December, 1858 , 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
859 
“THE FOX OAK.” 
The Farmers’ Festival Perverted- 
Perhaps it will do little good, but we mean to 
repeat our exhortation over and over again, that 
agricultural fairs should not be perverted from 
their original and proper design, viz., to promote 
the interests of agriculture. It is plain enough that 
the attempt is being made in many quarters, to 
have them answer the purposes of a grand holi¬ 
day, to take the place of the old “ training-days,” 
or to be a sort of second Independence Day. In 
many places, auctioneers, showmen, pedlars, 
gamblers, and humbug catch-pennies of all sorts 
hang about the fair grounds, begetting dissipation 
and vice. Drinking and betting,wrestling and fight¬ 
ing, follow close behind mammoth women, hogs 
with five legs, and nimble Jacks, to the great an¬ 
noyance of all sober people, and to the moral in- 
lury of the young and inexperienced, and to the 
degradation of the farming interests. Female 
equestrianism and fast driving are a part of this 
perversion. 
Anybody with half an eye can see where this 
thing is leading. It is, perhaps, swelling the num¬ 
bers of those who attend our fairs, but is it nQ,t 
also bringing in the mob 1 Farmers and respect¬ 
able, sober-minded country people find themselves 
elbowed aside by horse jockies and “fast” peo¬ 
ple of all sorts ; and, year after year, the fairs are 
made up less and less of those fo-r whom they 
were originally established. Agricultural fairs, at 
this rate, will soon be run into the ground. We 
beg the managers of these annual festivals to look 
ahead, and act wisely. If all they aim at is sim¬ 
ply to furnish “ fun for the million,” let them go 
v on. But if their object is to promote an intelli¬ 
gent interest in agricultural pursuits, and to en¬ 
courage farming, let them change their tactics. 
“Keep Cool.” 
It is much easier to advise than to practice 
calmness and patience under all circumstances, 
but every illustration of the advantage of “ keep¬ 
ing cool,” and the perfect uselessness of getting 
into a stormy passion or excitement at every ad¬ 
verse turn of fortune or crossing- of our wishes, 
nas a tendency to fortify and prepare us against 
the time of trial. Here is an item from our 
drawer, picked up we know not where, which 
strikes us as a good example. Who would not 
prefer the undisturbed serenity of farmer L., as 
detailed below, to an opposite state of feeling : 
One day while the black-tongue prevailed he was 
Mtormed that one of his oxen was dead. 
“ Is he 1” said the old man, “ well, he was al¬ 
ways a breachy old fellow. Take off his hide 
and take it down to Fletcher’s ; it will bring the 
cash.” 
In an hour or two the man came back with the 
news, “ Lineback and his mate are both dead.” 
“ Are they 1” said the old man, “ well I took 
them from B-, to save a bad debt I never ex¬ 
pected to get. Take the hides down to Fletch¬ 
er's : they will be as good as cash.” 
In about an hour the man came to inform him 
the “ nigh brindle was dead.” 
“ Is be 1 ” said the old man, “well, he was a 
very, very old ox. Take off the hide and take it 
down to Fletcher’s ; it is worth more than any of 
the others.” 
Hereupon his wife, taking upon her the office 
of Eliphaz, reprimanded her husband severely, 
and asked him if he was not aware that his loss 
was a judgment from heaven for his w-ckedness. 
“Ia it so 1” said the old gentleman ; “well, if 
judgment be only taken in cattle it will be well 
for me, as it is the easiest way T could settle my 
account.” 
We present herewith a very accurate sketch of 
the “Fox Oak,” as it appeared in October last, 
before any of the leaves had fallen. Though less 
noted than the “ Monarch Oak ” of England, or 
the “ Charter Oak ” of Connecticut, it is especial¬ 
ly interesting to tne denomination of Friends, or 
“ Quakers,” since under its shade George Fox, 
the dauntless founder of the sect, preached in the 
year 1672, when on a visit from England—there 
being no house in the vicinity large enough to ac¬ 
commodate the assemblies drawn together by his 
fame and eloquence. At three feet above the 
ground the tree is 13£ feet in girth, or about 4£ 
feet in diameter. Another tree of similar dimen¬ 
sions stood near it until September 25th, 1841, 
when it quietly fell without any apparent cause, 
save a light afternoon breeze. From the number 
of rings in the fallen tree, the standing oak is 
judged to be over 400 years old. A part of its 
□ranches are dead, but it still appears strong and 
vigorous. It stands on Bowne Avenue, in the 
village of Flushing, Long Island, some ten miles 
east of New York city. The view is taken from 
the southeast. Just beyond the clump of trees, in 
the back-ground, is the residence of the well- 
known Captain Peck, of the Hudson River steam¬ 
er, “ Isaac Newton.” A little further on, at the 
head of Bowne Avenue, is the residence of Sam¬ 
uel B Parsons, Esq.. On the opposite side of 
the avenue, a little to the south, is the noted 
Bowne House,” erected by John Bowne, in 1661, 
which is still standing in good order, and contains 
many interesting relics of the olden time. A few 
hundred yards to the northwest of the tree are 
two Friends’ Meeting-houses. The newer one is 
occupied by the Orthodox Society. The older 
one has been occupied by the Hicksites for some 
thirty years past. This was erected in 1695, and 
though 163 years old, will, from present appear¬ 
ance, serve for another generation. The British 
troops were quartered in it during the Revolution¬ 
ary war. 
Incidents. —At the time of Fox’s preaching in 
Flushing, the New York Colonies, then called 
New Netherlands, were under the dominion of 
the Dutch West India Company in Holland, 
Peter Stuyvesant being governor. In December, 
1657, he, with his council, issued an order to the 
people of Flushing, or Flessingen as it was then 
called, forbidding them to entertain or counten¬ 
ance Quakers, and requiring them to apprehend 
and send to the city any who professed or preached 
their doctrines. Many of this persuasion had 
settled in Flushing, and this intolerant order met 
determined opposition, not only from them, but 
from many who from a sense of justice made 
common cause with them. Among the most in¬ 
fluential of the latter class was John Bowne, 
above referred to, who received Fox into his 
house, allowed him to hold meetings there, and 
under the shade ofhis noble oaks. For this Bowne 
was apprehended and fined £25 (8100), which ho 
