1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



41 



ers, they will eai-ly have the energy and ability | are expressed by the articles recently written by 

 to take care of themselves. And if they manifest ["E. H. fe." and "A Farmer's Son." 

 this, they will soon meet with help-mates, who Dissatisfaction belongs to human nature. Beasts 

 will cheerfully lend all necessary aid. This bring- [and birds maybe contented, but man never is. 

 ing up girls to remain a fixture upon the home- 1 Whether on the farm, in the shop, the store or 

 stead, is not the thing. It is neither agreeable the office, troubles and miseries, or something 

 to them, nor useful to the community ; it is per- just as good, abound ; and it will probably be no 

 verting the order of nature ; and a misuse of the hard task to find troubles enough in any occupa- 

 better part of creation. I tion to make a respectable contrast with the 



Your voung friend seems to think that the ["Miseries of Farming." 

 farm at home must be managed as it has been, | Before attempting, however, to classify or con- 

 in years gone by, yielding just enough to make'trast the "miseries" of the various professions, 

 both ends meet, with careful industry and econo-|We will recur to the article of "E. H. S." His 

 my. Let me tell him to have regard to the story first position is, that "farming has been unduly 

 of the man who left his treasure to his sons, bur- extolled," and his second, that "it is one of the 

 ied within twelve inches of the surface, without | most laborious occupations." We are willing to 

 specifying particularly the place where, and as ; allow that he has good ground for both of these 

 soon as he was decently laid away under the sod, 'positions. Advocates of agriculture, as well as 

 they started on a hunt to find the hidden treas-{of law, no doubt, sometimes use a little "gloss or 

 ure; and by the time they had been thoroughly ! poetry" in their efforts to do their duty to their 

 over the entire surface, they began to learn the clients. All have heard of the man who ac- 

 mystery of the deposit, and found no obstacle to 'knowledgcd that he had no idea how shamefully 

 the removal of it. The truth is, "where there is i he had been abused, until his lawyer made his 



will, there is a way ;" and girls Avill get along i plea. And some farmers may have been nearly 



well enough, if they will but avoid being misled 

 and bewildered by foolish extravagancies. 

 Nov. 21. 1857. 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 



as much surprised, on reading an agricultural 

 oration or essay, to find what an easy, independ- 

 ent, profitable and glorious business they had 

 been, engaged in all their lives. 



But when "E. H. S." represents the "curses" 

 of labor as resting exclusively on the broad 

 PHOFOBTIOM" OF THE LEAKNED PKO- 'shoulders of farmers ; when he presents intellec- 

 FESSIONS. 'tual pursuits in their most attractive forms as the 



..,,,. . , , alternative to agricultural drudgery, that breaks 



Agricultural editors frequently treat tlie com- Lj^^.j, th^ ^.o^gti^ution and shortens life ; when he 

 plaints and murmm-ings of the sons and daugh-L,!,^^ i,^ so . ,,.o^.js^ u^7]^^ ^,ould not rather 



tersof farmers with mdifference, sometimes with ' .^^g,. ^;^g enjoyment of an educated mind, than 

 contempt. Not long since the conductors of "one ^/^g,,^^,.^,^ ^ ^^ j,,;^-^;^ ^^^^ .'^,,^g,, -^ „g^„; 



of our citv papers acknowledged the receipt of j^ confined,'' v,-e think he is guilty of using a 

 a communication of this character, and, without u i^^^. ^f the thickest kind, and "poetry" of the 

 publishing it, scornfully advised the writer to thinnest sort. Such sentiments are fuel for a 

 leave the business, if he did not know enough to fj^p^ smouldering in the breast of Young America, 

 make money by farming. I have been pleased to ^.ore dangerous than that which heaves and rocks 

 see that such articles are treated as respectfully , ^i^l Vesuvius. To get into a profession! To 

 by the editor of the ^<no h^n gland Farmer as are ; ^^^ ^^^^ business ! To live without work ! 



those winch paint lu more hvely colors the charms ^ ^^l^ij^j, of ^he multitudes of our young men who 

 oi lUiul me. ^ ,„ , 1 ^ I are indulging such aspirations, and then of the 



Leing a farmers son myself, I know there are:^^!^ f^.t,^ fo^. i,istance, of a census report. 

 t^'o sides to the picture. Boys and girls who; ^ ^^^ compendium of the Census Returns for 

 have_ been brought up to the stern reahties of .^ggy^ jj v^m^e^m that less than one in a hundred 

 farming, and who are acquainted Avith other lands i^f the whole population of the United States, is 

 of business mainly uy their outside appearance, !i.gtu,.j,(,j a, b^l^jj, to the "learned professions." 

 and that often seen from a chstance, which everiy^j,^ ^ f^.^.^ ^u quarters comes the warning cry, 

 lends more or less of enchantment to the .view,^!,^^ ^hg u ,ofessions" are crowded to overflow- 

 are apt to regard other occupations as more intel- ' • j^ jt safe, then-is it honest-to talk to the 

 lectual, genteel and profitable, and less irksome .^tciUng milHons who till the earth," of choosing 



and laborious, than firming. Such feehngs, I be 

 lieve, are very common, and are honestly enter- 

 tained. With a strong conviction of their cor- 

 rectness, I left the farm in early boyhood, and 

 have been engaged in another business for more 

 than one-third of a century. My occupation, jil4 

 habits and circumstances have afforded opportu- 

 nities of contrasting the lives and fortunes of men 

 of various professions, that few have enjoyed. 

 Brought up in a strictly agricultural section, and 

 familiar Avith almost every phase of the farmer's 

 life, I have worked in various cities and villages 

 of six different States. Possibly a few hints and 

 suggestions from my experience and observation 

 may prove acceptable to some of the younger 

 readers of the Fanner, Mdiose ideas and feelings 



between literary pursuits and physical labor ? 



By the Abstract of the Census of Boston for 

 1845, it appears that the employment of 



250 females and 224 males contribute to Education ; 



" 566 " " " Health ; 



" 584 " " " Justice ; 



206 " " 920 " " " Literature and fine arte. 



— " " 104 " " " ReliKion. 



These are the only divisions in the table of oc- 

 cupations that have anything like a literary look. 

 And if we examine a little more carefully into 

 the details, we shall see much even here that ap- 

 pears much like work. 



With the educated physicians, are counted not 

 only "quacks," but nurses, sextons, truss-makerS/ 



