PRICES OF LAND, LABOUR, [PART II. 



though he might, in other respects, be called a 

 rich man ; and, I have heard, that Mr. ELIAS 

 HICKS, the famous Quaker Preacher, who lives 

 about nine miles from this spot, has this year, 

 at seventy years of age, cradled down four acres 

 of rye in a day. I wish some of the preachers 

 of other descriptions, especially our fat parsons 

 in England, would think a little of this, and 

 would betake themselves to " work with their 

 " hands the things which be good, that they 

 " may have to give to him who needeth," and 

 not go on any longer gormandizing and swilling 

 upon the labour of those who need. 



316. Besides the great quantity of work per 

 formed by the American labourer, his skill, the 

 versatility of his talent, is a great thing. Every 

 man can use an ax, a saw, and a hammer. 

 Scarcely one who cannot do any job at rough 

 carpentering, and mend a plough or a waggon. 

 Very few indeed, who cannot kill and dress 

 pigs and sheep, and many of them Oxen and 

 Calves. Every farmer is a neat butcher; a 

 butcher for market ; and, of course, " the boys" 

 must learn. This is a great convenience. It 

 makes you so independent as to a main part of 

 the means of housekeeping. All are ploughmen* 

 In short, a good labourer here, can do any thing 

 that is to be done upon a farm. 



317. The operations necessary in miniature 



