NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



583 



THE VIRGINIA REAPER. 



"While at Washington, recently, to attend the 

 Agricultural Convention, in company with Mr. 

 R.wnolds, one of the proprietors of this paper, and 

 a large company of other gentlemen from various 

 parts of the country, we spent an afternoon in the 

 examination of McCormick 1 * Paha! Reaper, the in- 

 strument thlit gained a world-wide celebrity at the 

 World's Fair at London last year. Crossing the 

 eastern branch of the Potomac, near the Navy 

 Yard, we found on the opposite side at Giesborough 

 a field of from sixty to seventy acres, covered with 

 a fine crop of wheat which would average as we 

 should judge fifteen or sixteen bushels to the acre. 

 Three fine mules were hitched to the Reaper, and 

 in exhibiting through the day, and on previous 

 days, suae forty acres had been cut. The field 

 presented a clean and workmanlike appearance, 

 the scatterings being rather more liberal, perhaps, 

 than when grain is cradled. The machine re- 

 quires a driver and a person to rake the grain from 

 the platform in parcels of a size proper for binding, 

 both of whom ride. Fifteen acres a day is consid- 

 ered a fair average on favorable ground — several 

 acres rnnre may be cut with a little pressure — but 

 that number of acres may be handsomely cut from 

 day to day. The grain is raked from the platform 

 of the machine with the heads all one way, and in 

 parcels quite as convenient for binding as when 

 cradled. 



The operation of the Reaper seemed to be satis- 

 factory to the numerous gentlemen who witnessed 

 it, many of whom were large planters, and of 

 course much interested in a machine that has 

 promised to do so much in the grain harvests of 

 the south. 



We considered the exhibition a successful one. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 NO PROFIT IN FARMING. 



How often do we hear the complaint made, by 

 persons in possession of small farms, that there 

 is no profit in farming, and those possessed of large 

 ones, not unfrequently, offer the same plea, viz., 

 that it costs all to live. With pride they refer to 

 the good old times of our grandsires, when, they 

 imagine, farming was more profitable than now ; 

 ami not a few are willing to lay the charge to the 

 administration of our government, for all this sup- 

 posed degeneracy in the occupation of the farmers, 

 and consequently turn politicians, for the time be- 

 ing, in hopes to overturn the present administra- 

 tion, install another in its stead, for the purpose of 

 bringing round the aforesaid imaginary good old 

 times. 



But, how can it be proved that farming was ever 

 better than at the present time ? "Was there ever 

 five years in succession when the farmer could dis- 

 pose of his butter, cheese, meats and potatoes, 

 and finally the general products of his farm, for 

 more ready cash than for the past five years? or 

 was there ever a time when he could purchase the 

 necessaries of life cheaper than during the same 



period, aside from the tedious horse-back journey 

 of former times, compared with the facilities of 

 railroad communication? Certainly I believe the 

 answer should be no. 



The fault, then, is not in the administration of 

 the government, nor in the high prices of the 

 necessaries of life, or in the low prices of the farm 

 produce. Then we must look elsewhere for tl e 

 evil winch I believe lies at the farmer's door, or at 

 least, in the customs and fashions of the times. 



What a contrast presents itself to our view, 

 when we compare the nicely finished buildings of 

 the present with the humble dwellings of our 

 grandfathers ; tins is all very well, but the farmer 

 should remember they cost money. The necessa- 

 ries of life (if we may so term it) have multiplied 

 almost to infinitude ; instead of subsisting upon 

 the products of our own soil, we tickle our palates 

 with those of nearly every clime ; this will do if it 

 does not interfere with the constitution, (as the 

 politicians say,) and the farmer can afford it, but 

 remember it costs money. It was very different 

 with Sir Balaam, of whom the poet speaks, — 



"One simple dish his week-day meals affords, 

 An added pudding solemnized the Lord's." 



Fashion has done much to drain the profits of 

 the farmer — the homespun cotton and woolen 

 dresses of our ancestors have given place to the 

 variegated webs of Thibet and Hindoostan ; the 

 farmer's daughters must dress and shine in all the 

 variety of the bride of a millionaire ; they must 

 attend dancing schools and cotillons, which the 

 more frequent, require the more frequent changes 

 in apparel ; changes which have become as impor- 

 tant as changes in the moon. His sons, too, if 

 willing to assist in filling his granary with the 

 products of the soil, are frequently equally willing 

 to relieve him of the contents of his pocket. 



Let farmers, then, view the subject of their own 

 occupation in its true light, nor look abroad for 

 the cause of evils when it may be found at home. 



If the farmer manages his business well, his in- 

 come is very considerable, but his expenses may 

 exceed it ; could he adopt the strict economy of 

 our early settlers with his present income, I believe 

 we should very seldom hear the complaint of no 

 profit in farming. H. Fowler. 



Stowe, July, 1852. 



Remarks. — Yes ; these are all true reasons, and 

 there are plenty of others which we hope our cor- 

 respondent will allude to hereafter. 



THE PEEL OR RIND OF FRUIT INDI- 

 GESTIBLE. 



This fact cannot be too strongly impressed upon 

 the public. It applies to all fruit without excep- 

 tion, and includes also the pellicle or skin of kern- 

 els and nuts of all kinds. The edible part of fruit 

 is particularly delicate, and liable to rapid decom- 

 position if exposed to the atmosphere ; it is, there- 

 fore, a provision of nature to place a strong and 

 impervious coating over it, as a protection against 

 accident, and to prevent insect enemies from de- 

 stroying the seed within. The skin of all the plum 

 tribe is wonderfully strong compared with its sub- 

 stance, and resists the action of water and many 

 solvents in a remarkable manner. If not thor- 

 oughly masticated before taken into the stomach, 

 the rind of plums is rarely, if ever, dissolved by the 



