BEWARE OF TRAPS. 179 



that they do not warrant any seed they sell, which may per- 

 haps relieve them from their responsibility, unless they knew 

 the seed was not true to name. 



The other subject to which I alluded is the " lightning-rod 

 nuisance," so called. For several years past the agricultural 

 commu'iity has been overrun by swarms of unprincipled 

 men offering for sale "improved lightning-rods," ""patent 

 pitch-forks," "white-wire clothes-lines," &;c. With persua- 

 sive cunning they prevail upon the farmer to accept the 

 agency for the sale of the article in his town or county, with 

 reckless assurance of the profits to be realized therefrom. 

 They ask him to sign a printed contract for that purpose, 

 which he unsuspectingly does. The articles either never 

 come to hand, or, if so, they are worse than useless ; and the 

 agent thinks that is the end of the transaction, and writes to 

 have tlie rubbish taken away. A few months afterwards 

 another man comes round, — a confederate rascal with the 

 former, — and presents the farmer witli his printed promis- 

 sory note for a hundred dollars or more, and pretends he 

 bought the same in good faith, and demands payment. The 

 signature to the paper is genuine, and the farmer is amazed 

 to know how it came there. Nothing but a law-suit Avill 

 reveal the fact that the strip of paper now presented has 

 been cut off from the bottom of his agency contract, and 

 made to appear a very different affair from the real one. 

 The honest farmer is in the hands of a set of accomplished 

 villains ; and in many instances their plans have been so well 

 laid, that either he is compelled to pay the whole note, or, to 

 avoid the expenses of a law-suit, compromise the claim. Be- 

 ware of these miscreants; shun them as 3"on Avould a rattle- 

 snake. If there is one place hotter than another in the v/orld 

 to come, they deserve that corner, living as they do upon pre- 

 meditated, cold-blooded fraud and deception. 



I have thus imperfectly touched upon some of the lead- 

 ing rights and liabilities of farmers ; and if, in the brief time 

 allotted me, I have been able to impart any A^aluable infor- 

 mation, or save you from the many entanglements of the 

 law, or even to interest you but for the passing hour, my 



purpose has been accomplished. 



Question. If your cattle come on my farm, and I turn 



them into the street, and they do your neighbor an injury 



am I liable for it ? 



