218 



NEW EiVGLAND FARMER. 



[Feb. 4, 



which I referred, although so well subslantiat- 

 ed. My neighbours are, in general, perfectly 

 willing to discuss calmly and dispassionately al- 

 most any subject which may be mentioned on 

 things in general. But let any person only name 

 to them any new invention or discovery, they 

 will instantly put themselves in a passion, and 

 foam and froth like a bottle of ginifer-beer in 

 dog days ; and declare that the person who made 

 the communication had no other object in view 

 than to gull and deceive the public. 



Can any reason be assigned for such conduct 

 as this, but the force of prejudice ? 



Jl Friend to Imprortment. 



Remarks on the above by the Editor. — Preju- 

 dice, when it relates to the human intellect, is 

 defined Prepossession^ or Jiutgment formed before- 

 hand. It incapacitates the person who enter- 

 tains it, from forming a right idea of the object 

 on which his premature judgment is exercised. 

 If Prejudice is known to exist, or by legal con- 

 struction is supposed to exist in a judge or jury, 

 man, it disqualifies him from sitting in the cause 

 to which his Prejudice relates. But a man may 

 refuse to adopt a pretended improvement in 

 Agriculture or any other art, and not be actuated 

 by the " force of Prejudice." His reasoning 

 powers or his knowledge of the subject may in- 

 duce him to reject a " new invention or discov- 

 ery," because they lead him to doubt or to deny 

 tts utility. A [lerscn of judgment and candour 

 will not condemn every new thing, merely be- 

 cause it is new ; and, on the other han<l, he will 

 rarely adopt any new thing without carefully 

 esaraining its merits, and ascertaining, as far as 

 practicable, its advantages and disadv.mtages. 

 He will not leave the beaten track, till he is\<!- 

 sured by actual survey, that the path into which 

 he deviates furnishes a scjjjother and shorter 



warned our readers against the improper use ofj us has a part in life alloied by our Maker, and 



that method of milking 



Inserting brimstone in the bodies of trees to 

 destroy insects, was stated to be effectual by a 

 writer in the second volume of the Memoirs of 

 the Board of Agriculture of the slate of N. York. 

 We reprinted the article in this paper, vol. i. 

 page 379 ; but we introduced it as something 

 doubtful, and ex])ressed a wish that " further 

 experiments might prove or disprove the effi- 

 cacy of the supposed specific." It has been 

 tried repeatedly by Dr Thacher, and otiier gen- 

 tlemen, and found not to answer ; and we have 

 published statements of the exjieriments in 

 which its want of eflicacy was manifested. ;f As 

 to " tearing onions from the earth as soon as 

 they begin to grow," &c. we can only say that 

 we have never recommended a process of that 

 sort ; and if any of our correspondents have ad- 

 vised any thing of the kind, which would be in- 

 jurious to the interests of the cultivator ifado|it- 

 ed, we place too much reliance on the good 

 sense of our readers, to suppose they would be 

 leil astray by s\ich means. 



We think it our duly sometimes to publish 

 supposed improvements in Agriculture, even 



we have no right to disqualify ourselves for 

 performing the same. 



But we will now hasten to the consideration 

 of the causes, and, if [.ossible, the only reme- 

 d}' for confirmed intemperance. 



The first, and indeed, only desperate cause 

 is that hereditary, spongelike disposition, vihicli 

 contrary lo the natural Sj)onge, however won- 

 derful, is always drier in proportion to the li- 

 quor absoi bed. Tliis legacy and bequest from 

 an ancestor, it is hard to alienate. 



The second class, includes a vast multitude 

 of all degrees, on whom the dreadful habit has 

 gradually and insensibly stolen. No natural 

 fondness of the liquid fire has been fierceptible ; 

 and no domestic calamity known to originate 

 the practice. Could the victim ultimately to 

 be immolated, see the end at the beginning, he 

 would infinitely prefer committmg sudden sui- 

 cide, to committing the same act gradually, and 

 descending to the tomb by a loathsome, execra- 

 ble death. 



The third class, and indeed the only class, 

 having even a shadow of excuse, is that tribe 

 of disappointed, ilisconlented mortals, who 



when in our opinion they may not be real im- have entered the path of life, expecting it al 



provcmenls. Our reasons for such publication 

 are these. Fir=t, wc are very well convinced 

 ol'our own fallibility, and knoiv a thing may be 

 of value, though we happen lo think it perfectly 

 useless. Secondly, if a supposeil improvement 

 is in fict of no value, and we are not certain, or 

 have not the means of proving that it is worth- 

 less, by giving it publicity we take the shortest 

 method of delecting and exposing its fallacy. — 

 Thu-, wo will suppi se an opinion current among 

 orchiirdials, that placing sods in the forks of fruit 

 trees will destroy the caterpillars wliich infest 

 tliem. We do not believe in the remedy, and 



access to the objecis of his pur.= uit. But he will j wish the prat tice may be abandoned, that some- 



recollect that all the comforts and conveniences 

 of life are the products of inventions and dis- 

 coveries which were once new, and on their 

 first introduction were strongly opposed by pre- 

 judice. Among many pretended, there are some 

 reed improvements; and though false steps may 

 be made in Agriculture, as well as in all other 

 human pursuits, yet on the whole, its progress 

 is as obvious as its objecis are important. 



Our correspondent has presented us vvith quite 

 a summary of " facts and statements," which " a 

 number of substantial, well informed farmers" 



thing more efficacious may be substituted. Our 

 readiest mode to bring about this desideratum is 

 to publish the supi)Osed specific, with a request 

 that it may be faithfully tried, its results accu- 

 rately noted, and given lo the public. 



TO THC EDITOR OF THE NEW EXCT.ASD FARBIER 



Framingham, Jan. 20, 1825. 

 Mr Fessf.nden, — Professional avocations have 

 hitherto prevented my sending you the promis- 

 ed sequel to the sketch of Jack Joviai's life 



ways to be bordered with fruits and flowers — 

 unmindful that our present state was intended 

 by our All Wise Maker as a state of discipline 

 and prubatiun, — not of enjoyment, not of satis- 

 facliUn. Irritated, and often lacerated, by the 

 briars and Ihoriis, which the Almightly has pro- 

 I'usely strewed between the cradle and the 

 tomb, they fondly hope to destroy, in the 

 Lethean draught, all sensibility and consequent- 

 ly all suffering. On the contrary this unfortu- 

 nately proves the destruction of all power of 

 enjoyment, and also discovers nei\ sources of 

 pain and sorrow. 



The conseipiences of this unhallowed indul- 

 gence may be named in three words: Loss oj 

 properly — f^ass nf reputation— and premature de- 

 scent 10 the grave. 



But let usqait this appalling .spectacle to dis- 

 cover, if possible, a remedy for the truly 

 dreadlul evil. — ^'- Hoc opus—sed nil desperan- 

 dum.'''' 



The Sjiartans used to intoxicate their slaves, 

 to disgust and deter their children from like 

 humiliation. This was a cruel degradation of 

 one portion of God's works, for the aggrandize- 



[ ment of another, 

 do not believe. The greatest part of the«e have I •''"'' character, _ Now, too, with painful cmo- 1 We have, in Massachusetts, a Society for the 

 likewise been spoken of in terms of doubt or i ''"'"'' ' '^"*' inform you— Ae is no more. The ' Sup|.ression of Intempeiance. They recom- 

 disapprobalion in the N. E. Farmer. Thus, 1 '"•^^"^'•'es ■''nd hilarity of Christmas were too i mend the discontinuance of even the smallest 

 with regard to shallow ploughing, as practised > '"'"^'' '"'"■ '''""• H^ was subsequently seized j potion of ardent spirit lo our day labourers an<l 

 on the " New York premium farm," we have i ''^ ■''" excruciating colic, which terminated his ■ ,|omestics ; also the use of it as a fashionable 



expressed an opinion, that, in New England, at 

 least, it would, as a general rule, be bad hus- 

 bandry.* Linseed oil, we have no doubt is a 

 very suitable article, if not " the most suitable 

 article for fattening cattle." We have 

 respectable authorities in its favour, both Amer- 

 ican and European, ami among others, that of 

 John Prince, Esq. of Hoxbury, whose slatement 

 may be seen in the N. E. Farmer, vol. ji. p. 397. 

 The same number of the N. E. Farmer which 

 announced the supposed discovery of milkino- 

 cows by inserting «iraws in their teats, conlain'- 

 ed a caution from Dr Thacher, relative to thai 

 modcol milking cows,t a nd we have repeatedly 



»JS. E. Farmer, vol, iii. page 126. + Ibid, ii. 378. 



probationary existence; and, lo use the bold, j offering or compliment lo our friends and \isi 



figurative languasjo of the gloomy, discontent 

 ed, disappointed Young, hurried him down to 

 that region where the Terrific Histcrs, Darkness 

 many "'"^ Silence, reign unmolested. 



Jack having suddenlv left u«, we are natural- 

 ly drawn into the following train of reflec- 

 tions. This Mr Jovial was certainly his own 

 greatest enemy, and apparently, if testimony 

 may be credited, an enemy to none else. But 

 if an enemy to himself, he must consequently 

 be an enemy lo all his relations and connexions, 

 particularly his dependants. Those who are 

 the greatest enemies to themselves, are certain- 

 ly the greatest enemies to society : for each of 



\ Ibid, vol. ii. pages 370, 377. 



tors. The pc^or and labouring class, hoivever, 

 of society wiil, with great reluctance, relin- 

 quish their favourite beverage, while fliey see 

 the pampered dignitary consume his bottle of 

 .Madeira at each sitting down. No, invidious 

 indeed would be depriving the peasant of his 

 rum or whiskey, while the rich and greal re- 

 tain their win" and brandy. 



Much might, by judicious management, be 

 accomplished by substituting fermented liquors 

 for the ardent j.oisrn. But a difficulty arises 

 from the last being more accessible than the 

 former, and more conveniently obtained, in 

 small quantities, by the |ioor labourer who 

 lives from hand to moulh ; also his fancying the 



