218 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



J.V>'. H, 1S4 i. 



For Ihe New England Fanner. 



ARE FARMERS LOSING THEIR CHARAC- 

 TER FOR f]ONESTY? 



Mr Potnam — 'I'lie farmers of Massncliusetts 

 have in past times, been noted for their integrity. 

 It may be the ciiaracter tliey still ileservo, as a body. 

 But, from my own observations of a portion of them, 

 during Ihe past year, I have been led to doubt the 

 existence of this principle as a characteristic. Or, 

 to say the least, I fear that farmers, as a class, are 

 rapidly losing their claim to the highest rank of 

 honesty ! Perhaps this backward movement is 

 confined to a section. I know not how extensive 

 it may be. In this part of tlie State, (considered 

 one of its best agricultural districts,) there is cer- 

 tainly a great want of adhesion to the truth, in the 

 dealings of man with man. One must witness 

 daily, acts of meanness and deception among 

 neighbors, formerly expected only in companies of 

 jockies and tavern-loungers. 



It seems to be, almost a principle with some 

 farmers, that a man is not capable of doing well in 

 business, till he can adroitly cheat, in weight, mea- 

 sure or quality. If a man succeeds in selling a 

 worthless cow for a good breeder, he is immediately 

 marked as a candidate for prosperity. This same 

 spirit bids fair to be the rule of action with the ris- 

 ing generation. Nothing raises a boy so high in 

 the estimation of too many more advanced, as "a 

 good trade" — that is, a dishonest one. 



I would not represent the morals in my own 

 neighborhood as worse than in other parts of the 

 State. But, in truth, I more than suspect thai in 

 not a few neighborhoods, the same evil is increas- 

 ing. The old and veritable adage, "Honesty is 

 the best policy," is fast getting into disrepute. 



As your paper, Mr Editor, is circulated among 

 80 many of the New England farmers, you would 

 be doing a good work by occasionally stirring them 

 up to regain their former standard of inteirrity — if 

 they are losing ; and if my suspicions are ground- 

 less concerning the body, doubtless you could suit 

 the garment to some. B. 



05^We ore sorry to be obliged to coincide with 

 our correspondent " B." in his views. He does 

 not mean, we presume, to say, that farmers are 

 more dishonest than men of other pursuits ; but on- 

 ly that they are yielding up, as well as others, 

 strict integrity and truly honorable dealing. We 

 are not willing to believe that the world is grow- 

 ing worse, when viewed in relation to all its acts. 

 The vices of intemperance and profanity are less 

 frequently met with than they were twenty years 

 ago. Other particulars might perhaps be specified 

 in which our community seems to be improving. 

 There are still in the moral horizon bright spots — 

 there are some wlixli seem to be brightening. 

 Others, however, are dark, and a few are growing 

 blacker. Faithfulness — true fidelity — in money 

 matters, has been growing less and less in our 

 community. Dishonesty has been gaining ground. 

 Breaches of trust, frauds, indifference to the dis- 

 charge of pecuniary obligations, dishonesty, have 

 shown themselves with startling frequency for the 

 last few years in all parts of our land. So exten- 

 sive and common liave been the delinquencies of 

 this kind, that it has become less disgraceful to 

 act the rogue than it once was. This is much to 

 be regretted. Practices of fraud in measuring, in 

 deceiving in regard to the quality of goods, in mak- 

 ing promises with no intention of fulfilling ihem, 



&c. &c. — practices like these, wliich can by no 

 means be reconciled with correct principles of 

 Christian duty, or even with any sound principles of 

 permanently good worldly policy, have been gain- 

 ing currency. Men injure themselves — most seri- 

 ously injure iheinselves, when they let go their 

 hold upon strict honesty and perfectly fair dealing. 

 It is true, that honesty — sterling honesty — " is the 

 best policy" — best, in the long run, (or one's tem- 

 poral interests, and best, both momentarily and for- 

 ever, so far as the moral and all the higher inte- 

 rests of man are concerned. 



Whence the growing laxity that reasonably ex- 

 cites alarm ? The spirit of wild speculation has 

 hurled thousands into the midst of temptations to 

 dishonesty, which they had not moral power to 

 withstand. The fluctuations in laws relating to 

 debtors and creditors, mars the sanctity of obliga- 

 tions. The facility with which the dishonest are 

 allowed to continue or to resume business, removes 

 one powerful check which' a virtuous communitv 

 ought ever to keep in use. But we think there 

 are signs of brighter days. The laws which take 

 away the power of the creditor over the debtor, 

 will cause honesty to be more regarded than it has 

 been. He who has been unfaithful to liis obliga- 

 tions will not be trusted, as soon as the law shall 

 cease to give the creditor a hold upon him. Honesty 

 — strict honesty — will, from the force of our pre- 

 sent circumstances, be a man's best capital, as 

 soon as business shall again revive. Those who 

 come out of llie present trying times with charac- 

 ter of honesty untarnished, will, in a few years, 

 find their honesty rewarded. We care little how 

 small the creditor's power to force payment shall 

 be made. Let the law be made permanent, and 

 then if ii give the creditor little power, the honest 

 — the truly honest — will get the business. Hon- 

 esty or cash must then he used by every one who 

 hopes to be able to do business to advantage for 

 any length of time. We anticipate good from the 

 past and existing evils. If we prophecy correctly, 

 then honesty will indeed soon prove to be " ihc best 

 policy." — Ed. N. E. F. 



WORCESTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



To Ihe Hon. John W. Lincoln, Chairman, of Ihc Judges 

 on Root Crijis : 



The subscriber respectfully represents, that he 

 claims one of the premiums offered by the Society, 

 for having raised the greatest quantity of root crops 

 on cne-quarter of an acre of land. 



He submits tlie following statements in relation 

 to those particulars which are required to be fur- 

 nished according to the printed proposals of the 

 Society. 



The land on which the subscriber's crop of Car- 

 rots was grown, had been cultivated as part of a 

 garden for many years. In 1641 it was in good 

 condition for the prodiicti(m of vegetables. 



In 1811 it was plowed in the early part of the 

 month of May, and again plowed in the end of that 

 month. 



Four loads of hog manure were spread over the 

 largest part of the ground, hereafter described, and 

 one load of the same manure over the ailjoiuin" 

 part. 



In 1841, carrots were produced on the land 

 where tlie roots were raised. The amount of the 

 crop was then about 191 bushels. 



The condition of the land in the spring of ]84".2 

 was good, having been long tilled and well dressed. 



On the last plowing of the land in the end i 

 May, 1842, six loads of green manure Irom t 

 barn-yard, were spread over the ground wher' 

 largest quantity of carrots grew, and two loa 

 the same manure over the adjoining land. 



The whole ground was prepared for sowin;: ' 

 being plowed once in the early part of May, f:' 

 then the manure was spread over it by the foil., 

 turned in with the plow in the end of the ; 

 month. It was then leveled with the culli\ .i 

 drawn by a single horse. On the ground L,i 

 prepared, the seeds were sown by the macliii 

 used by Mr Darius Rice, of Worcester. Th 

 were planted on the last week of May, in rov.s 

 inches apart. 



The carrots were weeded about tlio middle 1 

 June, with the hoe. They were again hoed abri ; 

 the middle of July : the ground was then very 

 from weeds, and little cultivation was requiu 

 nourish the growing crop. ii 



In harvesting, the plow was passed near to tl 

 rows of the carrots, turning the furrows away fro 

 the roots, so as to leave them exposed ; they we 

 then dug up with the fork, and then removed to tl 

 cellar to feed the cows of the dairy. The tops 

 the carrots were cut off and fed out to the cattle > 

 the farm, as they were occasionally wanted. 



Haifa pound of seed, of the Y'ellow Carrot, w 

 procured from Mr Darius Rice, of Worcesler, 

 the price of, $1 per pound; the half pound w 

 used over the land on which the carrots we 

 grown. 



The amount of produce was at the rate of aboi 

 six hundred bushels, of 5G pounds eacli, to the ac 

 — as ascertained by the actual admeasurement ■ 

 the load which was weighed after the whole vr. 

 gathered. 



The expenses of seed, manure, labor and cull 

 vation, may be estimated as follows, for 1-4 of i 

 acre : 



Carrot seed, 1-2 lb., $0 .50 



Sowing with machine, 1 50 



Weeding and hoeing, 5 days' work, (i 25 



Harvesting, nearly 5 days, 6 00 



Manure, 6 loads, estimated, 8 00 



, .$22 25 



The value of the products on one quarter of i 

 acre may be estimated as follows: 



143 bushels at the market price, it js siipposM 

 would have sold at the rate of $10 per ton ; as lli 

 quantity a little exceeds 8008 lbs., estimating tl* 

 bushel at .W lbs., they would at tliis rate have bei 

 worth .S40 04. 



The carrots, however, were not, in fact, soh 

 but were kepi to be fed out to the stock. A gre 

 quantity of excellent fodder was obtained from tl 

 lops, wliich were readily consumed by the cattle 

 the farm. 



Tlie subscriber wishes to state that he lias e 

 deavored to obtain the largest crop on the smalle 

 space of land, vith the least expenditure, in m; 

 iiiire, labor, or cultivation, which could with reaso 

 able economy, be accomplished. The cerlifica 

 of Frederick W. Paine as to the extent of land, 

 filed before the committee. Before (hem are a 

 the proofs, as to Ihe products yielded by the Ian 

 which seem to be required by the Rules of the Si 

 city. 



It should be stated that the crop of carrots, fi 

 which he claims a premium, were on two differei 

 spots of ground. The largest plot was 89 fei 

 wide and 119 feet long — on the north side thei 



