AN ENGLISHWOMAN'S AGRICULTURE.

Northern Advocate, 8 October 1887, Page 5

AN ENGLISHWOMAN'S AGRICULTURE.

A woman, whose husband has' daily work in Loudon, rented a little hard-worn farm of eighteen acres, half in poor meadow, twenty miles out of the city. She tells on a few pages of " The Gentleman's Magazine " the story of her first four years there— a rich, well-related piece of rural experience. A brave, honestsagacious nature is clearly seen in the transparent narrative. • She succeeded in paying her way at first, and later she acquired some surplus, besides gainig robust health. Her greatest difficultit were in the impossibility of going to market herself, and in the necessity of continually gu'ding her mon — honest and willing, but stupid, as country laborers are in England. She made her poultry her own especial care, . and after getting rid of rats and learning how to make her hens do as she willed, she made . handsome profit. The cows came next, and after \ various mishaps got the best of prices for dairy products. SheVould have customers return i butter which she found would not keep, and sometimes throw it away. The story shows incidentally how English farming suffers most from doggedness in following a fixed course. The farmers are too much like their laborers in unwillingness or inability to adapt methods to ; circumstances. But necessity will oblige them. The profits from grain-growing have gbne'dovm ;so low that it is said on good authority that " large farms in England are now wanting purchasers at prices which would have been commantled a faw. years ago by one season's crpj» ', II! in spite of the constant stream of emigration thf p'Spi.Wv.ji of England continue to increase.-- >_.-. it fia* '.u.o^ war and pestilence have been - , v.,., -;/- c .i ;,u th* land will do wanted for mea- » (!>•¥.. and 'na.ket gardening, as the greater part 1 oi4^h'.^y. :: _ - '■ f i.jii.-i- ;. -vuuv- country folk have thatiß wroug; - l_,;rt loiiJa •■i!.l ugly fences, as what they don't have that is goad and proper fortheiuto enjoy. ATf&i'Uier of 300; acres said he wanted to Bell. His ohildren-waHted to get away. Mr Brooks wont to see that farm, and didn't wonder that they all waited a change of Bcene. _The farmer began with 100 acres, and instead of making the most of that, he bought more and more, and in struggling with debt worked himself and family beyond their strength, neglected mental culture and beautifY the home, and make home attractive Tlie visitor looked in vain for a strawberry and asperagus bed, the raspberry and grapevines, the burdened branches of apples, pears, peach and cherry. He found a few currant bushes, but they appeared to be ashamed, oi themselves. He did not wonder they all wished to get away.