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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



article we will treat upon them and give direc- 

 tions for their culture. s. o. .j. 



For t/w Xeic Emjtdiu} ymr/tcr. 

 A NEW HAMPSHIRE BREEZE. 



Two men, one fi-oni New Hampshire and 

 the other from Ohio, chanced to meet at a 

 public dinner in New York. The man from 

 Ohio sugjrcsted to him of the Granite State 

 that it might be advantageous for him to re- 

 move to the West, if he intended to follow the 

 pursuit of a farmer. The Yankee thought 

 dillerently ; there was no State in the Union 

 ecjual to New Hampshire. He of the Buck- 

 eye State would not agree to this ; Ohio was 

 in every respect superior. The Yankee wished 

 to know a superior feature. The Buckcve 

 commenced to enumerate, but as fast as he 

 presented his claims of superiority, his antag- 

 onist unhesitatingly swept them away by vig- 

 orous declarations to the contrary. At length, 

 when all other sources of argument had failed, 

 the exasperated Buckeye confidently observed : 

 "You will at least allow that Ohio justly claiuis 

 supei'iority over New Hampshire regarding its 

 extent of territory?" "No, sir!" emphati- 

 cally responded the Yankee. "Your State 

 spreads out because it is flat. Look at the 

 mountains of New Hampshire ! Goodness 

 mercy! Just roll 'em out Hat and they'd 

 make territory enough to cover up the whole 

 of Ohio and fill up a big slice of Lake Erie !" 



This anecdote has often been recalled while 

 traversing this State, for we alternate contin- 

 ually, when riding, from level prozaic earth, to 

 an aspiring, lofty world. Yet scarcely are we 

 ever beyond the vision of its calm, huge hills. 

 From their patience, illustrating a sermon on 

 the mount, we receive a lesson read nowhere 

 else, and which we convey back to the world 

 of bricks to control there an active life, if we 

 can but remember 



"We rt'ciive but what we give, 



And in our lifo alone does Nature live." 



So does your correspondent return year by 

 year to these mountains of New Hampsliire. 

 They bear intimacy and close study so wt-ll, 

 one can never tire of them. Change is writ- 

 ten on fvcryfhing cvt'rywhere, yet iheir rock- 

 ribbed liciuhts remain seemingly tlie same as 

 when my l-mging eyes first rested upon tiiem, 

 and they can endure admiration, — there stolid 

 gravity remains unmoved. They rise in the 

 landscape "as heroes and prophets in history, 

 eunobh'i! by what they have given, sublime in 

 the expressions of struggle and pain, invested 

 with tht- riclifst draperies of light, because 

 their hniws luive been torn and their cheeks 

 been furrowed by roils and cares in behalf of 

 districts below. Upon the mountains is writ- 

 iteti tlie law, and in tlieir grandeur is displayed 

 the fulfiliiutit of it, that perfection comes 

 throui^h sud'ering." 



Now that railroad^ are so rapidly tracking 

 New Hampshire, we find the condition of the 



people more prosperous than we have ever 

 known it. North Conway seems to be the 

 focus for every railroad, and it is natural 

 enough, for it has the most exfjuisite setting, 

 snrj)assing every other village or town in the 

 State. With ^Nlt. Washington at the head of 

 the valley, and the whole great mountain ar- 

 chitecture surrounding him, with the Rattle- 

 snake range for a rear wall, and beautiful Kear- 

 sargf! northwest, a mile aw;iy, with IMote 

 mountains cahnly rising on the west, and peer- 

 ing round from the southwest, strange Choco- 

 rua, with hill after hill everywhere swelling 

 towards loftier peaks, and itself trailing for 

 several miles along the banks above the chan- 

 nel of the glistening Soco, and the three miles' 

 brca(ith of intervale, picturesfjue with luxuri- 

 ant loveliness, — who woidd not live in Con- 

 way in preference to any other place? And it 

 is hoped that the taste and wealth and pros- 

 perity which railroads invariably scatter, will 

 improve Conway still more, — that barns and 

 wretched sheds will be moved from sightly 

 places, and houses and grounds receive better 

 arrangements. It is enough to disgust and 

 disenchant any one with decent ideas regard- 

 ing the arrangement of pleasant homes, to 

 pass through New Hampshire. I sometimes 

 believe that men try to give their houses as 

 dreary a location as it is possible. As for 

 farming, why there's reason enough why far- 

 mers complain that their sons dislike the pro- 

 fession and seek other employments, or drift 

 into the cities. Many farmers, in Maine and 

 in New Hampshire especially, appear to be 

 suffering from a severe attack of vertigo, or 

 the}' have been lightning-struck. This is alto- 

 gether inexcusable and a matter of regret. 

 They need not complain of a want of time to 

 improve things, — there's many a leisure day 

 in a farmer's life. When men put more pride, 

 more education, more taste and appreciation 

 into their fanning, their daughters will not 

 sigh for the small talk and peacock airs of 

 counter-jumpers ; neither will their sons leave 

 homesteads in search of professions where 

 brains stand a better chance than muscle. 

 How true it is that one thrifty, self-respecting 

 man can affect the prosperity and respecta- 

 bility of a whole neighborhood ! INIy host 

 bought this pleasant retreat four years ago. 

 It was then in the common condition of many 

 New England farms, — the buildings weather- 

 beaten and dilapidated, the lands generally 

 used up, the fences but crazy apologies to 

 prevent the intrusion of cattle. He went to 

 work, and now there is not a prettier place or 

 a lovelier location hereabouts, and better still, 

 this homestead has doubled its value. Not 

 oidy that, my host, by the assistance of a pru- 

 dent, willing and loving helpmeet, — and a. 

 man without a true wife, "a perfect woman, 

 noldy i)lanned, to warn, to comfort and com- 

 mand," might as well st(»p living at once, — has 

 become "very forehanded," and tastes his 

 well-spent, well-earned substance with com- 



