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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



mechanics or artists. Each class should expect to 

 rise only in its own calling. The names of our 

 statesmen, divines, physicians, and merchants echo 

 from the old M-orld with no more distinctness than 

 those of our artists and mechanics — jaarticularly 

 our sculptors, painters, machinists, and ship-builders. 

 Few men can rise to eminence in any calling ; but I 

 think the laboring class, as such, (setting aside our 

 Franklins, our Shermans, and our liittenhouses,) fur- 

 nishes a generous share. Let the mechanics emulate 

 the talents and virtues of such m.en, and endeavor to 

 rise — not hastily, by anarchy and confusion, without 

 merit, but rooted upon good principles — gradually to 

 rise, by challenging the sunshine of public favor. 



Every man can be engaged in something profitable, 

 without losing scarce a moment ; and he who is thus 

 industrioiis has little time to complain of his position. 

 The industrious man is happy; and "Poor liichard's" 

 maxun, " Flee pleasures, and they'll follow you," is em- 

 phatically true. There are but few persons who know 

 what the sweetest pleasures are ; they can only be 

 found in the path of duty. If mechanics would gen- 

 erally give more attention to the cultivation of their 

 minds, they would find themselves gradually ascend- 

 ing in the scale of respectability, and would look 

 with less envy upon the rich. Their path would be 

 lit up with the most cheering rays of light, and many 

 an unhappy hour would be redeemed from despond- 

 ency. 



The mechanics of this country ought to be thank- 

 ful that they were not born the subjects of any Euro- 

 pean government ; for in these, public policy throws 

 many impediments in the way of the laborer which 

 are not met with in this. Wealth there is more the 

 basis of respectability than character. That old un- 

 just S3'stem of perpetual entad of real estate, keeps a 

 few, and perhaps unworthy, families rich, and many 

 respectable families poor. Nothing tends so much to 

 the welfare of a nation, and nothing makes so good 

 subjects, as easy access to real estate — to some tan- 

 gible property. In England, immense numbers of 

 aged parents are thrown upon their children for sup- 

 port, or into the almshouse ; and young men, instead 

 of receiving from such parents a little capital, with a 

 fair education, are bound to support them, while 

 hardly able to support themselves, and in due course 

 are compelled to take their places. And thus a ruin- 

 ous system of government for the masses keeps them 

 (with few exceptions, perhaps) forever poor. Here 

 in this country, the case is different. We have plenty 

 of land, which can be had cheap, in small and desi- 

 rable quantities. The government is emphatically for 

 the masses ; it diffuses intelligence and opens the 

 avenues of power and respectability. But industry 

 and prudence are needed, and these qualities no gov- 

 ernment can supply. 



Many mechanics, as well as merchants, have, I 

 think, a false idea of business. Enterprise, with some, 

 is only a softer name for knavery. The greater num- 

 ber of young men, when they set up in business, 

 repudiate old-fashioned economy, and think it neces- 

 sary to make a great noise and show. They are full 

 of hope, and verily believe that fortunes are easily 

 made. Hence thej' live beyond their means; and, 

 finding themselves sinking, hang with desperation 

 upon pride till every resource fails them, and then, 

 not only fall into bankruptcy themselves, but carry 

 ruore honest men down with them. If reinstated, 

 many again pursue the same course, thinliing that a 

 character for enterprise requires it ; and down again 

 they come, by continually attempting to jump over 

 their own heads. Others fail from sheer idleness. 

 " He that hath a trade, hath an estate ; but then the 

 trade must be worked," says Franklin; and wo might 

 add, that the trade must be worked by himself, and 

 that faithfully and diligently. It will not do for a 

 man to stand on his dignity, and simply oit'rsee a 



petty job, as many do ; but he ought to keep himself 

 employed till his business is extensive enough to 

 warrant his continual superintendence. 



Success in life is difficult to define. If it requires 

 wealth, then few are successful ; if an honest com- 

 petence, then many are. There is no calling so ele- 

 vated as to be above failure ; none so humble as to 

 be beneath ordinary success. That magic word, 

 " Labor," is the true and only philosopher's stone ; 

 and blessed are they who believe in its omnipotence. 

 Poverty will always be a public burden ; but it does 

 not continuall)' rest upon the same shoulders. By 

 industry and economy, one escapes it ; by idleness 

 and extravagance, another takes his place. 



Let mechanics beware of visionary communists, 

 socialists, levellers, and the whole buckram phalanx 

 of Utopian reformers, who (in the language of Pope) 

 " quitting sense call imitating God," and apply them- 

 selves sedulously to their business, and, in the 

 natural course of God's providence, they have every 

 guaranty of success. L. 



Glass Varnish. — The Maine Farmer states that a 

 kind of soluble glass may be made, which, being 

 applied to wood, will render it fire-proof. Take fif- 

 teen parts of powdered flint or quartz rock, ten of 

 potash, and one of charcoal. These are melted to- 

 gether, then worked in cold water, then boiled with 

 five parts of water, in which it will dissolve. It may 

 then be applied to wood work or any other substance. 

 As it cools it dries into a transparent varnish or glass, 

 and the substance thus becomes coated in such a way 

 as to render it mcombustiblo. The editor adds, that 

 he has never tried the experiment himself, but that 

 it would not be difficult or expensive to give it a trial. 



New Razor. — The London Patent Journal eon- 

 tains an engraving of a guarded razor, warranted not 

 to cut the skin in the process of shaving. Mr. 

 Wakely, in the London Lancet, calls it a splendid 

 invention, and affirms that it " can be used by the 

 operator in almost any situation. It can be used in 

 bed, on a railway, or even in a carriage on the com- 

 mon roads. The operation of shaving is effected in 

 an inconceivably short space of time, even by the 

 most timid or nervous.' 



DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 



This is a subject of great importance to the farmer. 

 In numerous cases, where the cows and their food 

 are equally good, and they are managed with equal 

 skill, and the expense of dairy management is about 

 equal, there is a difference of one half in the value 

 of the products. All this wide difference is owing to 

 skilful dairy management on one side, and negli- 

 gence and mismanagement on the other. The best 

 butter is sold in this market 100 per cent, higher than 

 the poorest. 



We copy, frk>m the Transactions of the Essex Agri- 

 cultural Society, the report of the committee on 

 dairy products, of which J. W. Proctor, Esq., presi- 

 dent of the Society, is chairman. It is a very able 

 and elaborate document, and our farmers wiU find in 

 it much valuable information. We shall continue 

 the report, and give several statements of the com- 

 petitors for premiums, with occasional remarks of the 

 committee. 



