ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 55 



COUNTRY AND CITY. 



A WORTHY friend recently said to me: "A gentlemen of 

 observation from one of our principal cities of the. West, 

 stated to me, that in point of fact, almost all the leading 

 men of the cities were from the country, and had been 

 raised farmers' sons. The reasons seemed to me quite 

 obvious. The vigorous health, patient industry, thorough 

 economy, and hard thinking necessary to success, are the 

 product of the country and but seldom of the town or city. 

 A large part of the best merit and talent of the country 

 doubtless remains upon and adorns our farms. Another 

 portion is drawn by a spirit for enterprise of a different 

 kind to our towns. When they enter they find an active 

 competition that brings out their best efforts. Success on 

 their part takes away the necessity of effort on the part of 

 their children ; and the next result is, that their children 

 become reduced in means and merit, and every element of 

 success, and are driven to some refuge in vice or petty em- 

 ployment. It is therefore the duty of the man who has 

 been successful in town, to retire to the country again that 

 his children, who are to succeed him, may partake, as far as 

 possible, of his advantages." 



The facts stated we believe are undoubted ; the business 

 men merchants, lawyers, physicians, and clergymen of 

 large cities are, to a large degree, drawn from the country. 

 And there is a system of circulation, if the facts could be 

 well made out, worth attention. In travelling, one day last 

 year, the rain drove us into a country tavern, where a fat 

 man of some fifty years of age was waiting to entertain us 

 with a dish of philosophy (of which, considering our accom- 

 modations, we had special need). But we were led to 

 notice one part of his remarks : " You see, sir, everything 

 comes round in about four generations. First comes the 

 enterprising and hard-working fellow who gets the money ; 

 then his children begin to live in style ; but their parents' 



