2)0 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



PEBRITARY 80, 1S33. 



proceed working backwards, and adding to the 

 column of compost, as they are furnished with the 

 three rows of materials, directed to be laid down 

 for them. They should take care not to tread on 

 the compost, or render it too conjpact ; and of 

 consequence in proportion as the peat is wet, it 

 should be made up in lumps, and not much work- 

 ed or broken. [To I'C conlinucd.] 



From the Neiit Eii'J.nid Artisan. 

 THE PREED03I OF LABOR DEPEIVDS UPON 

 THE FREEDOM OP THE SOIL.. 



The advantages which industry lias enjoyed in 

 this country, beyond perhaps any other, have been 

 principally owing to the circumstance that the first 

 settlers became the free and full proprietors of the 

 land which they cultivated, and the ncv/ and un- 

 appropriated lands opening the same assurance to 

 their children — they became also freeholders, work- 

 ing their own farms, and taking the full income of 

 them, free from rent to great landlords, or money 

 charges to great capitalists. They provided against 

 the accumulating of great estates in lands, by the 

 law of distribution, and the mighty power of capi- 

 tal, as it now exists, liad not then come in to dis- 

 turb the balance of their economical interests. 



It was in this state of things, and under such 

 an institution in regard to land and labor, that the 

 New England community was framed and grew ; 

 and it was by men who sprung up under this in- 

 stitution, that the Revolution was achieved. The 

 free political institutions which they established, 

 will be of little avail to their posterit\, if the do- 

 minion of the soil, or, which is the same thing, its 

 clear income, shall pass out of their hands, leaving 

 to them the toil but not the profits which thtir 

 estates might yield in recompense to their labor, 

 and robbing them of tliat high sentiment of perso- 

 nal independence which, without artificial refine- 

 ment, gave them that force and elevation of char- 

 acter which is in itself a pledge of national and 

 individual security. And this was not the attri- 

 bute of a few. It was a sentiment which pervad- 

 ed a community, and made it capable, as was 

 manifest in that instance, of a spontaneous effort 

 at first, and then of an unconquerable moral force, 

 which comes afterwards to fulfil the purposes of 

 unsophisticated minds. 



The laboring class must fall into dependence, 

 penury and degradation, when circumstances shall 

 be so changed that the income of the land shall go 

 into the hands of non-laborers, let them exist un- 

 der whatever name they may. It may be thought 

 perhaps, by some, that a change of this kind 

 would affect agricultural labor alone, but it should 

 be understood that the recompense of labor ujion 

 tlie land, regulates wages in every other branch of 

 industry. It is then the interest, it is more, it i: 

 tlie salvation of every working man in every em- 

 ployment, to hold off' the laud, and the income of 

 the land from the grasp of a non-laboring class. 

 The produce of the earth belongs to those who 

 work, and not to the idle. And it belongs to those 

 who work to guard that produce, and the eaith 

 from wliich it S|)riugs. 



That such a change in regard to the land is tak- 

 ing place, and has gone far ahead, is a fact which 

 has not escaped the notice, it is presumed, of any 

 discerning farmer, but it has not been generally 

 seen in its results, as affecting vitally the wuok 

 laboring class. 



The average income of farms may be stated at 

 four per cent. If deduction was made for bad 



seasons, and for losses by the death of animals and 

 other accidents, it would probably fall short of it. 

 The interest of money is six per cent., and many 

 stocks yield a still higher profit. A man who has 

 two thousand dollars has an income of 120 dollars. 

 A man who has a farm worth three thousand dol- 

 lars, if its income be four per cent, has the same 

 income. Here is a difference between the capital- 

 ist and the freeholder of one third in point of in- 

 come. But if the freeholder's farm is subject to 

 a luortgage of one thousand dollars, the clear in- 

 come, after paying the interest on the mortgage, 

 will be but sixty dollars, being three per cent only 

 on his interest in the form, and just one third of 

 the income of the ciii>italist. But this is not all, 

 he is taxed for his A^hole farm in all the State, 

 county, and town charges, thus ])aying one-third 

 more towards all the public charges than the capi- 

 talist. Is tliere any good ground for this distinc- 

 tion ? Is there any 'reason why the owner of real 

 estate should be taxed beyond the value of the 

 interest he has in it ? And this is not the case of 

 a single individual only, but of a large and increas- 

 ing class of hard working, honest men. What 

 may be the quantity and value of the real estate 

 so mortgaged and the amount charged upon it, no 

 one has been able to ascertain, but it is res|)ectful- 

 ly suggested that all the facts connected with this 

 whole subject ought at least to be laid before the 

 public by those intrusted with tlie administration 

 of its affairs. 



But mortgages have other and more important 

 effects. Tliey take from real estate the perma- 

 nence which belongs to it. By a sort of magical 

 power they strip land of its imiriobility, and give 

 the permanence and security which belongs to it 

 to unsubstantial stocks and mere nominal values 

 expressed upon |)aper. They invest them, unpro- 

 ductive as they are in themselves, with the power 

 of drawing away the values which the land yields 

 by nature in recompense to the industry of man. 



It was the early policy in this country to protect 

 the landed estates against the sudden demands of 

 trade, and that too when the currency consisted ol 

 substantial and almost unvarying values. And the 

 [lassion for speculation was in some measure kept 

 liaok so long as the land was held from its grasp. 

 This protection was in some measure effected by the 

 special provisions of a law still existing, by wliicli 

 lands are exempt from sale on execution. The 

 same exemption was also extended to mortgaged 

 estates, and the equity of redemption was not for- 

 merly subject to sale at auction. But it often haii- 

 pens that those who need protection most are the 

 least sure of it, and the poor mortgager was de- 

 prived of this protection by an act subjecting his 

 right to an auction sale, with exorbitant costs 

 and charges, by any man who should get a dc- 

 land against him. Mortgages have now beconn 

 so prevalent that much of the landed estate has 

 been ]ilaced without the limits of this ancient pro- 

 tection. And while equities of redem|)tion are 

 lirought under the hammer, and sales forced in 

 this way, the estates not mortgaged must come un- 

 der the general depression, and be passing one af- 

 ter another, under the same sort of incumbrance, 

 and the tenants into the same thraldom. New en- 

 couragement is thus given to speculation, addi- 

 tional inducement will arise to over-issues of pa- 

 per money, prices of products will oscillate, by 

 which labor is always the loser, and industry will be 

 discouraged by the loss and uncertainty of its reward. 

 It is a sound principle that taxes ought to be 



proportioned to income. How so wide a depar- 

 ture from this principle could have taken place in 

 any free state, we attempt not to explain. 



This single view of the subject will go fartoac- 



unt for the depressed condition of the Landed 

 Interest, and is a good reason why no capitalist at 

 the present day is willing to be the owner of real 

 estate at its fair value to the working farmer. 



In the nature of things, real estate should b0 

 held exempt fron. suddeu pressures in the money 

 market, arising from over trading and fluctuations 

 in the currency, now so frequent and great as to 

 become an alarming evil to the creators of the ctir- 

 rency themselves. 



The income of the land is limited, but there is 

 no limit to the cipital which is growing up to be 

 charged upon it. This very cajiital is created by 

 the productive class, and passing into other hands, 

 fastens itself as a perpetual charge upon the land, 

 and takes just so much from the fund which 

 would otherwise remain for the support and use 

 of that class. When this process shall have ex- 

 hausted the rhole clear income of the land, the 

 race of propnetors who improve their own soil, 

 will become extinct; and what will be the reward 

 of labor? What the condition of the laborer? 

 What will hi the fate of all that has been built up 

 here? Conpared with this, of how little impor- 

 tance to tl« laboring class, are all the questions 

 which an agitating the connmmity ? 



No niJrc can at present he attempted than a 

 partial v'iew of this most important subject. The 

 objectis to indicate for consideration, some meth- 

 ods aike consistent with justice and sound policy, 

 by vhich the evil may at least be mitigated ; and 

 for .his purpose it is recommended, 1. That the 

 rate of interest on debts secured by mortgage 

 should be reduced to five per cent. In France it 

 is limited to 5 per cent, on mortgages, while it is 

 6 on commercial transactions ; and in Russia it is 

 5 on real iiroiierty, but unlimited on other trans- 

 actions. 2. That the mortgagees should pay taxes 

 for their debts, charged upon lands in the towns 

 wherein the lands lie, as their just part of the as- 

 sessment upon such lands. The injustice of mak- 

 ing the tenant mortgagor pay the full tax upon the 

 (State, when he in fact receives but one half of 

 the income, must be manifest to the discernment 

 of every mind. There is also a reason for this as 

 it relates to the towns. Why are inhabitants of 

 towns taxed for the lands whhin their respective 

 limits? The mere circumstance of their lying 

 within a geograjihical line does not make a reason. 

 It is because they are sujiposed to yield an income 

 to the tenant, which enables him to meet the 

 charge. It is on this ground that lands are re- 

 (piired to be taxed iu the towns where they lie ; 

 but the reason fails iu case of mortgages so 

 far as the income is withdrawn to meet the an- 

 nual charge of the mortgage. There is no reason 

 why a non-resident should pay taxes on his lands 

 in the town where they lie, which docs not apply 

 to a mortgagee, who retains the security and re- 

 ceives all the benefit of ownership. 



Messrs. Ives — In jiity to the suffering infant 

 ;omniunity please publish the following recipe 

 for throat distemper and scarlet fever, or canker 

 rash. A tea made of red rasjiberry and mullen 

 leaves, given very freely, sweetened with honey; 

 and also sulphur and cream of tartar, one tea spoon- 

 ful in honey, at night and in the morning. — Salem 

 Observer. 



