348 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



For the New England Farmer. 



AWOTHEB VISIT TO THE HOMESTEAD 

 OP FAKMEK ALLEN. 



Last summer I made a visit to the homestead of 

 Farmer Allen, and subsequently wrote an ac- 

 count of some of the many doings that I saw dur- 

 ing my short sojovirn under his hospitable roof, 

 and it was published in the Farmer. I have just 

 returned from another visit to my friend, and I 

 found as many things to interest and amuse me as I 

 did at my previous visit in midsummer. The flow- 

 ers that then delighted me with their beauty and 

 fragrance had perished when the first rude blast 

 swept from over the distant hills, and the first 

 frost had appeared long ago in early autumn. The 

 birds that awoke me at early morning with their 

 merry songs had departed to a wai'mer clime. The 

 giant elms around the homestead were no longer 

 dressed with living green, and the cattle, that in 

 summer dotted the distant hills and valleys, had 

 been removed to the spacious barns, and many 

 other rural sights had vanished ; but in their 

 places I found as many things to delight me as I 

 did in the gorgeous summer. 



The next evening after my ai-rival at the home- 

 stead the farmer invited me to attend with him 

 the regular weekly meeting of the 



farmers' club. 



I gladly accepted his invitation, for I longed to 

 hear the farmers talk among themselves of mat- 

 ters and things connected with their honorable 

 calling. The meeting was held in the town-hall, 

 and I was glad on arrival to find the spacious hall 

 well filled with an orderly and intelligent audi- 

 ence. As Mr. Allen was President of the Club, 

 and as the hour of opening the meeting had near- 

 ly arrived, those that had been standing talking 

 around the stove, and in various parts of the hall, 

 came and took their seats. I quietly followed 

 their example, and improved the few minutes that 

 remained before the hour of calling the meeting to 

 order, in looking round at the pleasant faces of 

 the robust farmers that mainly comprised the au- 

 dience. On the front seat sat a sturdy farmer with 

 his four healthful looking sons, and behind him 

 sat the village doctor, who seemed to take as much 

 interest in the subject as if he had been attend- 

 ing a medical lecture. He was accompanied by 

 his only son, who, in a conversation that I subse- 

 quently had Avith him, told me that he had made 

 up his mind to be a practical farmer. The lawyer 

 of the village was there, and the parsons of both 

 of the churches of the place, sitting side by side, 

 as if they were of one faith. 



The President announced the subject for dis- 

 cussion for the evening to be "What breed of 

 cattle is the best adapted for our New England 

 farms V 



In opening, he said that we had many breeds of 

 cattle that had been imported, besides our com- 

 mon native stock ; he alluded to the "Oakes 

 cow" as a native animal, and said it was well 

 known that our best stock, both for the dairy and 

 work, came from this native growth. In conclud- 

 ing he said the subject was one of much interest 

 and he hoped all would avail themselves of the 

 opportunity to speak upon it. He called on Far- 

 mer BoYDEN for his opinion of the matter. 



Mr. Boy'den said he was in favor of the na- 



tive breed, both for cows and oxen ; that he had 

 in his barn a cow from the native stock that he 

 thought would compare favorably with any of the 

 foreign stock. Deacon Farniiam said he consid- 

 ered the Devon cattle the best ; they would 

 thrive on poor hay, and the oxen made capital 

 roadsters. In concluding, he said he had some of 

 the Devon stock for sale, and invited all present 

 to give him a call, if in want of good stock. This 

 remark caused a smile on almost every face. 

 Farmer Tanner was in favor of the common cat- 

 tle ; he said that a young man just starting in life 

 could not afford to pay such a price for stock as 

 that demanded by those that had fancy stock for 

 sale. He once owned the famous Durham bull 

 "Berry," and found that a cross between the pure 

 Durham and our common cattle resulted favora- 

 bly to both breeds. But it is impossible for me 

 to remember one-half of the interesting things 

 that were said at this meeting; the time passed 

 speedily away, and when the old church clock 

 tolled the hour of nine, the meeting broke up, 

 each one taking with him some new idea, which, 

 if rightly developed, will result to his pleasure 

 and profit. 



On my way back to the homestead, Farmer 

 Allen spoke to me of the great importance of 

 having these clubs in every village in the coun- 

 try ; he had found them to be a great benefit to 

 himself; and although the farmers' club had not 

 been established but a year in the place, yet in 

 that short time it had been the means of doing 

 much good. He mentioned one case as follows ; 



Shortly after the club had been organized, and 

 while yet it was struggling for an existence, the 

 following subject was given out for discussion at 

 the next meeting, viz: 'TAe Preservation of 

 Farm Buildings." 



There was living, in a distant part of the towm, 

 a man Avho had come into possession of a fair 

 farm soon after reaching his majority, but who had 

 suffered the buildings upon it to go to decay un- 

 til the cold winds of winter entered at every side, 

 and his poor cattle stood a fair chance of perish- 

 ing from the cold. His house had kept pace with 

 the barns, and the old hats and gowns stuffed in 

 at the windows were in keeping with its black, 

 weather-beaten exterior. Farmer Allen said he 

 thought if he could get this man at the meeting, 

 he could infuse some ideas into him that might 

 be useful ; he invited him to be present, which in- 

 vitation he somewhat reluctantly accepted. Far- 

 mer Allen also invited some of his city friends to 

 come out and take part in the meeting. They 

 came, as did also the invited guests. The speak- 

 ers told how much less fodder cattle would eat 

 that had a Avarm and comfortable shelter, than 

 those whose only shelter from the wintry blast 

 was the lee side of a hay-stack ; they spoke of 

 the beauty and comfort of having good buildings 

 on the farm, and described in glowing language 

 the advantages of keeping in repair the farm 

 buildings. About a fortnight after the meeting, 

 Farmer Allen, in passing by that way, was de- 

 lighted to hear the merry sound of the hammer 

 and saw in the direction of Neighbor Slack's 

 homestead, and on coming nearer, was still more 

 surprised at seeing a force of men engaged in put- 

 ting in complete repair the house, barn, stable, 

 and even the cow-house ! He said his delight 

 knew no bounds when his neighbor came to meet 



