96 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. I. 



Interesting to Houkks. — " A Friend to 

 the Horse," in the Pittsburgh Gazette, cau- 

 tions owners of horses against putting cold 

 bridle bits into the mouth of the hoise when 

 the weather is much below the freezing 

 point ; by doing so, the consequence is, that 

 whenever the bit touches the tongue or lips, 

 the skin will come off, as if burnt with a hot 

 iron.— Hence, the sore tongue in horses so 

 often complained of and suffered. This fact 

 should be made known, and the practice of 

 warming the bits observed in all northern 

 latitudes, where the thermometer ranges be- 

 tween zero and the freezing temperature. If 

 any one doubts the truth of these remarks, 

 let him put his tongue to a piece of exposed 

 iron in a cold morning, and he will doubt it 

 no longer. 



Genius vs. Labor. — " Of what use is all 

 your studying and your books 1" said an hon- 

 est farmer to an ingenious artist. " They 

 don't make the corn grow, nor produce vege- 

 tables for the market. My sam does more 

 good with his plough in one month, than you 

 can do with your books and papers in one 

 year." 



•'What plough does your son use 1" said 

 the artist quietly. 



" Why he uses 's plough to be sure. 



I can do nothing with any other. By using 

 this plough, we save half the labor, and raise 

 three times as much as we did with the old 

 wooden concern." 



The artist quietly turned over one of his 

 sheets and showed "the farmer a drawing of 

 the lauded plough, saying, " I am the inven- 

 tor of your favorite plough, and my name is 



The astonished farmer shook the artist 

 heartily by the hand, and invited him to call 

 at the farmhouse and make it his home as he 

 liked. 



Owr CoMiitry. 



On no country more than ours, have the 

 charms of nature been more prodigtilly bestow- 

 ed; her mighty lakes likeoceans of liquid sil- 

 ver—her mountains with her bright arial 

 tints— her valleys teeming with fertility— her 

 tremendous cataracts thundering in their soli- 

 tude — her boundless plains waving with spon- 

 taneous verdure — her broad deep rivers roll- 

 ing in solemn silence to the ocean — her track- 

 less forests, where vegetation puts forth all 

 her magnificence — her skies kindling with 

 the magic of summer clouds and glorious sun- 

 shine — no, never need an American look be- 

 yond his own country for the sublime and 

 beautiful of natural scenery,— /rrtn^. 



Pursuits of Agriculture. 



How pure, how pleasant are the pursuits 

 of Agriculture. — VVhat more delightful tlian 

 to watch the opening ssveeto of Nature — to 

 trace the germ as it unlbldsthe early bud, the 

 opening flower — and as it ripens into the rich 

 variety of autumnal fruits. — What pursuits 

 better calculated to improve, expand, and ele- 

 vate the mind of man, " to lead from Nature 

 up to Nature's God." And yet how many 

 farmers are discontented with the lot where 

 fortune or providence has placed them — How 

 many seek for other, and easier employments 

 — How many dream of wealth and ease with- 

 out the toils and hardship of labor to acquire 

 it. — Let such know that every situation in 

 life has its share of trouble and of care and 

 few if any, less than those who cultivate the 

 soil. 



Not dependent upon the smiles, the caprice, 

 or the promises of his fellow-man — his confi- 

 dence is strong — his promise sure that " seed- 

 time and harvest" shall never iai'd. — With the 

 utmost assurance he can look foward to the 

 operations of Nature, with a cheering, a cer- 

 tain prospect of an ample reward, for all the 

 labors of honest industry bestowed on the cul- 

 tivation of a fertile soil. 



Farmers — yours are the true sources of 

 wealth; — yours, the fountains from whence 

 flow the peaceful streams of contentment and 

 of rea/ enjoyment ; — yours, though a life of 

 labor and industry, is a life free from the thou- 

 sand temptations which surround the indolent, 

 the vicious, and the votaries of pleasure. 



Gravel Walks.— The following cheap 

 improvement has been recommended in the 

 circumstance of walks in gardens, lawns, 

 &c. uniting the advantages of great hard- 

 ness, durability, and freedom from worms 

 and insects. When a new walk is made or 

 an old one reformed, take the necessary 

 quantity of road scraping, previously dried 

 in the air, and reduced as fine as possible ; 

 mix with the heap enough of toal-tar from a 

 gas work, so that the whole shall be suffi- 

 ciently saturated, and then add a quantity 

 of gravel ; — with tliis lay a thick stratum aa 

 a foundation, and then cover it with a thin 

 coating of gravel. In a short time the walk 

 will be as hard as a rock, not affected by 

 wet, or disfigured by worms. — Jiegister of 

 Arts. 



If you are ever so sure that you ought to 

 resent an injury, at least put off your resent- 

 ment till you are cool. You will gain every 

 end better by that means; whereas you may do 

 yourself or your neighbor great mischief by 

 proceeding rashly and hastily. 



