242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



THE GUIDE POST. 



Translated by Bayard Taylor from the AUemaunic-German 

 dialect of John Peter Hebel, for the Atlantic Monthly, 



D'ye know the road to th' bav'l of flour? 



At break o'day let down the bars, 

 And plouch your wheat field hour by hour 



Till sundown — yes, till shine of stars. 



You pej; away the live-long day, 



Nor loai about, nor gape around ; 

 And that's the road to the thrashin' floor, 



And into the kitchen, I'll be bound ! 



D'ye know the road where dollars are ? 



Follow the red cents here and there, 

 For if a man leaves them, I guess 



He won't find dollars anywheve. 



D'ye know the road to Sunday's rest.' 



Jist d n't of week days be afeered ; 

 In field and workshop do y'r best, 



And Sunday comes itself, I've heered. 



On Saturday it's not fur off. 



And brings a basketful o' cheer — 

 A roast, and lots of garden stuff. 



And, like as not, a jug of beer. 



D'ye know the road to poverty ? 



Turn in at any tavern sign ; 

 Turn in — it's temptin' as can be. 



There's brau'-new cards and liquor fine. 



In the last tavern there's a sack. 



And when the cash y'r pocket quits, 

 Jist hand the wallet on y'r back — 



You vagabond ! see how it fits ! 



D'ye know what road to honor leads .' 



And good old age ? — a lovely sight ! 

 By way o' temperance, honest deeds, 



And try in' to do y'r dooty right. 



And when the road forks airy side, 



And you're in doubt which one it is, 

 Stand still and let y'r conscience guide ; 



Thank God, it can't lead much amiss ! 



And now, the road to church-yard gate 



You needn't ask. Go anywhere ! 

 For whether roundabout or straight. 



All roads at last will bring you there. 



Go, fearin' God, but lovin' more ! 



I've tried to l>e an honest guide, — 

 You'll find the grave has got a door. 



And somethin' for you t'other side. 



A 'STOCK FARM IN MAINE. 



The editor of the Bangor (Me.) Whig and Cou- 

 rier has recently paid a visit to the large stock 

 farm of Mr. Thomas S. Lang, at Vassalboro', Me., 

 and publishes a description of what he calls "the 

 finest stud of horses in New England, and the best 

 yard of thoroughbred Durham cattle in Maine." 

 The stud embraces sixty-one horses, old and young, 

 of every popular breed, including stock from 

 Ethan Allen, George M. Patchen, Sherman, Black 

 Hawk, Trotting Childers, Hiram Drew, and other 

 celebrities on the trotting course. The writer says 

 there is but one description of horse which Mr. 

 Lang has not got, and that is "a poor one." Most 

 of the animals are very valuable, and several of 

 them are, individually, worth what many would 

 esteem an extraordinary price. The writer speci- 

 fies as follows : 



"Foremost in the list we must notice the entire 

 horse, General Knox, well known to every horse- 

 dealer in New England. General Knox is seven 

 years old, is a Sherman Black Hawk, from a Ham- 

 iltonian mother, never was sick or lame a moment, 

 is gentle as a kitten, and the most perfect animal 

 we ever looked upon. We believe he will yet 

 make the best time on record. He has never been 

 beaten in a race — lie never ivill be. 



The entire horse, Trenton, by G. M. Patchen, 

 from a French mare purchased on the Bonaparte 



estate. New Jersey, and raised by Prince Murat, 

 is a splendid animal, but hardly up to General 

 Knox. 



The Davis horse, lately owned in Bradford, is fa- 

 miliar to horse fanciers in this vicinity, and is a 

 very fine animal, and a fast traveller. 



General Wayne, by Ethan Allen from a thor- 

 ough bred mother, is also a splendid animal, and 

 hard to beat. 



One of the finest animals is the trotting gelding 

 'Cloudman,' powerfully and perfectly built, and 

 handsome as a picture. He will make his mark 

 in the sporting world." 



Among the remainder are horses "of every con- 

 ceivable style, from the little and graceful three- 

 year-old to the staid old 1350 pounds Pennsylva- 

 nia Dutchman who jogs off" with a fabulous load 

 without winking." 



The Durham (or short-horn) cattle of Mr. Lang 

 are represented to include some of the finest ani- 

 mals ever imported into this country, and to em- 

 brace the famous animals brought from England, 

 by Thorne, of New York, at great expense, as they 

 re])resent the stocks of the best English breeders, 

 and are of unquestioned purity. The writer des- 

 cribes the young stock as very promising, and 

 speaks of th.e breeding cattle as follows : 



"Among the stock purchased of Thorne are 

 cows Lalla E.ookh, Bianca, Aurora, Peri and Vic- 

 toria — of these Lalla Rookh, perhaps, stands fore- 

 most. She was bred by Col. Townley, of Town- 

 ley Park, Burnley, England. She won the first 

 prize of .$10 at the great Yorkshire show in 1851, 

 and the first prize of $10 at the Royal North Lan- 

 cashire Society's show, in the same jear. She 

 beat, upon both these occasions, a heifer shown in 

 the same class named 'Vestris.' The next year, 

 'Lalla Rookh' being in this country, 'Vestris' car- 

 ried all the prizes ; showing that 'Lalla Rookh's' 

 equal was not left in England. Her first cost was 

 $2000. She was also winner of the first prize as 

 best cow at the United States Show, at Philadel- 

 phia, in 1856. She was one of the herd that won 

 the first prize as the best herd of Short Horns, 

 and also the first prize as best herd of any breed 

 at the same show. Since she was brought to this 

 country she has had five calves. Four of them 

 have been sold for $1000 each, and the fifth is now 

 owned by Mr. Thorne, and cannot be bought. 



]Mr. Lang, (the writer adds,) is paying great at- 

 tention to the science of breeding cattle and horses. 

 With him it is a deep and earnest study, and he 

 enters into it with an energy and determination, 

 which cannot fail to be productive of the most ben- 

 eficial results. 



If the man who makes two blades of grass grow 

 where but one grew before, is a benefactor of his 

 race, how much more is he a benefactor who in- 

 vests large sums of money in bringing valuable 

 horses and cattle into the State. The improved 

 blood is circulated in all directions, adding thou- 

 sands of dollars to the value of stock, and its ben- 

 eficial effects will be felt for years and years." 



Mr. Lang's attention is not entirely occupied in 

 raising improved horse and dairy stock, although, 

 from the list of his possessions, in these respects, 

 his occupation and care would be sufficient for 

 any common man. He is agent for the North 

 Vassalboro' Woolen Manufacturing Company, 

 which employs 350 hands, pays over $8000 per 

 month in wages, and consumes at present at the 



