l8&9. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



23 



"intellectual youth" see this, and as example is 

 stronger than precept with them, they take the 

 liberty of bustling in the flood of society, till they 

 can v*ell judge for themselves what vocation they 

 shall choose. I think, on the whole, this is well. 

 Agriculture has many resources, and will take 

 care of itself. It stands on too important and 

 permanent a basis to be shaken by smart boys. 

 But while on this subject, let me observe, that if 

 farmers really wish their sons to remain at home 

 or on a farm, they should be careful that they do 

 not compel them to labor and associate with every 

 ignorant and vicious workman that may come 

 along, because their necessities make them cheap ; 

 for youth, with proper self-x-espect, M'ill resent it 

 as an indignity. It is true, as I am bound to be- 

 lieve, that the time will never come when college 

 graduates will let themselves out on a farm by 

 the month, or that such men as Daniel Webster, 

 Edward Everett, Ralph W. Emerson, (S:c., will be 

 seeking employment in the rural districts ; yet 

 farmers will do well to discriminate a little in fa- 

 vor of the most available virtue, good manners 

 and intelligence, that may pass along — besides 

 giving an air of cultivation and content around 

 their homes. 



But I will close this extended communication 

 by the relation of a simple anecdote. Some few 

 years ago I heard a gentleman deliver a lecture 

 upon "Character." It was a dull, prosy thing, 

 and those who knew the value of "balmy sleep," 

 were inclined to nod. Yet at its close he apolo- 

 gized for any thing that might have been too 

 pointed ! Not wishing to appear as that gentle- 

 man did, I drop my pen without pleading favor. 



JV. Medford, Oct., 1858 D. w. l. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 USE OF FKESH MANUKE. 



Mr. Editor : — I saw an article in a recent 

 Farmer, from Mr. Ward, "about manures." 

 I am glad he had the courage to write his ex- 

 perience, which differs so much from the practice 

 of some, and the theory of many more. The 

 reason so many barn cellars are built, is not be- 

 cause the many know their benefits, but because 

 it is said to be the best way to manufacture food 

 for plants. From results in my own experience, 

 I find that the manure composted under cover, 

 is a dangerous article as food for plants. I have 

 used manure that has lain a considerable time 

 in a barn, (merely on the top of ground in that 

 section usually styled a bay,) for the corn crop, 

 and not more than five per cent, of the corn 

 planted ever came up. 1 have observed, in dif- 

 ferent fields, that where manure from barn cel- 

 lars is used, that the corn plants were sadly de- 

 ficient in number at harvest time. After forty 

 years' labor among corn crops, I find more chang- 

 es, among cultivators, for the worse, than for 

 the better. Mr. Ward, it seems, has a question 

 in his own mind, whether to remove his manure 

 from his cellar, in accordance with his better 

 judgment, or to let it remain as do his neigh- 

 bors, and have a scanty crop. My advice is to 

 give his manure the benefit of both sun and rain. 



There is no place more suitable for manure in 

 the winter than under the eves of the south side 

 of the barn. All the water that falls from the 

 barn, and the snow that accumulates upon it, is 



no more than is needful for the preparation of 

 the manure to fit it as food for plants. Whatev- 

 er loss there is by evaporation from the manure 

 heap in a dry day, is more than balanced by re- 

 ceipts from the atmosphere in the night-time and 

 in cloudy days. 



I believe it is good policy to have our yards 

 for manure outside the barn ; let swine have free 

 access to them during the day time, and fifty 

 per cent, more manure in value may be made, 

 than in the more modern way, of keeping both 

 manure and swine in a cellai*. At the same time 

 swine will be more healthy, and consequently 

 more profitable. 



If space was not so limited, I should be glad 

 to say a few words touching the corn crop. It is 

 in fact tJie crop of New England, so far as profit 

 in dollars and cents is considered. With due 

 care in preparing the manure, in selecting and 

 cultivating the soil, selecting the variety of corn 

 for seed, and choosing from that variety, with a 

 dozen other etceteras, the corn crop will assured- 

 ly pay from twenty-five to forty per cent., year 

 after year. R. Mansfield. 



West Needham, Nov., 1858. 



THE LABORBB AND THE "WABBIOR. 



BY EPES SARGENT. 



The camp has had its day of song ; 



The sword, the bayonet, the plume, 

 Have crowded out of rhyme too long 



The plow, the anvil and the loom ! 

 I not upon our tented fields 



Are freedom's heroes bred alone ; 

 The training of the workshop yields 



More heroes true than war has known. 



Who drives the bolt, who shapes the steel, 



May with a heart as valiant smite 

 As he who sees a foeman reel 



In blood before his blow of might ; 

 The skill that conquers space and time. 



That graces life, that lightens toil, 

 May spring from courage more sublime 



Than that which makes a realm a spoil. 



Let labor, then, look up and see 



His craft no path of honor lacks ; 

 The soldier's title yet shall be 



Less honored than the woodman's axe ; 

 Let art his own appointment prize, 



Nor deem that gold or outward light 

 Can compensate the worth that lies 



In tastes that breed their own delight. 



And may the time draw nearer still, 



When man tlus sacred truth shall heed, 

 That from the thought and from the will 



Must all that raises man proceed ; 

 Though pride may hold our calling low, 



For us shall duty make it good ; 

 And we from truth to truth shall go. 



Till life and death are understood. 



Emery's Journal of Agriculture and 

 Prairie Farmer, published at Chicago, at $2 

 a year. This journal has earned for itself a good 

 name by its neat appearance and its practical 

 good sense. The prairie farmers can increase 

 their profits by reading it carefully, to say noth- 

 ing of wliat it may do for the women and chil- 

 dren. We wish it great success. 



