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In fine, the farmer's beast is gladly shown. 

 And each would gladly call some beast his own. 

 There 's still one creature, product of the farm, 

 A graceful biped, carries off the palm ; 

 Although not labelled, he is here to-day, 

 And of this creature we have more to say. 

 The furnicr now demands a passing gaze ; 

 We '11 poke his ribs and make him show his ways. 



The hopeless creature in this mortal strife, 

 Whose sluggish being 's like a mummy's life, 

 Whose steps run backwards, and whose mind is free 

 No other object than himself to see. 

 His farm though cumbered with bis useless form, 

 No moi'e 's a farmer than the dew a storm. 

 Of premium farmers only shall we speak, — 

 Of course none others do we wish to seek. 

 Three grades of these we can most plainly see. 

 As in the forest, fern, and bush and tree. 

 The fern is pretty with its varied leaves. 

 Skirting the wood, the bush our praise receives } 

 But these how dwarfish seem beside a tree, — 

 its grace, its grandeur, its sublimity ? 

 And first, the largest class of this our plan 

 Is represented by the thrifty man. 

 And here we have in nutshell space, the drift 

 Of all his goodness, in one word, 'tis thrift ; 

 A state most surely that demands our praise. 

 It means good tillage, tells of frugal ways : 

 The spring-time finds him with his team afield. 

 Alert when earth casts off its icy shield ; 

 The wondrous seed he plants with careful hand. 

 The tender plants his constant care command, 

 AVith busy labor tends his fruitful soil, 

 While bounteous harvests prove his faithful toil. 

 But thrifty farmers may in some things fail, 

 We '11 show it quickly by a simple tale. 

 Now 'Squire Butkins had a great renown. 

 Within the precincts of his native town, 

 For raising pumpkins of prodigious size ; 

 The people thought the 'squire very wise ; 

 At length his vines became his only thought, , 



This one idea his very life-blood bought. 

 For, stretched amongst them, so the neighbors say, 

 A wily tendril on a growing day. 

 Forced by his care, around his neck did coil, 

 And put an end to 'Squire Butkins' toil : 

 And on the very spot he last had been, 

 There grew the largest pumpkin ever seen. 

 The moral 's this ; do 'nt let your crops outgrow 

 The man ; on him your noblest care bestow ; 

 Too many men neglect this little care, 

 And to their pumpkins give the lion's share. 



Now, turning to our second class, we find 

 Those who to farming bring a well-trained mind ; 

 Who think their life-task not a dull routine, 

 A weary plodding after joys unseen, 



