FARMERS' REGISTER 



499 



economical and convenient to form but one family; 

 but we maintain that this is entirely at the opiiun 

 of (lie employer, in respect to which the laborer 

 has no demands whatever. 



There is a rnatler which a few years since gave 

 a great deal of trouble to liumers, which the wiiole- 

 some decisions of the courts have materially cor- 

 recled. Then laborers lelt that their employers 

 were in their power ; aiul that they were at liberly 

 to quit the service and demand iheir wages at their 

 pleasure. Sometimes in the midst of planting, or 

 haying, or harvesting, either through mere caprice, 

 but most commonly with the expectation of getting 

 higher wages, they would quit their employer and 

 {•eave him under every disadvantage. The courts 

 kaving decided that no man is entitled to his wa- 

 ges wlio, without good ami sufficient cause, ftiils 

 to continue his agreed term, the employer has a 

 proper remedy in his own hands, which will keep 

 this matter right. 



There is another point in this case of the morals 

 of labor, upon which we have not the power to 

 animadvert with too much severity ; and that is, a 

 practice among employers of seducing by bribes 

 or intrigues, or some vile means, a laborer from the 

 service in which he is engaged. We have known 

 this done so Irequenily, and under circumctances 

 of such extreme inconvenience and loss to the in- 

 jured party, that no words can express our sense 

 of its baseness. It is a gross violation of all faith 

 and honor; and a man who would directly or in- 

 directly be guilty of such an act, ought to be pro- 

 nounced an outlaw of civil society. 



The matter of providing for laborers has become 

 a very serious affair; and gross extravagance has 

 come in here as into every other department of life. 

 A hired man, when he demands sixteen dollars a 

 month and his board, generally estimates his board 

 as of no consideration. But in tew parts o!' the 

 stale can a man be boarded for less than eight or 

 ten dollars a month ; and when the farmer per- 

 ceives that instead, as the laborer pretends, he is 

 paying only sixteen dollars a month, he is in fact 

 paying twenty-six dollars a month, the burden be- 

 comes very heav3\ Our habits of living have be- 

 come too luxurious. The habit of five meals a 

 day which prevails on many larms, is most perni- 

 cious to the health. We know well by experience 

 that three meals a day, at 6 A. M., at 12 P. M. 

 and at 6 P. M., with sometimes a cracker or two 

 in tiie forenoon, is all that is essential or beneficial. 

 Nothing is more unfavorable to liealth, both of 

 body and mind, than byfiequent eatings to keep 

 the organs of digestion under continual exertion; 

 and to attempt to labor with the stomach filled to 

 repletion. The allowance formerly of a Scotch 

 laborer in time of haying and harvesting, and no 

 men ever labored harder or enjoyed in general 

 firmer health, or were capable of going through 

 greater hardships, was a peck of oatmeal on 

 Monday morning, and a gallon of milk a day. 

 This was the week's allowance, and he prepared 

 it in any way which pleased him. The allowance 

 of a field laborer at the south is one and a half peck 

 of corn meal per week and three and a half pounds 

 of pork or bacon, or two and a half pounds of pork 

 and fourteen herring. With this they labor con- 

 stantly from daylight to dark, with only an occa- 

 sional hour allowed them some Saturday evening. 

 Their health is good ; and we were told by many 

 of them that the supply was in general more than 



they required. Water is their only drink. Now 

 most certainly we do not refer to sucli cases aa 

 these with any desire that our laborers should be 

 abridged of a single comlort ; but as displaying 

 the extiemes to winch our extravagance leads us ; 

 and to show flow nmch less is re(iuired tfian we 

 generally suppose, to maintain the vigor of the 

 human Irame, and to support men in health under 

 the severest toil. We are satisfied that our pre- 

 sent system of management is actually prejudicial 

 to health and morals. How a remedy shall be 

 found and applied, is more than we can say. 



The temperance relbrmation lias been an im- 

 mense gain both to employers and laborers. The 

 very personification of evil, in our opinion, is rum; 

 and the blessed change which even its imperlect 

 progress has produced in tlie country, is every 

 where apparent, and fills the benevolent bosom 

 with inexpressible joy and the brightest hopes. 



H. C. 



TO PRESERVE CUCUMBERS FROM INSECTS. 



From the Agriculturist. 

 In the spring season, as soon as the young 

 plants show themselves above ground, place 20 or 

 30 cotton seeds close around each plant so as to 

 touch it, and it is sure to escape all predatory bugs. 

 The cotton seeds should not be removed till the 

 vines begin lo run. 1 give this statement upon 

 the authority of JVIrs. Tabiiha Moore, consort of 

 Capt. A. Moore of this county. She has Ibllow- 

 ed the practice between 15 and 20 years with 

 uniform success. Let the amateurs of the garden 

 try it. 



F. H. Gordon. 



CHICORY. 



From tlie Agriculturist. 

 Messrs. Editors : — The celebrated Arthur 

 Young, during an agricultural tour in France, saw 

 this plant there culiivated and used for soiling 

 both cattle and horses; so highly did he esteem 

 it, that he carried some back vvitli him to England, 

 and declared if he did nothing more than introduce 

 the use of chicory among the farmers, he had 

 fully discharged his duty to his king and country. 

 The late General A. Jones, of North Carolina, 

 from the high encomiums passed on it in the works 

 of JNIr. Young, was induced to import some of the 

 seed. It was sown in drills — the product was 

 immense, and all kinds of stock eat it voraciously, 

 but it was found to be indigenous in Carolina ; 

 there was dithculty in the collection of the seed ; 

 he abandoned the cultivation, but always spoke 

 highly of its yield and its qualities for soiling. It 

 seems to be of the lettuce liimily ; grows from 5 

 to 7 feet high, and may be found in large quantities 

 along hedge or turn rows in cultivated fields, 

 which the stock is kept off, but when cows or 

 horses can get it, they invariably eat it into the 

 ground. If cultivated, it will yield about sixty 

 Uiousand weight of green food to the acre, is suc- 

 culent and rich, stalk, blade and all, are consumed 

 bvthem. 

 ■ There is much growing in the fields around 



