112 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



Nettled at my arrogance, Homespun, who was the most talk- 

 ative at our meetings, the cock of the village club, and whseo 

 face, at this time, glowed with my October, exclaimed, " Pugh ! 

 I care not a single barle3'-corn for your books ; give me practice ; 

 give me example : (thumping his empty jug on the table) these 

 are the best rules for farmers." " True, friend," said I, gently 

 rebuking him for his indecorum, " example has nodonbt, a pre- 

 vailing force on the actions of mankind ; I admit it is more 

 conclusive than the soundest reasoning ; and since I see it will be 

 impossible to persuade you by argument, I will take another 

 mode of bringing you to my way of thinking." 



Homespun by no means relished my admonition, aud grinning 

 a sarcastic smile, he, and my other rustic guests rose, and left the 

 room. 



It was not until >some months afterwards that he paid me 

 another visit, and this was during an unusually dry summer, 

 when all the pastures were burnt up. He looked dejected, com- 

 plained bitterly of the times, said he was almost ruined, that his 

 cattle were starved, and his cows were dry, and he had been 

 obliged to send them to Romney Marsh. ' " Mr. Homespun," 

 said I, " you shall now be convinced that this is entirely the con- 

 sequence of your pertinacious adherence to old customs; if you 

 had listened to my advice, and to book-farming, all this mischief 

 would have been prevented. Come with me, and behold the 

 lucerne you despised. The crop was put in a few days after our 

 last debate ; and I have already had three cuttings. My pastures, 

 you see, are equally bare as your own : but my cattle are still in 

 good condition, and my cows yield twice the quantity of milk 

 they had ever done before: and all this is the effect of the crop 

 you treated with so much contempt." 



Homespun looked grave, and as he approached a field of six 



