492 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



from the show yard to the plowing ground, at 

 three o'clock in the afternoon, was like going out 

 into a " calm "' directly after a " tornado ; " all 

 was quiet, and very little excitement. 



This " plowing match," taking all things to- 

 gether, I think was the best " match " that has 

 yet taken place in New Haven, there being some 

 eighteen jiilowmen, with various plows, as well as 

 sabsoiling. The plowing ground was in plain 

 sight of the " show ground," not over a quarter 

 of a mile distant. And yet there was not one 

 farmer in attendance at this " plowing match " 

 where there should have been twenty. In fact, 

 there was the least attendance at this " match 

 that I have seen in the last fifteen years. But 

 where were the farmers 1 They were on the 

 ••showground," taken up with the "trotting 

 match " that was coming oiF at the time. Now 

 if this does not prove that farmers will pay five 

 dollars to be amused where they will pay one 

 dollar to be instructed, what does it prove? I 

 repeat, that one of the most instructing features 

 of ihe whole " Agricultural Fair " is the plowing 

 match, and certainly one of the most important to 

 farmers themselves. And why so? Because they 

 can learn more of a branch of farming of which 

 t;iey are more ignorant of, viz. good plowing, 

 than in any other branch of farming operations. 

 Observation has shown us that a farmer will tol- 

 erate poor plowing in his fields, when he would 

 not poor sowing or cradling. One reason of this 

 is, very few farmers use plows or other tools of 

 tl:e right stamp. And of course good work can 

 not be made with a badly constructed plow. 

 While, on the other hand, he does not always follow 

 good plowing with the best implements. Still a 

 farmer or plowman who cannot joaake good work 

 with a good plow, after a few trials, must be a 

 great " slouch " in the business, to say the least 

 of it, and shows a want of taste in the art of 

 plowing. 



Now as to the " trotting match," it may be all 

 well enough in the way of it, and this feature of 

 t'-,o exhibition will probably draw more people 

 together than any other attraction given. And 

 yet I will inquire what difference it will make 

 to the public whether " Joe Duggins " has a 

 " nag " that will go around the half mile 

 " course " twice in 2.40, or "Sam Spout" has 

 one that will go around in 2.50. This appears 

 to be the amount of the " trotting," so far as I 

 understand it. I remember, after one or two 

 "beats" had been made, round came a " mar- 

 shal " and said, "clear the track, boys, we are 

 going to have some more fun." Just as though 

 tiiat large gathering of people had come there to 

 see how much " fun " was going on, instead of 

 coming there to be instructed and learn some- 

 thing from the exhibition. 



I repeat, finally, that farmers and oitizens 

 generally can learn and improve from these 

 •• annual Fairs" just according as they have the 

 disposition to do ; and, while some may go for 

 t:ie sake of " fun " and excitement, others will 

 go to improve and be instructed. 



Yours, &c., L DuR.\ND. 

 Derby, Ci., Oct., 1854. 



IT ISN'T ALL IN BRINGING UP. 



It isn't all in '• bringing up," 



Let folks say what they will ; 

 To silver scour a pewter cup — 



It will be pewter still. 

 E'en of old, wise Solomon, 



Who said "train up a. child," 

 If I mistake not, bad a son 



Proved rattle-brained and wild. 



A man of mark, who fain would pass 



For lord of sea and land, 

 May have the training of a son, 



And bring him up full grand ; 

 May give him all the wealth of love, 



Of college and of school, 

 Yet after all, may make no more 



Than just a decent fool. 



Another, raised by Penury 



Upon her bitter bread. 

 Whose road to knowledge is like that 



The good to Heaven must tread, 

 Has got a spark of Nature's light. 



He'n fan it to a fiame. 

 Till in burning letters bright 



The world may read the name. 



If it were all in " bringing up," 



In counsel and restraint. 

 Some rascals had been honest men — 



I'd been mj-self a saint. 

 ! 'tis n't all in " bringing up," 



Let folks say what they will ; 

 Neglect may dim a silver cup — 



It will be silver still. 



j^* Ho who hopes for glory from new discov- 

 eries, must not be ignorant of old ones. 



SWEET APPLES. 



Whoever will introduce a new richly flavored, 

 sweet winter apple of good size, or supply the 

 market with any good varieties not grown, will 

 find a fair profit, and supply the pans of unnum- 

 bered excellent housewives with the means of pre- 

 paring a most delicious dessert. — N. E. Farmer. 



We like the above suggestions : If any man 

 does not like a good sweet apple well baked, liis 

 taste and ours is very different. Why then, asks 

 one, are sweet apples such a di-ug in the market 1 

 They are not. There may be times Avhen early 

 sweet apples are plenty. We have several varie- 

 ties of these, and their day is a very short one. 

 But about four weeks are allowed for gathering, 

 marketing and consuming nearly one-half of the 

 good varieties of sweet apples the market affords ; 

 and this is just the time when other fruits are in 

 their greatest abundance and perfection. Throw 

 into the market to-day an apple as good as the 

 early Golden Sweet, and let the price be such as 

 to bring it within the reach of the frugal and in- 

 dustrious portion of the community, and it would 

 command a ready market, to an extent fiir above 

 the ability of the country to supply. But the 

 wants of the community are to a great extent ar- 

 tificial. A vast many articles in every depart- 

 ment of living, have now become, in our view in- 

 dispensable, which a few years since were un- 

 known. We see an article, we try it, we like, 

 continue to use, and feel that we cannot live com- 

 fortably without it. Such will, we are confident, 

 be the case with sweet apples of good size and 

 flavor. Let them be produced in quantities that 

 will enable the cultivator to use economy in the 

 production and sale, and a fair profit may be se- 

 cured to him, while the price shall still enable. 



