No. 6. 



Profits of Furming. 



175 



country, it may be expected their ranks will 

 be decimated. The emigrants from New 

 England to the rich western prairies, or to 

 the rich bottom lands of the western rivers, 

 may expect disease and death; provided 

 they plough up those prairies or bottoms, 

 and thereby expose themselves to exhala- 

 tions from a surface charged with animal 

 and vegetable matter. These are calami- 

 ties which the first settlers can scarcely ex- 

 pect to escape; circumstances may delay 

 the development of diseases, when a favour- 

 able season may occur, but they seem to be 

 inevitable in the end. 



From observation, it appears that disease 

 will be in proportion to the concentration or 

 amount of miasm to which an individual 

 may have been exposed. Hence precau- 

 tionary measures will not be useless. A 

 residence by the side of a marsh or upon a 

 prairie where the turf has been newly 

 turned up, should be closed upon that side 

 towards the miasmatic grounds, when the 

 wind blows from them. So the night air 

 should be avoided, especially after hot and 

 sultry days, when much dew will be formed, 

 or rather where much exhalation will take 

 place when the miasm will be concentrated 

 in it at night fall. So it is important that 

 the vigor of the system should be promoted, 

 and that during the period when there is 

 greater exposure to poison, the different ve- 

 getable tonics should be employed, as qui- 

 nine, which is the most powerful, or for 

 want of this, pulverised bitter barks, or in- 

 fusions of them, as the eupatorium, boneset, 

 &c. Such a plan would at least mitigate 

 the effects of the effluvia. 



Great fatigue, hard labour, favour also 

 the influence of marsh poison. Closing 

 windows, keeping within doors, avoiding 

 dews, moderate labours, and a tonic regi- 

 men, may be set down as some of the pre- 

 ventives to the influence of the poisonous 

 exhalations of marshes. — American Journal 

 of Agriculture and Science. 



Profits of Farming. 



Messrs. Editors, — I have been much 

 interested with various papers that have ap- 

 peared from time to time in the Cultivator, 

 on the profits of farming; but in my opin- 

 ion, some of the writers have taken a wrong 

 view of the subject — making the profits of 

 farming to resolve itself into a mere ques- 

 tion of dollars and cents; than which, no- 

 thing can be more foreign to the object, or 

 less satisfactory to the reflecting mind. But, 

 as example teaches before precept, here are 

 the reflections of a man, an adjoining neigh- 

 bour, who two years ago left a lucrative bu- 



siness in Philadelphia, and bought the farm 

 upon which he now resides, for the sole pur- 

 pose of making a profit, and in which he 

 has succeeded beyond his hope, and equal to 

 Ills most ardent desire. 



To the question, whether he did not find 

 the profits of farming few and small, when 

 compared with those of trade! he answered, 

 "Quite to the contrary; I have already real- 

 ized far more than the most I had dared to 

 contemplate, and am, at the end of two 

 years, richer than I ever could have become 

 in twenty years of successful trade. It is 

 true, I made more dollars and cents in trade 

 than I now do, but that is dross, when com- 

 pared to the blessings of health of body and 

 peace of mind, which gold and silver c&n 

 never purchase. Do you remember what a 

 heavy, paunchy fellow I came among you"? 

 See me now leap this gate — there; why the 

 attempt would then have burst me up! And 

 the best article I could take to the city for 

 sale, would be my appetite at 12 o'clock 

 dinner; at which, the bacon and cabbage re- 

 quire no topping off, with either pie or pud- 

 ding. You remember when I was as broad 

 as long; I am now as proportionate as your- 

 self; eat, drink and sleep, with an appetite; 

 yawn at bedtime, and never in the morning; 

 am up before the sun, yet the day is never 

 too long: and more than all, I have no ac- 

 ceptances to take up. Money ! why what 

 use have I for it] I grow my own bread 

 and meat, poultry and eggs, honey, milk, 

 cream and cheese, with vegetables and fruits 

 of every kind, and in the greatest abund- 

 ance ; feathers for my beds, wool for my 

 stockings, blankets and common clothing; 

 lard for my lamps, candles and soap, and 

 straw for my hats; enjoying the luxury of 

 my dog and gun, a carriage and pair for my- 

 self and family, with house-rent and fuel 

 free ! At the same time, by good manage- 

 ment, my estate is annually increasing in 

 value; while my property— no longer con- 

 signed upon trust to the four winds — is se- 

 cured on the surest foundation; surrounding 

 my dwelling, and under my own eye. Then, 

 what on earth is the use of money] I can't 

 eat or drink it, even if it were cut into 

 mince meat. It is not only the " root of all 

 evil," but the source of disease of body and 

 anxiety of mind, inseparable. So I, for one, 

 am content with the profits of farming; for 

 the fact is, it leaves me scarce anything to 

 wish for, much less, to care for." — Boston 

 Cultivator. 



It is not known wtere he who invented 

 the plough was born, or where he died ; yet he 

 has effected more for the happiness of man 

 than the whole race of conquerors. — Cotton. 



