222 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAN. Hi, 1^41, 



and horticultural rkgister. 



Boston, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1841. 



RESPECTABILITY OF THE FARIMKR'S OCCU- 

 PATION. 



Community apprcrinle ihn merit? of the linrdy lil- 

 lerB of ih. soil. Tliey ore called lite l>one and muscle 

 of llie body politic. They nrf Irusled jiiid lioiKired. For 

 all offifes which any one jitnnng them is competent to 

 fill, his pursuit is a recomuiendnlinn. Oth(^r things he- 

 ing eqiKil, n" other man is so likely to win tlni sufTia- 

 gesof his frllow-cilizens as the plnin, lionest fanner — 

 What thorjgh the gentlemen of the bar art* ofirn caihd 

 to fill pl.ices ol honor and rmolutnent? It is because 

 their education and pursuits fit them for xivtrft prompt 

 and iiccurate discharge of the duties imposed, and hence 

 it is for the public good that they should be emplnyed. 

 Wherever the farnur lives, who informs his mind, wise- 

 ly cuiliviiles his heart, blends dignity and nn>de*ty in 

 his dejxirtnient — indiilges in no envittus complaints of 

 those who wear a finer coat and more iii^rhly polished 

 boot— who truly respects himself and hisfellow-firniers — 

 wherever such an one livea-he is respected ; wherever 

 he appears he is respected ;'-irve care noi if it be among 

 the most wealthy andthe ninat refined of the metropolis, 

 for ev'-n there he would 'be lis highly respected as in 

 any circle ho conM enter. The fict ihallie would not 

 be as cordiiilly invited toHlie table of a city capitalist as 

 to that of the laboftufi; mrtu will not inipare the justness 

 of the remark : it is not want of respect that withholds 

 the in\it.ition; but H is a dissimilarity of tastes and 

 habits such as would make the farmer hims»-lf lincom- 

 fortable at the board of one accustomed to all t-tie luxu- 

 ries which wealth can procure, and to the style of city 

 gentility. We do not ask the public to prize more 

 highly th:in is their wont, those who gather from the 

 lap of our iT'-nerous mother earth her nourishing gifts. 

 But we do ask these producers of our daily food, ever 

 to regard iheir own pursuit as (me of the most honora- 

 ble of all occupations, and to be corttunted and grateful 

 while permitted to pursue that laborious calling, which 

 while it briigs food and raiment, generally brings, also, 

 health, good digestion and sweet repose. 



him w:th ihe use of your wagon when he went to mar- B. That is the question; and 1 wi.sh you to help me 

 ket. Li-t your hooks shnw precisely how you stand answer it. PL'ase name the cost and 



with every man. This is tile only ptissible way in 

 which most of you can do justice lo yourselves and your 

 neighbors. You ohjcct to the trouble. t*ome trouble 

 there is about il, bulnot much. Let the book, iten and 

 ink be kept in a convenient place^ and the work wtll re- 

 quire but a minute or two eac+i evening. "Ah! Mr 

 editt)r," one sa\s to me "if my fingers were as familiar 

 with the pen as yours, it might lie but a mintjtes work 

 My good sir, d'* It for a lew weeks, and your fingers will 

 gft used to ihij wofk ; will do it readily ; and will fcrve 

 you well for doing such other writing as you now call 

 upon your son, your daughter, or the squire to execute. 

 At the beginning uf the year equ:ire accounts with every 

 one; if ytiu cinnot pay the money, nive a note or dye- 

 bill ; if your neighbor cannot pav, take his note or due- 

 bill. Square the hooks ; take an account of stock ; 

 learn -liow you eland ; put tlie whole on record ; and as- 

 certain your ways and means for getting tliripugh the 

 next y«*ar. These things would Jiave been more appro 

 priate in December, but they will be serviceable now.il 

 they prompt you to execute by the first of February 

 what should have been done a month earlier. Those 

 wlio know how (heir accounts stand and who lottk for- 

 ward to the ways and means, make the most thriving 

 farmers. 



income of an or- 

 dinary cow. 



A. The cow costs twcntyfive dol'lars: it is worLh for- 

 ty dollars per year to keep her : the income may be 

 two thirds what you lia\e nameil from yours. Butter, 

 fortylour dnlhirs ; skimmed milk, seven dollars ; five 

 ■ dollars must be credited to her fwr the less labor in milk- 

 ing and making butler. 



li. Agreed. Now let us look at tiie debt and credit 

 of each. 



iGO'Cow. 



Dr, 

 Kt'eping, ©50 

 Interest, 3 

 Insuraace, 3 



«','5 Cow. 

 Cr. Dr. Cr. 



Butter, SOG Keeping, $40 Butter, $44 

 Sk.u)iik, 104 Interest, J 2r>Sk. milk, 7 

 Insurance, I 25 lebs labor, 5 



«56 



876i 

 56 



$20/ 



S42 30 



$56 

 42 4 



SI3i 



SQUARE YOUR ACC'OUNTS. 



Sally, a neat and busy housewife, scoured the kitch- 

 en, floor and walls. Jonathan came in from the barn, 

 and missing his chalk figures, exclaimed, " \V hy ! wife 

 w hat have you been about ?" '• Scouring the kitchen," 

 replied SiiUy. *' Scouring the kitchen !"' said he, •" you 

 have heen rubbing out all my accounts." Here was 



a pause. *' Jonathan," said ."ihe, ' 

 men her tiiein all, and put them down 

 try 



can t 

 again ; 



you re- 

 " "I'll 



said he. At it he went, but at Itrngth there came 

 a pause. *' Do you think,'' she. asked, " that you have 

 got them at! down.-*" '' I don't know," said Jonathan, 

 " whether 1 have got them :ill duwn or not, but f am 

 pretty f^ure that 1 have got them against better men."' 

 Farmer.'*, beware, lest the neatness of your neighhur's 

 wife be turned to your disadvaniiig.'. How many \\\ 

 you make your records where a brush nf the busy mop 

 may efi'iice them ! and how many more make them up- 

 on the lablyts of an untrustworthy memory ! This is 

 not wise. Keep accurate and full accounts, in a book, of 

 all the items that are to be ctuij-idered in your settle- 

 ment with your neighbors When lit* takes of you a 

 bushel of potatoes in planting lime, eluirge him with 

 them, and give him credit for the use of his harrow; 

 credit him for the oxen usr d in breuking up : and charge 



DIALOGUE ON COWS. COMING NEAR TO 

 FACT. 



A. They say, neighbor B. that you was fool enough 

 to give f!M, in November, for that line-backed cow o( 

 yturs, when pIic would calve in April. Is it true.'' 



B. Yes, neighbor A., 1 wasjust such a fool as that. 



A. I wonder at you; you could have bought two 

 cowH of the same age and size for the money. How 

 could you do it ? 



B. I will tell you bow. The cow was six years old *, 

 had made 12 1-2 lbs. of butter per week through the 

 month of June, and did proportionally well in the oiher 

 months. 1 Thought her worlii the money. 



A. Weil, I guess, now that you have owned her 

 four years, you have found out your mistake. When 

 old she will be worih nu more than an ordinary cow, and 

 il coBls a great deal to keep her. 



B. Yes, it costs considerable to keep her, and when 

 it shall be necessary to beef herj-she will be worth no 

 more than an ordinary cow of her size and condition. 

 I must lose 25 dollars oij her then. 



A. I thought you would discover your folly. 

 ■H. Perhaps I shall, but I have not done it yet. 



A. I thought you said you must lose 2r> dollars. 



B. Yes, but yflu have not inquired whether she liad 

 earned enough to enable ine to meet that loss, and yet be 

 on the whole no loser by her. 



A. No. But 1 will inquire. Mas she done il ? 



B. Her butter at 25 cents per pound, has been worth 

 vearly, ssy (16 dollars. The skimmed milk at \-2 ceni 

 per quart, has been worth 10 dollars and a half, lor mak- 

 ing pork. She has brought tw<icovv-calves, one of which 

 when 3 years <iid, I was -pfTered OC dollars for, without 

 iier ciilf. The other, two years old, gives the richest 

 milk of any cow'I liave. At this time, Dee^Miiber, when 

 she gives hut litriJe, four quaits and c pint, of her milk 

 makes a pourwl of butter. 



A. What does it cost per year to keep the cow ? 



B. 50 d.dlars. 



A. What is it worth tn insure her against fital dis- 

 ease and accident.'' 



13. Six per cent on her cost. 



A. Can she ihen be as profitable as an urJinary cow, 

 taking into account keeping, interest, and risk ? 



Taking the ^13 50 from $2(1 5i! leaves rwe seven dol- 

 lars annual profit from the good cow, above tiiat of the 

 ordinary one. This seven dollars with its interest will 

 at the end of seven ye.trs amount to $r>7 83. Besides 

 we must not <iverlook the chances of gettii.g from the 

 good cow more valuable calves. .And now, neighbor A 

 you may judge whether I can afford to lose llie $25 at 

 the end of seven years. 



A. I judge myself to be the fool, and thank you. 



C. And, neighbors, I thank you both; for your con- 

 versation and figures have led me to suspeci thatil I had 

 kept y cows worth $50 apiece for ihe last seven years, 

 instead of my 10 worth $25 each, I might have been 

 about ;|;230 the richer for it, besides having derived 

 much more pleasure from taking care of the good ones. 



HAY SEED AMONG CORN. 

 We saw an article in oneof ihe ^oiithern papers a 

 few weeks since, mentioning that some one, we think 

 in the middle "Stales, had sown clover seed anion" his 

 corn ; and the inquiry was added, ** whether any one at 

 the North or East hid tried it.^" In reply, we would 

 inlorm the inquirer that Hon. Wm. Clark, of North 

 amptnn, Mass., has for many years been accustomed to 

 la) d'jwn his light lands to grass in ihat way. His com- 

 munications upon the Hubject led to Ihe trial of ihis pro- 

 cess upon the farm where we have earned our breac' 

 And we are di«pc)sed lo recommend a trial of this nietho- 

 Our belief, founded upon the observatiiin of results i 

 four difl^irunt seasons, is that the seed will be less liky 

 to fail m this way than when sowed among grain ; '^t 

 the first crop is luuch more free from weeds ; is en *'Iy 

 free from dead grain stidks ; is easier to mow ; is fUal- 

 ly abundant; and better in quality. We think al 'hat 

 grass lay thus made, holds out better than olhe By 

 this pr()cess the young grasses are exempted f^ iho 



baneful influences ot the overshndn 



and 



from the witliering iieat to which they a^'*^^pt>^ed 

 when the grams are removed. They are s*"" fj"om 

 the stinting to which they are usu:iHy subje''- 



The process. — Spread all the manure; r^^ "'' hill ; 

 aiid at the last lime of hoeing, say the ir^'^ °' J^'ys 

 sow the grass seed among ihe corn ; pas''""*^"gh with 

 the horse-harrow or cultivator, (simple K^"' ^^^'^h are 

 best,) then hoe, making all smooth, ? ^^^^ work is 

 di»ne. At the proper time cut ihe " ^* "^•"' the 

 ground as can convenienlly he d(me. ^>""1" 'he grass 

 do well, the stubbs would pr.-bably f'^" "^ "'Uch as to 



Bull 



one be 



offer very little oltstiuciion to the sc*^ 



fearlul that il might he otherwise, l"'V ^''^^^t ^^ is *>ur 



custom, ail old ;idze or a strong a '*^«^7 J'oe, and go 



