138 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



NOV. 1, 1843. 



REMARKS OF MR TESCIIEMACURR, 

 Jit the Plowing Mutcli. nf the Jlmerican Insliiiiti:. 



At the late plowing malcli at Puterson, N. J. un- 

 der the auspices of llie Aincricnn Institute, our re- 

 spected fellow-citizen, J. E. Tesciiemacher, Esq., 

 was present, nnd addressed the asscnibla{;;e in some 

 appropriate and beautiful remarks, reported in the 

 N. Y. Herald, as follows : — 



I am delighted to meet you, pentlemen, on this 

 fair field ot contest, and to witness your strenuous 

 emulation in the first process of the cultivation of 

 the soil — plowing. Gentlemen — I am e.vlremely 

 fond of reading history, and this passion has led 

 my imagination into the busy occupation of invent- 

 ing far different scenes for this fair field. My 

 mind's eve has constructed in that corner, a tre- 

 mendous battery, vomiting forth death and destruc- 

 tion. Opposite, it has in view immense masses of 

 human beings crowding quickly forward up to the 

 very cannon's mouth, each cliasni in their ranks 

 caused by the crashing artillery, instantly closed 

 up by frrsh victims. From another quarter come 

 thundering over the plain numerous sq'iadrons of 

 cavalry, ru.-liing like a whirlwind, spreading deso- 

 lation all around ; while amidst all these e.vhibi- 

 tions of fury and madness, and almost overpowering 

 the roar of the artillery, arise the groans, the cries, 

 and the screams of the wounded and the dying — of 

 human nature suffering, in multitudes, tortures 

 more horrid than the inventions of the inquisition. 

 And the cause of all this dreadful spectacle, to he 

 repeated thrice and thrice again, perhaps some few 

 feet of disputed territory — perhaps even only some 

 fancied wound on that indefinite term, national 

 honor. And the result thereof — view the widow. 

 ed female with her helpless children, tlie hopes of 

 her life, the light of her eyes, her husband, a pale, 

 lifeless corpse, the rest of her life on earth a mass 

 of impenetrable darkness. View the childless 

 mother — he whose little hands she taught to raise 

 to heaven — he, her only support and hope on this 

 side of the grave — gone from her sight forever. 

 See the orphan children, icft to wander helpless 

 through the world. And this scene, my friends, is 

 called glory for the side that conquers, or disgrace 

 for the defeated : each party lifting up their voices 

 and calling on God to defend the right, and to 

 bless their side with victory. It is impossible for 

 me to trace this picture in language so vividly as 

 imagination presents it to my mind. Happily, no 

 imagination is required to represent to you the re- 

 ality of the scene we have today witnessed. In- 

 stead of stains of human gore, the only spots are 

 the sweat of man's brow, arising from the condi- 

 tion under which the Benignant Deity has decreed 

 that lie shall earn his bread. Instead of the ma- 

 nure of human carcasses and bones, we have that 

 formed by the intelligent action of the scientific 

 mind, which has peacefully penetrated into the 

 laws of nature for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 nourishment most fitted fur the crop intended to be 

 raised. Instead of the groans and cries of the 

 wounded and dying, or the wailing and lament of 

 the widow, the parent or the orphan, we have the 

 blilhsome whistle of the ploughman, the cheerful 

 and contented hum of the voices of his wite and 

 children. Instead of the ruined cottage, the de- 

 vastated field and orchard, we have all nature smi- 

 ling wnh its luxuriant fruits, flowers and harvests. 

 Which, my friends, is true glory, which occupa- 

 tion can with more chance of success lift up its 

 voice to heaven and ask a blessing on the e.xcr- 



tion ? Ofi a review of these two scenes, who can 

 help e.xclalming, happy will be the time when the 

 sword shall become the plough share, the spear the 

 reaping hook, and nun shall learn war no more. I 

 have lived in other countries where other customs 

 and forms of society prevail, and have frequently 

 heard and seen men who had raised themselves 

 to opulence by industry, rejected from certain class- 

 es of highly educated society, because forsooth, 

 tlicy had gained their riches in trade, or behind the 

 retailing counter, or in some other calling, which 

 conventional feelings deemed deorading ; but in 

 no country have I ever he.ird included in these 

 fancied degrading occupations, that of following 

 the plough or agriculture. This is honored by 

 time, by nobles, by men of the highest education, 

 nay, even by monarchs themselves, some of whom 

 have set an example to their subjects by hold- 

 ing the plough themselves. Point out to me the 

 man who follows the plough with a steady hand, a 

 correct and discerning eye, easing and driving with 

 judgn^cnt and skill, and I will show you the man 

 whose farm in every other point of husbandry must 

 thrive by the exertion of his intelligence and in- 

 dustry. I liave often regretted that I was not 

 brnught up to till the earth. There is always a 

 sweet fragrance, a cheering spirit arising from 

 fresh turned soil, and when I have beheld the wa- 

 ving wheat bend gracefully under the well filled 

 ear, as if making a thankful audience to Heaven 

 for its luxurience, I have felt happy in the idea 

 that it seemed like an invitation to me also to bow 

 in gratitude to the same Being for the blessings 

 that surround me. My friends, the youth now 

 bringing up to agricultute are unquestionably des- 

 tined to see this pursuit in far brighter days than 

 it has ever yet enjoyed. Look at the vast extent 

 iif territory on this side of the Atlantic ; it will 

 probably for ages be unscathed by war; it will 

 teem with a free, contented, active population, 

 which will give a tremendous impulse to agricul- 

 ture by the application of industry, and llie lustre 

 of that star of science now rising steadily upon 

 this pursuit. The immense demand by this wide- 

 spread agricultural population, for the products of 

 the manufarture and the commerce of the cities 

 and of the sea board, will be reverberated back by 

 the requisitions of hosts of mechanics, artisans and 

 manufacturing operatives, on their industry, for 

 fond and raw material, all products of the soil. 

 While the vast iinprovementa in the communica- 

 tions from one end of the country to the other, 

 through the medium of steamboats and railroads, 

 will eciiialize and renjler steady the immense and 

 profitable business of supplying each other's wants, 

 those circumstances, if seconded by tlie efforts of 

 wise and paternal government, quietly repressing 

 and discountenancing wild and delusive specula- 

 lions, as well as protecting the earnings of lioncst 

 industry against llie wiles and designing arts of 

 drones, ivho, either ashamed or too lazy to work 

 themselves, seek only to appropriate to themselves 

 the results of the labors of others — must eventuate 

 in a state of things, which the wise and good can 

 only contemplate with satisfaction and heartfelt de- 

 light. And what must a man do to take a share 

 in bringing about this desired end? Put his hand 

 to the plough — the time honored plough and hon- 

 ored let it be throughout the land — educate your 

 youth in the use of it ; teach them a proper esti- 

 mation of its worth, and of the value, the dignity 

 of agriculture. In the plough handle there is no 



trickery, no deceit, no false friendship. Stand b 

 your plough, and it will stand by you in sunshin 

 and in ram, in adversity and in prosperity. I trut 

 our friend, Mr. Colman, now in England, will fi 

 vnr us soon with some account of the action of th 

 English plough. I arranged with hini on his dt 

 partiiro, that if he wished it, I would forward t 

 him Yankee ploughs, of any make he wi.'^hed, ft 

 the purpose of running the race with those of Eng 

 lish make. These are contests in which good me 

 delight ; in which both parties gain. 



KEEPING APPLES. 



The ordinary method of stowing apples away i 

 the bins of cellars is a very good one for famil 

 purposes, especially if the cellars be cool and di 

 in the warmer months, and of a temperature abo\ 

 the freezing point in winter, 'i he best methoi 

 however, which we have found of keeping apple 

 is to pick them by hand from the trees in di 

 weather, as soon as sufticiently ripe, and pack the 

 in clean barrels, being very careful at the san 

 time to prevent their getting bruised in so doin 

 Head them up tight from the air inmiedialely, ar 

 place them in any cool, dry place, with the tempi 

 rature as near 40 or 45 degrees as possible. 1 

 this way we have known them to remain perfect 

 sound for more than a year, and it is thus packe 

 that they best bear transportation at sea. As soc 

 as we get a line of steam-ships to cross the Atlai 

 tic from this city to Liverpool in ten to tweh 

 days, (which will undoubtedly be the case in 

 very few years) good apples will become quite £ 

 article of export ; instead, therefore, of allowir 

 their orchards to go to decay, as many, we are son 

 to find, are doing in this neighborhood, the produi 

 tion of good selected fruit should be more ai 

 more the study of the farmer, especially if he t 

 the proprietor of only a small estate. Apples ai 

 undoubtedly worth raising even to be fed to pigs 

 and how much they contribute to the comforts ar 

 luxuries of llie table, we need not say. 



The varieties of apples to be grown on the far 

 need not be great ; some twenty or at most thirl 

 kinds for the summer, fall, and winter, would prol 

 ably embrace all that are particularly desirab 

 for family use. These should be well approve 

 kinds, known as such by actual tests in our cl 

 mate ; for these greatly change by transplantin 

 not only from foreign countries, but even in ot 

 own diversified territories. We have repeated j 

 seen apples which were very superior in the norti 

 ern and eastern States, prove quite ordinary on In 

 ing transplanted to the west and south, and 

 knowledge of this fact should operate as a cautir 

 to those who purchase at our nurseries, not to t 

 over hasty in condemning every thing which dot 

 not answer the description given it where fir 'i 

 produced. — Jlmerican Jlgriculturalisl. i 



Snow Sturm in Vermont. A letter to the Bo 

 ton Mail, dated " Sutton, Vt., Oct. 24, says th: 

 a snow storm commenced on the Sunday night pri 

 vious, which covered the ground to the depth i 

 ]2 to 15 inches on a level. "It has taken us ei 

 tirely by surprise ; and should it not melt awo 

 very soon, it will do much damage to the la' 

 crops — Nearly one half of the potatoes are yet i 

 the ground. In fact our farmers were in the vei 

 centre of their fall work when this visitation can 

 upon them." 



