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Annual Exhibition of the Philadelphia Jig. Society. Vol. IX. 



ancient commonwealth, which stand exposed, 

 as it were, in the open fields, without a shrub 

 or a grass-plot to cheer the inmates, or even 

 so much as a friendly tree to protect them 

 from the glare of the summer's sun. No 

 resident of our naked villages, who has en- 

 joyed a promenade beneath the arching elms 

 which adorn the avenues of New-Haven and 

 other eastern towns, can fail to be humbled 

 by the contrast — and to lament the tasteless, 

 cruel negligence, the melancholy want of 

 forecast which has prevailed among our own 

 people. This repulsive feature of barbarism 

 should be no longer tolerated. Every farm 

 should be made a beautiful country seat. 

 Such ornamental seats instead of interfering 

 with the essential duties of agriculture, tend 

 rather to animate and cheer the labours of 

 every farmer who has a "soul susceptible of 

 true enjoyment. The beautiful shade trees 

 which surround the dwelling, as they grow 

 old, become associated with pleasant remi- 

 niscences in the family, and exert a delight- 

 ful moral influence. The children, who have 

 grown up and disported beneath their spread- 

 ing boughs, become fondly attached to them, 

 and strongly disposed to guard and preserve 

 them. The touching song of our country- 

 man, Morris, owes its popularity no less to a 

 deep seated principle in our nature, than to 

 the engaging simplicity and pathos of its 

 numbers. Every one who has spent the 

 summer days of youth under the lovely 

 shade around the paternal domicil, will be 

 as ready as the poet, to exclaim 



" Woodman I Spare that tree '." 



Every descendant of the patriarch who 

 planted it, will interpose to save the vene- 

 rable tree which sheltered the home of his 

 childhood; and will remonstrate with the 

 Vandal who may threaten it, in the earnest 

 and moving accents of the bard : 



" 'Twas my forefather's hand 



That placed it near his cot ; 

 There, woodman ! let it stand— 



Thy axe shall harm it not. 



When but an idle boy, 



I sought its grateful shade: 

 In all their gushing joy. 



Here, too, my sisters play'd. 



My mother kiss'd me here ; 



My father press'd my hand. 

 Forgive this foolish tear^ 



But let that old tree stand'." 



Such reminiscences of our purer days de- 

 serve to be fondly cherished ; and should 

 never be obliterated by the sterner pursuits 

 of after life. The tasteful arrangement of 

 trees and shrubbery, on a farm, not only 



conduces to real comfort, but is the surest 

 indication of a gentle, cultivated and truly 

 civilized people. It demonstrates that boor- 

 ish rudeness has been superseded by refined 

 feelings, and a just appreciation of the beau- 

 ties of Nature. * How delightful to the toil- 

 worn farmer, in the evening of life, to repose 

 in the shade of the trees which he has planted 

 with his own hands ! How grateful to the 

 heir of the paternal mansion, to enjoy the 

 umbrageous shelter provided by the care 

 and taste of his revered progenitor ! The 

 shade tree, thus planted, becomes, as it were, 

 a cherished member of an affectionate family. 

 Its longevity renders it an abiding friend of 

 succeeding generations — a silent but most 

 interesting witness of the advent and de- 

 parture of children, and of children's chil- 

 dren — while its aged trunk remains an em- 

 blem and a precious memorial of a long line 

 of venerated ancestry. 



Such are a few of the thoughts which oc- 

 curred to me in reference to our noble pro- 

 fession, while endeavouring to comply with 

 your flattering invitation. Crude and super- 

 ficial as they are, I have nothing better to 

 offer; and can only hope that some of the 

 ideas suggested may be deemed worthy of 

 attention, and of a more appropriate notice. 

 But I will tax your indulgence no longer. 

 If I have been so fortunate as to get through 

 with my rambling Agrimllural homily, 

 without entirely exhausting your patience, 

 I shall esteem myself happy in the opportu- 

 nity of attempting to cast my poor mite into 

 that treasury of ireful knowledge, which 

 this Society has so long fostered by its care 

 and enriched by its munificence. 



Annual Exhibition of the Philadelphia 

 Agricultural Society. 



We lay before our readers the Keports of the re- 

 spective committees, to whom were referred the claims 

 of competitors, at the late animated Exhibition at the 

 Rising-Sun tavern. According to public notice given, 

 the stock, implements of husbandry, .fcc, were open 

 to examination on the J6th and 17th ult., and the trial 

 of ploughs and ploughmen took place on the succeed- 

 ing day, the leth. Much of the stock on the ground 

 was certainly of a very superior character, and did 

 credit to the enterprise and sound judgment of the 

 owners. Our friends Chandler and Prouty, too, by 

 their fine displays of tools, showed pretty plainly that 

 if our farmers were not furnished with first-rate arti- 

 cles to work with, the fault would not be theirs. There 

 vias a good attendance on the ground ; and the emula- 

 tion excited, and the interest manifested in every de- 

 partment, might convince every farmer, that however 

 vigilant he was in his course, the tread of his com- 

 petitor was close at his heels. The awards were an- 

 nounced by James Govven from the stand; immediately 

 after the close of the Address of Dr. Darlington. It 



