494 



THE SOUTHEEN PLANTER 



[August 



" Not a bit of it. We was talkin' about 

 the wonderful improvements you've made 

 on the old place, and of the money you 

 make." 



"And do you think it wonderful?" 

 "But ain't it?" 



"Well/' replied Walton, "I don't know 

 about that; but I'll tell you what I do know. 

 I know there is no class of people in the 

 world who may study the arts and sciences 

 to better advantage than farmers; and yet, 

 I am sorry to say, there is no class, as a 

 class, occupying the same social position, 

 who read and study less; of course there 

 are many honorable exceptions. Farming 

 is a science-— one of the most deep and 

 intricate — and he must be a man of more 

 than ordinary capacity who can master it all. 

 But farmers must not be afraid of books; 

 they won't, if they are wise, follow every 

 advice which experimentalists give ; but 

 they may study, and reason, and experiment 

 for themselves. So I have done, and so I 

 mean to do." 



"He's right!" remarked Ben Grummet, 

 after Walton had gone. " What fools we 

 was that we didn't go into that graftin' ope- 

 ration !" 



" And that under-drainin'," added Ban- 

 croft. 



" And that muck and compost arrange- 

 ment," suggested Sawyer. 



" Well," said Ben, with a serious face : 

 "it isn't too late now. They say, it's never 

 too late to learn; and I'm sure it hadn't 

 ought to be too late to commence to improve 

 after a body has learned." 



" True as a book !" added Bancroft. 



" Good evening- !'^ 



Clarke McDugal, William Colvin, David 

 Dayermond, and James Higginbotham, a 

 committee to superintend the shearing and 

 weighing of the fleeces, smd also to examine 

 his stock of horses and cattle. 



The committee, in fulfillment of their 

 commission, reported to the meeting : "That 

 they had examined General Goe's flock of 

 Spanish Marino Sheep, and were of the 

 opinion, that they could not be surpassed, if 

 equalled, in Western Pennsylvania. Below 

 I will be found the weight of the fleeces of a 

 ipart of his flock: Of Ewes, 29 fleeces 

 were washed and weighed, ranging from 

 5 lbs. to 7 lbs. 12 ozs,, and averaging 6 lbs. 

 3 ozs. ; and of Ewes, unwashed, 44 fleeces 

 were weighed, ranging from 7 lbs. to 10 lbs. 

 13 ozs., averaging 8 lbs. 7 2 ozs. 



" The unwashed fleeces of three Bams were 

 tested and weighed, respectively 13 lbs. 

 5 ozs., 12 lbs. 6 ozs., and 13 lbs. 3 ozs., their 

 ages being one year old or less." 



The committee further reported, " That 

 General Goe's stock of Horses is very fine, 

 and has been selected and bred with great 

 care, and consists of the celebrated horse 

 ^ Rush Messenger,' and Messenger, Mam- 

 brino. Bashaw, Morgan and Blackhawk, 

 mares and colts. 



" His short horn Durham cattle are all 

 thoroughbred, (among which is his Bull 

 Conqueror,) and worthy the attention of 

 stock raisers." 



In short : "' Your committee are unani- 

 mously of the opinion that General Goe is 

 entitled to the thanks of the community for 

 his great exertions in procuring and breed- 

 ing the very valuable assortment of stock 

 which he nt)w has on his farm." * =k 



Good ei 



[iVejo Yorh Observer 



Sheep-Shearing in Pennsylvania. 



The annual public shearing of the flock 

 of pure bred Merino Sheep of General John 

 S. Goe, was held at his residence, 41 miles 

 east of Brownsville, Fayette county, Penn- 

 sylvania, on Thursday the 31st of May, in 

 the presence of a large number of wool- 

 growers and other citizens. The meeting 

 organized by electing George E. Hogg 

 President, and H. W. Goddis and Jacob 

 Woolf Secretaries. 



The President appointed Levy Colvin, 

 John Hess, James Ewing, Major Clarke 

 Brading, Isaac Wiggins, John Gonwell, 



A Wife's Influence on her Husband's 

 Fortune. 



A woman has her husband's fortune in her 

 power, because she may, or may not, as phe 

 pleases, conform to his circumstances. This 

 is her first duty, and it ought to be her pride. 

 No passion for luxury or display ought, for a 

 moment, to tempt her to deviate in the least 

 degree from this line of conduct. She will 

 find her responsibility in it. Any other course 

 is wretchedness itself, and inevitably leads to 

 ruin. Nothing can be more miserable than 

 the struirgle to keep up appearance. If it 

 could succeed, as it never can, it would cost 

 more than it is worth ; its failure involves the 

 deepest mortification. Some of the sublimest 

 exhibitions, of human virtue have been pre- 

 cipitated suddenly from wealth and splendor 

 to absolute want. 



