190 



Farm Leases. — Ploughing match at Port Penn. Vol. V 



the loss of the husband has brought a loss 

 of all, and the stranger has gathered the 

 harvest that should have been reaped by the 

 children. No — these are cases which re- 

 quire not to be particularized; for, when felt 

 or seen, no other evidence is needed to teach 

 us that there requires a change; for one 

 such example is sufficient to put a stop to 

 the improvements, and to draw the purse- 

 strings of a thousand tenants-at-will. For 

 one bad farmer upon a long lease, we shall 

 find ninety-nine who are superior to their 

 neighbours, who are tenants from year to 

 year; and it is only by comparing the two, 

 that we see the operation of each principle. 

 Often, when a farmer has his farm on lease, 

 in a district where they are uncommon, 

 when his management is commended, it is 

 urged, Oh, he has a lease; his farm is like 

 his own, and he can do as he pleases." 



In conclusion, take the estimate and sen- 

 timents of the Earl of Ducie, as expressed 

 at a meeting of the Gloucester Farmers' 

 Club: — " My opinion is, that until the ques- 

 tion of leasing is fairly and clearly under- 

 stood, all efforts after improvement will fall 

 short of what they ought to be. For myself, 

 I can say I never wish to see any man enter 

 upon a farm without a lease ; but in return, 

 I must have intelligence : I would not grant 

 a lease to the man, who, because his father 

 and his grandfather did so and so, refuses to 

 change his system ; but to a man of intelli- 

 gence, I would give the most liberal encou- 

 ragement. I would regard that tenant as 

 a blockhead, who would sink money without 

 the protection of a lease ; because, however 

 much confidence he might have in his land- 

 lord, he has no security for similar treat- 

 ment, in the event of a son or trustee be- 

 coming the manager. In my estimation, 

 no man is justified in expending money in 

 improvements, unless the value is secured 

 to him and to his children after him, by 

 lease." 



The following is mentioned in the local 

 papers, as one of the most remarkable in- 

 stances of the rapidity of steam navigation. 

 The Royal Mail steamer, Columbia, sailed 

 from Liverpool on the evening of the 19th 

 of July, and arrived at Boston on the morn- 

 ing of the 1st of August. The Acadia left 

 Boston on the afternoon of the 1st, and 

 reached the Mersey in the forenoon of the 

 13th of August, bringing replies to letters 

 dated Liverpool, July 19th. The interval 

 between sending the letters and receiving 

 the replies to them, was a few hours more 

 than 24 days ! This is the most rapid con- 

 veyance of letters between the Old and New 

 world ever known. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Ploughing Match at Port Penn. 



"Honour to whom honour." 



Mr. Editor, — I was so well pleased v> 

 the working of the centre-draught and s 

 soil ploughs in planting my potatoes, thi 

 immediately determined to place at the i 

 posal of the committee of St. George's j 

 ricultural Society, a valuable bull-calf of 

 Durham breed, a prize to be contended 

 at the ploughing match of the quarte 

 meeting of the Society at Port Penn ; : 

 accordingly, the following notice was issv, 

 The account of the result was drawn up 

 mediately after the trial, for insertion in 

 Cabinet, but has been mislaid until now. 

 John Jones 



October 27th, 1842. 



" To Machinists, Agriculturists, <fc, 



"A premium of the bull-calf, St. Geoh 

 out of Cecilia, by the bull, R. M. Johns 

 will be awarded to any member of the 

 George's Agricultural Society, or any of 

 Society in Delaware, or elsewhere, who 

 bring on the ground, a plough, or plou| 

 that may perform the best work, on lam 

 be selected at, or near Port Penn, by 

 President and late President of the 

 George's Society, who are the committei 

 attend in the case. All who are friend]! 

 the success of the plough, are invited 

 vequested to contend for the honour of ] 

 ducing and using that most useful im 

 ment known to man, as well as the valua 

 prize here offered." 



In accordance with the above notic< 

 meeting took place at Port Penn on 

 14th of May, under the auspices of the 

 George's and Appoquinimink Agricull 

 Society, when four ploughs started for ti 

 viz: — 



1. Miles's large plough, owned by J 

 Barney, President of the Society; plou 

 man, a coloured man in his employ. 



2. The Wiley plough, owned by R. 

 Coy; his son, a lad of 15 years, to gui 

 with his father's team. 



3. Beech's Concave, owned by Levi Ry 

 D. Stewart, ploughman, with his own hor 



4. Prouty's Centre-draught, owned 

 John Jones; ploughman, R. Carter, f] 

 Yorkshire, England. 



Each of the ploughmen entered on tl 

 separate lands, and performed their w 

 well ; the boy, for his age, doing extrao 

 nary work: but the land ploughed by 

 centre-draught plough was the best d 

 that I ever saw; notwithstanding the plou 

 man had just arrived from sea; the land, 

 plough, the team, and the numerous lool 



