380 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JCNE 1, 1S4S 



From ihe Maine Farmer. 



GRIEP IN THE POTATO BIN. 



Mil Editor — Notivillittanding all that h«s been 

 said and sunt,' about potatoes, for a tiundred years 

 past, it don't appear that we know all about them 

 yet that we ought to know. In your last monthly 

 there was a letter Oorn Samuel Stetson, of Stetson, 

 on that subject, which I do n't e.xactly believe in ; 

 but what I was "roinj to tell you about more partic- 

 ularly is, that it has kicked up a terrible bobbery 

 in my potato bins. My boy Tom ii rather a naughty 

 roguish fellow, and so he took it into his head to 

 have a little fun with the potatoes that had lived 

 together all wmter as peaceably and quietly as 

 lambs. What does the rogue do, but just while he 

 was picking up a basket full to boil for the hogs, 

 tells them of this new project of friend Stetson, to 

 separate them for the whole summer; and when 1 

 went down to get a mug of cider, why you may de- 

 pend on 't, they were all in a great hubbub, and 

 began to assail me from all quarters, in groans and 

 laniPntations and remonstrances. 



The long red Laplanders were the most uproari- 

 ou.s. What does this mean, uncle Hill? said they. 

 Are we to be deprived of our dearest privileges, 

 after having come four thousand miles across the 

 briny ocean to gratify the appetites of your ever 

 devouring and never satisfied Yankees ? Hitherto 

 we have lived in peace side by side of our dear 

 connexions, and have raised up largo families to 

 the satisfaction of all concerned ; and now to be 

 compelled to break those dear connexions, to be 

 banished to difiercnt departments of the land, to be 

 fenced from each other's view, no more to inter- 

 change the sweet fragrance of each other's blos- 

 soms, no more to elory in each other's verdure, but 

 to live sad, solitary and alone — this is too much. 



The Chenango Philadelphians cried out — Dear 

 uncle Bill, are we who have so long lived through 

 go many summers in the full bloom of brotherly 

 love, reciprocating sweets from all around us, now 

 to be pent up in a corner, deprived of all social 

 commnnion ami wreslcd from one of our inaliena- 

 ble rights ? Do, uncle Bill, put a stop to this 

 naughty project, if it be possible. 



The Pink Eyes appeared as if they had almost 

 cried their eyes out, and prayed most earnestly that 

 they might be saved from the threatened calamity. 



The Franconia Blue Noses were snivelliug in 

 sad lamentation, and declared that they wished 

 they had never como from under (ho guardianship 

 of Gov. Hill and the and hills of New Hampshire, 

 to gratify those who wcru disposed to use them so 

 unrighteously. 



The Lady Fingers, pretty creatures, said noth- 

 ing but looked sad. The Kidneys said the man 

 who introduced this project, must be suffering un- 

 der the bilious disease. The Hog Horns thought 

 he ought to be rooted out of society, and the Ro- 

 hans observed that as they were rather strangers 

 among thorn, they would simply say, that they 

 would unite in any measure the majority thought 

 best. 



Well, sir, I could n't appease lhem"any other way 

 than by promising to write immediately to Dr. 

 Holmes and get him to do his best to prevent this 

 ncw.fanglcd notion of .Mr Stetson's from getting 

 into fashion. 



Now, sir, I think as how this Mr Stetson is alto- 

 gether mistaken, for I have talked with one doctor 

 about the matter, and he is a real learned man and 

 knows all about botany and all the ologies, Sic. 



He says Mr S.'s notions are without any founda- 

 tion. He says that one field of potatoes cannot 

 possibly have any influence on another field, how. 

 ever near it may be, but if we raise new roots from 

 the potato seeds in their balls, we shall see the ef- 

 fect of various kinds being cultivated in the same 

 fields. This appears to be about right, so far as I 

 have had experience, and if you have no objection, 

 I wish you would put this into your Farmer. 



BILL BARLEYCORN. 



From the Poughkeepsie Journal. 



THE NECESSITY OF PROTECTION TO 



THE FARMING INTEREST. 



To the FarmtiB — particulnrty to the Farmers of 



Dutchess County. 



So far as I can perceive, as a resident of the 

 country, there appears a general indifference 

 among the farming interest concerning the necessi- 

 ty of a protective Tariff, to sustain the Manufac- 

 turing labor of the country, denomiated a Protec- 

 tion to Manufacturers, as if they were n class to be 

 mainly benefited by such an act, and in which 

 you were not interested. To illustrate the sub- 

 ject by a plain statement of practical facts, that 

 you and all others may see, if they will take the 

 trouble to read, I propose giving a detailed state- 

 ment of the consumption of the products of Agri- 

 culture by a Woollen Factory in this country, and 

 of the great disparity in amount of investment, 

 between agricultural and manufacturing capital, 

 that you may form a correct judgment as to tho 

 necessity of a Protective Tariff on that hranch of 

 manufacture, and whether it is the manufacturer or 

 the farmer that has most of a pecuniary interest at 

 stake. 



The duty on Wool for the past fifteen years has 

 averaged about forlj/eight per ceitt. which has for 

 some years amounted to a prohibition (or very 

 nearly so,) of all foreign Wool of a quality that 

 came in competition with American Wool, the 

 price of Wool in Europe being from twentyfive 

 to fifty per cent, below ours, but not sufficiently 

 low to import and pay duties, freight and other 

 charges and leave a saving on cost — consequently 

 little or none has been imported. 



The duty on Woollen Goods, as laid by the Ta- 

 riff during the same lime, has averaged ahoai forty- 

 five per cent., but not over two-thirds of that du- 

 ty, during the greater portion of the time, has ev- 

 er been collected — owing to fraudulent entries ,at 

 the Custom Houses. The importation of woollens 

 being mainly in the hands of foreigners, the re- 

 sult has been that the woollen manufacturers have 

 in many instances become bankrupt; those who 

 have sustained lliemsclves have realized so small a 

 profit on their capital that it would not pay the 

 wear and tear and depreciation of their establish- 

 ments. The duty on woollen goods is now redu- 

 ced lo twentyninc per cent, and on the 30th of June 

 next, a further reduction takes place, reducing the 

 duly to twenty per cent. How is it possible, if, 

 under a duly of fortyfive per cent., the manufac- 

 turers have been only so partially protected, that 

 they have not made a sufficient profit lo make good 

 wear and tear and depreciation of their establiali- 

 nient, that they can sustain themselves under a du- 

 ty of tivcnty per cent.' I prophesy, and time will 

 prove whether I am a false prophet, that unless the 

 duty is greatly increased above twenty per cent, 

 there will not be one woollen manufactory in twen- 



■f: 



ty in operation on the first of January, )64:}. TI in 

 surplus productions of European workshops will \ 1 1] 

 poured in upon us under the twenty per cent, dul S 

 — foreigners have wool and many other materii 

 twenty per cent, cheaper than we have, labor 

 least thirty per cent cheaper, interest of mone 

 twentyfive per cent, cheaper than here, their hoi 

 market secured to them by prohibitory duties. 



That you, the wool and grain growers of tl 

 North and West, may have data on which to ma! 

 up your minds, who is the party (the farnirr 

 the manufacturer) most interested in a protect! 

 Tariff, 1 will give a detailed statement of the opcij 

 ations of one of your most important customtrs, 

 your own doors, denominated a " woolleji tiianufc 

 lory" in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess county 



The Glenham Company have a capital of oni 

 hundred and forty thousand dollars, consisting main. 

 ly of a few acres of land, their factory building^ 

 machinery, water power, and dwelling houses fa 

 the operatives, their sole business is the mannfa^ 

 luring of wool into broadcloths, cassimercs, &.c, 

 they give constant daily employment to one hun 

 dred and seventy persons, men, women and chil 

 dren. The past year, 1641, they uied in their mu) 

 factory 



173,000 Ibe. of American fleece wool, which cM 



$73,8(H 

 8,.')00 gallons of olire oil, (on which the 



Government received a revenue of $700, 



being a duly of 20 cents a gallon,) cost 

 770 gallons sperm oil, . 

 11,174 lbs. of soap, 

 75,1)00 teazles, 

 22,500 pelts, 

 143 cords of wood, 

 270 tons of anthracite coal, 

 50 chaldrons Nova Scotia coal, (duly $108) 

 t),0S9 lbs. indigo, (government revenue by 



duties ,$900,; 

 Dye stuffs, viz : log-wood, alum, copperas, 



madder, sumac, 4:c. &c. (mostly foreign) 2,50 

 Sundries, 4,50 



$101,601 

 Wages paid to the 170 operatives for the 



year, 40,00 



Total, $111,001 



Let us see the amount of agricultural rapiti 

 now in requisition, which that manufacturing ea 

 tablishment requires to keep it in operation, am 

 that furnishes a market for such agricultural id 

 vestment : 



I. To produce 173,000 Ibt. of wool will rcquin 

 the fleeces of 6t),000 sheep, at their present lowel 

 value in Dutchess county, I put down at $2 pa 

 head, is $132,001 



n. To support that immense flock of 

 sheep wiih winter fodder and summer 

 pasture, I am informed by a sheep raiser, 

 that not more than three sheep can be 

 kept on an acre, consequently 22,000 

 acres of land will be the required quan- 

 tity for their maintenance, at the low. 

 est price that lands ran be had in the 

 county, which will support three sheep 

 to the acre, I estimate at .$50 the acre, is 1,100,001 



HI. Nut less than .500 persons are 

 supported out of the labor of the 170 op- 

 eratives, and consume weekly of the 

 product of agriculture, of beef, pork, 

 flour, butter, milk, eggs, cheese, &.c. &c. 



4,001 



i,i:h 

 \;m 



5& 



m 



1.641 



451 



10,001 



