1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



311 



solve, practically, the most difficult and mysteri- 

 ous problems that the human mind can perform 

 in the physical sciences ; and yet some may ask if 

 this demand upon his capacity be made, with what 

 is he paid ? and I answer, with the highest, the 

 truest, the best of all earthly blessings — health 

 to the body, satisfaction to the feelings, and oc- 

 cupation to the mind. And to these present boons 

 there is added another, less obvious and tangible, 

 but singularly and beneficently adapted to the 

 imperfections of man's earthly state ; viz. : an 

 interesting and alluring anticipation of the fu- 

 ture, which hiding the gray hairs, masking the 

 deepened wrinkles, and soothing the recent woe, 

 gently leads him on from year to year, till the al- 

 lotted space is already past, the goal impercepti- 

 bly won, and the earth, which his mind has stud- 

 ied and his strength has tilled, receives him in 

 her gentle bosom, and while he sleeps in peace, 

 "the good that he has done lives after him." 

 John Calvin Gitchell. 

 Boscawen, N. H., 1861. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 EETBOSPECTIVE NOTES. 



Calendar for May — Spare the Birds. — 

 Having been very much delighted with the plea 

 in behalf of sparing the birds, and with the proofs 

 of their usefulness, which are contained in this 

 opening article of both weekly and monthly is- 

 sues of the Farmer for May, and being desirous 

 that every effort made for the dissemination of 

 the truth upon this subject, and for discouraging 

 the cruel, disgraceful practices of shooting birds, 

 and robbing their nests, should be as efi"ective as 

 possible, it occurred to me that, if the pages of 

 the N. E. Farmer for the current year should 

 furnish for the boys an article as likely to influ- 

 ence them, as the article under notice is likely to 

 influence adults, then this paper would have con- 

 tributed, for one year and volume at least, its 

 fair proportion of effort for the above-named ob- 

 jects, to which every respectable agricultural 

 journal should make, at least, one contribution, 

 in the course of every year or volume of its exis- 

 tence. As the boys, and the men who are no 

 better than grown up boys, are the chief actors 

 in the cruel, shameful practices referred to, there 

 ought to be every year, or in every volume of our 

 agricultural journals, one article, at least, adapted 

 to interest and influence them, and appealing to 

 their heads and hearts, in behalf of sparing the 

 birds, as powerfully as the editorial now under 

 notice seems well calculated to do in the case of 

 adults, and the more considerate portion of the 

 young. 



I have been led to place this high estimate 

 on stories, songs, or other articles more especial- 

 ly adapted to attract the attention or interest the 

 feelings of boys, in consequence of having been 

 made acquainted with the fact that the singing of 

 a song called "The Farmers' Best Friends," which 

 was printed in the Gaiesee Farmer, during 1859, 

 seemed to one who takes a deep interest in the 

 rising generation to have very certainly exerted 

 quite an influence on the singer himself, and on 

 a squad of boys with whom he used to associate. 

 They left off, at all events, both last year and 

 this spring so far, the two practices which are so 



common with many boys, namely, the shooting of 

 birds and the robbing of their nests. Having 

 good assurance that. this particular song has had 

 so happy an influence on one squad of thought- 

 less, if not positively cruel and mischievous boys, 

 I have been induced to copy it for use in your 

 columns, from the very natural and confident 

 hope that what has done good in one instance 

 may do a like good in a great many other instan- 

 ces. Some of your subscribers can persuade good 

 singers to commit it to memory, and can get it 

 sung on suitable occasions ; and wherever there 

 is any goodness in the heart- soil upon which 

 such seed is scattered, surely there must be a 

 harvest of more or less value. Here, then, is the 

 poem, copied, as I have said, from the Genesee 

 Farmer for 1859: 



The Farmers' Best Friends. 



BT A. HOLLOWAT, MT. BRYDQES, C. TV. 



Destroy not the birds ; 



They're the farmers' best friends ; 

 For the little they spoil 



They make ample amends. 



Some fruit tbey will eat ; 



But gruiige it them not ; 

 For the good that they do 



Should not be forgot. 



They keep down the insects, 



Whose rapid increase 

 Would injure our harvests, 



Till harvests would cease. 



With their songs they amuse 



Our wearisome hours. 

 And their presence enlivens 



The shadiest bowers. 



Then forgive their slight faults ; 



They make ample amends ; — 

 And do not forget 



They're the farmers' best friends. 



Farming Operations Made Profitable. — 

 Under this heading we have in the Farmer 

 (Monthly,) for May, two very interesting and in- 

 structive communications from the pen of Mr. 

 Holbrook, in reply to certain inquiries by one who 

 has always had a fondness for farming, but who 

 in early life had turned to other pursuits, and 

 had thus become rusty, and to a great degree, in- 

 capacitated for his favorite occupation, farming, 

 which he has now resumed. The matters about 

 which this inquirer has sought information and 

 aid are, many of them, just such as hundreds of 

 the cultivators of the soil are in need of informa- 

 tion about, whether they may feel that need 

 or not ; and Mr. Holbrook's replies are so in- 

 structive, and so abundant in practical details, 

 that almost every farmer may derive some useful 

 hints and guidance therefrom, and more particu- 

 larly as to the management of muck and manure, 

 and the adaptation of different kinds of plowing 

 to different conditions of the soil, to different 

 wants or purposes of the farmer, and to other 

 circumstances. 



These communications of Mr. Holbrook have 

 recalled to memory quite frequently and freshly 

 some of the many similar communications which 

 have been drawn out by similar inquiries from the 

 rich treasures of the judicious and experienced 

 John Johnston, of New York, and which have 

 been given to the agricultural brotherhood, for the 

 benefit of others as well as of the individual in- 

 quirers, through the columns of the Country Gen- 

 tleman, and a few other agricultural papers. And 



