all height. 

 That nil things, almost out of sight, 

 Seem like the waning of a dream. 

 Or phantom, struck by morning's beam. 

 Which shows each momont Iom and Ic», 

 While passing into nothingness. 



But stop, my Muse, this \vild career. 

 So palpably above your sphere. 

 Your ladyship may lead, perhaps 

 To sudden lamentable lapse. 

 Thus from the chariot of the sun 

 Prone fell ill fated Phaeton, — 

 Set the whole torrid zone on fire, 

 Or brother Ovid is a liar. — 

 Though witches wrapp'd in Stygian gloom 

 Saddled the handle of a broom, 

 And Iris erst in Pagan lay 

 Kodc rampant on a solar ray, 

 Such preternatural displays 

 Are seldom heard of now-a-days ; 

 And seldom any rhyming fool, 

 lit what is called the modern school 

 Of poetry, extends his flight 

 Above the very utmost height 

 Of nonsense, sheer and overweening. 

 And mystery destitute of meaning. 



Trite, tjivial, common place, in rhyme 

 Surpasses rant and mock sublime. 

 On which some metre-mongers raise 

 Their doughty claims to bread and bays. 

 Such claims, that men of judgment style them 

 Good — for a lunatic's asylum — 

 Pronounce their products of inanity. 

 Plain diagnostics of insanity. 



Since common sense lo common things. 

 Confines our wild imaginings. 

 Assigns us, as our fittest station. 

 The b.-u)ement story of creation ; 

 On sunbeam having downward sped, 

 Like spider traversing his thro;i<l, 

 Wc only aim at what we term a 

 Fair fooling upon lirrn firma— 

 Seek no more clrv.iiinu ihan 



llccomeH a plain Niw Kii^land m.-in ; 

 Like pilgrim bound from hence lo heaven 

 " In 1777," 



Who, if a little too particular, 



He stood up more than perpendicular. 



\'i t i.lways walked in what he vicw'd 

 i'o be the path of rcctnudc. 



The .v-'iL'tOn recently gone by. 

 By tijrns was cold — in spob* was dry ; 

 But showers, which patter'd here and there. 

 Though seldom reaching everywhere. 

 Yet now and then, and somewhere falling, 

 To bless the cultivator's calling. 

 Kept vegetation mostly thriving 

 Till hay and harvest time's arriving. — 

 Though lurid spots which overrun 

 The scowling surface of the sun. 

 Appear to threaten a complete 

 Fndiargo on his light and heat, 

 (Cummoditics. which past a doubt. 

 We cannot well sub-ist without. 

 Till art still more complckly has 

 Their place supplied with steam and gas,) 

 Yet Madam Earth has proved quite other- 

 Wise than a stingy old step-mother ; 

 Our crop<,in pro^pect underrated. 

 Were greater thin anticipated. 

 Nor partial droughts, nor rain's redundance, 

 Have scal'd the sources of abundance. 



Though corn, in now and then a field. 

 Scarce reach 'd a customary yield. 

 Yet grass and English grain wc should 

 Pronounce pre-eminently gooil ; 

 And super-excellent potatoes 

 Reward the toil of cultivators; 

 Tjifc's indispensablcs abound, 

 And peace with plenty has been crown'd. 

 Well cultured fields, in this vicinity, 

 So highly favor'd by divinity, 

 Appcar'd to bend beneath the load 

 The recent season has bestow'd. 

 As if scarce bearing all they bore 

 To swell the cultivator's store. 



Yet some, kind Providence arraigning. 

 Are malcontented and complaining. 

 Because earth's products in excess 

 Have made the market-prices less ; 

 Besides, abundant crops require 

 So much more " help" and wagon hire. 

 The grower cannot calculate 

 On gains proportionably ^reat ; 

 But let mc tell you quantum sujf.^ 

 Good Mister Sourcrout, is enough — 

 With every wish in reason gratified. 

 Some ingrates never will be satisfied. 

 But crave the more, the more there 's given ; 

 Thus Satan wanted more than heaven. 

 And Alexander wept that one 

 World only could be overrun. 



Wc hope ourhorficultivation 

 Will meet your Worship's approbation ; 

 Full many a flower in beauty's sheen. 

 Which otherwise had blush'd unseen. 

 And many a fruit of flavor nice 

 Perhaps as grew in Paradise, 

 F^ach kind worth more, by many fold. 

 Than all North Carolina's gold. 

 Brought forward by the .\ssociatioQ 

 May meet a general cullivalion ; 

 Till every garden, yard, and field 

 Those health promoting luxuries yield. 

 Which supersede the dull delights 

 Of gross, carnivorous appetites. 

 And that bland aliment dispense 

 Which man enjoyed in innocence. 

 We think that Downer's " seedling pears" 

 Are most superlative nflairs. 

 On PniNCE's gra/tcs, while princes mii;ht 

 Indulge a royal appetite, 



Tliey 'd find, while fed on fruits of " Frecdon," 

 Their taste increased by what they feed on. 



A t.islc for fruit will overcome 

 The sordid appetite for rum. 

 Which stimulates the sot to sup, 

 Who knows that death is in the cup — 

 Subrlue that terrible desire, 

 That hankering after liquid fire, 

 Which burns a man like lighted tinder. 

 Ami turns him lo a ted hot cinder. 

 Thus aid each Temperance Society, 

 And check the inroads of obriety — 

 lleform inort- drunkards, lento one, 

 Than all that has or can be done 

 By laws to punish or to fright 'em. 

 Or lectures spun atl infinitum. 



Our thanks arc due to those creators 

 Of super-enuneut potatoes, 

 Who have elicited new breeds. 

 Produced from cultivated seeds, — 

 Worth more, they tell us, who have had 'em. 

 Than any known before since Adam. 

 Since man, (and no man can deny it,) 

 Is made and modified by diet. 

 Of which, as everybody knows. 

 These njoLs no niinor part compose. 

 It therefore follows plainly then, 

 Th3it good jwlatues make good men. 

 Of course, a better human stock 

 Than ai y of the present flock 

 May be engrafted on our breed 

 Of plumeless bipeds, forced to feed 

 On 'tatoes, which, scarce fit to dig. 

 Might turn the stomach of a pig. 

 Let no man, then, whose taste forbids 

 His swallowing stale tobacco quids. 

 Permit lho>e old abominaoie 

 Roots to contaminate hii table, 

 Utiich in New England, all about. 

 Have had their run, and are run out. 

 Let farmers all obtain for seed 

 Sonic new ameliorated breed. 

 Such as wc 've told you o'er ami o'er. 

 Are now for sale at Russell's ttorc. 



But leave we this delicious topic 

 For others still more philanthropic. 

 Though doughty warriors now and then 

 Transform God's earth to Satan's den, 

 .\nd freedom-missing .South .\mericans 

 .Are breaking one anothers' pericranes — 

 Quarrel tike catamounts without 

 Discerning what they fight about. 

 The friends and advocates of peace 

 Foresee the time when wars shall cease. 

 Perceive by indications plain 

 That human kind will be humane. 

 Instead of murdering one another. 

 All men in each man own a brother. 



Mankind, en mas.«e, arc making roovement- 

 Towards most incredible improvements : 

 And science promises the means 

 For that mlllenium of machines. 

 When nothing natural will be done. 

 But all be art beneath the sun. 



Boyle, Bacon, Newlon, could not dream 

 Of our appliances of steam. 

 Which almost force the strange conclusion 

 That some great magical illusion 

 Is wrought by sable art, design 'd 

 To fascinate and cheat mankind. 

 Swift xs the chariot of the sun 

 .•\longthe trending rail way run 

 Huge wain.s, who-se vehement career. 

 The wonder-working engineer. 

 With more than necromantic skill, 

 Checks or accelerates at will, 

 .\s if the elements were broke 

 .\nd harnessed to his iron yoke. 

 And forced by superhuman means 

 To \vicld his magical machines, 

 ,-\nd urge them on their destined course, 

 Willi lightninK's speed, and earthquake's force." 

 The living wheels, EzekicI vicw'd 

 With heavenly attributes endued. 

 Scarce in the prophet's glorious visiou. 

 Moved with more fleetness and precision 

 Than this stupendous train proceeds. 

 Impelled by steam instead of steeds. 



Modern philosophy, anon, 

 Will, at the rate .she 's going on. 

 Yoke vollied lightning to her car, 

 .And, swifter than a shooting star. 

 Out-travel everything but us. 

 When mounted on our Pegasus, 

 Wing'd by superb imagination. 

 We ride the circuit of creation. 



But now, may 't plctsc your honor. I 

 Must bid your emineuce good liye ; 

 And if some trivial gratuity. 

 Sublrartcd from your superfluity, 

 Present some small rcmunrrjtion 

 For thankless toils in our vucatiun. 

 May all felirity ho yours. 

 Long as eternity endures. 



Boston, January 1, 1830. 



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