306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE ADVANTAGE OF SIMPLE MA- 

 CHINES. 



What has become of the "Ladies' Department" 

 in the Monthly Farmer'^ Have ladies ceased to 

 write for it ? Having always read that part of the 

 Farmer with considerable interest, I have several 

 times felt disappointed to find it so reduced, that 

 one-half column of recipes is all each Monthly now 

 affords for the farmers' wives. I have never seen 

 any reason why there is not more improvement in 

 the housewife's implements, unless it is because it 

 is not more boldly advocated than it ever has been. 

 Farmers are willing, in many cases, to avail them- 

 selves of every newly invented implement or ma- 

 chine that will render their labor easier, and, in 

 many cases, work is executed a great deal better 

 than it could be done in any other way. But how 

 few supply their wives with one of the many im- 

 proved churns, or butter-working machines. I am 

 sorry to say, that in too many cases, this fault is in 

 the wife, more than the husband, for I believe the 

 generality of Yankees are willing to do all that is 

 in their power to assist their weaker, if not better 

 half. I have often thought, since living in New 

 Hampshire, how much more labor the farmer's 

 wife might perform in the same length of time, if 

 she would only advocate her cause, and could have 

 the right kind of utensils to work with. 



As an example, I will descril)e the results of one 

 evening's work by two families ; one having imple- 

 ments, the other not. The work was sausage fill- 

 ing, in a very comfortable New England farm- 

 house, where out-doors had the stamp of improve- 

 ment, but within the style of "old pod augur days" 

 prevailed. Although the wife could have every- 

 thing she wished for, without one murmuring word, 

 yet she was willing to live and die in the same old 

 track that her great-grand-parents had trodden, so 

 that any improvement seemed like innovation. 



It was late in the fall, when the evenings were 



The process was repeated, until all were filled. A 

 child stood near with a darning needle to open any 

 of the places that contained air. In this way, those 

 two persons and child used up nine or ten pailfuls 

 of sausage meat by nine o'clock. 



Now if this little instrument diminishes labor, as 

 this experiment shows, it also saves time. I do 

 not think the cost of this simple machine is more 

 than 75 cts. ; but a much improved kind can be 

 bought at the Quincy Hall Warehouse, Boston, 

 which costs several dollars. I have not written this 

 from any invidious motives. I would not be under- 

 stood to say that there are no "sausage fillers" 

 used in this section of the country, for I doubt not 

 many a New England housewife does use one, and 

 that she also adopts many improvements upon the 

 old system. I have made these remarks merely to 

 show the advantage of having proper utensils to 

 work with. One that Loves LurROVEMENT. 



Remarks. — We like the suggestions of our fair 

 correspondent, and hope to hear from her again. 

 But the "Ladies' Department" is from "A to Ez- 

 zard," in the Monthly Farmer. We take it for 

 granted that all our farmers' wives and daughters 

 are strong-minded, intelligent, discriminating wo- 

 men, and that whatever is useful to them, they will 

 select and "inwardly digest," no matter what head 

 it may come under. 



. SLAVERY IN BRAZIL. 



Trucks in every variety are now numerous. 

 Some recent ones are as heavily built and ironed as 

 brewers' drays, which they resemble, furnished 

 with winches in front to raise heavy goods. Each 

 is of itself sufficient for any animal below an ele- 

 phant to draw ; and yet loads varying from half a 

 ton to a ton are dragged on them by negroes. 

 Two strain at the shafts and one or two push be- 

 long, that two pails full of sausage meat were ! hind, or, what is quite as common, walk by the 

 brought into the kitchen, and set on a small table, | wheels, and pull down the spokes. ]t is surprising 

 with two brown earthen pans. Then each member how their naked feet and legs escape being crushed, 



of the family, five in number, gathered around it, 

 prepared with a small piece of basket stuff, bent to- 

 gether in the form of a loop, and tied with a string ; 

 over this, they drew one end of the skin, and com- 

 menced putting the meat in with their fingers, 

 which crowded in as much air as meat. In this 

 way they worked the whole evening, and thought 

 they did well to finish by nine o'clock. The other 

 house was in Canada West, where men do not live 

 up to the times in improvements. Their farms are 

 generally large, and consequently the housewife's 

 time is in greater demand. It was evening, and a 

 large fire was on the hearth, near which stood two 

 brass kettles, scoured almost bright enough to see 

 one's face in, each holding about five pails full of 

 sausage meat, ready for use. Presently, a pale 

 woman entered, and a younger brother, who is the 

 picture of health. The table was moved out from 

 the wall, on which lay an instrument known as a 

 sausage staffer, and one of the kettles brought to 

 the side of it. Near by, stood a pail of skins. The 

 woman then drew a whole skin on the machine, 

 turned it up, and the young man dipped in about 

 two quarts of the meat, then placing the wooden 

 part of the stuffer into the mouth of it, and press- 

 mg against it, the whole was forced into the skin. 



the more so as those in front cannot prevent the 

 wheels every now and then sinking into the gutters, 

 and whirling the shafts violently one way or the 

 other. One acts as a foreman, and the way he 

 gives his orders is a caution to the timid. From a 

 settled calm, he in a moment rages like a maniac, 

 and seems ready to tear his associates to pieces. 



A slave was chained to one heavy truck. He 

 had been absent when it was wanted, and his en- 

 raged owner took this method of preventing him 

 from losing another job. The links of the chain 

 were three-quarter inch round iron. 



Neither age nor sex is free from iron shackles. 

 I met this morning a very handsome ^Mozambique 

 girl with a double-pronged collar on ; she could not 

 have been over sixteen. And a few evenings ago, 

 while standing on the balcony of a house in Cus- 

 tom-House Street, a little old negress, four-fifths 

 naked, toddled past, in the middle of the street, 

 with an enormous tub of swill on her head, and se- 

 cured by a lock and chain to her neck. "Explain 



that, Mr. C ," I said. "O, she is going to 



empty slops on the beach, and being probably in 

 the habit of visiting vendas, she is thus prevented, 

 as the offensive vessel would not be admitted. 

 Some slaves have been known to sell their 'barils 



