366 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



their time well spent in carefully studying that un- 

 paralleled antithesis : 



" While man exclaims, ' See all thinfcs for my use I' 

 ,j J |, ' See man for mine ." replies a pampor'd goose : 



•^ And just as short of reason he must fall, 



. r 1 Who thinks all made for one, not one for all." 



"There is still another view of this question, 

 iseparate and aside from the claims of the recipi- 

 ents of our acts : that is, the moral efiects which 

 6ur conduct and habits have on ourselves, — the 

 moulding of our own natures, and of our children's. 

 Find a man who is habitually cruel to his animals, 

 and you will have found one who, at least, is not 

 improving in any of the atti'ibutes which makes a 

 man.'''' H. — Fredonia^ N. Y. 



"Although the Creator gave man dominion over 

 the beasts of the field, and every living creature, 

 he did not allow him to exercise his authority in 

 acts of cruelty. His duty is to care for them, feed 

 them, and treat them with kindness. The univer- 

 sal law of kindness, or "Golden Rule," enforces 

 this duty. It is true they have not reason, but 

 they can feel, and some of them seem as sensible 

 to hard treatment as man himself. If there was 

 BO higher motive than self-interest, that alone 

 should make persons treat their animals kindly. 

 Animals continually under hard treatment are al- 

 most sure to have a disagreeable disposition. ' Like 

 begets like.' An ill temper in the master is likely 

 to beget the same in the animal, making it contrary 

 and hard to manage. Hard treatment shortens life, 

 stiftens the joints of animals, bringi? on diseases, 

 and soon disables them. Kindness, like 'honesty,' 

 proves to be ' the best policy.' " W. H. M. — Ma- 

 Aoning, Pa. 



" We sympathise in a measure with inanimate 

 tiature, — how much more ought we to feel for 

 those that experience pleasure and pain. If men 

 would pay more attention to feeding, they might 

 pay less to whipping. We look with disgust upon 

 the man who lashes his horse through the street, 

 and the countenance of an animal under such cir- 

 cumstances haunts us yet ; but there are more ways 

 than by the whip to show unkindness to an animal. 

 They are our faithful servants; for us they live, for 

 ns they toil, and for us they are slain ; and unkind- 

 oess on our part shows a want of sympathy the 

 brute does not exhibit. It is every man's duty to 

 Qo that which is for the interest of himself, and no 

 3ne can doubt that the animal treated wilJi kind- 

 aess will fatten more easily, or produce more milk, 

 )r be safer to handle, and will be taken care of 

 with fewer steps. " One of the Boys." Arroio- 

 imitTi's, Ohio. 



" Animals are so constituted, that they very well 

 iBOW when they are misused. You can pet a 

 aorse — a calf even — so that he will oftentimes 

 sbuse you for having bestowed too much kindness 

 ipon him. Ycu can seemingly bestow a certain 

 imount of kinouess upon domestic animals, and 

 )eyond that degree you need not necessarily go. 

 t is true, we should be kind to all animals, and 

 hey will be kind in return to us ; but there are 

 imes, I believe, when horses and cows want a se- 

 'ea-e lashing, and then they wiU remember you for 

 laving whipped them as they deserve. But there 

 3 nothing gained, and much lost, in clubbing an 

 ►nimal merely to bIiow that ' migHt makes right.' 



All the animal creation has more or less sagacity, 

 the cunning cat and the Newfoundland dog inclu- 

 ded. Indeed, one is sometimes almost le<l to think 

 that animals do really reason. Everywhere we 

 have illustrations and proof of the power of kind- 

 ness over all the animal kingdom. T. — Baldwins- 

 ville, Onondaga Co., If. Y. 



BEAUTIFY YOITR HOMES, 



How can fathers render farm life attractive to 

 their sons? is a question that has not only per- 

 plexed many excellent people, but has also been 

 the cause of much very painful experience. For 

 years there has been a constant and iucreasing dis- 

 position on the part of farmers' sons to leave the 

 homestead on the first possible opportunity, and 

 seek occupation in the country village, or a home 

 in some neighboring city. How to counteract 

 this growing evil, has long been a subject of seri- 

 ous inquii-y. In the former and current volume? 

 of the Farmer were published some well written 

 essaj's upon the subject. Its importance will be 

 perhaps sufficient apology, if any is necessary, for 

 furnishing extracts from many of the essays to 

 which no prizes could be awarded, but which con- 

 tains many excellent suggestions. 



J. V. B., Exchange, Ky., says: 



" To induce our sons to be farmers, and have 

 attachment to the old homestead and the avoca- 

 tion of their father, we must be good farmers our- 

 selves ; and to be a good farmer, is to be an indus- 

 trious' systematic, and tasteful farmer, causing our 

 sons imperceptably to form habits of industry 

 which, by constant exercise, will become a princi- 

 ple, and the lessons and enjoyments of youth will 

 become the labor and enjoyment of mature years." 



H. B. S., Rockport, O., writes : 



'• To render agricultural pursuits attractive to 

 the farmers' sons, it is necessary they should re- 

 ceive an education that will prepare them to per- 

 form its duties, not as mere laborers, but with a 

 full appreciation of the dignity and usefulness of 

 their avocation. The farmer, if any one, needs to 

 know something of geology, botany, chemistry, 

 physiology, and natural philosophy ; for he is con- 

 stantly applying the principles they teach. These 

 sciences would be all the more interesting, if taught 

 and applied while performing their daily labor." 



D. Stkkkt, Salem, O., responds : 



"Fathers nmst learn to sympathize with their 

 sons — be willing to do all that is reasonable to 

 gratify and make them happy — gain their confi- 

 dence, so as to make them know that their father 

 is their best friend. They will then feel that his 

 counsel and advice will be always for tlieir good, 

 and will be willing to come to him in all their 

 trials. A mutual attachment will then spring up 

 between them, sucli as should always, but seldom 

 does exist. 



The fl\ther must be willing to expend a little 

 time and money for the gratification of his son, 

 remembering that it will be am])ly repaid when he 

 has grown up to be a useful, intelligent, industrious 



