1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



511 



Those persons who now complain of the 

 burden of carrying on the processes of agri- 

 culture, would find persons of character and 

 capacity ready to improve their lands, while 

 at the same t;me their value would be very 

 much enhanced. Let such land owners, then, 

 at once offer inducements that will justify and 

 attract men who desire to rear up their fami- 

 ilies in usefulness and respectability, and pro- 

 vide suitable homes for families where they 

 may expect a double reward in the advance- 

 ment of their personal pecuniary interests, 

 and the consciousness of aiding the progress 

 of good society. 



I desire to mention an instance of the suc- 

 cess of this plan of operation, in the history 

 of a friend and townsman, a large landed pro- 

 prietor, now over 70 years of age. 



Alpheua 'Williams. 



Born in the State of Massachusetts, he was 

 left an orphan and perfectly destitute. At an 

 early age he apprenticed himself to a farmer 

 with whom he only learned the art and value 

 of industry and self-reliance. Blessed with 

 good health and an iron constitution, he laid 

 the foundation for an almost unprecedented 

 course of successful industry, by confining 

 himself entirely to agricultural pursuits. Set- 

 tling at about the period of his majority in the 

 southern part of Vermont, he became the 

 owner of a small farm, which, almost forty 

 years since, he was induced to exchange for a 

 larger one in the Champlain valley, where he 

 now lives. Here, with a large and growing 

 family, he early embarked very extensively in 

 wool culture. By his skill and assiduity he 

 succeeded in not only producing one of the 

 most even and valuable flocks of gr^de sheep 

 in the county, often numbering more than one 

 thousand ; but, as a natural sequence, in aug- 

 menting his landed possessions until their 

 size, together with his own increasing years 

 and infirmities, forced him to look for aid in 

 the management of his affairs. 



He had early adopted the policy of leasing 

 his lands to his sons and others whom he could 

 trust, and found this mode so satisfactory that 

 he gradually retired from active participation 

 in the care of his still increasing landed pos- 

 sessions. Leaving his large and well-built 

 mansion for the use of his farm, he erected 

 for himself a convenient home and out-build- 

 ings, on a site well adapted to his tastes and 

 surrounded with such embellishments as blend 

 the useful and the agreeable. Here, retired 

 fi-om the pressure of his business, with his 

 children and his grand children around him, 

 he is enjoying the fruit of the labors of his 

 life, and the visitor finds a genial and hearty 

 old man. 



Permit me, then, Mr. Editor, to say to such 

 as are in his situation, either at present or ap- 

 proximately, go and do likewise. • 



Peter E. Pease. 



Charlotte, Vt., Aug. 25, 1870. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 MANAGEMENT OP AQ'L PAIRS. 

 Another Suggestion. 



I was much amused by a recent article in 

 your columns, by a correspondent who pro- 

 posed to introduce "prize fighting" into the 

 agricultural fairs. 



I supposed, and I still suppose, it was a 

 joke, designed to show the advocates of horse- 

 racing, and other species of gambling, to 

 what results their usual arguments are tend- 

 ing. 



If the morality of the matter is to be ignor- 

 ed, and all sorts of means are to be used to 

 draw a crowd and to get money, then why 

 not, as your correspondent says, introduce the 

 "prize fight?" Why not even erect a gallows 

 and whipping-post on the fair grounds, and 

 let the penalties of the courts be inflicted dur- 

 ing the fairs, to help "draw a crowd," if that 

 alone is the end in view ? But, sir, I take it 

 that these things, one and all, are absurd and 

 dangerous. The morality of these antiual 

 gala days of industry must not he ignored ! 

 It must be carefully guarded and improved. 

 While doing this, of course we should try to 

 make them pay their way, by all laudable and 

 unquestionable means. 



1 am induced to take pen in hand in this 

 matter from reading the recent proceedings of 

 the St. Louis Farmers' Club. This grave body 

 understands that "in New England it is pro- 

 posed to introduce the prize fight into the 

 fairs." They, of course, oppose this particu- 

 lar thing; but, "since New England is re- 

 nowned for virtue, and since she is the mover 

 of such a proposition, are not other localities 

 fully justified in continuing the horse-racing, 

 and snake, and fat women shows, ad libitumV'' 

 It is thus they argue. I hope New England 

 will come to the rescue ! Set us right in this 

 matter. Tell our St. Louis horsemen and 

 gamblers that they have been sold. That the 

 prize fight p^roposition is a burlesque, and is 

 so considered and so treated by every man of 

 fair sense and morality. 1 would suggest that 

 the common school be admitted to the fairs ! 



Let there be a large and well-arranged 

 Education Hall on the fairgrounds, as there 

 are now textile fabric, floral and farm pro- 

 duct halls. To this hall let the parents, teach- 

 ers and children of the land be invited during 

 a portion of the time the fair is progressing. 

 Let there be premiums offered for the best 

 modes of conducting recitations in all the va- 

 rious school branches ; for essays, declama- 

 tions, dialogues, and original orations, on 

 specified topics and of specified lengths. Let 

 there be public discussions on specified pro- 

 positions, mentioned in the premium lists. 

 Let there be encouragement offered to vocal 

 music, instrumental music, drawing, painting, 

 penmanship, reading, &c., &c. In a thousand 

 ways this scheme could be made interesting and 

 popular. I would not make a teachers' insti- 

 tute of it. I would largely interest and em- 



