86 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 



The subject of exempting the homestead, to a 

 fixed amount in value, from attachment, ia attract- 

 ing much attention in most parts of the community; 

 and a number of States have already passed laws 

 to this effect. In some States provision is also made 

 that the husband shall not transfer the homestead, 

 of the same limited amount, without the consent of 

 his vi'ife. 



We think that judicious laws upon this subject 

 would have a salutary effect on the prosperity and 

 general happiness of the community. The effect 

 would not be generally to prevent the creditor from 

 paying his debts, but to enable him finally to dis- 

 charge them, by having a house for himself and 

 family. By being protected legally as though he 

 was a man, and his family regarded as beings wor- 

 thy of the kind consideration of society and of 

 law. 



With the homestead exemption, a man and his 

 family may and will work in order to procure a 

 dear and sacred spot, which they may call "•sweet 

 home," around which the family circle may clus- 

 ter, and live in harmony and comfort, sheltered from 

 the rude blast and inclement skies, and the still 

 ruder blasts of the law. Besides the exertions of 

 the husband and father to embellish and render de- 

 lightful that spot that is ever dear to the heart, his 

 wife and children, also, lend their aid in the plant- 

 ing of trees, shrubs, and beautiful flowers to adorn 

 that home which they may call their own, and 

 which cannot be wrested from tliem by any adverse 

 fortune. While the foxes have holes, and the birds 

 of the air have nests, and our beasts of the stall 

 have comfortable quarters, and are well fed, shall it 

 be said that the m:in of misfortune, his wife and 

 children, perhaps sulfering also under the "ills that 

 flesh is heir to," have not where to lay their heads, 

 but in penury, and friendless, must be turned to 

 "the pelting of the pittiless storm;" and perhaps 

 exposed to the scorn of less worthy persons, who at 

 that period may chance to be at the top of the revo- 

 lutionary wheel of fortune. 



What will be the effect of the homestead exemp- 

 tion ? The man w ho is liable to be reduced to the 

 necessity of claiming it, cannot get trusted so rea- 

 dily. Very well: let him endure this diswidvantage 

 rather than peril the dear home of his family. If 

 he cannot live without trust when he has a o-ood 

 house and a few acres of land, how can he live wlien 

 his house and credit, and as many vainly think, his 

 reputation are gone. Better never be trusted, than 

 make a debt that will as surely sweep away his ha[>- 

 py home, as an avalanche or an impetuous stream 

 from the mountains. 



The person who trusts a man with a view of 

 taking from him and his family that shelter to which 

 they fondly cling as the only dear spot on earth, 

 should never be indulged by putting tlie gripe of 

 the law in his gra-sping hand. Let a man retain 



his home, and economise and live within his means, 

 and not injudiciously, as is the case with many, ' 

 contract debts unnecessarily, and as is sometimes 

 the case for purposes worse than useless, and then 

 his worthy family have to suffer, perhaps through 

 life, the consequence of his indiscretion. The gen- 

 eral welfare of the community requires that the 

 unfortunate should not be "kicked still a peg lower," 

 and the number of paupers increased. 



Agricultural Meetings. — On Friday evening 

 a number of farmers met at the State House, Dr. 

 Gardner of Seekonk, was called to the chair, 

 and the meeting was organized by appointing the 

 following gentlemen; Whittaker of Needham, 

 French of Braintree, Newell of West Newbury, 

 Earle of Worcester, and Fowler of Amherst, a 

 committee of arrangement, to select subjects, pro- 

 cure speakers, appoint presiding officers, &c. S. 

 W. Cole was appointed j)ermancnt Recording Sec- 

 retary; and Mr. French, President No subject 

 was proposed for the next evening. A few desul- 

 tory remarks were made by several gentlemen on 

 the grand subject of agriculture. Adjourned to 

 meet next Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. 



BREEDING ANIMALS. 



The principles of breeding animals have rather 

 been illustrated than discovered by animal physiol- 

 ogy — the very principles of that science having 

 been taught before a single scientific axiom had 

 been applied. 



The waU'hing of physiological tendencies, and 

 availing themselves of those judiciously in practice, 

 was long anterior to scientific research. Emulat- 

 ing the skill of the wily progenitor of the Jewish 

 race, and intelligently perceiving what wasrefjuired, 

 a Culley and a Bakewcll attempted and attained 

 the production of sheep, and of cattle "ring-streaked, 

 spotted and speckled," at pleasure. Seeing the 

 necessity of economizing food, they set about pro- 

 ducing those animals wliich came to matuiity early, 

 and so ])roduced vastly more food for the same 

 amount of vegetation. Knowing that fat was an 

 element of favor in a northern clime, they endeavor- 

 ed to obtain animals with a tendency to secrete it 

 in large quantities. In order to do this, they ob- 

 served the qualities indicative of these propensities; 

 and knowing that it is as true in physiology as in 

 mathematics, that like produced like, they selected 

 and bred from these until they stamped their quali- 

 ties permanently and invariably and indelibly on 

 the race. With these they managed to combine 

 symmetry of form. — M. M. M. in Far. Mag. 



A New Life Boat. — A life boat, quite niral in 

 its design, has been invented in England. It has 

 air-tight seats all round the side, but the bottom 

 consists of open work of iron, so that tlie water 

 passes freely through, and even wets the feet of the 

 rowers. The advantage is, that the water inside 

 and outside is on tlie same level, and the boat is 

 ballasted and kept upright by the water itself. — 

 Scientific American. 



