New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register

Agriculture & the Arts.

An esteemed friend at Philadelphia, says the N. E. Farmer, has sent us the following article, taken from an English journal.

A country gentleman has published the following letter, dated from the Temple, London, received by a friend of his in the country, for the character of a tenant quitting a farm, regarding it as novel and curious to agriculturists—to London agents, ingenious and instructive—and comprehensive and amusing to the public:-

Sir,-I take the liberty of troubling you with a few inquiries in consequence of an application made to me by [name], who says he has rented a farm under you and can refer to you for his character and respectability, for permission to take an assignment a lease of a farm of which I have the control. You will therefore oblige me by informing me what is his character. Whether he is honest, sober, frugal, industrious?-

Whether he is observant of his engagement with his landlord and others? Whether he is contented or encroaching, compliant or obstinate, cunning or sincere, good tempered or churlish? Whether he stands to his word, or takes all such advantages as he legally can? What capital you suppose him to have? What sort of an education he has had; whether he is intelligent or stupid, eager to acquire new information in matters of farming, or adheres to that which contented his grandfather? Whether he has an improved method of farming?

Does he lay his dung on for wheat, or for his turnips, beans and clover? Does he drill or use broad-cast? Does he use two or four horses in his plough? Does he feed his hay grass, or mow it? How many sheep per acre did he keep on your farm? How many crops running did he use to take, or would he have taken had he been permitted?

Did he leave the land clean for the incoming tenant? Especially were his last year's wheat-stubbles clean? Did he buy much hay and other fodder, and bring on the farm. or did he sell hay and straw during his term or at the end of it? Does he soil his beasts and his horses? Did he keep his fences good and accurate, and attend nicely to the doing of his repairs? Did he thrash by hand or machine! Is he a sportsman?-

What was your motive for parting with him! Is he careful in increasing manure? and does he lay it on the land hot and fresh, or keep it till it is rotten? Was it upon the chalk land that he held a farm under you, or upon the sand, gravel, or clay ?-The answer to some of these queries may not, perhaps lie within your knowledge, unless you take pleasure in farming; but if you would answer such as you can, you would confer on me a favor. If leisure should permit you to address a line to me by next week, I should thankfully acknowledge the obligation.

P. S.-Does he lay out money with spirit in cleaning, manuring, and improving land, or is he close?