PRACTICAL FARMER. 



43 



[From the New England Farmer.] 

 NOTES BY THE WAY. — NO. 1. 



Mr Edit OR — Being a constant reader of your 

 weekly sheet, and feeling a deep interest in every- 

 thing which concerns the prosperity of the farmer, 

 I always take pleasure in my pilgrimages through 

 our smiling New England in inquiring about 

 their welfare, the management of their farms, &c. 

 — Perhaps this interest is increased from sundry 

 reminiscences of many years spent in the labors of 

 the farm, — and mayhap the recollection of "husk- 

 ing frolics and red ears," "raisings," "country 

 sleigh rides and snow drifts," and the many by- 

 gone sports of the farmer boy still dwell on my 

 mind's eye, and cherish and renew my interest in 

 the farmer. I find in my note book sundry sage 

 reflections and ideas, which, (if you think they 

 are worth the room,) are at your service for the 

 columns of the Farmer. 



B- 



-,N. H.June, 1835. 



In passing through the " Granite State" the 

 traveller cannot but notice in how great a degree 

 her prosperity and advancement depend on the 

 farmer, — for a very large proportion of her popu- 

 lation must, from their situation and the nature of 

 the country, depend on the culture of the soil. 

 At first view, her interminable hills and rocks 

 seem to offer but little encouragement for tillage, 

 and in too many cases this view of the matter ap- 

 pears to have preponderated with theowner of the 

 soil, and his large but thinly cultivated fields, the 

 time-worn buildings and fences of many, the infe- 

 rior breeds of cattle, the orchards, in many cases 

 confined to the old and unimproved varieties of 

 fruit, the absence of the many conveniences of 

 the systematic farmer, offer but little inducement 

 or temptation to embrace the life of the cultivator 

 of the soil. But on a closer examination there 

 may generally be found land as strong and pro- 

 ductive as most of the New England States, and 

 facilities which, if improved, may make the farm- 

 er's life, what it ought to be, one of which he may 

 be envied the enjoyment. 



In riding along through the upper part of the 

 State, one of the first things which strikes 

 the eye of one accustomed to tlie comfort and 

 neatness of most of the well cultivated farms \n 

 Massachusetts is, the great extent of land around 

 many of the farm houses which lies uncultivated 

 and unimproved, which now is not only unpleasant 

 to the eye, but from the taxes which the farmer 

 pays for all this and the expense of keeping it 

 properly inclosed, must be a heavy drawback on 

 the profits of the whole farm. As a general rule, 

 the farmer, by judicious management and a proper 

 rotation of crops, might here, as in many other 

 states in New England, raise as much from one 



half as he now does from the whole of his farm ; 

 his profits from this half would be very much 

 more than it is now from the whole, and the hardy 

 sons of our farmers, born and bred among her 

 " everlasting hills," might still remain on their na- 

 tive soil, and make happier if not better men 

 than when transplanted to the counters or work- 

 shops of the city, or compelled to seek in the far 

 West a subsistence which they ought to draw from 

 " their own, their native" soil. 



Whence arises this want of knowledge of his 

 best interests ? — It is from a reverence for old 

 customs and ancient usages. It is too often the 

 case that the farmer practises on the old-fashioned 

 modes of cultivation pursued by his ancestors, — 

 uses the antiquated and unwieldy tools they used, 

 neglects and despises the improvements in farming 

 and domestic economy of a later day ; and if he is 

 told there are better and more economical modes 

 of culture, which will make him more indepen- 

 dent and render his labors lighter, as well as more 

 profitable, his usual retort is, " All this is very well 

 to talk about, — it looks well on paper — but I don't 

 like book farming, nor newfangled notions — I've 

 got along well enough so far, and made a liv- 

 ing, and why should I trouble myself about im- 

 proving ?" — This " well enough" is what keeps 

 half the world contented in their original obscui'ity, 

 represses the promptingsof a laudable and honest 

 ambition to improve themselves and their pos- 

 terity — were I emperor or king for a day I would 

 condemn every person who professed himself a 

 disciple of this " well enough" school to the tread 

 mill for a year. I often wish, Mr Editor, when I 

 hear such answers, that I had a moiety of your 

 brain as manufactiu-ed into the " Complete Farmer,^'' 

 or a volume of your weekly hebdomadal, that I 

 might act as a missionary-at-large, and leave one 

 at the house of every one of these farmers, — with 

 the request that during the long winter evenings 

 they would read and " inwardly digest" its practi- 

 cal results, its pithy precepts, its sage maxims, 

 and its black and white demonstrations, so plain 

 that the most obtuse could see and learn the ad- 

 vantages of good, scientific farming — be it book- 

 farming or not, so long as it be practical. Were I 

 to resort to farming once more, I hardly know how 

 I could do without one or both of the above 

 works : and I would suggest to the OtBcers of the 

 various Agricultural Societies in New England 

 the more general adoption of the plan of 

 giving, instead of a small pi'emium, a volume of 

 some valuable Agricultural work — It would, be- 

 side the value of the matter of the work, keep 

 the subject constantly in the mind of the farmer, 

 and incite him to new exertions. — It has been 

 very beneficial wherever adopted, and would help 

 to sustain our now feebly supported agricultural 



