374 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 85, IM 



A.'*!) HOBTICUI/rURAL RKOISTER. 



BotTov^ VVeuncsdat, Mat 2S, 1843. 



POOR FARMEilS, IIOW CAN YOU MAKE BOTH 

 EM)ri MF.ET? 

 The preneiit >ear.will nol, npp irenlly, be a very pros- 

 peroitf one, wilh many classes of our cilizens who de- 

 pend mostly upon Ihu labor of their handa for an in- 

 come. Compared with several jeara in the Inst trn, 

 this will he, or is ratiior, oniiof stagnation in bnsiness. 

 Men iif ino.il pursuits, (excepting those who rely upon 

 salaries, fees or interest money,) will be romparatively 

 Blrnightencd in iheir circumstances. Tho farmer, espe- 

 cially i( he is in debt, is among those who Will have to 

 calculale closely, or he will be falling in arrears. 



The productions of his lands ar» not likely to com- 

 mand high prices. It is true that the produce of the 

 dairy, as yet, sells readily and at a fair price— but heel, 

 pork, mution and veal am 25, 50 or 100 per ccni. lower 

 than in somo post seasons. Hay, grain, potatoes, &c. 

 .Vc. arc not high ; and if the cropi should bo good the 

 coming season, prices will probably be low. Interest 

 money, where it must be paid, taxes, blncksniith's bills, 

 and those due other mechanics, will be nearly as high as 

 ever. Wages, wii believe, have not fallen in the same 

 rntio ns most arlii les produced upon thefiirin; those 

 farmers therefon- who hire help, will be pl.iced at (iisad- 

 vantagc in this re-^pect. But West India goods and 

 clotl s arc low — these articles, which must be bought, 

 have liillen nearly or qurto as much as the produce of 

 the larm. Hut since thece are not a very heavy item in 

 the faruier's expi-n-es, the balance, on llie whole, is 

 agaiosl him. He cannot reasonably expect to make 

 much money. If he can "hold his own," lie will do 

 well, under the circumstances. This he will not do 

 unless he and his family are economical and industrious. 

 The expenses, especially for luxuries, dress, &c., should 

 bo kept at the lowest point. The lands that have been 

 planted should be faithfully tilled— every thing that the 

 land produces must be taken good care of, ;ind all proper 

 and justifiable methods adopted for making llie salts ae 

 great as possible, and the outgoes as sin.ill. These re- 

 marks are for that large class of farmers who aro in 

 debt, and those likewise who have their farms clear 

 but nothing more. 



RlCllKK FARMF.KS AND OTHERS, WHAT 

 SHALL VOU DO.' 

 To such as are more afiluenl, we should not profTi-r 

 ■uch adviie as the above ; for in doing it, we should be 

 •dvancin;: principles which if rigidly adhered to, might 

 for tho lime being, greatly curtail the employments and 

 incomes of wheelwrights, carriage makers, carpenters, 

 pointers, miisons, manufiicturers, sliopkcej.ers, &c. Sic. 

 If the business of these is greatly diminished, they must 

 retrencfi in the amount of farming produce which they 

 take, nr must run in debt for much that the farmer likes 

 not to part with but for cash. Such an operation would 

 ■nulhei year, convert many mechanics into farmers. 

 The nunilier of produrcrs would be increiiscd, and the 

 number uf purchasers hssened. Tliis vmuld be prejudi 

 cial to the farmers. It is only whun oilier classes in so- 

 ciety aie prosperous, that fanners can flourish. 



Therefore all farmers and others who can afibrd it, 

 ■nd yet b.i just to tlicir creditors and families, act ihe 

 port of good citizens, if they choose the times when husi- 

 iness is dull, to erect and reframe buildings, |u rorl.iim 

 and inipioio lands, lo get now carriages, new imple. 

 menls, new dresses, &c. &c. Tlius lh"y give employ 

 ment to many who would otherwise fare hard— tliui 



they hulp many to means willi which to pay the farmer 

 I for his surplus pinduce. 



PROTECTIVE DUTIES. 

 With a few temporary exceptions, the int''r.'sts of all 

 large classes in the corniiiunily rise and fall together. 

 Let nnnnfactures flourish, and many hands are with- 

 ilrawn from the field to the workshop — and the mouths 

 which go with those hands, must be fed by the labors 

 of those who remain upon the farms. This ci uses an 

 increased demand in proportion lo the supply ; prices 

 rise, and llie fanner is better reinuneraled for his labor 

 and investments. Business at such limes is usually 

 brisk in all its channels — mechanics, traders and all, find 

 full employmi-nt. 



The farmer's pursuit is the most important to human 

 subsistence, and tho fanning population, by their num- 

 bers and wortli, stand first among the classes. Their 

 condition is the one lo claim ihe first and highest re- 

 gard — but when we come lo consider the question how 

 their inlereals can hi: best promoted — (we refer to pecu- 

 niary interests) — it i-^ obvious that the causes which 

 make the best market for their produce, aro the matters 

 tu be most regarded in obtaining the correct answer, 

 tjutli commercial regulations by the nalional government 

 as will make the best home market for all that we raise, 

 promise more Lenelit tliaii any thing else that can he 

 brought to bear upon the subject 



A discriminating tariff may lay duties upgn either 

 raw materiiils or mauufaclured goods, or both. A duty 

 upon a raw material, as wool, for instance, may, ;)cr/w/)*, 

 I benefit the American farmer directly, by c:iusiiig a less 

 supply ill the market; but there is a drawback to this 

 benefit. The exclusion of a million pounds of foreign 

 wool fioni our market, iiiiglil increase the price of wool, 

 and 80 benefit the svool groiver here — but it would turn 

 out from lactoties the hands necessary to manufactuie 

 that wool, would cause tlieiii to become farmers, and 

 thus lessen tlie nunibi.r of consumers compared wilh the 

 producers of agricultural productions. Again, this mil- 

 lion pounds shut out from our market, would lessen the 



bor better now than at most other seasons of the y^ 

 and if furnished with the propnr materials, will bo ej 

 diliously preparing your manure for the fullowing yj 

 Have n quantity of material near the yard at all (in 

 so that a small quantity may be thrown in every 

 dajs through the warm season — In this way 

 much manure— but not ton much — for there is a limitl 

 yond which it is not profitable to shovel in and out. 

 every thing becomes (:ood manure by being thp 

 within the walls that confine the pigs. If well tend 

 one swine will make in a 'twcdveinonth two cords I 

 a half or three cords of manure. Seldom is it profit 

 lo try to get more than that, and if Ihe matter pull 

 the sty is not quite good for the purpose, it is belter , 

 to get so much. 



THE FROST. 



On the night of Friday last (May 20,) there OCCI 

 a more severe frost in this region than is usual so li 

 the season. Our labors in the city called us away (^ 

 the fields this morning before the sun exlracled 

 frost, and consequently before it was possible to d 

 mine whether much harm would be done to young plin; 

 and fruits. Since the morning we have remained i 

 the city, and of course can have no observations upoi 

 the subject to record. 



When we left the farm, between five and six o'clock ■ 

 the fields were white as with thu whitest autunM ^ 

 frost-, the grass was crisp under the fiiot, the surraefM II 

 the ground in some spots was slightly crusted, and ib^^ 

 was a thin coating of ice upon small pools of water. 



What will be the effect upon fruiis and plants.' 

 ny of the farmers are apprehensive of extensive 

 ago. Wo suppose that cueunibers, melons, squ; 

 and beans may have been destroyed — but this lost 

 though inconvenient, is not heavy with those who bar 

 seed wherewith to plant again. Corn and ponlot 

 when nipped, will usually start again and do well 

 Fruit in blossom we do not apprehend will be injund 

 For we never yet have known an instance in which 



1 



were satisfied that fruit had suffered harm from a sfriti 

 price of wool in Europe, and thus enable the English } pj„g, \Y'e have known seasons in which warm soult 



manulaclurer lo luiiiisl 

 now. A duly upon tin 



eriy winds, blowing while the trees were in fiill blooi 

 have dried up the farina and stopped the fiirmiilion > 

 setting of fruit. And at this time we should bo as mud 

 disposed to believe that harm was done to the fruit J; 

 the warm winds of 'I'liursday last, as by the frost of Fn 

 day night. But we do not yet appreliend serious bin 

 from either to the hurdler fruits. 



But what power of resistance In cold the pnacli* 



loths at lower rates tli 

 aw material alone, would let 

 the price of cloths down so that our wool would not rise 

 much. "Onch.'ind would wash the other;" perhaps 

 they might not be equally clean, but ihere would be but 

 lillle dillerence. 



Indirectly , through the manufacturer, the farmer may 

 get usurer promotion of his inlerests. A duty which 

 I should exclude from our maikets most of the manutac- I cherries, cuiranis and the like possess, afltr the fruit 

 lures of Europe, und multiply inaiiulactuiing establish- fjornied, and the hluisom has wiiheted, we have no nt 

 ineiils here, would create ill our midst a demand for ng- 1 jsfactory observations on which to give our opinioa 

 ricultural producls of all kinds — would increase Ihu I w^ however lliiuk it great. Even where the Ittw 

 value of our hinds, and in every way conduce to the I 1,^,^ wilted and perished, in some instances ihe/rti- 

 fanner's prosperity. Especially would it be so, if both (,„, j,,,^^ (,(ff,o,n the cold unharmed. A wiso Proii 

 the raw material and the manufactured goods came in Ljg,^^e has ordin.ilions and provisions, which ofun Iul6 



only under wisely adjusted duties. 



btjcli policy as this might injure ihe navigating inle- 

 rests, perhaps, but no oilier important one. 



It IS through our own manufacturing inieresis that our 

 agricultuie cHii get its grealosl aid ; and Ihercfore, the 

 fanners are deeply inteiested in all movements in favor 

 01 iiianulactuies. If these can but permanently flourish, 

 agriculture will flourish alau. 



KEEP THE HOGS AT WORK. 



While the hurry of planting lasts, farmers are too opt 

 to leave the hog )ard empty ; but as soon us it ii clean- 

 ed out in tho spring it should be re-covered wilh the best 

 material attuiiiabh- lor making manure. Put in leaves, 

 straw, cornstalks, muck or whatever else can be procur. 

 ed, and set the swin* at work forthwith. They will la- 



the promise of a harvest, even when men despair. Ir 

 nearly all plants and treis suited lo our climaie, aictf 

 ing a few annuals, which it cut down can he VeplJDIK 

 theie is a vasi power in the earlier stages of their growth 

 to wilhsland frost. 



We write this on Satuiday, (the day follnivinj iki 

 frost,) and before we can witness its full elTecIs ShmM 

 our eipei lalions be realized, they may be of scrvioa ii 

 persuading some fruitgrowers to be less alarmed bji 

 cold nighl ihan they have been in past limei. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Satunlny, May -21 , 1848- 

 Dr. John C. Howard, Broiikline, exhibited aewjl 

 bunches Black Hamburg Grapes— quite ripe, and fiwj 

 oulureil, with very large berries. 



