vol,. XVII NO SI. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGLSTER, 



4C5 



[For the New England Farmer.) 



Mr Colman— The remark is common, though 

 none too much so to render its truth palatable, that 

 every incJiviilual in the communily possesses and 

 exercises an influence over the minds and actions 

 of some portion of the population among whom he 

 dwells. Some may truly be limited in their opera- 

 tions, to a narrow sphere, and oftentimes, it is well 

 for the world that it is so, for were their peculiar 

 notions made an article of public creed, sad and 

 fatal would be the consequences ; as for instance, 

 if the in temjierate man or the votary of vice, in any 

 of its hideous forms, could induce all others to be 

 like them, the earth must become not only the abode 

 of mortals, wrecked of every noble principle, but 

 her luxuriant and beautiful surface, would soon lie, 

 like " the field of the slothful, all grown over to 

 thorns and thistles." And, fortunately, there are 

 those in every community who exercise a general 

 influence, insomuch, that the habits and general 

 character of the people are formed in fashion as 

 their own. The individuals who compose this class 

 are more generally the intelligent and the good — 

 those who have mativesfor their action, and whose 

 motives can be sustained by the fitness of things. 

 At the head of this class may probably be ranked 

 the clergy, or teachers of various religious denom- 

 inations, for it is to them that the world looks for 

 those noble and precious examples, which are to 

 make them better and happier here, as well as for 

 an exposition of the holy precepts, an obedience to 

 which will conduct us to the purer scenes -which 

 await us hereafter. 



It has always been a matter of much wonder 

 and frequent astonishment to us, that this class of 

 men, who may be supposed to hold more familiar 

 converse with their Maker, since their vocation 

 naturally leads them to the more perfect investiga- 

 tion of his character, are so indifferent with regard 

 to his handy-work. Many of them, as our obser- 

 vation verifies, regard "the things which are seen, 

 \nd which declare his eternal power and god-head" 

 ■»ith cold indiflference if not positive contempt. 



Where is the propriety of these things ? If the 

 Oiator is our father and our friend, what moral 

 rigt have we to pass'by any portion of his w orks 

 witlapathy ? They are evidently created with 

 varifc,- adapted to our comfort, and arranged in 

 order ^ileulated to gratify our taste. They possess 

 /liidcriiualities, as if to invite our research, and 

 while ^^ investigate, wonder and admire, we can- 

 not but i[,gine ourselves happier and better for 

 the e.'terc.s to which we are subjected. 



The dayman who has during the last year 

 taken an alje among us, ha[)pily possesses a fine 

 taste in thes,j,at[ers, and the effect of it has al- 

 ready appeal around his domicil, by the appear- 

 ance of plant shrubs and trees, which his own 

 hands have P'ted and his own care has nurtur- 

 ed. His giirdtjg enriched and adorned with plats 

 of strawberry, ipberry, &c., while the grape is 

 distending itself ,ng the alley. The border is or- 

 namented with tl„o(jseberry and neatly pruned 

 currant, while hisgurj.yard has become the re- 

 pository of various.,yygring shrubs, whose early 



and latter blossoms give a balmy fragrance not on- 

 ly to his own quiet territory, but also to that of his 

 neighbor, and of the traveller who journeys by his 

 gate ; and trees whose graceful form and beautiful 

 foliage will ere long attract the admiring attrn'.ion 

 of the passer-by that way, and furnish a fanciful 

 orchestra for nature's songsters. 



Always ready to encourage a taste for rural im- 

 provement, particularly when it develops itself in 

 the bosom of such men, who are orshould be lights 

 of the world in the things that are, as well as those 

 which are to come, we made an arrangement with 

 our friend to go with him to the mountains, at a 

 proper season to get fir trees for the embellishment 

 of his own sweet premises. 



"May day" is an aff'airof less note here than in 

 the region of country from whence he came, or in 

 blustering cities, for every one, in these parts " pur- 

 sues the even tenor of his way" on this as on other 

 (lays. We, however, as the morning was cloudy, 

 an omen of good, in such enterprises, set apart the 

 day for our mountain excursion. The region 

 through which we passed, was far less interesting 

 in an agricultural than in a philosophical view; for 

 in the former, our eyes were not greeted by many 

 smooth meadows, or the prospect of rich pastures 

 or waving grain fields. The fences were quite out 

 of trim, and in many cases the place of their slum- 

 bering ruins hastening to decay, was defined by 

 hedges of brambles and alders. The orchards pre- 

 sented a ludicrous appearance of scrubby trunks 

 and matted tops clothed with moss, all arguing that 

 the reign of temperance if not yet begun, would 

 soon be complete, so far as cider was concerned, 

 and that no rich juicy apples would be gathered 

 there to satisfy the gusto of those who have the 

 privilege of living on the richer bounties of the 

 earth, if by patient and persevering industry they 

 will earn them. The highway was a counterpart 

 to all the other ways of men that we saw around 

 us, for in many places it was rough as the hedge- 

 rows that bounded it. On reaching a stream, one 

 of the beauties of this region, we found the bridge 

 minus, and on looking for a place to go forward, 

 saw the necessity of turning into a meadow in May, 

 and crossing on a poor apology of an aff'air, which 

 had been thrown uj) or rather down for the present, 

 to answer the traveller on his way, at the great 

 danger of his own life and that of his beast. Wher- 

 ever we find an enterprising people we are in most 

 cases sure of good roads ; and wherevera thorough 

 moral culture is pursued, every other species of 

 useful culture is consequential. 



We found on enquiry, that in the region most 

 obnoxious to our taste, that the people had become 

 "wiser than their teachers are," and were there- 

 fore walking through their pilgrimage " in the light 

 of their own eyes, after the desire of their own 

 hearts." 



Our ascent up the mountain lasted for three 

 miles, in many places very steep and diflicult, but 

 over a road quite as smooth as those in the valley 

 we had just left. In fact, everything in this re- 

 gion of clouds gave as much appearance of thrift 

 as was to be found, with exceptions, in the land of 

 mud which we had just left. 



So far as relates to our getting trees, suffice it to 

 say, we found a plenty, loaded our wagon in 

 haste, and sped our way homeward, through fear 

 night and the bears would give us an unfriendly 

 greeting in this land of rocks and rivulets, of brist- 

 ling firs and moss, which spreads its carpet with- 

 out restraint. 



It was with unusual satisfaction, that from the hill 

 top, we again looked over our beautiful valley, dot- 

 ted here aud there with larm establishments, each 

 with its meadow, just spreading its new carpet to 

 enrich the landscape ; and its grove to give beauty 

 anil variety to the sweet scenery of summer. The 

 contrast between where we were going and where 

 we had been was sufficient to awaken a feeling of 

 satisfaction with the lot which had been appointed 

 us, and to awaken a spirit of ambition, to prompt us 

 forward in making our pleasant places beautiful. 

 Of our trees, suffice it to say, they were duly lo- 

 cated in places otiier than those, where strangers 

 alone will be their admirers, and they are now all 

 in a flourishing condition, apparently grateful for 

 our kindness in removing them to their new abode. 

 The eff"ect of this enterprise was a happy one. 

 Our clergyman had been and got fiis, and others 

 would go. But the influence of that day's labor, is 

 not begun. Future years will feel it and future 

 ages will enjoy the benefits of it. It will be felt in 

 a degree through time. 



Clergymen, men of taste and influence every 

 where, will you " go and do likewise?'' The world 

 will be improved, morally and physically improved 

 if you will. "Home, sweet home," is the place 

 where man's happiest hours must he spent, and 

 where his virtues should shine the brightest, and 

 in order to nmke happiness more complete, and 

 virtue more pure, it should be adorned with all 

 which can soften and subdue the rough asperities of 

 our nature. Home ! thou sacred place, where our 

 days like a taper, are to waste away where future 

 generations are to break forth in the first dawnings 

 of thought, where the principles which are to ac- 

 tuate them in all after years, are to sjiring up and 

 o-row, where associations of the kindest character 

 art to intermingle and twine around our hearts, 

 what shouldst thou be but a paradise, a miniature 

 of the Eden which is lost, and a type of the Eden 

 tvhich is to be found. W. B. 



Mount Osceola, June iS", 1839. 



Eastern- Railroad. —The Salem papers say that 

 the Railroad is progressing with great rapidity. 

 About three-fifths of the line from Salem to Ips- 

 wich is said to be completed. They have got 

 through iriorethan half and much the worst half of 

 the great ledge in Beverly, and nearly finished the 

 abutment on that side of North River. It is ex- 

 pected that the road will be open on that part of 

 the route, about the first of October. 



The British Queeft.— This steamer must be a 

 magnificent affair. A writer from Glasgow says : 

 " Yon will be highly gratified with her arrange- 

 ments throughout. Her funnel was lying on deck, 

 and 1 took a promenade of sixty feet through, hat 

 on and all, standing." 



