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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



AGEICUIiTTJBE HONORED BY THE 



CHINESE. 



In our association with the farmers of New Eng- 

 land we have often felt that our country owed a 

 debt of gratitude to a certain class of her citizens, 

 which it would be well to acknowledge by some 

 act of public recognition. We have no desire to 

 see anylhijig like what is know in Europe as the 

 Orders of Nobility, established under our demo- 

 cratic government, but might not the example of 

 the Chinese government be safely followed in hon- 

 oring those men whose "good reputation among 

 their neighbors" for industry, perseverance, and 

 good judgment, distinsruishes them as the most 

 worthy citizens of the several towns and districts 

 in our land. A returned missionary, speaking of 

 the Chinese, says : — 



The Son of Heaven, (as they call their Empe- 

 ror,) he whom they honor with almost religious 

 worship, whom nobody approaches but on his 

 knees, is bound by law and custom to cultivate 

 every spring a certain piece of ground, while all 

 the dignitaries of his court are present in their 

 splendid robes of ceremony to assist liim. The 

 like ceremony is performed at the same time by 

 the governors of the different provinces near their 

 respective capital cities. And when embassadors 

 come to court from the different parts of the em- 

 pire, the Emperor will question them concerning 

 the state of the different crops. It is a duty of 

 the governors to report annually what men of their 

 provinces are the best farmers (that means accord- 

 ing to their idea of a perfect agriculturist,) who 

 are distinguished not only by the most careful cul- 

 tivation of their farms, but also by their good re- 

 putation among their neighbors, by their industry, 

 frugality and economy. And the men so recom- 

 mended' are elevated by the Emperor to a certain 

 rank, which gives them many privileges, and which 

 may perhaps be compared with that of the French 

 Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. 



Fvr the New England Fanner. 

 ONE-HORSE FARMERS. 

 In almost every farming community these may 

 be found. The writer claims to be one of them, 

 and offers the following humble vindication of his 

 class from the prejudice that is apt to attach to 

 any "one-horse concern." Fifty years ago such 

 would hardly be acknowledged as farmers — when 

 a man must own so many acres and cattle, and, 

 here in the valley of the Connecticut, have some 

 share of meadow land to secure recognition from 

 the profession. But more recently, more liberal 

 and just ideas have sprung up as to what consti- 

 tutes a farmer. He may not be monarch of all 

 he surveys, nor pasture his flocks and herds upon 

 a thousand hills — he may not be possessed with a 

 passion for landholding till he has swallowed up 

 every adjjining lot, and owns enough for a town- 

 ship — and still attain to agricultural honors. If 

 he only be versed in the practical operations of 

 husbandry, and cultivates a farm, little or big, his 

 own property or leased from another, his claim to 

 be a fanner is generally admitted. Neither is the 

 profit of farming found to depend so much on the 

 number of acres, as upon the careful tillage of 



each particular acre. So that a little farm well 

 tilled proves more profitable than a great one un- 

 der hurried, superficial cultivation. 



Here, the one-horse farmer puts in his claim. 

 His operations are not, of course, on a large scale, 

 nor does he aspire to a great business on a small 

 capital, but is content to be faithful over the few 

 things of which he has assumed control. He 

 must needs learn the art of "making the most of 

 a little," until every square rod of soil becomes as 

 precious to him as acres to the more ambitious 

 landholder. Yet there are comparatively few of 

 this class who pretend to live by this limited style 

 of farming, and these few, perhaps, are more prop- 

 erly styled market gardeners than farmers. From 

 the very nature of the case the one-horse farmer 

 must live in a very contracted way, and be literal- 

 ly a man who "wants but little here below," or 

 he must have other sources of income for a liveli- 

 hood. There are country parsons and village 

 doctors in this class, who fortunately possess just 

 land enough to aff"ord them the recreation of farm- 

 ing without its drudgery, while dependent on their 

 chosen profession, mainly, for support. So, also, 

 there are teachers and tradesmen, who resort to 

 agriculture as a means of relaxation from the 

 cares and confinement of their special callings, and 

 have only time or capital to spare for a little farm* 

 There are not a few men disabled from practising 

 their so-called learned professions, who, having 

 inherited or purchased a few acres, eke out by 

 the means, in connexion with other investments, 

 a respectable living. They have not strength to 

 bear the full burden and heat of the day, but take 

 an honest pleasure and pride in tilling the soil to 

 the extent of their capacity. So long as it pro- 

 motes their health and renews their strength ; 

 shar])ens their appetites and sweetens their slum- 

 bers, they feel amply compensated for all the 

 strains, blisters and bruises that the work involves. 

 There are times to be sure, when their faith de- 

 clines and their zeal is dampened — as M'hen the 

 mercury ascends in haying time to several degrees 

 above the drying point, or a drenching rain comes 

 down just when a hot sun would be preferred — 

 or when, after a hard, hurrying day's work, they 

 feel in every aching bone their own insufficiency, 

 and are tempted to lay down shovel, hoe and rake 

 forevermore. 



But it is usually the privilege of our one-horse 

 farmer to have plenty of time for recovering from 

 the eff"ects of temporary hard work, as well as to 

 avoid the risks incident to farming on a more ex- 

 tended scale. His crops are put into the ground 

 and have even grown high enough for their first 

 hoeing, before farmers in general have finished 

 the needful ])reparation for planting. And while 

 they are tugging along the furrow with their pant- 

 ing teams, he is at liberty, with folded arms, to 

 quietly enjoy the scene, or, if benevolently in- 

 clined, lend them a helping hand ! During this 

 wet hay weather, he has had good reason to con- 

 gratulate himself on having improved a few days 

 of sunshine to secure his crop with hardly a sprink- 

 ling. He had only two or three acres of grass to 

 cut, and grain in proportion ; and so, watching 

 his opportunity to make hay while the sun shines, 

 could finish satisfactorily, in lil^e more than a 

 week, what is costing his more pretentious breth- 

 ren months of mingled suspense and toil ! He 

 may work as hard as they while his seedtime and 



