FOR THE 
arm, Grai-cLeii, and Honselioid. 
“AQIUOULTUICK IS THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL,, AN !> MOST NOISLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN,”— Washington. 
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,) ESTABLISHED IN 1842, j TERMS : SI. 50 per Annum la Advance, post-free i 
Publishers and Proprietors, 84 :# Broadway. i German Edition issued at the same rates as in E nglish, ^ Four Copies $5» Single Number, 15 Cents* 
NEW SERIES—No. 395. 
VOLUME XXXVIII.—No. 12. 
THE FARMER’S CHRISTMAS VISIT. —Drawn by Edwin Forbes. —Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
Nothing more strikingly illustrates the fact that 
the people of the different, and widely separated, 
States are becoming more and more alike in their 
social feelings and customs, than their observance 
of the Holidays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. 
New England was settled by the Puritans, who, in 
their opposition to an Established Church, ignored 
its holidays. But “ it is a poor heart that never re¬ 
joices,”—even the stern Puritan could not alto¬ 
gether forego an annual merry-making, hut in his 
new home he held it on a new day, and transferred 
the festivities of Christmas to a civil holiday ; a Day 
of Thanksgiving. On the other hand, in those 
States settled largely by the adherents of the Es¬ 
tablished Church, Christmas was the holiday of the 
year. Indeed, a single day was not enough for the 
festivities of the season,—a whole week was de¬ 
voted to them, and in the days of slaves, they, too, 
had their week of merry-making. In those States 
Thanksgiving Day was a term that had no meaning, 
and brought up no pleasant associations, while the 
day itself was quite unknown. It is within the 
rememberance of many when there was no general 
observance of Christmas in New England. A few 
churches held services, but there was no suspension 
of business, or public recognition of the day. At 
present the day is as heartily observed there as any¬ 
where, while there are few States in which there is 
not a Day of Thanksgiving proclaimed, in confor¬ 
mity with a general call by the President. One 
good result came of the Puritan aversion to Christ¬ 
mas—it gave us an additional holiday. Whatever 
the esteem in which we may hold Thanksgiving, it 
can never replace Christmas.—That is pre-eminent¬ 
ly the child’s-holiday. Celebrating the most memor¬ 
able of births, it comes down to us fragrant with 
the hopes, the joys, the loves of the children of 
centuries. Then at Christmas time, do we ever 
I cease to be children ? then we all become young 
again, and participating in the joys of children, 
forget that each recurring Christmas brings the 
snows of age. While Thanksgiving is the farmer’s 
holiday, he also needs Christmas ; and it would be 
well if the farmer could follow the old custom of 
extending the festival through the week. At no 
time can he better throw down his burden of toil 
and rest. At no other time can he so well pass suc- 
«essive days away from home in visiting his friends 
or feel that he can give his time to receiving his 
friends. The artist has caught the idea, and repre¬ 
sents “The Farmer’s Christmas Visit.” At this 
time there is general hospitality and Christmas 
merriment in the air, and the very elements seem 
to conspire to make this the time for interchange 
of visits. The northern farmer usually lias the first 
sleighing at this time, and his southern brother 
finds hard roads and a crisp and pleasant air. 
Copyright. 1879, by Orange Judd Company. 
Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y„ as Second Class Matter. 
