1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



165 



pense to us of some hunch-eds of dollars yearly. 

 We are always glad to publish engravings of any 

 machine which "we think our readers will be ben- 

 efited by, but we uniformly refuse to give any 

 pvjf, or anything more than a fair description of 

 the implement illustrated, so as to make it plain 

 to the reader. All matter for which we receive 

 pay is placed under its proper head, in our ad- 

 vertising columns. 



Of the machines of which our correspondent 

 inquires we can say but little. The pocket print- 

 ing machine is the invention of a Vermont me- 

 chanic, and as the patent is not secured, he does 

 right to keep any very definite description of it 

 from the public. Our examination of it has con- 

 vinced us that it is practicable, and would be 

 highly useful, and we hope to see it prominently 

 before the public, as soon as the inventor thinks 

 he has brought it to a satisfactory state of perfec- 

 tion. 



The meat cutter is very simple. Pins set in a 

 spiral row on a cylinder, which is turned by a 

 crank, carry the meat against rows of knives be- 

 tween which the pins pass while the meat is cut 

 into small particles. They can be found almost 

 anywhere where agricultural implements are kejit. 

 The plane and frost are good, but the latter can- 

 not be depended upon. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 

 SiniE PREVENTION OF HARD TIMES. 



There is a family in the heart of this Common- 

 wealth, (not tbirty miles from Boston,) of the 

 highest respectability and the most decidedly 

 Christian character, whose income and expendi- 

 tures for the last few years have been as will ap- 

 pear in the statements which follow : 



Deacon A. is a laborer — a farmer — in the em- 

 ploy, by the day or the month, (for I am uncer 

 tain which,) of a near neighbor. The receipts 

 from this source were, 



For the vear ending March 31, 1S53 §250,48 



" " '• 1854 '287,64 



" " " 1855 286,65 



" " '< 1856 290,80 



" " " 1857 297,11 



. As he has no land of his own — and not so much, 

 I believe, as the smallest domestic animal, the 

 avails of his labor, as above, are his principal re- 

 liable resource. He has, however, during the 

 above five years, received — partly by donation, 

 and partly as the reward of various services per- 

 formed by himself or his family — from $80 to $85 

 a year, besides. Placing this at $85 — for I do 

 not wish to exceed the limits of the strictest truth 

 — and adding it to the sum total of the above, 

 and we ha\e an aggregate income, for the five 

 years, of $1946,58 or an average income, for each 

 year, of $o89,31 ; or a little over a dollar a day. 



It is next to be observed that on this compar- 

 atively small income Dea. A. has not only well 

 supported his family, but saved something from it 

 for the future. This saving or laying up has aver- 

 aged $45 a year. Deducted from the above, a 

 yearly balance remains of $344,31. 



Then it is to be observed still further, that his 

 rent for one-half of a plain, but ample country 

 dwelling, has averaged $39, yearly ; his life-in- 

 surance about $37 ; and his contributions for re- 

 ligious and charitable purposes not far from $22. 

 The aggregate of these last are $98 ; deducted 

 from the above yearly resources of $344,31 would 

 leave $24(3,31 ; or, for the support of a family, 

 about sixty-seven cents a day. Now his family 

 consists of himself, his wife and four children — 

 the eldest in his eighth year. They are all, it is 

 true, comparatively healthy. As an evidence of 

 which, their whole expense for physicians and 

 medicine, during the five years, has been but 

 $1,50. 



How have they been sustained on means so 

 limited ? 



1. They have used, as they say, only one pound 

 of coffee, half a pound of tea, three pounds of 

 salei-atus and one and a half pounds of cream of 

 tartar a year — and no fermented or distilled li- 

 quors or tobacco. 



2. For articles of luxury, or almost luxury, they 

 have also spent comparatively little ; only $12, 

 yearly, for sugar and molasses; $12 to $15 for 

 butter ; nothing, or next to nothing, for lard, eggs 

 or cheese ; and only $15 for animal food. Their 

 living has been, (except milk, at an expense of 

 $18 or $20 yearly, and fruit,) chiefly bread-stuffs 

 and potatoes. These and milk have cost them 

 from $80 to $100 yearly. In winter, however, 

 they use much corn, and of wheat, during that 

 season, comparatively little. It is said that the 

 rigging of a ship cost more than the hull ; and 

 that, in like manner, the non-essentials in the 

 family cost more than the essentials. But the 

 rule is reversed in the family of Deacon A. The 

 principal expenditures, so far as food and drink 

 are concerned, though there has been nothing 

 mean or stinted about it, have been for that 

 which is truly the staff of life ; while the expen- 

 diture for luxuries and semi-luxuries, though 

 quite enough for the best purposes of health, and 

 even for the highest gustatory enjoyment, have 

 been comparatively trifling. 



I might say much more on this interesting 

 case, but a word to the wise, in a matter of so 

 much importance, ought to be sufficient for my 

 present purpose ; which is to set the friends of 

 Chi'ist and of His religion to thinking. 



w. A. A. 



THE HEVULSION IN BUSINESS. 

 It is wonderful how the effects of the recent re- 

 vulsion in business have been felt in every depart- 

 ment of industry throughout the land — hoAV they 

 have invaded every art, trade and calling, and 

 left their impress upon them all. We will not at- 

 tempt to show how they have decimated the profits 

 of the merchant and manufacturer, kept travel- 

 lers and mex'chandize from railroads, and ships 

 rotting at the wharves, but state a simple instance 

 to show hoAV minute and searching their ramifi- 

 cations have been. A market gardener told us 

 the other day, that last year, 185G, he got four 

 cents a pound for squashes, and sold large quan- 

 tities at that price ; that this year he had sold the 

 same quality for one cent a pound, and that the de- 



