230 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



thence enabled, not only to continue their exer- 

 tions, but to lay out considerable additional "sums 

 on the improvement of ih'Mr several occupations. 

 These circumstances combined, in addition to 

 those already pointed out, will, I trust, account, 

 in a satisfactory manner, lor the great advance- 

 ment that has been made in Scotiish husbandry. 



THK FARM AND FARMING OF THE REV. J. 

 H. TURNER. — NO. IV. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



In my last. No. 3, I promised to take up the 

 hacknied subject of rotation. But my pony (Mon- 

 sieur Tonsofi again) stands at the door already 

 caparisoned, and by her wistful looks, invites me 

 to another excursion. I now have a strong bit on 

 the Irolicsome jade, and I intend to hold a tight 

 rein, so that I think there is but little danger of 

 her again running away with me. 



I wish to say a little more about that harassing 

 thing called debt. " A burnt child dreads the fire ;" 

 andl have been so hampered and harassed, and 

 have suffered so much on this score, that I would 

 warn all larmers against it, as one of the sorest 

 and most inconvenient troubles that can come 

 upon them. If any are already involved in this 

 dreadful vorlex, all I can say is, that they must 

 get out— as they can. Nothing is easier than to 

 avoid debt, when fairly out of it. Here, as in 

 many other cases, one ounce of prevention is 

 worth whole pounds of cure. It is simply to 

 make the matter turn on these two questions : Do 

 I really need the thing desired? And am I in cir- 

 cumstances to pay for it? If these two questions 

 can be answered in the affirmative, then it is safe 

 to buy. On any other principle it is always unsafe, 

 and therefore all idea ol purchase ought to be 

 banished from the mind. 



But it is really a little singular how very insidi- 

 ous this thing often is. The article wanted is a 

 little one, and its cost a mere trifle; or the cir- 

 cumstances are so peculiar, as to constitute an 

 emergency. The old carriage has become quite 

 shabby, and wife insists upon it that a new one 

 is indispensable ; or Miss appeared at church with 

 a new frock made up in the new fashion, and this 

 attracted more attention from all the young people 

 than the sermon did ; and for this very solid rea- 

 son, all the misses, whether their fathers can pay 

 for them or not, must have a new fashionable 

 dress also. It is also astonishing how important 

 a bearing that word decency is made to have upon 

 expenses of this sort. I once had a very exalted 

 opinion of that word. I still think it a very comely 

 one. But when I see that it is made the occasion 

 of throwing aside the old carriage, or the old coat, 

 though still com'brtable, and of going in debt for 

 new ones, I candidly confess that my attachment 

 for the word is considerably weakened. The 

 practice, with all its decency, is, to say the least, a 

 very inconvenient one. 



The propensity to buy things, not because they 

 are needed, but becuuse they are cheap, cannot be 

 too strongly reprehended. The men are commonly 

 keen enough at making a bargain ; biat the fair 

 Bex will excuse me when I say that, in this re- 

 spect, they certainly take the palm from us. II" a 

 good bargain is offered, they cannot resist the 



temptation of making it their own. Good, pru- 

 dent souIp, like the industrious ant, they must be 

 storing away lor luture wants. Some lime ago, 

 the following characteristic incident took place 

 when 1 happened to be present. Madam had 

 just returned Irom town, whither she had gone to 

 purchase some necessaries lor the family. After 

 producing these, in which she seemed to take no 

 particular interest, she proceeded to display, with 

 great delight, the rich stores of bargains she had 

 made. " See," said she to her good man, " here 

 is a new shawl (or Julia, and a new bonnet (or 

 Emily, and a new frock for litile Sarah, all in the 

 newest fashion. Now don't you think them very 

 beautiful?" " Yes, my dear, I think they are; 

 but," continued the good man, " I thought our 

 daughters were already supplied." " They are," 

 replied the lady ; " but these were so very cheap. 

 Why what do you think I gave for the whole?" 

 " 1 can't tell, my dear," was the loving reply; 

 " but one thing I know — that if you continue to 

 buy things at this rate, because they are cheap, I 

 shall soon be unable to procure necessaries for my 

 family." 



Our merchants, too, are often to blame in this 

 matter. A customer enters the store. Both part- 

 ners of the concern and all the clerks directly put 

 on all the airs of their politeness. " Will you allow 

 me to wait on you, madam ? What will you have, 

 madam?" And, without wailing for a reply, the 

 shelves are immediately stripped of their contents, 

 and the counter loaded with goods. '' Pray, sir, 

 don'tgive yourself so much trouble." "No trouble, 

 madam ; it gives me great pleasure to wait on 

 you. See this beautiful goods — and cheap ! I 

 never had such cheap goods before. I bought it 

 the oiher day at auction ; and 1 can sell you the 

 greatest bargain in town." Thus the voluble 

 merchant runs on praising his goods, as the pret- 

 tiest, the best, and the cheapest, until madam is 

 induced to buy, perhaps beyond her ability to pay. 

 The merchant will accommodate her as to credit 

 also, and then raise a great clamor, that the coun- 

 try people will not pay their debts. 



These were ray cogitations during my excur- 

 sion, and I hope the reader, ladies and all, will ex- 

 cuse me for presenting them just as they occurred. 

 I now retire to the wrilins desk, and rotation in 

 crops is the next topic that I am to treat of. 



This, at various times, and in various forms, 

 has been the fruitful source of discussion among 

 our best and most influential farmers. Perhaps 

 there is no subject, in the whole routine of farm 

 management, on which more thought and ink has 

 been expended. And even now, the contending 

 parties seem as far from entire agreement as they 

 were several years ago. Almost every (armer, 

 especially those who go into the business on a 

 large scale, seems to think that some rotation is 

 necessary ; but it is a rare thing to meet with two 

 whose theory and practice precisely agree in this 

 matter. The old rotation used to be corn and 

 wheat, and then corn and wheat again. But 

 finding that on this plan there was a constant liill- 

 ing off in the crop, until the land would produce 

 neither the one nor the other, a third year was 

 added, in which the land was allowed to rest. 

 The rotation then was, corn, wheat, rest. To this 

 was afterwards added a/ourth year ; and then the 

 case Blood thus : the first year a little corn, the 

 second still less wheat, the third rest, ae far as the 



