1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



575 



sent us a certificate of an extraordinary crop of 

 corn raised by him the present year, namely, ele- 

 ven hundred barrels from an eighty acre field, 

 which is about fourteen barrels to the acre. 



WAGES OF FEMALE LABOR. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



I have read very carefully the three Nos. on the 

 low rate of female wages, and it is not saying too 

 much, that I was very deeply interested in them. 

 They brought to memory interesting and pain- 

 ful occurrences that had fallen under my own ob- 

 servation. I have known a healthy and industri- 

 ous woman to labor 14 hours a day with her nee- 

 dle, and earn 12^ cents, having five children to 

 support, and all of these children doing nothing — 

 (for they had nothing to do, in which their mother 

 could be present to instruct them) — and I have 

 known her poor neighbor (also a widow) and her 

 one little boy to earn in 12 hours, from 75 cents 

 to SI 25 cents in a tobacco factory, in a little cor- 

 ner by themselves, separate from the black people. 

 I have seen direct and systematic means employed 

 to raise the wages of seamstresses, and in every 

 case, while good was done, and suffering, for the 

 time, sowewhat relieved, the association soon 

 exhausted all its means, and went down. Some 

 of the writer's remarks too, brought to my mind 

 the fact announced by a missionary in the island 

 of Ceylon, viz: that there, it is very common to 

 see strong men washing and ironino; nice cam- 

 brics and muslins. Have not the habits of Chris- 

 tian communities much of the very same absurdi- 

 ties in them? No man can travel through New- 

 England without feeling that there, women have 

 decided advantages over women in the south. 

 The avenues to a fair compensation for labor are 

 abundantly more open there, than here. I have, du- 

 ring the last summer, visited many of the northern 

 factories in special reference to the point of morals, 

 and I have, satisfied myself, that on the whole, the 

 morals of young people at their factories are as 

 good as among the same class of people on farms. 

 It seems to me also, that in this country there is 

 no lack of soil, on which profitably to consume 

 the strength of the great body of males, and that 

 we are specially criminal if we allow a system to 

 gain footing among us, which shall in the end ruin 

 the prospects of indigent but virtuous females. 

 Agriculture and horticulture in this land are yet 

 merely in the rudest state, especially the latter. 



CONSTITUTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL SOCIE- 

 TIES. 



We have received from a valued correspondent, and 

 one whom we would be pleased to serve or gratify, a 

 copy of the constitution of a new agricultural society, 

 with the request to publish it in the Farmers' Register. 

 We are debarred from compliance, by the obligation of 

 a rule which has been for some time in force, which is, 

 not to publish in this journal the constitution or rules 

 of any agricultural society, unless the provisions re- 

 quire notice for their novel or peculiar character, or 

 unless inseparably coniu :ted with other transactions 



of more interest and practical value to the agricultural 

 public. We have seen published, within the last fif- 

 teen years, the constitutions of some dozens of differ- 

 ent agricultural societies, from not one of which was 

 any subsequent action of value, or report of agricul- 

 tural facts, ever heard. This procedure has indeed 

 been so common, and has so generally served to intro- 

 duce to public notice a body that has not attracted no- 

 tice in any other way — the publication of the consti- 

 tution has so often been the prelude to the dissolution 

 of the society — that such publications have ceased to 

 confer honor — and indeed have almost become a sub- 

 ject for ridicule. We think it best therefore for agri- 

 cultural societies not to publish their sayings until they 

 can accompany them with something of their doings 

 — and though desirous of avoiding the publication of 

 the former class, if alone, we shall be at all times re- 

 joiced to receive reports of, and promulgate the acts, of 

 all agricultural societies. There can be no newly 

 formed society of which we would form a more favor- 

 able opinion (judging from its materials) than the one 

 to which we are now compelled to show such an ap- 

 pearance of scant courtesy: and should it take the rare 

 course of drawing out the talents of its members, we 

 hope hereafter to have many of our pages filled by 

 their memoirs, transactions, and reports of their useful 

 labors. 



MEANS TO FACILITATE THE ANALYZING OF 

 MARL, AND OTHER CALCAREOUS MANURES, 

 AND SOILS. 



While the importance of testing the strength and 

 comparative value of marls, has been earnestly urged 

 on those who are using, or intend to use such manures, 

 this journal has also furnished plain and full directions 

 for the process, by attending to which, any careful ex- 

 perimenter would be enabled to perform the operation 

 for himself, with a sufficient degree of accuracy for 

 practical and common purposes. With the hope of 

 still more advancing this object, we have caused to be 

 made, for sale, several sets of the apparatus invented by 

 Professor W. B. Rogers, and described by him at page 

 354, vol. II of Farmers' Register. Owing to the diffi- 

 culties which have attended the manufacture of instru- 

 ments so novel and delicate, and requiring so much 

 skill and accuracy in the construction, we have waited 

 long for the supply — but have just learned that the ar- 

 ticles are now ready, and will be delivered in Peters- 

 burg, perhaps before this number will be issued. 



But even with this new facility, we doubt (judging 

 from experience) whether more than a few individuals 

 will take the trouble to test the value of their calca- 

 reous manures. Some indeed have already availed 

 themselves of the instructions given for this purpose. 

 But much the greater number have entirely neglected 

 this very necessary part of the business of marling, un- 

 less they could have the testing done by some other 

 person. We have complied with many requests for 

 such services — and have never grudged the labor, when 

 it promised to be of service to the public, and to aid 

 the extension of improvements by calcareous manures 

 — nor even to serve the private interests of personal 



