No. 2. 



Economy. 



45 



the intervals of war, or the chase, is known 

 to spend months in carving some favourite 

 weapon or frivolous amusement, should have 

 gradually hollowed out these foot-prints ? 

 How incomparably easier such a task, than 

 to produce those complicated ornaments on 

 altar-pieces and idols in Central America, 

 which the enterprise of Mr. Stephens lias 

 recently submitted to the inspection of the 

 curious? The western hemisphere once 

 produced its sculptors, persevering, skilfiil, 

 even tasteful and delicate. If they have 

 left their handiwork in Guatimala and Yu- 

 catan, why not also on the banks of the 

 Mississippi ? 



"The slab which is the subject of these 

 inquiries, was quarried, it will be recollect- 

 ed, from a ledge of rock at a point on the 

 very edge of the stream, when at its lowest 

 stage. The present site of St. Louis, it 

 will also be borne in mind, was a common 

 gathering place of the neighbouring Indi- 

 ans, as the adjacent mounds abundantly tes- 

 tify. May we not, then, with some degree 

 of confidence, hazard the conjecture, that 

 our impressions were an aboriginal record, 

 of extreme low water, as observed by the 

 Indian race, at their favourite resort on the 

 banks of the father of waters — their own 

 unequalled and magnificent Me — scha — si — 



?i 



L. N. 



Fcr the Farmers" Cabinet. 



Economy. 



Messrs. Editors, — According to the re- 

 ports from all parts of our vast country, it 

 would appear that the crop of wheat, rye, 

 oats and grass, have been good. The wheat 

 and rye will probably not prove quite so 

 heavy as was at one time anticipated ; the 

 rust having at a late period in the season, 

 done considerable injury. In some districts 

 of Maryland and Virginia, this injury was 

 very serious. Still the crops above men- 

 tioned, throughout the country, will be full 

 average ones. And I know nothing more 

 thoroughly calculated to revive the droop- 

 ing aspect of the times, than good crops, 

 economical habits, and cheerful spirits. 

 Should the autumn add to the summer's 

 abundance, and give us a full crop of Indian 

 corn, that prince of grams — and should the 

 cotton and tobacco crops of the South prove 

 also luxuriant, our garners will be overflow- 

 ing, and we may hope, that however the 

 means of many may be inconveniently re- 

 duced, the prospect of suffering will be 

 greatly diminished, and we need have little 

 fear of starvation threatening us, by the side 

 of poverty. The wheat harvest in England 

 has promised favourably, and unless a foreign 



market shall open extensively, the products 

 of our fields must necessarity command low 

 prices. With abundance in the market, a 

 limited demand, and withal, a deranged and 

 crippled state of our monied institutions, and 

 money matters generally, it will of course 

 be more difficult than it has sometimes been, 

 to make cash sales of our gram, beef, pork, 

 &c, that will at all pay the expense of rais- 

 ing and getting them to market. Wages 

 continue high, notwithstanding we hear so 

 much said about the thousands that are 

 thrown out of employment. We have all, 

 however, long ago observed, that the price of 

 labour is slow to fall, though the products of 

 it may have greatly diminished in value. 

 What then is to be done? With overflow- 

 ing garners, and all the potentialities of 

 living, is the farmer to be obliged to hang 

 his head in cheerlessness ! We trust not. 

 The farmer who is in debt, or who is barely 

 out of debt, or living on rented land, and de- 

 pending entirely upon the yearly products 

 of his farm, — if he would rise above the 

 times, and avoid the embarrassments and 

 perplexities of a city business, must bring 

 all his wits into play; put on his studying 

 cap, and practice retrenchment. He must 

 study economy in every particular. I 

 know from experience, that a system of 

 cash payments, for all we buy, is among 

 the very best, and most efficient incentives 

 to this necessary virtue. The good credit 

 and fair character of many a farmer, have 

 placed him upon his last legs, and their 

 abuse has proved his ruin. I don't mean 

 that a farmer shall never make use of his 

 credit: but it is so easy to buy what we 

 think we need, when pay day is put off for 

 six months, or a year, that the temptation to 

 purchase what we might well do without, is 

 oftentimes so strong, that its indulgence 

 leads to the most serious results. Let us 

 then pay the cash for what we buy, and we 

 will save in the purchase, five or ten per 

 cent.; — we shall often avoid buying what 

 we only imagine we need, and spare our- 

 selves the harrassments of unpaid bills — 

 the chagrin of working for a " dead horse." 

 Our better half will examine the old coat 

 and see if it won't bear turning — we'll make 

 the old carriage jog along for another year 

 or two, or three; and when the younkers 

 ask for some indulgence they can well do 

 without, we'll put our hand in the pocket, 

 and finding it minus, bid them wait awhile. 

 There are a thousands ways to economize 

 in our expenditures, without diminishing the 

 comforts of a family. We shall thus find it 

 convenient to educate our children properly, 

 and to furnish them with that food for the 

 mind, which really adds to life's comforts, 



