306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRIL 4, I8»8. 



nles 



But these iinpoitaiit domestic arts, on which our 

 cotiifoi-ts aiul prosperity so much depends, are too 

 much neglected and despised. It is the duty, and 

 ought to he the pride of every mother in America, 

 to teach her daughters, first the most suhslantial 

 and all important arts of good housewifery; and 

 next to call forth and excite to action all their sur- 

 plus ingenuity, diverting it into such channels as 

 will elevate our national character, and by lessen- 

 in" dependence on foreign nations, promote the 

 independence of our own. 



It is natural, and perhaps proper, for fen 

 to delight in finery ; and to this end, nature has 

 invested them with s]irightly intellect to invent, 

 unci delicate fingers to construct it. But instead 

 of availing themselves of these precious gifts of 

 nature, our females generally appear to have al- 

 most wholly lost sight of, or never to have pos- 

 sessed a spark of that national pride wlich would 

 prompt them to turn those talents to their own 

 advantage. It would be deemed an insult to say 

 that they have not as much inventive talent and 

 refined taste as the females of France, and yet 

 they appear to have cultivated a spirit of emula- 

 tion to outdo each other in servile dependence un 

 French fashions and French finery ; (which fash- 

 ions and finery do not arrive here, until cast off in 

 France, so that the summer dresses of thai coun 

 try becotiie the unsuilable winter dresses of this,) 

 until by extravagant importati<ms of those arti- 

 cles, added to the immense amount paid for silk 

 beyond our means, we have continued to plunge 

 our country into a state of peiimiary distress, 

 from which it will not soon be extricatetl. How 

 much more independence should we display if 

 our females would employ their leisure hours, 

 and exert their ingcMiuily, in constructing orna- 

 mental dresses suited to our cli^nate, according 

 with their own refined taste, and let the Friiich 

 follow their own fashions, or servilely copy ours 

 if they please. 



Those of our young females who are destined 

 to receive what is considered a polite educMtion, 

 ore by the present national public taste, studiously 

 kept ignorant of any thing which can contribute 

 in the slightest degree to the futm-e beiu'fii of their 

 families or themselves, 'i'hus, in most of the more 

 opulent families of the coumiuiiily, those impor- 

 tant arts on which domestic comforts so greatly 

 depend are left to the sole possession and man- 

 agement of domesties. 



It is, therefore, of the highest importance, that 

 females who are coming on the stage of action, 

 Jiould receive such education as should fit them 

 in a greater degree for the important stations 

 they are destined to fill. Without rejecting what 

 are justly considered polite accomplishments, ev- 

 ery fe nale who is to become the head of a family, 

 ought to have a thorough theoretic and practical 

 knowledge of all the arts which appertain to cook- 

 ery and systematic household management. This 

 knowledge would he greatly enhanced by an ac- 

 quaintance with some of the natural sciences, par- 

 ticularly chemistry. Indeed, so importiuit is a 

 smattering ot that branch of science, in every part 

 of househ(d(i economy, especially in the manage- 

 ment of a dairy, that no female ought to be con- 

 sidered well educated wit). out it. 



But there is otie branch of the liouseliold arts 

 wliich your committee would strongly recom- 

 mend. 



By the aid of labor saving inventions, females 

 are relieved from a great and tedious part of their 



former labors, and they have consequently now 

 a considerable jiortion of leisure. 



There are many little household arts, by wliich 

 they could manufacture little articles which would 

 command (air i)rices in market. 



IMany of these arts have been introduced by 

 necessity in other countries ; and a little attention 

 to the subject would rendei them sources of profit 

 here. 



There is one which we would earnestly recom- 

 mend, as paramount to, nid probably superseding 

 the necessity of any other. This is the growing 

 and reeling of silk. J'his is, perhaps, as pleasing 

 an employment as the human faculties can be en- 

 gaged in. It is inseparably connected with a 

 branch of horticulture, and will need some male 

 assistance in cultivating the Mulberry trees, and 

 erecting necessary fixtures. But the growing 

 the silk is the appiopriate work of women and 

 children. It is periodical, leaving long intervals 

 of rest; and the reeling is a light, easy and social 

 employment, peculiarly calculated for delicate fe- 

 male fingers. 



The profits arising from this business will be 

 equal, if not superior, to those of any other branch 

 connected with agriculture ; and will need no 

 other time devoted to it in the female department 

 than is now devoted to leisure. It is 7iow the 

 heaviest item of our importations, and will find a 

 sure market among ourselves, or will command a 

 high |>rice in return for its exportation. 



Your committee, therefore, would most fer- 

 vently urge that a proper attention to hoiliculture, 

 effecting by art and science all the improvements 

 of which it is susceptible, and similar attention to 

 the household arts, as of the highest national im- 

 portance, particularly the growing of silk, afford- 

 ing the surest guarantee to the independence and 

 prosperity of our union. 



Your committee would also strongly urge the 

 importance of County Fairs, as one of the most 

 efficient means of improving both agriculture and 

 horticulture, and the household arts, by awaken- 

 ing ambition and exciting a spirit of emulation i.i 

 both sexes, 'i'hese Fairs would, as they have al- 

 ready ilone in many places, call forth new displays 

 of ingenuity — choice products of the farm and of 

 the garden, in nee<lle-w.)rk and miscellaneous sub- 

 jects ; and we think the legislature would clo much 

 to exalt the national character by appropriating a 

 small fund to each county, that may have its rural 

 society for the support of such Fairs. 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



ALEXANDER WALSH, Chairman. 



keeping accounts. Wo venture to say no reflect- 

 ing farmer can read this letter without saying to 

 himself; "well 1 wish I knew how my (arm 

 comes out." Keep accounts then. Look after 

 your afliairs ; measure your land ; measure your 

 produce; charge your expenses ; credit your sales. 

 The gratification you will have in knowing the 

 actual result will be u most ample compensation 

 for any pains or trouble it may cost you. Then 

 again see by this letter, what a fine opportunity 

 a man has of doing immense good by very small 

 means. We venture to say that the mere exhibi- 

 tion of such a statement, of the accuracy and ex- 

 actn ss of which there cannot be a question, will 

 excite attention, communicate instruction, quicken 

 emulation, and prompt to labor and enterprise,, 

 which will be felt in a thousand hearts and handsn 

 throughout the country. 



" So shines a good deed in this naughty world." 

 So true is it that a good example in any and every 

 department of life scatters its beneficent influen- 

 ces like seed sown broadcast ; and like good seed 

 sown in good ground will never fail to bring forth 

 fruit some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a 

 hundred. 



We are not authorized to give the name of the 

 writer, but we guarantee his authority on our owe 

 humble responsibility. 



FARM ACCOUNT. 



We have the greatest pleasure in laying before 

 the readers of the N. E. Farmer, the subjoined in- 

 teresting and valuable letter from one of the most 

 spirited farmers in the country. He has as lie 

 says just made a beginning ; but he has got a "jiair 

 of seven leagues boots " on ; and goes over the 

 ground in fine style. He was not bred a farmer. 

 He did not as we .say have agriculture the "natu- 

 ral way ;" hut has taken it by inoculation and 

 "got it pretty bad." The result shows what can 

 be lione by zeal and devoted personal application, 

 directed by intelligence and urged on by an irre- 

 pressible spirit of inquiry. The letter too is of 

 great value in proving how much is gained by 



^Jarch 25, 1S38. 



« • * • * 



Rev. H. Colman, — Dear Sir: I did intend t( 

 have written you on the first of January and givei 

 you a statement of my crops and sales the yeai 

 past ; but I have been absent most part of tin 

 winter. 



The winter has been very favoiable for all kindi 

 of stock, and a great saving of food has been tin 

 consequence, and our animals are in much bette 

 condition than they were this time last spring. — 

 The month of January was very mild and Fehru 

 ary was a close winter month ; the theiniomete 

 ranging from 7 to 10 below zero to 27 above. Thi 

 enabled us to feed out our coarse feed, such a 

 corn-stalks, straw, pea and bean haulm. I cut ni; 

 stalks half an inch long, and the cattle eat then 

 pretty clean, and what is left by them is in a gooi 

 situation to absorb the liquid manure, and will no 

 be in the way of the plough, when spread on th 

 soil. 



1 have been engaged for the last three month 

 in getting up a mill for crushing all kinds of coars 

 grain for stock. 1 have endeavored for the la.- 

 two years to procure a good mill for that purposi 

 hut without success. I have had stones, set flu: 

 horizontal, vertical and oblique ; those of cast iroi 

 of various forms an<l all to no pur|)ose. 'J hos 

 of iron were not durable and would heat, an 

 those of stone were too slow and tedious. 



The one I am now busy with, has the pcculia 

 property of grent execution, with lillle power, an I 

 hut little wear, and is not easily put out of repaii 

 which I consider powerful recommendatious. 



I think with hand power, it can he made to re 

 duce from three to four bushels per hour; b, 

 horse, steam, or water ^lovver, from ten to twelv, 

 bushels. 



