400 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Dec, 
would take no part in the struggle for American 
fiberty. availed themselves of this offer, and these, with 
the other class mentioned, formed the pioneer settlers of 
Canada West. Pretty soon after the war of 1812, an 
emigration from the British Islands commenced, and 
gradually extended till the year 1880, from which time 
up to the present, the average increase from that source, 
has been some 30,000 annually, consisting of English, 
Irish and Scotch, in nearly equal numbers. This im¬ 
mense influx of foreign population has stamped upon 
Canadian agriculture not a few indelible features, which, 
to an inquiring mind, must form a theme of no small in¬ 
terest, as it is presumable that a system of agriculture 
successfully practiced north of the lakes would be equal¬ 
ly applicable to the soil, climate and circumstances of 
the people living nearly in the same latitude south of 
those lakes. The differences, then, that seem to exist 
between the western Canadians and the American farm¬ 
ers, may be clearly traced to this one fact, that the En¬ 
glish and Scotch farmers, in establishing their new homes 
in the colony, brought with them their early prejudices 
and habits, and so soon as they became in the ascenden¬ 
cy, all other systems merged into the British practice; 
while on the other hand, the peculiar features of our ag¬ 
riculture have been proof against much foreign innova¬ 
tion, and the Europeans of all ranks have readily adopt¬ 
ed it, as fast as they established themselves in their new 
homes. 
The first thing that would attract the attention of the 
American farmer, in travelling through the Canadas, is 
the strange, cumbrous, and seemingly unique appearance 
of the plows, which consist of as great a variety of pat¬ 
terns, as do the plows of our country. These plows em¬ 
brace all of the most improved English and Scotch pat¬ 
terns, with an almost endless number of mongrels, built 
to gratify the tastes and whims of the mixed race of peo. 
pie who inhabit that country. No patent laws exclude 
them from general use, and nevertheless almost every 
county, and sometimes even township, has a plow in 
general use, embodying distinct features from those in 
adjoining counties and townships. A Canadian plow is 
fully twice as long as an American, and they are con¬ 
structed to turn a furrow from nine to twelve inches in 
width, and from six to nine inches in depth. They are 
supposed to be much easier in the draft than the Ameri¬ 
can plow, and owing to the great length of the handles, 
are very easy to hold. At many of the State and coun¬ 
ty plowing matches of this State, plows of a very similar 
pattern, have entered the ranks for competition with 
American plows, and in some cases have won the palm and 
in others have failed. Those who have witnessed these 
performances can fully appreciate the difference that ex¬ 
ist between the plows of the two countries, and can de¬ 
termine for themselves in which consists the superiority. 
Plowing matches, conducted upon the most enlightened 
scale, are held every spring under the patronage of the 
county and township agricultural societies, at which pre¬ 
miums ranging from $10 to $30 for the best specimen of 
work, are awarded, including in the list some hundred 
or more dollars, divided into classes under junior and 
senior departments. These plowing matches, embracing 
as they do some ten to fifteen in a populous county, and 
occurring as they have done for the past ten to twenty 
years, have become instrumental in perfecting a uniform 
practice in plowing, that forms one of the most marked 
features of the agriculture under notice. The peculiari¬ 
ties of the plowing of our Canadian neighbors, and the 
manner of conducting the plowing matches, will form an 
article for our next issue. E. 
Daniel Webster a Parmer. 
We have been so long accustomed to think of Mr. 
Webster as an orator and a statesman, that it may sur¬ 
prise some to know that he honored and cultivated a 
taste for rural pursuits. The following letter shows that 
in the responsibilities and trials of his later years, he 
did not forget his farm, or cease to regard farming as an 
important pursuit, tinctured a little with poet-inspiring 
pleasures. 
Washington, March 18, 1852. 
“John Taylor—I am glad to hear from you again, 
and to learn that you are all well, and that your teams 
and tools are ready for spring’s work, whenever the weath¬ 
er will allow you to begin. I sometimes read books on 
farming, and I remember that a very sensible old au¬ 
thor advises farmers ‘ to plow naked and to sow naked/ 
By this he means tha' ^here is no use in beginning 
spring's work till the weather is warm, that a farmer 
may throw aside his winter clothes and roll up his 
sleeves. Yet he says we ought to begin as early in the 
year as possible. He wrote some very pretty verses on 
this subject, which, as fiir as I remember, run thus: 
“ While yet the spring is young, while earth unbinds 
The frozen bosom to the western winds; 
While mountain snows dissolve against the sun, 
And streams ye! new from precipices run— 
E’en in this early dawning of the year, 
Produce the plow and yoke the sturdy steer; 
And goad him till he smoke beneath his foil, 
And the bright share is buried in the soil.’ 
“ John Taylor, when you read these lines, do you 
not see the snow melting, and the little streams be¬ 
ginning to rundown the southern slopes of your Punch- 
brook pasture, and the new grass starting and growing 
in the trickling water, all green, bright, and beautiful; 
and do you not see your Durham oxen smoking from 
heat and perspiration as they draw along your great 
breaking up plow, cutting and turning over the tough 
sward in your meadow in the great field? The name 
of this sensible author is Virgil; and he gives farmers 
much other advice, some of whichyou have been follow¬ 
ing all this winter, without even knowing that he had 
given it:— 
“ Bui when cold weather, heavy snows and rain, 
The laboring farmer in his house restrain, 
I.et him forecast his work with limely care, 
Which else is huddled when the skies are fair; 
Then let him mark the sheep, and whet the shining share, 
Or hollow trees for boats, or number o’er 
His sacks, or measure his increasing store; 
Or sharpen stakes, and mend each rake and fork, 
So to be ready, in good time, to work— 
Visit his crowded barns at eaily morn, 
I.ook to his granary, and shell his corn; 
Give a good'breakfast to his numerous kine, 
His shivering poultry and his fattening swine.” 
“ And Mr. Virgil says some other things, which you 
understand up at Franklin, as well as everhe did: 
“ In chilling winter, swains enjoy their store, 
Forget their hardships, and recruit for more; 
The farmer to full feasts invites his friends, 
And what he got with pains, with pleasure spends; 
Draws chairs around the fire, and tells once more, 
Stories which often have been told before; 
Spreads a clean table, with things good to eat, 
And adds some moistening to his fruit and meat; 
They praise his hospitality, and feel 
They shall sleep better after such a meal.” 
“ John Taylor, by the time you have got through this 
you will have read enough. The sum of all is, to be 
ready for your spring’s work as soon as the weather be¬ 
comes warm enough, and then put your hand to the plow 
and not look back. Daniel Webster.” 
