336 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



can look upon this display of the power of God 

 ■without awe. Well is it said that our "God is a 

 consuming fire," and that "it is a fearful thing to 

 fall into His hands." May we, one and all, he 

 prepared for the day of God which seems to be 

 prefigured by the fires of the volcano. More 

 anon. Yours, with much respect, 



J. S. Green. 



For the New England Farmer. 



FARM NEATNESS— PBEMIUMS. 



Neatness no farming ! Why not, Mr. Editor ? 

 Is not the farmer one of the "lords of creation," 

 and should he not be a pattern of every thing that 

 is neat, honest, high-minded, upright, true as 

 steel to principle, whoso word is a bond, and 

 whom society can illy afford to lose ? Neatness in 

 farming ! where can a better field be found for 

 the display of this virtue than on the farm ? To 

 make out my case, I will ramble over a few things. 

 In reading over the difierent reports of our county 

 agricultural societies, one thing in particular has 

 struck me as decidedly wrong in the arrangement 

 of their premium list. I mean this : Here are 

 two men in the same town, and it may be, side "by 

 side. One has the most ample means at his com- 

 mand for the purchase of the most approved im- 

 plements, manure and help ; everything about his 

 farm is conducted on a liberal scale of expendi- 

 ture. With ample means at his command, every- 

 thing about his farm is accomplished in the most 

 thorough manner. Now for the neighbor. He 

 may hold his farm free from debt, but probably 

 not — no means at command, but his two willing 

 hands, and a clear brain ; with these he goes to 

 work to obtain the capital necessary to bring out 

 the resources of his farm, and he does it. Cora- 

 paring his farm with what it was when he first 

 took hold of it, it would scarcely be recognized ; 

 im])rovement an 1 thrift is stamped upon every 

 field, fence and building ; a diligent hand and a 

 thinking brain is everyv^'here apparent. These 

 two men ofi'er their farms for premiums ; which 

 of the two usually gets it ? Not the latter, though 

 taking into consideration all the circumstances 

 attending the two forms, his is as far ahead of the 

 former, as the diff'erence was between their purs- 

 es at the commencement. The latter may possi- 

 bly get the second premium awarded him, though 

 justly entitled to both. Is there any fancy about 

 this ? Read over the difierent reports for the last 

 five years, and not only will this be found gener- 

 ally true, but it will hold good in regard to many 

 other things. For instance, what is to prevent 

 farmer number one from producing a ])remium 

 crop of corn or carrots ? Money goes a long way 

 in farming, as in everything else ; it is a power 

 in itself considered. Let any one interested, look 

 over our own Norfolk County agricultural reports 

 from its first show down to the last, and they 

 will please observe that the great bulk of premi- 

 ums have been awarded to a very few persons. 

 There is a desire to see the whole premium busi- 

 ness placed on a more just and equitable plan, 

 though, for aught I know, it may be impossible 

 to better the present system. I am in doubt about 

 it, however. I wish to see our societies hold out 

 greater encouragement to the smaller and poorer 

 class of farmers, with a reasonable prospect of 

 success to them. 



But to my text. Neatness in farming ! Is it 

 possible for a farmer to be successful in his oper- 

 ations, without neatness, system, and a place for 

 every thing, and every thing in its place ? and he 

 should see that these things are carried out by 

 each and every person about the establishment. 

 It takes less time to be neat and systematic, than 

 to be slovenh^, and a "hilter skiltcr" method of 

 doing things. There is a charm about a neat, tidy, 

 orderly looking farm, however humble the build- 

 ings may appear, which always pleases. I do not 

 wonder that many farmers' sons hurry to be off 

 from the old home; its ap])earance, compared 

 with the city and its surroundings, either from 

 what he has seen, heard or read, disgusts him. 

 He longs to be somebody, and to be thought some- 

 thing of, which he feels he never will be, as long 

 as the old farm remains in its present condition. 

 If parents expect to keep their sons and daugh- 

 ters at home, they must strive to make that home 

 the happiest and j^leasantest place in all the 

 world ; and if this is done, they will remain at 

 home and love it, because it is lovely. There is 

 an instinctive love of the neat and beautiful, in 

 every human bosom ; a child appreciates this long 

 before it can talk. Now, ye farmers, make your 

 homes pleasant, and have every thing about your 

 establishment arranged with taste, suitable to 

 your means. Consider no cost too great, M'hich 

 makes home happy, and your wife and children 

 contented. It is not all money that is v/anted to 

 accom])lish so desirable an end. A piano and 

 costly furniture will not do it, though all proper 

 enough under some circumstances ; but it is the 

 thousand and one little and great things which all 

 must attend to in-door and out. O, for a pen for 

 the people, which Avould arouse them to an appre- 

 ciation of the blessings and privileges which sur- 

 round them, ])articularly in the case of the farmer. 



King Oak Hill. Norfolk. 



NE v7 PUBLICATIONS. 

 MiLCn Cows AND Dairy Farming. By CnARLES L. Flint, Esq. 



We have before us a new edition of this popu- 

 lar work, which "comprises an account of the 

 breeds, breeding, and management in health and 

 disease, of dairy and other stock; the selection of 

 milch cows, with a full explanation of Guenon's 

 method ; the culture of forage plants, and the pro- 

 duction of milk, butter and cheese ; embodying 

 the most recent improvements, and adapted to 

 farming in the United States and British Provin- 

 ces," &c. 



This work contains a large anj^unt of informa- 

 tion which must be valuable to most persons en- 

 gaged in stock-raising, or in any department of 

 the dairy. It is illustrated with numerous engrav- 

 ings of some of the finest cattle of the country, is 

 well printed on thick, fine paper, and will be 

 worth many times its cost to most farmers M'ho do 

 not own any similar work on the subjects consid- 

 ered. Published by Crosby, Nichols, Lee & Co., 

 Boston. 



The Horticulturist for June is an interest- 

 ing and valuable number. 



