THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



271 



took place on Friday, Aug. 3, the qualitj- of the animals drew 

 together a large number of gentlemen from our own and dis- 

 tant counties. There were between 60 and 70 sheep, most of 

 which were Jet eud sold at good prices, many gentlemen from 



distant counties present acknowledging that there never was 

 a better quality of sheep shown. The result of the sale was 

 that there were 30 let and sold, the average being from 

 £14 to £6 and everybody being sstiBfied with their barga n. 



"WASTE NOT, WANT NOT." 



Sir, — At the present time, with the probability of high 

 prices before us, and the consequent scarcity and, I fear, 

 want, which will doubtless be too prevalent amongst many 

 of our poorer population during the coming winter, painfully 

 protruding themselves upon our notice, you will perhaps 

 pardon my intruding so far upon your space as to draw, as 

 briefly as may be, the attention of your readers to what, 

 doubtless, has often occupied, more or less, the thoughts of 

 many of them. I refer to the sharaeful^ — ^possibly, shame- 

 less might be the better word— lack of care in the preserva- 

 tion and economization of food prevalent amongst the poorer 

 classes. I use this term " shameful" or " shameless" very de- 

 liberately, not with a view, however, of adding aught to the 

 heap of odium which too many amongst us delight in casting 

 upon the character of our poor— the "great unwashed," as 

 they are pleased to term them. Many amongst us devote 

 no small portion of our time to a practical study of the 

 habits and manners of the labouring poor, and, while sym- 

 pathising deeply with them amidst the evils which un- 

 doubtedlj' press upon them, and while advocating, to the 

 best of our ability, those measures which will relieve them 

 of these evils, nevertheless deem it but honest, no less dis- 

 tinctly, yet kindly, to point out their faults whenever and 

 wherever we find them. Experience, therefore, I have, to 

 some extent, of their ways ; and I do not characterise, in the 

 terms I have employed, loosely and without thought this 

 very painful feature in the condition of the labouring poor. 

 Nothing, indeed, fills one with so much hopelessness, when 

 endeavouring to raise the labourer's life to a higher level, as 

 the frequent proofs met with of the wide-spread existence of 

 this habit, and painful iu no small degree is it to find that 

 the greatest wanters are often the greatest wasters. 



I do not here refer to bad and wasteful habits of cookery, 

 for in this they are less to be blamed than the middle classes, 

 who are curiously careless in such matters ; but specially and 

 distinctly to the habits the poor have of absolutely throwing 

 away good food — not to the dogs or to the swine, for that 

 would be productive of some benefit, but to be tossed aside, 

 and trodden under the foot of the passing stranger. Not sel- 

 dom have I been pained to see large pieces of good bread cast 

 out of the cottage door, as a thing of poison. Children often 

 have I seen, and in the sight of their parents too, throw 

 away their bread when tired of it. For the waywardness of 

 infancy or the thoughtlessness of childhood there may be 

 pardon or excuse ; but there should be none for the parent 

 who can see the waste perpetrated, the God-sent food left to 

 rot on the highway, and the child to grow up without the 

 lesson of warning or the pain of chastisement. It is the 

 curse of a bad habit that it brings others in its train, and 

 the weary waste of one thing leads to that of many, or of all ; 

 hence is found a looseness of care in nearly all the depart- 

 ments of the households of too many of our poor. Half- 

 burnt coals and good cinders, which might make many a 

 cheery fire in the dreary winter time, are thrown out as 

 useless, aud the dust-heap or the yard is broadcasted with 

 eerviceable pieces, absolutely untouched by fire. I have 

 noticed this waste in every department. It is to be found, 

 if looked for, in potatoes not pared for the pot, but whole 

 pieces of the root actually hacked off to be thrown in the 

 "midden;" loaves hot from the oven are eaten in that 

 state, when they do not go half the way they would do if 

 longer kept or staler bought ; crusts of bread, large and 

 numerous, which would make many a nice Sunday's dinner 

 pudding — nothing better for the purpose, as many of our 

 well-to-do classes know — thrown out as useless, followed by 

 bones, capable of making a tasty and nourishing soup, 

 if kept and carefully cooked ; and so on throughout 

 the whole course of household economics. Lads are 

 piljowed to wear orft shoe?— by np weans often oy easily ob- 



tained — by sliding on pavements, and the seat of honour of 

 their nether garments is worn out by sliding down hilhides, or 

 riding post-haste on gates or fences ; and all this without a 

 chiding or a warning given of the folly of the waste. The 

 whole of the doings of many a poor man's household put one 

 Bo in mind of what a baby's or a boy's house would be, that 

 in one point of view they seem laughably ridiculous, if they 

 were not in another point painfully provocative of indignation . 

 I do not say that this wastefulness is to be met with every- 

 where — there are many noble exceptions, but I fear that it is 

 too much the rule. One of the most prudent women I ever 

 met with was herself a poor woman, and, " canny of the 

 poor," as the phrase goes, knew well the habits of her class. 

 She repeatedly avowed, where opportunity served, her w«nt 

 of sympathy with their sufferings on many occasions when 

 they were sorely tried, alleging as her reason for so doing that 

 it arose from her knowledge that much of their want arose 

 from their waste. My experience of them makes me fear that 

 this is too often true : I confess to having met with mimeroua 

 exemplifications of it. And the misfortune of the thing is, 

 that a knowledge of the existence of such habits amongst the 

 poor hardens the hearts, and shuts up the bowels of mercy of 

 many of those who might otherwise assist iu getting rid of 

 the evils which undoubtedly press upon them as a class. 



While many of those evils must be removed by classes other 

 than their own, the truth is undoubted that the removal of 

 other evils not necessarily attendant upon their condition 

 must be the work of the poor themselves, and them only. I 

 fear that we philanthropists, along with much good, have done 

 no little evil to the poor. We have been so gently and so 

 long leading them in nursing strings, so impressing them with 

 the notion that everything was to be done for them, that we 

 have imperceptibly, yet abidingly, taught them that nothing 

 could be done by them. Now, the real truth is (and the 

 sooner they are taught it the better for both them and us) 

 that an immense deal can be done by themselves to raise their 

 social condition, and iu nothing perhaps more so than in the 

 reform of this habit of wastefulness and carelessness. And 

 this lesson should at once be taught them by those who have 

 inauence over them ; aud it should be plainly pointed out to 

 them that saving is not stinginess or meanness, as too many 

 of them firmly believe; that it is prudeuce that brings plenty, 

 that care increases comforts, and that waste brings but woful- 

 ness aud want. 



I thus trouble you, in the hope that some of your readers 

 who are— as many are likely to be— employers of farm labour, 

 should look carefully and soon to this important matter. I 

 know of no hamlet so happy as to possess cottages in which 

 this waste and carelessness do not exist. Their existence is 

 only but too easily observed amongst us. Let, then, all these 

 who are ia authority look to this matter. We are entering, so 

 far as human judgment can predicate, upon a very trying 

 period— when to scarcity of food may be added scarcity of 

 labour. At any time it is foolish to be wasteful ; at a time 

 such as we are looking forward to, its exercise will be simply 

 suicidal. Let the lessons of prudence be inculcated, and the 

 habits of carefulness cultivated now. Flenty dwells in the 

 home of the prudent, want in the habitation of the waster. 



My remarks may by some be looked upon as too severe ; 

 but in truth it is almost impossible to treat such a habit as I 

 have now written about with too much severity. I have so 

 long advocated the interests of the labouring population with 

 what has been thought by some to be over-sympathy and 

 enthusiasm, that I may well be allowed to find fault with 

 them now, even if I have to do it with some apparent harsh- 

 ness. I should be but too proud if the existence of the fault 

 could be denied. Apologizing for thus taking up your valu- 

 able space, I am, &c.. Kobekt Scott Burn, 



C((Stl$ Farm, Cheshire, Aug. HZ. 



H 2 



