220 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DEC. ^5, 1839. 



MISCELLANEOUS 



MR MADISON'S HOMESTEAD. 



A letter in the Madisonian gives the following 

 interesting account of a visit to Montpelier: — 



Montpelier is situutcd on the Avest side of the 

 Green mountains, twentyseven miles NNE. of 

 Charlottesville, in the county of Orange, which 

 adjoins Albemarle on the north. Within ten miles 

 of Montpelier you reach Barboursville, the resi- 

 dence of the Hon. James Barbour, late Governor of 

 Virginia. The Governor's farm comprises about 

 5000 acres of land, and produces 2000 bushels of 

 wheat, 1000 bushels of corn, keeps 150 head of 

 cattle, 300 sheep, 200 hogs, and 50 horses. There 

 is a fine dwelling house, and numerous and com- 

 modious out buildings, besides cabins for the 

 Governor's 200 blacks, of the most comfortable 

 construction. 



The Madison mansion is an oblong brick build- 

 ing of two stories, besides the basement, with a 

 portico on the east and west, each extending the 

 height and length of the building, and a wing of 

 one story, and a basement at each extremity, with 

 a turret on each. The main body of the house 

 was built by Mr Madison's father. The wings 

 were added by Mr M. A beautiful lawn, contain- 

 ing about eight acres, opens from the eastern por- 

 tico, and is bordered by rows of lofty trees. 



We need but look into the interior of the dwell- 

 ing to observe how exactly every thing accorded 

 with the exalted taste and intellect as well as re- 

 ligious character, for which Mr Madison was dis- 

 tinguished. You observe a great variety of busts, 

 paintings and prints, have been chosen to decorate 

 his abode. Among the number, you will see some 

 old Flemish paintings, representing our Saviour's 

 death, burial and passion, and other scenes from 

 Scripture history. Here are busts of all the Pres- 

 idents down to Jackson e.xclusivc ; and among oth- 

 ers, Paul Jones, Emperor Alexander, Lafayette, 

 Barlow, Gallatin, Clay, &c. In his valuable libra- 

 ry you will find a just mixture of law, politics, his- 

 tory, belles lettres, poetry, science, philosophy and 

 divinity ; and among other works upon the latter 

 subject, you will observe, justly conspicuous, the 

 productions of Jonathan Edwards, Witherspoon, 

 Gill, Doddridge, itc. Prom such sources, no 

 doubt, he derived valuable aids to those reflections 

 which determined those e,xemplary moral habits 

 characteristic of his useful life. 



Mr Madison's Reports of the Debates of the 

 Convention that formed the Constitution, it is gen- 

 erally known, were purchased by Congress of Mrs 

 Madison, for $30,000, and the three large volumes 

 they will compose, are expected soon to be publish- 

 ed. The original writings of Mr Madison, now 

 principally in unpublished manuscripts, are far 

 more voluminous than the Debates, and many of 

 them are his most valued productions. 



The surviving relatives of Mr Aladison, now liv- 

 ing at iNlontpelier, wo may be permitted to say, are 

 Mrs ftladison, who, although advanced in life, re- 

 tains that dignity and affability of manner, and that 

 equableness and serenity of temper, that gave such 

 a charm to the house of her husbiind, whether jn 

 public or in domestic life ; Mr Paine Todd, who 

 was private Secretary of the Commissioners of 

 Ghent, and Miss Paine, a neice of Mr M. These 

 form the whole of this happy and delightful fami- 

 ly, who are seldom left to enjoy exclusive retire- 



ment, even if it were desirable, and the social and 

 hospitable character of Mrs Madison always at- 

 tracting numbers of intelligent visiters, to whom 

 her house is ever freely open. 



The remains of Mr Madison lie in the adjacent 

 family cemetry, with those of his father and his 

 mother by his right side, and room on his left for 

 those who may follow him. Many relatives are 

 interred within the same enclosure, which is cover- 

 ed with box and ornamental trees, and the whole 

 surrounded by a neat brick wall. The father of 

 Mr Madison died when Mr M. first entered on his 

 duties as Mr Jefferson's Secretary of State. The 

 mother survived till within a few years of the 

 death of her son. She was a remarkable woman, 

 and resembled her son in mind and appearance. 



The plantation embraces about 1800 acres of 

 unbroken, rich and arable land, of the chocolate 

 color. It was the patrimonial estate of Mr ^ladi- 

 son's father, who lived and died upon it. The 

 soil has been cultivated for nearly a century with- 

 out manuring, and still it produces abundantly. 

 Its crops have often amounted to 24 hhds. of tobac- 

 co, worth .$200 per hogshead ; 4000 bushels wheat ; 

 6000 bushels of corn, besides flax, hemp, and all 

 kinds of vegetables, and a large quantity of the 

 choice fruits. There are about 100 head of cattle, 

 mostly of the North Devonshire breed, and' a few 

 of the Durham. The former are thought to pro- 

 duce the most superior working oxen, the latter 

 the best cows. There are, perhnps, two dozen 

 horses, 50 hogs, 100 sheep, and quantities of poul- 

 try. 



Mr Madison was not only a great statesman 

 and a good farmer, but a tasteful horticulturist. 

 He took great pains to procure and cultivate the 

 richest fruits of all sorts, and the fruitery 

 bears delicious evidence of the success. The 

 beautiful walk through the garden of four acres, 

 has become a bower of fruit trees, the limbs en- 

 dearingly interlocking overhead. Verily, Shen- 

 stone might have envied it. 



Who, therefore, has better illustrated by his life 

 the entire compability of the pursuits of statesman- 

 ship and agriculture, and of the studies of politics 

 and religion, than the Father of the American Con- 

 stitution ? 



" Truth ; not the words of a Magistrate," was 

 his excellent motto. Let '■ modern democrats" 

 and "modern whigs" profit by his example. 



Mysteries of the Kitchen. — I know that I 

 run no small risk of being accused of Spartan bar- 

 barism when I assert that a knowledge of the art 

 ndinaria should form part of every young lady'j 

 education. Half a century hath hardly elapsed 

 since the cook-shop was as regularly visited, even 

 by the daushters of the higher class of gentry, as 

 the music academy — and I am free to assert that the 

 march of refinement in this instance hath been rath- 

 er retrogradish and crab-Jike. No female can be 

 injured, and many may be essentially benefited by 

 the study. An officer's wife for instance, who 

 liath accompanied her husband to the seat of war, 

 may greatly add tO their mutual comfort in the ab- 

 sence of domestics. In a mercantile community, 

 how many a man by reverse of fortune is compelled 

 as an emigrant to seek his fortune in some new 

 and unpeopled country, and who will assert that 

 his wife would be the worse of being able to dress 

 the wild fowl or venison which her husband's rifle 

 had supplied ? In the back woods of Canada, a 



sauce pan is worth a dozen pianos and whole 

 legion of guitars. 



I do not say that you should teach a woman 

 rope-dancing, because she may possibly elope with 

 the manager of a circus. But I would have hei 

 educated so as to meet all the probable exigenciei 

 and vicisitudes of life. 



Charges of Marriage. — When people tilk 

 of the expenses of a married establishment, they 

 seem to forget the fact, that there is no house- 

 keeper equal to a wife. She is a man's best and 

 most faithful steward ; and unless she have expen- 

 sive tastes, or habits of extravagance, will make a 

 pound go father than five could do with a bache- 

 lor: I lately saw a case in point. A gentleman 

 who, from mistaken motives of prudence, declines 

 to cliange his condition, made lately at my request 

 an abstract of his household expenditure for a year, 

 and it exceeded considerably the outlay for the 

 same period of another friend who is married, and 

 who in like manner furnished me with the data ] 

 required. I may add, that both parties move in 8 

 manner becoming their condition. Men are pro. 

 verbially bad managers — and even admitting thai 

 their domestics are faithful, still the motive foi 

 economy is wanting, and without a motive, nothing 

 effectual can be accomplished in this or in anj 

 other matter. 



Affectio.n. — " I speak as I feel," returned' 

 Clifford ; " were the woman I love suffering through 

 poverty, I would beg with her, if I could not relieve 

 her ; through injustice I would defend her ; fron 

 unkindnes I would protect her ; and if the work 

 forsook her, I would be to her the world." 



•WEIiLES'S PKEMIUM FOR APPLES. 



At a meeliiigof the Massachusetls Horticultural Society 

 held in Au;>ust last, it was 



Voted, That a first Premium of iliirty dollars he awarde( 

 on the second Saturday of January, 1840, for the best spe 

 cimen of Apples, produced on or before that time from seed 

 ling trees, which shall have been brought into notice sinci 

 the year 1829. 



That a second Premium of twenty dollars, and a thir( 

 Premium of ten dollars, be awarded. at the same time for tht 

 two next best similar specimens. 



That the quantity of each shall not be less than foa: 

 dozen. 



Tile Covtmiltee on Pruits are particularly requested t( 

 meet at the Rooms of the Society on Saturday, the 1 uh daj 

 of January next, at 10 o'clock, A. M., for the purpose o 

 awarding the Premiums above mentioned, also for awarding 

 the Premiums on Fruits lor the year 1839. 



E. M. RICHARDS, Cliairman.' 



December 13. 4t 



IMPROVED FIGS FOR SAIjE. 



For sale three, improved Boars of the following breeds ; 



One half Berkshire and half Macky. 



One half Berkshire, quarter Macky and quarter Mocha. 



One half Berkshire and half a large English breed, name 

 not known. 



The above boars are two years old ; they are disposed o) 

 on account of keeping young sows of their get for breeders. 

 They will be sold cheap if applied for soon. For terms, &c. 

 apply to J. BRECK &, CO. 



November 13. 



DOMESTICATED WILD GEESE. 



A few pair for sale. Inquire at this office. 

 November C. 



THE NEW E?}GI<AKD PARMER 



Is published every Wednesday Evening, at S3 per annum 

 payabteat the end of the year — but those who pay withii 

 sixty days from the time of subscribing are entitled to a fle- 

 duclionof 5B cents. 



TUTTLE, DENNETT AND CHISBOLM, PRINTERS, 



17 SUHOOL 3TR.:Er... .BOSTON 



"^^ 



