1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



435 



The mangel wurtzel (which measured 23 inch- 

 es in circumference when growing,) was planted 

 about the first of April, in land which had been 

 ploughed deep and coultered — laid off in trenches 

 two leet apart — and the coulter run twice in the 

 bottom of" thorn. Manure was then thinly spread 

 in the trenches, and mixed with the dirt, over 

 which the seed were drilled quite thick, and after- 

 wards thinned to about eight inches. The subse- 

 quent cultivation was performed with the coulter 

 and hoe. Mr. John Hare Powell published a 

 statement (vouched by a number of certificates,) 

 that he had produced (according to my present re- 

 collection,) at the rate of sixteen hundred bush- 

 els to the acre. It is eaten voraciously by hogs 

 when thrown immediately from the patch — though 

 its nutritive qualities would no doubt be greatly 

 enhanced by boiling. It affords a very conve- 

 nient and profitable substitute for corn, when the 

 resources of the harvest field begin to fail — and is 

 easily preserved through the winter. I have not 

 sent you the above mentioned specimens by way 

 of boasting of their superior size, nor of any skill 

 or originality in their cultivation, but merely to 

 show you the results that may be easily attained 

 without either. 



Shenstone, Oct. 16, 1835. 



E. G. BOOTH. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE LOW WAGES OF FE- 

 MALE LABORERS. No. 3. 



[Concluded from page 381.] 



Tn the two preceding Nos. I have stated at some 

 length, the grievances of laboring females, and 

 traced the effects from causes that lie in the insti- 

 tutions, habits, and prejudices of society. It is 

 now my purpose to treat of remedies for these 

 enormous evils — and for this, I feel, and readily 

 admit, the inadequacy of my powers of devising 

 the best plans, or for persuading others to act on 

 my suggestions. Would that I could awaken the 

 zeal, and engage the influence for this great and 

 benevolent undertaking, of some of those who are 

 able to imitate the examples of a Howard, a Wil- 

 berfbree, or of the far more admirable Oberlin ! 

 And how much does this work surpass in value and 

 importance, the objects of either of these illustri- 

 ous philanthropists ! It is not so partial a good 

 as merely to alleviate the sufferings of the sus- 

 pected or convicted felons which filled the prisons 

 of Europe — or of the savage inhabitants of Africa, 

 whose condition at home was often as deplorable 

 as the horrors of the middle passage, and of West 

 Indian slavery — nor even as grew from the en- 

 lightened and noble works of the heavenly minded 

 Oberlin, which were limited by his position to a 

 narrow compass, and which were doomed to end 

 almost as soon as his own life and labors. Far 

 above all these would be the benefit of properly 

 employing and fairly compensating female labor. 

 It would be rendering justice, (which has so long 

 been withheld,) to ail the poor of the purer and 

 better half of the civilized human race — and these 

 are not strangers, and separate from ourselves in 

 interest: the class of sufferers includes our coun- 

 trywomen, friends and valued associates — it may, 

 and very probably will hereafter include some of 

 the near and most beloved relatives or connexions 



of all who may read these remarks. What be- 

 nevolent object then, is more worthy of the aid, and 

 of the zealous efforts of the philanthropist, the pat- 

 riot, and the christian? 



Females are naturally as well suited as males 

 to perform at least half the mechanical labors 

 which are now principally or entirely executed by 

 the latter. For very delicate operations (as, for 

 example, parts of the business of engravers, watch- 

 makers, and printers,) they are even better fitted. 

 For some other situations in which some mental 

 power and education are required, as well as me- 

 chanical skill, women are at least as well qualified. 

 It is not necessary to particularize these employ- 

 ments to show that there are plenty to engage all 

 the labor of females who would need to resort to 

 them. There are even employments for women 

 which might well engage the rich, the educated 

 and the refined — and in some other countries such 

 women are so occupied. In France, not only the 

 retail shopkeeping is generally in the hands of wo- 

 men, but the wife of a merchant of the most ex- 

 tensive business is often his best assistant, and ef- 

 ficient and enlightened partner in trade. 



The first remedial measure for the existing ar- 

 tificial and unhappy position of women, which es- 

 pecially prevails in this country, is, that every in- 

 dividual, of either sex, who is sensible of the evil, 

 should lend his individual countenance and sup- 

 port to the proper employment and fair compensa- 

 tion of female labor, and to the shaking off the ex- 

 isting prejudices which oppose so many obstruc- 

 tions to its exercise. A very partial exertion of 

 this moral force, would render much service. But 

 the evil is too old, too deeply rooted, and widely 

 extended, to be removed by individual eflbrts 

 alone. Society has raised the borders — and socie- 

 ty, or the organized and continued action of many 

 individuals, only can level them. With these 

 views, I will propose the outlines of a plan for 

 combined action, which, however partial in effect, 

 may serve to commence this good work — and 

 may suggest to others better means for attaining 

 the great object in view. 



Besides the exercise of individual influence and 

 effort for the same end, it is proposed that there 

 should be formed in each, or any one town, or 

 community, an Association for encouraging the em- 

 ployment, and increasing the remuneration of female 

 labor — to be composed of all persons of both sexes 

 who concur in approving the scheme. It should 

 not be attempted to increase (by direct means) 

 the compensation for existing employments, how- 

 ever small it now may be — (the objections to which 

 attempt have been stated in No. I. — ) but to cre- 

 ate and increase new employments, which, if ef- 

 fected, would ultimately, and by proper means, 

 serve to increase the compensation for the old. as 

 well as the new. By discussion and by publica- 

 tions much might be done to awaken numerous 

 other individuals to the importance of the design, 

 and to engage their co-operation. The associa- 

 tion could effect much by the promise of the pre- 

 ference of its members in dealing with those 

 tradesmen who employed female apprentices or 

 laborers, (upon proper and fixed stipulated terms,) 

 and especially in cases where some of these ap- 

 prentices were the daughters or other near rela- 

 tions of the mechanics or merchants who employ- 

 ed them. The latter circumstance would have 

 two very important effects in the commencement 



