1«63. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



219 



ON THE FAKM. 



Concord, June 6, 1863. 



Gentlemen : — It is now nearly twelve years 

 since I embarked under the banner of the New 

 England Fanner : and in all the six hundred and 

 odd weeks of that period, not a paper has been 

 issued for which I have not prepared the miscel- 

 laneous agricultural matter, and furnished the Ed- 

 itorials, in whole or in part On two or three 

 occasions I have been absent a part of two consec- 

 utive weeks 5 and frequently, for two or three days 

 at a time, I have mingled with every class of our 

 people. Fortunately, before my connection with 

 the Farmer commenced, I had visited a majority 

 of the States of the Union, travelling much on 

 foot and leisurely observing whatever proved in- 

 teresting to my tastes, so that I have had little 

 desire to extend my rambles much beyond our 

 New England States. 



This long devotion to book and pen, together 

 with the deplorable habit of reading in the cars, 

 at length so aflPected my eyes that it is several 

 years since I have read a book in course, and I 

 find myself obliged to depend upon other eyes for 

 most that I get from papers and books. Under 

 these circumstances, I have concluded to leave the 

 office for a few weeks, and remain upon the farm ; 

 but occasionally visiting the neighboring towns, 

 or it may be to pass beyond the border of our own 

 State, to learn how others "live and prosper" in 

 the avocation which is the centre and support of 

 all others. 



Here, in the grateful shade of the trees of my 

 own planting, and amid the fields once barren and 

 repulsive, but now clothed with waving crops, or 

 those just springing into new life and beauty, I 

 shall be glad to receive our friends and discuss 

 the interests which so intimately concern all, as we 

 ramble or jaunt along. I shall be happy to re- 

 ceive calls, to interchange visits, and to learn 

 through every pleasant channel, something more 

 of our beautiful and ennnobling art. What I 

 practice in my own fields, what I hear from oth- 

 ers, and what I see, giuded by their experience, I 

 may preach through our columns. 



It is delightful, once more, to throw oif all Ed- 

 itorial technicality, and address you in the first 

 person. There is a freedom and directness in this 

 form of address which arrests the attention of the 

 reader, and which would send many a holy pre- 

 cept to the heart of the sinner if it were more 

 common in the pulpit. Whoever heard a lawyer 

 address a jury in the plural form, "We believe, 

 gentlemen of the jury, that the prisoner at the bar 

 is guilty of the crime charged?" Under this form, 

 his case, as the newsboys say, would \)e a "goner!"' 

 Throw away your pens, and books, and cares, 

 gentlemen, for a day or two, and come to the 

 banks of the "Concord and Assabet," where we 



wUl 



"taste of the fruits, 



Regale on the flowers," 



and fill the mind with such pleasant things as shall 

 afi"ord you delightful memories for years to come. 

 Pope's "paternal acres," that he sang about in his 

 youth, were nothing to these, laved by such charm- 

 ing streams, full of pike and other piscatorial gen- 

 try- ; so come and fish and eat, commune and 

 sleep, and fill yourselves full of the green, glow- 

 ing, beautiful country, and be the happier for it 

 all the rest of your days ! 



I am truly yours, SiMOX Brown. 

 Messrs. NeuBSE. Eaton & Tolmas. 



DEATH OF MR. TIMOTHY IDE, OP 

 NOKTH "WRENTHAM. 



From the Secretary of the North Wrentham 

 Farmers^ Club, we have received a touching trib- 

 ute to the memory of one of its members, just de- 

 ceased. He says that although Mr. Ide was more 

 than ninety years of age, he had been an active 

 member of the club during the whole five years of 

 its existence, and had always given it "cheerful 

 encouragement, sagacious counsel and the advan- 

 tages of his mature wisdom." This is the first 

 death of a member of the club, though it consists 

 of more than forty members. The tribute of re- 

 spect closes with the following lines : — 



"How blest is he that crowns, 'mid scenes like these, 

 A youth of labor, with an age of ease ; 

 Onward he moves towards his latter end. 

 Angels around befriending virtue's friend — 

 Sinks to tlie grave with unperceived decay, 

 While resignation calmly slopes the way. 

 And all his prospects brightening to the last,— 

 His heaven commences ere this life is passed." 



For the .Ve»r England Farmer. 

 "PXTNCTUAlilTY." 



"That men do not believe in punctuality," as 

 far as they are themselves concerned, I do not pre- 

 tend to doubt ; and the opinion that "gentlemen 

 ought to take a few lessons" in the noble virtue, I 

 heartily endorse. But the question then arises, 

 who shall give those lessons to the sterner sex ? 

 Not wives, nor mothers, nor sisters, after they 

 have attained the full stature of independent man- 

 hood. Perhaps you ask, "why not?" For the 

 very good reason that they will hardly receive a 

 hint upon the want of promptness, without mani- 

 fest signs of annoyance, and often of anger. With 

 an occasional excejjtion. only in childhood, when 

 under the softening, refining influence of a kind 

 mother's love ; or when smoothing their way into 

 I the hallowed affections of a young, impulsive 

 woman's heart, can they be easily influenced to 

 turn from the perverted course of their human na- 

 j ture. 



I And why do I argue that woman should be 



' punctual ? Certainly, not because I do not know 



I the value of woman's time, or would have her 



vield a right that would serve to lower or degrade 



her position one iota. No, no ! but simply to 



make the up-hill work of her life easier. 



I have not been a wife ten years in vain ; I have 

 'not used my eyes and ears to no purpose, when 



