370 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JUNE 5, 1S33. 



morning a sling at eleven, and another at four 

 o'clock in the afternoon ; if so, let all such abandon 

 the practice — let them leave it oft' altogether — 

 iaste it not, touch it not; and in this alone, there 

 might very properly be a pecuniary saving made 

 to an amount of at least $14 annually — to say 

 nothing of the value of the time spent in running 

 after the haieful poison. But this is by no means 

 all that might be saved by the abandonment of 

 such a senseless practice ; we will say nothing 

 about bruised eyes, bloody noses, broken shins, 

 nor law suits, (all which could be avoided), still 

 there is a saving of infinitely greater importance 

 than these ; do you ask what it can be ? I answer 

 peace of mind— family peace — peace in society — 

 bodily health — a sound mind — mental vigor, and a 

 rational prospect of a long and happy life. And 

 are not these savings that every good economist 

 •will delight to attend to ? 



There is still another class in society, who de- 

 clare that the reason why they do not read is for 

 the want of time ; these say that " we are always 

 so hurried in business, that we can find no time 

 to devote to reading." Now are not these people 

 frequently seen yawning and indolent, or indulg- 

 ing in vain and frivolous amusements, or gratifying 

 an idle curiosity ? Let all such arrange their busi- 

 ness in the best possible manner — let there be seen 

 method and order, in the arrangement — let them 

 have a place for every thing, and let every thing 

 be seen in its place — let whatever is resolved to 

 he done, be done in the proper season, and done 

 well — ever recollecting "that whatever is worth 

 doing, is worth doing well." Let this be done 

 and 1 should hazard nothing by saying that am- 

 ple time might soon be gained, for reading and re- 

 flection. 



How can the long winter evenings, from Octo- 

 ber to March, and a considerable portion of the 

 many stormy days that happen in the year, be 

 more appropriately spent by the farmer, than by 

 devoting them to reading " by his own fire side ? " 



If this were generally done, it would soon he 

 seen that the aggregate amount of improvement 

 thus obtained would be of no small importance to 

 the agricultural interest; for it is obvious, that it 

 is only by an intellectual and virtuous cultivation 

 of the mind that we can expect to realize profit, 

 or to give dignity to our occupation. This will 

 also be the best means of securing ourselves 

 against the temptations of vice and intemperance 

 evils which readily assail the ignorant and the 

 idle ; and in this way we shall rise above the de- 

 grading maxims of the world, by which it has 

 been supposed that a laboring man must necessari- 

 ly be vulgar and ignorant. 



Perhaps there is no way by which so much val- 

 uable information can be acquired, at so small an 

 expense, as by the establishment of Social circu- 

 lating Libraries ; and I beg leave to suggest for 

 your consideration, the expediency of forthwith 

 establishing in the respective towns in the county, 

 (wherever it would be practicable) circulating 

 Libraries; the books to consist principally of such 

 as treat on the following subjects, viz. Natural 

 Philosophy, Agriculture, Horticulture, Chemistry, 

 Domestic manufactures. Rural economy. Mineral- 

 ogy, the rearing and management of domestic ani- 

 mals, the diseases with which they are liable to be 

 afflicted, and the most approved methods of cure ; 

 to which might be added, books treating on the 

 mechanic arts. 



If forty or fifty individuals in each town in the 



county would unite for that purpose, and'^^'dvance 

 three or four dollars each, a very handsome begin- 

 ning miglit be made, and by a small tax annually 

 paid on each share, the value of the library would 

 be constantly increasing ; and the mental satisfaction 

 to he enjoyed by being able, on any occasion, to 

 show the why and wherefore would of itself be am- 

 ple compensation for all sums thus advanced. I 

 cannot better close this long (and to my hearers I 

 fear uninteresting address) than by a quotation 

 from Proverbs. 



"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get 

 wisdom : and with all thy getting, get understand- 

 ing. 



Exalt her, and she shall promote thee : she shall 

 bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her. 



She shall give to thine hand an ornament of 

 grace ; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee." 



HOMER AND STEAM. 



At the ninth anniversary of the London Mechan- 

 ic's Institution, Dr. Birkheck, in awarding a prize 

 of £20 for the best essay on steam, observed, that 

 the author had discovered several notices of the 

 power of steam by the ancients, which had escaped 

 preceding writers. He had also detected, in the 

 eighth book of the Odyssey, a probable allusion to 

 steam navigation : 



"So shah ihou instant reach the realms assigned, 

 In wondrous ships, self-moved, instinct with mind: 

 No helm secures their course, no pilot guides ; 

 Like man intelligent they plough the lides, 

 Conscious of every coast and every bay, 

 That lies beneath the sun's all-seeing ray. 

 Though clouds and darkness veil the encumbered sky. 

 Fearless through darkness and through clouds they fly. 

 High tempests rage, high rolls the s«elling main, — 

 The sea may roll, the tempests rage in vain." 



EJLEGANT COMPLIMENT. 



At the late Ladies Fair in Boston, Mrs. O. who 

 presided at one of the tables for the sale of arti- 

 cles for the benefit of the school for the blind, at- 

 tracted no little attention, as well on account of 

 the graces of her person as the rarity and elegance 

 of her wares. Whilst engaged in the avocations 

 of the day, a sailor approached her, and exhibited 

 strong symptoms of becoming a purchaser of some 

 of the rich articles with which the table was dec- 

 orated. He drew from his pocket a ten dollar bill, 

 and after looking for some time steadfastly at the 

 lady, he laid the money upon the table and was 

 about to withdraw " Will you not'take some article 

 for your money ?" said Mrs. O. The honest tar 

 turned again towards her, and looked — tlien, with 

 an expressive hitch, sheered oflT, saying — " J\'o ; 

 I've had my money's worth." 



This anecdote bears some afiinity to, and is not 

 less complimentary than that which is told of the 

 Duchess of Devonshire, at wiiose eyes the coal- 

 man asked leave to light his [lipe. That celebra- 

 ted lady always declared that after the coalman's 

 compliment, all others were vapid. — JV. Y. Com. 

 Mv. 



A CHEAP AJVD CONVENIENT BATH. 



There is one mode of refreshing and hardening 

 the body that is extremely cheap, extremely con- 

 venient, and yet seldom adopted. The warm and 

 cold baths are indispensable to health. No system 

 can go on with its full natural vigor, so long as the 

 ])ores of the skin are encumbered and obstructed 

 by the particles of perspirable matter, that not be- 

 ing carried off by evaporations, accumulate on the 

 surface. In some form or other, general ablu- 

 tion is required, and that often, by all animals, and 

 by none more than by man. Independently of the 



benefits of cleanliness derived from such baths, 

 there are other advantages resulting from, them 

 which it is not our purpose here to discuss ; and 

 which, to medical men certainly, are already suffi- 

 ciently familiar. But the cold and the warm bath 

 are attended with some inconvenience, and with 

 some expenditure of time, and, in this city, of money 

 also. It is not an indifferent matter, therefore, 

 that all should be reminded of the |>ower of the air 

 bath, in promoting both health ami coiiifoit, and 

 rendering the water bath less frequently necessary. 

 It costs nothing to expose oneself a few minutes, on 

 rising in the morning, to the air of a dressing room ; 

 and after a short time, it will always be regarded 

 as a luxury. In summer the windows of the apart- 

 ment may be open, and the external air admitted 

 freely around the person. If to this delicious and 

 invigorating bath, friction be added, we can scarce- 

 ly name a more sure method of preventing disease 

 and imparting tone and vigor to the whole system. 



Time even need not be given to this bath. The 

 windows being thrown open, and the door of the 

 dressing room shut, the operation of shaving (which 

 by the way is performed at this time with more ease, 

 and less danger of drawing blood, than at any other 

 part of the day,) and the ceremonies of ablution 

 may all be performed in a state of nudity; so that 

 the thorough air bath may be taken every day with- 

 out the least possible expense, even of a. moment's 

 time, without inconvenience, and with great ad- 

 vantage to the body and mind. 



We forbear to dilate on this subject. To the 

 wise, the word already written will be sufiicient. 

 The foolish, pages of arguments and explanation 

 would but confirm in their follv. — Med Journal. 



LOAVELL. 



FiFTEE.N years ago the town of Lowell might 

 have existed in the imagination of some scientific 

 speculator, who had traversed the ground then oc- 

 cupied by the Locks and Canal, but it had exis- 

 tence no where else. Now Lowell is a town of 

 12,000 inhabitants, and some 20 factories, 14 

 churches, 25 lawyers, as many doctors, a half doz- 

 en hotels, and blocks of brick, stone and wood too 

 tedious to enumerate. Upon a man, whose blood 

 has grown rather stagnant under the influence of an 

 old, long-settled and quiet neighborhood, a visit to 

 Lowell would operate as a stimulant of no small 

 power. There, every thing is in motion, that is 

 capabk of motion. The waters rush furiously 

 down the falls and rapids, — wheels are performing 

 their incessant gyrations, the road itiaker, the car- 

 penter, and the bricklayer are jdying their active 

 toils, the streets and avenues are filled with people, 

 all full of life, bustle, and animation. The picture 

 is gay, shifting and crowded. It gives one some 

 idea of the scenes at an eastern bazaar, or some 

 great fair where a great deal of business must be 

 transacted in a limited period ; and where every 

 man feels that time is money, and must be im- 

 proved as such. What a change ! How omnipotent 

 is capital, how magical the working of the Amer- 

 ican System ! — Kewburyport Herald. 



Irrigation. — Every farmer should have in his yard 

 a cistern, or some similar receptacle for his liquid 

 manure. In our often dry and burning climate, 

 watering grass and other crops would be the means 

 not only of keeping the crops in a growing state un- 

 til they are supplied with rain, but greatly enrich 

 the land. 



