16fi 



NEW ExN GLAND FARMER, 



NOV. 34,1841 



A.NI> HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



BosTOK, Wednesday, Notzhber 24, 1841. 



CHOICE OF A WIFE. 



Young man, you intend, I suppose, to get inarriud nt 

 some convenient time. At leait, you ought to have 

 sucli an intention, pruviJed you hnve no bi>(l:ly infirnii- 

 tiea or menial or moral obliquities that will probably be 

 transmitted to your children. Though if the probabili- 

 ty is strong thai your children will be consntutionally 

 sickly, or that iIh\v will inherit from you pecidiarbj 

 strong propensities lo intemperance, falsehood, theft, or 

 other vices and crimes, you certainly ought never to be 

 married. If you have a tolerably sound body and tolera- 

 bly good charnctor and disposition, then it is belter for 

 you and belter for society that you should take a partner 

 for life, provided you can get a good one, an<i that you 

 have a prospect of being able to give a family comforta- 

 ble support But to get a good one, falls not to the lot 

 ol'every ninn. Too little serious thought is given to 

 this subject. Accident or youlhl'ul and momentary emo- 

 tions are often allowed to determine who shall he hound 

 together by matrimonial cords. And while we ndtjiit 

 that lore — real love-.-»s an important emotion in the bo- 

 soms of the married pair, we musl call Ihut foolish weak- 

 ness which lets any emotion trample upon judgment 

 and set its decisions at defmnce. You have no other 

 bargain to make, so important as that in which you bind 

 yourself lo a companion for life ; and there is no other 

 which shiiuld claim more serious consideration. Do n't 

 yoke yourselffor life until you are quite sure that vou 

 are to have n gnnj male l*he wife does mucii In inTke 

 or mar the husband's success, lespectabilily and useful- 

 ness in life. 



The preity face of'one gjrl, the sprightliness of anoth- 

 er, the wit ot a third or the^usic of a fourth, may please 

 your fanry and strongly tem'pl you to seek to have her 

 yours; but do not sell yourself f>r any one or all of 

 these, unless you can (jet - domelhing more and belter. 

 These in your dayeof courWhip may amuse and antisly ; 

 but«/(«r!oarrf«you will vuant a woman of firm rnoriil prin- 

 ciples, of sound conimon sense, of firm health ,and skilled 

 in household afiairs; you will want a good uifu and a 

 good mother. 



Extensive observation and some reflection, leads me 

 to think ihat the following principles and rales are 

 sound, and that the young of both sexes may be bene- 

 fited by givinj! them attention. 



First. In judging as to what the girl's moral and in- 

 tellectual cliaracler will be in after life, take into your 

 account not merely what slie exhibits now, but also the 

 character of Acr rnolhtr. For the moral propensities and 

 iuleliectual capacities are in many instances inherited, 

 so that when Ihe girl in process of years comes to have 

 the same cares and relations (hut now surround the 

 mother, she will exhibit the same trails — shn willic 

 what her mother is. This is tlio general rule, though 

 there are many ixcep ions to it. Other things being 

 nearly equal, choose llie girl whoso parents (especially 

 the mother) possess in the highest degree the qualities 

 you wish for in a wife. The dau).'hier of an unprinci- 

 pled mother, if virtuous and worthy, deserves and should 

 receive respect — respect even greater than would be due 

 to her If burn and reared under happier influences; ond 

 yet there is more hazard in taking such an one as a 

 partner on the Ion(> journey of life, thnn one no more 

 virtuous and worthy than she, but whose blood has come 

 down through the veins of a more virtuous anrcstry. 

 Secondly. Choose one who has a good constitution 



and who is generally in good henlih. And this not 

 merely because health and strength will render her 

 more efficient in the discharge of household duties, but 

 also because she piobably will be the mother of healthy 

 children. Here too it is well to look back to the paren- 

 tage, for where the ancestors have been healthy, the 

 chances are best fir health in the generations to come. 

 To secure Ihe object of which we are now speaking, 

 and which should not be overlooked, cvnid intermar- 

 riage with all blood relations. Let the blood be as far 

 removed from that which flows in your own veins, as 

 you can conveniently find. 



Thirdly — the temperament. Should you be ardent 

 and excitable, it will be well to have the wife as widely 

 different as may conveniently be found. Should you be 

 ofa rery calm and placid disposition, let the wife be 

 more excitable. If you are in the centre between these 

 extremes, it may be viell that your companion be so too, 

 for from such connections may grow up a race, with 

 feeling enough to be energetic and efEcicnt without 

 being tormented by ungovernable tempers. 



Lastly. Personal benuty, property, and fashionable 

 accomplishments are but secondary matters — they are 

 desirable if they can bo had in connection with other 

 and better things ; but are not worth taking excepting 

 where firm moral principles, good sense, and skill in do- 

 mestic affairs can be had in addition to them. 



about it. But as to my medder, tir Editor, why it 

 done pretty well, as to lhat. I do git a good crop 

 Er.gltsli hay where I did n t git nothing to speak on, a> 

 that poor stuff. I d like to know how other folks wc 

 it, and if you raa'ly think, Mr Editor, that my writi 

 woulil set them at it — why then I 'II try. 



Editor. That 's right, sir — that's right. Now, f, 

 mers, send in your statements, without further invitatii 



LEND US A HAND. 



Farmer A. Yes, Mr Editor — I 'm not very busy now 

 — I 11 give you a lift. What do you want done .' 



Editor. I want you, now that you have got your fall 

 work well done up, and can «parc a little time, to write 

 out an account of your process in reclaiming lhat me.i- 

 du.. of youis, V. i.cic you now ciu '4 I-.. iOUaoi iingiioli 

 hay per acre. 



Farmer A. I thought you asked for a hand — that I 

 could have lent ; but you seem to be calling for head 

 work, and that 'a quite another affair: I don't know 

 about that. 



Editor. I want the hand at the pen. 



Farmer Jl. At the ;ieK — tliat'e where it do n't work 

 very well : it 's too etift' for pen work — let it go lo the 

 shovel, or spade, or hoe, and it feels at home, and will 

 work well, and the head will work with it down in the 

 ditch ; but when you come to put the huge paw upon 

 white paper, the head won't work riiflil, and the fingers 

 don't move right. I don't know, Mr Editor, about my 

 helping you. 



Editor. Well, suppose none of you practical men 

 write, how shall I make up such a paper as you want.^ 

 The ficts which common farmers give lo one another 

 through the papers, tire tfie most instructive and useful 

 part ol our weekly sheet ; and if you won't till what 

 yon have done, and farmer H. won't tell whnt he has 

 done — if all the others all iho way down the alphnbet 

 Wont tell — why then the editor can't furnish all that 

 you want — he can 'I furnish what you want most, lie 

 ran theorize and give advice, and extract from other 

 publiciilions ; but he can't get hold of the important 

 facts, unless you — yes, yoHy and others like you, will 

 " lend a hand" and a heod too. Come, now, farmer A., 

 give us a few lines, and set a good example. 



Farmer.'!. Fact, Mr Editor, what you any ta1<es a 

 leetle o' the starch out o' my fingers, i never sen'd the 

 matter jisl in ll at light afore. 1 want to know how 

 neighbor D raised his hiinder'd busli.'ls of corn lo the 

 acre ; and Imw Mr W. raised his 'leven hundcr'd of ta- 

 ters. I'd like to have um write all almul it; what 

 kind o' land 'i was — how much they plow'd it, dung'd 

 it, and work'd on 't. Yes, I 'd sartinly like to know all 



PRODUCTIVE POTATO AGAIN. 

 In our last we made mention of a long blue pota 

 that had been brought lo us from three ditferent plac 

 Since writing that notice, a letter has been received fn 

 Mr Nathaniel N. Dyer, of Abington, in which he sayi 

 "I raised u few to try them, and from one bushel I rai 

 ed 41 I2bushels; I did not cut all of them ; they we 

 the most of them, largo ones. A neighbor of mi 

 raised from one bushel of the same kind, 73 1-2 bushe 

 the ground not being manured much and not very ri< 

 When I was in Boston you spoke of having a collccti 

 ofdiflferent kinds of potatoes. If you think to make I 

 collection, I have a number of kinds I will send ia 

 you." We did think at one lime of making a collectii 

 but the coming on of cold weather reminds us of wl 

 we happened to forget, lhat if we collect and keep thi 

 where they can convcnienlly be seen, the frost fl 

 soon ruin the whole; Iherefore, until the winter is ft 

 we shall make no attempt of the kind. 



Hj'It is, we presume, most particularly unnecesi 

 to remind lhat portion of our readers interested in li 

 matter, that Thursday of this week ia Thanksgiving 

 throughout (if we mistake not) all of good old M4 

 England. We mention the fact for the purpose of n 

 ing a suggestion to ihnce of tbrrn i^-hc b!:\t 'i. ju^Ii 

 to spare of this world's goods : it is — whether it wi 

 not sweeten the pleasure they anticipate on that tiil( 

 honored occasion in regaling themselves withroast|| 

 key and plum pudding, to reflect that some pour fat 

 through iheir benevolence, were partaking of the 

 choice viands with joyous and grateful hearts. W 

 not but believe that he who had performed such an 

 would have done not a little of that good which ia 

 quired of us on esrlli in order to secure thai other ga| 

 which is laid up for us in Heaven. *t^ 



The occupation of the agriculturist is supposed 

 many to be utiliivorable to the cultivation ot taste 1 

 refinement of manners. This is not so in any just I 

 legitimate sense. If attention to the fopperies ol dlf 

 and the frivolities of fashion — if sacrificing substance, 

 show — if a passion for vain and frivolous amusenienll 

 if a contempt for all industrious einploymenl — if an U 

 elusive regard to the accidental circumstances of bw 

 or wealth, or position, constitute superior refinement' 

 manners or of mind, then 1 confess ihe fanner, ond I 

 sons and daiighlcrs am destitute of taslo and refineniM' 



But if good sense, elevation of thought, respect I 

 mental and moral worth, and a capability of disccrni 

 il — if a sensibility lo all the beauties of nature and 

 art — if an admirnlion of what is grand and sublime in t! 

 woiks of the C'reator, or mognilicent, or great, or 

 in llie works of genius, or in the developmenis ol 

 constitute or imlicute good taste and rurineineni, 

 belong lo the cultivators of the soil : and one well 

 caled farmer's lamily possesses more genuine good till 

 refinemenl and politeness, than nil the " geiillemei 

 and " ladii's" which the Pariii.in tailors and nnllinr 

 have ever made. — Mr SmitJi's Addrtss befor* tlir .l/./ar 

 Co. (jV. Y.) .IfticuUural Society. 



' in tt 

 "J 



There ia nothing which requires so strict an f< 

 as our benevolence. Wo should husband our in 

 the agriculturist does his manure — which if be spn 

 over loo large a siipeifices, produces but little goo 

 oter too small a surface, exuberates in rankness aadv 

 weeds.— tucon. 



