1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



443 



For tke New England Farmer, 

 A LEISURE HO an. 



Mr. Editor : — Being in your goodly city the 

 other day, and having a little time on my hands 

 after disposing of ail other business, I went to 

 the Agricultural Rooms of Nourse, Mason & Co. 

 I had been there before, and always with increased 

 interest; this great show-room of active brain 

 has peculiar charms for me. I know of no better 

 place to spend a leisure hour, and to get posted 

 up in the progress of farming matters, than a vis- 

 it to these rooms. I will say nothing about your 

 own sanctum, Mr. Editor. I fear, however, I 

 should not have so free a run in the latter as I 

 am permitted to enjoy in the former. 



Let others talk about their half-horse and half- 

 alligator, and humbug the people out of their 

 honest quarters by the mermaid, if they will visit 

 this museum of agricultural implements and come 

 away and not say the visit was worth twenty-five 

 cents, then they ought to be humbugged. Here 

 \rere implements in abundance of all kinds, mate- 

 rials, shapes and sizes — of many of which I could 

 not guess the use — not only pertaining to the 

 out-door arrangements of farm labor, but the in- 

 door as well, showing that our gallant inventors 

 do not forget that angelic woman, the farmer's 

 help-meet, has a place in their active brain — but 

 proof that she has an important part to play in 

 the drama of the farm. 



In going about the large hall I was continually 

 amazed with the vast amount of mind which is 

 being constantly exerted for the benefit of the 

 farmer in all his departments of labor ; the evi- 

 dence was too palpable not to be understood, and 

 that farmer must be a dull and stupid man in- 

 deed, who cannot this year carry on his business 

 better, cheaper, and all things considered, with 

 increased results, than at any previous time. 



Every department of mechanical invention is 

 being exerted for his profit — air, earth and water 

 are elements brought to his command, to take 

 the place of human muscle ; and it is for each one 

 to decide for himself whether he will keep up, in 

 spirit and practice, with the times, by availing 

 himself of means at command, and prove that 

 farming is profitable, or neglecting these means, 

 plod on as his fathers did, and know farming to 

 be a hard and not a very paying business, as his 

 experience proves it. 



Everything, now-a-days, seems to go on the 

 high pressure principle ; and if the "biler does 

 bust" now and then, it is no proof that the prin- 

 ciple is not a sound one — by no means ; there 

 may have been some defect in the "biler," or 

 there was too much pressure of steam. The way 

 I look at things, a man had better "bust," provid- 

 ed he don't kill anybody, than not go at all. I 

 hope the reader appreciates my argument. 



My idea is this. The farmer who would be 

 successful, happy, contented and get money, must 

 love his profession, be a man among men and 

 take advantage of every means at command. He 

 must be active, wide awake, and well read in his 

 profession, which implies enough to occupy all 

 his leisure time. He must adopt new methods of 

 culture, which implies also that he should experi- 

 ment a little, enough, to say the least, to test the 

 new before quitting the old methods, and to bring 

 out a new idea now and then. He should avail 



himself of all new and approved implements his 

 wants require and his means admit of — remem- 

 bering his "better half." 



In fact, my man should be the "up and dressed," 

 active, intelligent, progressive farmer. I am glad 

 to know that the list of such is constantly enlarg- 

 ing all over the North and West — men whom no 

 profession can honor, but who honor their profes- 

 sion. Reader, shall we put your name down ? 



King Oak Hill, 1861. N. Q. T. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DOGS. 



Mr. Editor: — Your correspondent "J. C. D." 

 says, "I know nothing of dogs, and am unable to 

 appreciate their virtues." I reply, that I know 

 them to be a nuisance, and have never yet dis- 

 covered their virtues. As a curse to the Com- 

 monwealth, they stand, in an economical point of 

 view, next to rum ! and their control and man- 

 agement form one of the most difflcult subjects of 

 legislation. The present law is better than noth- 

 ing, but under it but few will venture into the 

 business of sheep breeding. 



I believe there is but one remedy for the mis- 

 chief done by dogs, and that consists in passing 

 a stringent law prohibiting their running at large. 

 Under such a law "J. C. D." could study their 

 virtues at home, and keep any number he pleased 

 for the purpose. He would only be restrained in 

 trespassing upon other people's rights. He could 

 fill his own premises with dogs, while his neighbor 

 could occupy his with sheep, protected by severe 

 penalties. If a man wants a watch dog, let him 

 be confined, as any other dangerous animal should 

 be. 



My illiberality consists in a desire to prolfect 

 my property and person from the attacks of a 

 worthless race of beasts, in whom are combined 

 the bad qualities of the wolf, the catamount, and 

 the rattle-snake. c. 



THE BBAVEB IN LONDON. 



The visitors at Regent's Park, London, are very 

 happy in the enjoyment of a beaver. All the 

 Year Round says of him : 



"This beaver seems perpetually happy. He has 

 constructed his own abode with materials thrown 

 over into his enclosure, and goes on thus recon- 

 structing and altering it for ever. The superin- 

 tendent communicates it to first gentleman, who 

 retails it to second, and so on, that this beaver is 

 so fond of his house that though he managed on 

 one occasion to get out of his enclosure and down 

 to the banks of the neighboring canal in the dead 

 of the night, he was yet found next morning back 

 in his legitimate domain, and working away at his 

 'improvements' as hard as ever. He is a lively 

 chap at night, and was not the least disconcerted 

 by the presence of the party gathered round him, 

 but was, on the contrary, so tremendously busy 

 in doing nothing and then undoing it again, still 

 keeping his eye upon the four gentlemen who 

 had come to see him, that third gentleman was 

 heard at last to remark to fourth gentleman that 

 he 'looked upon this animal as an imposter, and 

 believed he was doing it all for efiect.' " 



