164 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



respect, of different members of the same family, 

 some of whom left their country home to engage in 

 business in the city, while others chose farm-life. 

 Sometimes the tradesman succeeds in business, and 

 prosperity and health crown his days, even to a 

 good old age. But more often, the wear and tear 

 of business, disappointments and losses set over 

 against successes and accumulations, sap the 

 foundations of health ; and dyspepsia, or consump- 

 tion, or nervous affections in their various forms, 

 creep in unawares, and embitter life and cut it pre- 

 maturely short. As a general fact, grey hairs and 

 wrinkles show themselve much sooner upon the 

 tradesman than upon the farmer. 



We do not mean to go into a laboured argument 

 on this subject; but in closing, we want to fire a 

 little volley of statistics, before which nobody but a 

 farmer can stand. From a late annual Report of 

 the Secretary of the State of Massachusetts, con- 

 taining returns of marriages, births, and deaths in 

 each town, the following facts have been gathered. 

 The result has been made up from the returns for 

 nine years and eight months, of persons dying 

 over twenty years of age ; and the comparison is 

 drawn between agriculturists and persons in the 

 leading mechanical trades : 



Average Average length 

 Occupations. age at of life after 20 

 Death. years of age. 



Agriculturists ... .64 44 



Hatters 53 33 



Blacksmiths 51 31 



Carpenters 49 29 



Masons 48 28 



Tailors 43 23 



Shoemakers 43 23 



Painters 42 22 



Tinsmiths 41 21 



Machinists 37 17 



Printers 3G. . 16 



Operatives 33 13 



In the above Report, the deaths of 7,781 me- 

 chanics are given (46 more than of farmers), whose 

 average age is exactly 46 years, while that of farm- 

 ers is a little over 64 years — showing a difference 

 of 18 years in favour of agriculture. Speaking 

 statisticall}^, it appears that a farmer at 20 years of 

 age may expect to live 44 years, and a mechanic 

 only 26. Among mechanics, carpenters and 

 masons, who spend much of their time in the open 

 air, live nearly 50 years ; while machinists, printers, 

 and operatives, live less than 40 years. — American 

 Agriculturist. 



FURZE AS FOOD FOR HORSES. 



Sir, — As you now and then receive some little 

 matters written by me, and are so courteous as to 

 give them a place in the Farmers' Gazette, I now 

 send another in the hope it may promote your ob- 

 ject in being of benefit to those who read your 

 paper. It has been too much the practice of hor- 

 ticulturists to introduce and recommend new plants 

 and flowers, and to let the old pass into obHvion. 

 Thus the beautiful moss rose, the cabbage rose, 

 the York and Lancaster, the double white rocket, 

 with others, which fifty years since were the de- 

 light of the cultivators, some are now never seen, 

 and others, like poor relations, are left to take the 

 lowest room, and new or scarce plants and flowers, 

 which bear no comparison in fragrance or beauty, 

 are the ornaments of the garden. In the same 

 way, in improved agriculture — though there are 

 few who join more in heart and hand in the intro- 

 duction of new plants and new practices to this 

 land ; though there are many of the old I long to 

 see exploded, such as poorly paid, badly fed, and, 

 as a certain consequence, badly executed labour; 

 small, weak, badly fed horses, and consequently 

 light and ineflicient ploughing, and therefore scanty 

 produce — still there are others of the old school I 

 regret to see neglected. 



" Tis right to be off with the old love, 

 Before we are on with the new." 



I shall now make some remarks on the most 

 valuable of those old practices which are too much 

 neglected— feeding cows and horses on furze 

 (whins), the florin grass, and irrigation. I have 

 been for fifty years and more feeding my cows and 

 horses on furze, and I can saj^, from that long ex- 

 perience, that it is the cheapest and best food for 

 the autumn and winter months. I saw it in con- 

 stant use at the residence of the late Rev. Horatio 

 Townsend, the author of the Statistical Survey 

 of this county, who strongly recommended it. 

 I followed his example, and never have regretted 

 doing so. I have had my horses, getting neither 

 hay or oats, in more beautiful condition (sleek as 

 mice) than any of my neighbours, though they had 

 costly grooms, the horses fed with best hay, oats, 

 and beans, and warmly clad. Mine were, perhaps, 

 not as fit for the race-course or the hunting fields ; 

 but for road-riding, carriage work, or the work of 

 the land, they were most fit, though fed only on 

 chopped furze, and steamed swede turnips, and I 

 rejoice to see that this valuable food has been 

 brought under the notice of the agriculturist. 



On arranging some'papers lately, I found a letter, 



