1G AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. [Jan^.v, 
WINTER IN THE CIT Y— Drawn by Foster. 
(.Engraved for the American Agriculturist.) 
A striking contrast to the “ Winter Scene in 
the Country,” given in the Agriculturist last 
month, is the above spirited engraving, which is 
presented not only on account of its intrinsi# 
merit as a pleasing artistic sketch, but also as 
suggestive of the difference between city and 
country life. We have here the massive, costly 
brown stone and brick dwellings, imposing with¬ 
out, and luxurious within, possessing apparently 
all that can add to comfort or gratify taste. 
The imagination pictures the inmates as enjoying 
fashionable ease, with an abundance of servants 
in waiting to anticipate their wants ; their table 
loaded with all the delicacies afforded by a city 
market; the drudgery of the kitchen, and the 
monetenuus housework all performed by hired 
domestics, while the lordly owners have only to 
eat, drink, and be merry. The outside observer 
sees nothing of the care and anxiety, of the 
strain of mind, wear of conscience, the vexatious 
details of business “ down town,” undergone to 
keep up the show, or reality, of wealth and com¬ 
fort “ up town.” 
The bright side of the picture only is contem¬ 
plated by the multitudes, who, impatient of the 
slow gains of agricultural industry, live in con¬ 
stant envy of their supposed more fortunate 
acquaintances acquiring sudden wealth in large 
town^ It is this false coloring thrown around 
eity life, that allures multitudes of young men 
from the so-called humbler labors of the country, 
c «uter the crowded struggle for the golden 
prizes promised by a mercantile or professional 
life. The attractions of fashion, and the supposed 
pleasure attending such a life, have captivated the 
heart of many a fair maiden, leading her to slight 
the attentions of her manly though rustic admir¬ 
ers for the more showy qualities of a city gallant. 
But the darker shades of the reality are here 
also depicted. The crowd of tattered boys, 
their faces sharpened by poverty, are clamoring 
for the job of cleaning away the snow from be¬ 
fore the rich man’s door. With them, as with 
thousands of others in every city, this is a part of 
their battle for life. Upon the securing of some 
such chance job, depends their dinner and lodging. 
The snow-storm is to them a harvest, but even its 
scanty return is contended for by an eager crowd. 
Desolate homes, neglectful or cruel parents or 
guardians, cold, hunger, and wretchedness, are 
their portion. How they live, they only know, 
few others care to know. Misery is too common 
a sight in the city to attract more than passing 
attention. The assertion may be startling, but 
we believe it to be true, that of those who re¬ 
move from the country, ten descend to absolute 
poverty for every one that acquires a compe¬ 
tence, while not five in a hundred ever become 
rich. This crowd of boys jostling each other, is 
a fit representation of what is here going on con¬ 
tinually in almost every calling. One. will suc¬ 
ceed, the rest must fail. There ought to be to¬ 
day an exodus from New-York of twenty (lions-- 
and, or many more, who are suffering privations 
unknown to the humblest residents of ttie rura. 
districts. When the bitterness of the winter 
storm makes farm duties unpleasant, and thoughts 
of “ easy times ” in the city are active, or when 
in castle building by the fireside there is present¬ 
ed the temptation of the elegant mansion and its 
surroundings, let the picture of the street-sweep¬ 
ers also tell its story and be heeded. 
Store Fuel for Summer Now. 
No labor pays better at this season, than cut¬ 
ting wood for the Summer fire. Every farmer 
should seek to have a year’s stock of wood on hand 
It is a well ascertained fact that the dryer you 
can make wood the more heat you get from it, 
for warming the house. It uses up a certain por¬ 
tion of the fuel to drive off the moisture. Three 
cords of well seasoned fuel will go further than 
four cords of green. It is economy then ot fuel, 
and of time, to keep a stock always on hand. 
In the Winter when the swamps are frozen, 
many of the wood lots are accessible, that can 
not be approached in Summer. In the season ol 
crops, it will be found exceedingly inconvenient 
to quit mowing or hoeing, to draw a load ot 
green wood to the door. It will be likely to 
make scolding in-doors, and without. A good 
farmer is known by the aspect of his wood pile, 
and wood house. The latter should be stuffed to 
its utmost capacity, while the snow makes hauling 
easy, and tho season of comparative leisure lusts 
