Good and Bad Farming Contrasted. 153 
as pure and elevated as earth can yield, found a sweet abiding 
place in that domestic dwelling. These facts may well be in- 
ferred from what we have narrated, and a visit there would be 
only to render " assurance doubly sure" of the reality. 
We, feeling ourselves at home with one who was free in mak- 
ing communications on his career in life, were free in making 
inquiries on the various topics connected with so evident prospe- 
rity, inquired of our liberal minded, noble hearted host, among 
other interrogatories, if he had ever paid any attention to what 
many, even of the present age, designate " Book Farming." 
In replying to this, he invited us to his Library, a beautiful room 
which the reader sees projecting from the end of the main build- 
ing, where he related as follows : "Among my earliest impres- 
sions of agriculture, the idea strongly impressed itself upon my 
mind, that this business, like all others, was yet in its infancy, 
and when I heard our old New England people tell how much 
wheat their lands produced, when first cleared of their primitive 
forest, and looked at the scanty supplies it now yields to the hand 
of culture, the impression became fixed that some process might 
have been adopted, whereby this fertile principle might have been 
retained. This and other similar circumstances, first led me to 
observation on the effects of the different managements of soils, 
and from observation to inquiry; but these were not equal in the 
replies to the demands of my mind. Accordingly, in early life, 
I became a subscriber to an agricultural publication, supposing 
thereby I should draw waters of instruction from other and more 
distant, if not deeper fountains, than those my limited acquaint- 
ance afforded. And in this I was not mistaken, for here I found 
the theories, the practice, the successes, the failures, with their 
causes, of observing and enlightened men in all countries on 
which the rays of civilization have shone, or the light of science 
illuminated. True, I have found'much in such papers to condemn 
as vague and useless, on my particular locality, and much to ap- 
prove and adopt after the closest scrutiny. Indeed, my opinion 
of them is so great and so confirmed, after many years' experi- 
ence with their contents, that from a subscription to a single one 
I am now the patron of several. And further, from these publi- 
cations, I had my opinion confirmed of the aid to be derived from 
a knowledge of geology, botany, chemistry, and indeed the whole 
array of natural sciences in the culture of the earth; and what 
is more, the wholesome food they afford the mind when laboring 
to subserve the comforts of the body." The book case, which 
extends from the right hand of those large windows pretty nearly 
to the main edifice, was thrown open, and exposed a rich display 
of works of the most finished authors on natural science, as well 
as a sprinkling of law, theology, medicine, history, &c., enough 
