ull)c JTcirmcv's ittcmtljlij hisitor. 



93 



cording to the increase or decrease of li is pro- 

 fits. This is a law we all follow, though we do 

 not all study it, or consider its bearings upon 

 our profession, whether farmers, merchants, or 

 manufacturers. 



If profits cease, we cease to pursue the voca- 

 . tion, and turn our attention and means to objects 

 of greater demand anion;; our fellow-men. 



But at no time in the history of man, did the 

 cultivation of the earth, properly pursued, ever 

 cease to afford abundant profit to the capital em- 

 ployed, and sufficient wages to all engaged in it. 

 I am aware that this position will be denied by 

 men engaged in other pursuits, and am willing 

 to admit that some portions of the earth do not 

 exhibit the feature above claimed ; but the cause 

 for such an exception, is an artificial interfer- 

 ence with the farmer, forcing him from his natu- 

 ral position to meet the exigencies or desires of 

 some other class of his fellow beings. Happily 

 with us, the position 1 claim for the American 



lend beyond the year 1822, or thereabouts, when 

 a very imperfect one was put up in Saratoga 

 county, brought from New Hampshire. Not 

 operating with the desired success of the pro- 

 prietor, it was transferred to Mr. T. I). liuirall, a 

 farmer at Geneva, in Ontario County. He being 

 a skillful and scientific mechanic, as well as far- 

 mer, very soon improved upon its mechanism, 

 and in 1830 gave to us the machine which can 

 thresh for us three hundred bushels per day or 

 more. A more conclusive proof of excellence 

 need not be required than the fact that, since 

 1830, full four thousand of these Threshing Ma- 

 chines, have been put into operation in the Uni- 

 ted States. They are made of various sizes ; 

 the most convenient for the firmer, being capa- 

 ble of threshing about two hundred bushels per 

 day, with the power of 'our horses. 



Having for several years used one of these 

 threshing machines, 1 compute the cost of 

 threshing and cleaning my wheat, (both opera- 



farmer is well sustained, and needs no other I lions being performed by the same force of pow- 



proof, than the existing prosperity of the whole 

 . breadth of our land — its uniform, steady, on- 

 ward increase from year to year, since the dawn 

 of our freedom. 



I have been led to these remarks, because the 



above excuses are offered as cause to adhere to 



the plough, the harrow, the scythe, and the flail, 



as the oidy absolutely necessary implements for 



. the farm. 



Has it not been proved already, that the 

 work accomplished in former days, is now per- 

 formed by other implements, or improvements 

 on old ones, with much less labor and in much 

 less lime") Is not our work generally belter done 

 at this day, by all who use these improved im- 

 plements? Surely it is so, as has been proved 

 by the economy with which wheat can be raised, 

 and as we hope further to prove, in llie raising 

 of Indian corn. 



Let us now proceed with the examination of 

 other farm implements uud machinery, testing 

 their economy. 



There is music in the sound of the flail, but 

 its notes are seldom heard since the introduction 

 of the Threshing Machine. It is more than one 

 hundred years ago, (1733) that the first machine 

 for threshing grain was patented, by a worthy 

 Scotch farmer. All however, that was claimed 

 for it was, that by its use, one man would do the 

 usual work of six men. In 1755 another and 

 betier machine was produced in Scotland. In 

 1772 the English began to feel the necessity to 

 save labor and time, and a machine was produ- 

 ced by Mr. Smart; and in 1785, a London me- 

 chanic brought forward an improvement which 

 was more successful than its predecessors, 



er,) as follows: 



One man to feed the machine, at 39 cts. per day, 



do to supply the feeder, 38 " " 



do to pitch from the mow, '.Mi" " 



do to deliver the straw, 32 " " 

 do to attend the fanning 



mill, generally done»l>y self, 50 " " 



Per day, 



Four horses and a driver, 



$1 934 for labor. 

 2 50 



Making the total per day, of $4 43A 



Wheat is threshed at an easier [nice, delivering 

 two hundred bushels (often more) per day, which 

 at the above rates, makes the cost per bushel to 

 be two cents, 21.1000. 



It should be remarked that the rates of wages 

 above named are the actual rates paid ; the 

 work being done by yearly hands, whose wages 

 amount per day lo the sums stated. 



Itinerant threshing machines can generally be 

 hired to thresh for farmers who do not possess 

 these implements. The charge for threshing in 

 such cases, is from four to five cents per bushel, 

 anil the supply by the farmer, of all necessary 

 horses except two, and all the necessary labor 

 except the owner, who commonly feeds his own 

 machine. These machines are generally used 

 on the field, the wheat sheaves are brought from 

 :he shocks, and the straw is left in numberless 

 instances occupying the same resting place sea- 

 son after season. 



The economy of the threshing machine is 

 readily understood, when we compare the cost 

 per bushel as above slated, will) the cost per 

 bushel when threshed by the flail, and cleaned 

 through the fanning mill. There are incidental 



benefits, also, of much value, such as prompt 

 though far from perfect ; others followed rapidly separation for market before winter sets in, — 

 until the year 1790-93, when an American farih- saving in weight — no destruction by rats and 



er, Mr. Ampibill, of Virginia, invented a ma 

 chine for threshing grain by moveable rods, 

 and this machine was introduced favorably into 

 England. 



Prior to 1790, an ingenious Scotch mechanic 

 had conceived the plan of passing the grain be- 

 tween rollers, which probably led to the impro- 

 ved machine now so extensively used in this 

 country; nevertheless, it .was left lor American 

 ingenuity to supply the English farmer with the 

 Mine perfect machine, for it is the American de- 

 sign now mostly used, as patented by Jafl. At- 

 kinson, of Braham Hall, in Yorkshire. It is the 

 application of spikes on the revolving drum, thai 

 ran. 'I lie use ol the thresh- 



verinin — no loss of interest ; — it gives abundant 

 lime to house or stack the straw for our stock. 



In all estimates for work done by our machines, 

 we ought to charge about ten per cent, on the 

 cost of the machinery, for its wear and tear an- 

 nually ; and in this case, we must distribute this 

 charge rateahly between the crops of wheal, 

 barley, rye and oats, or whatever crops are sub- 

 jected to its operation. 



Thus far, it is hoped that farming, when con- 

 ducted under a system where the labor is per- 

 formed by well -constructed machines, or imple- 

 ments, is proved to be economical, and necessa- 

 rily more profitable. After the consideration of 

 a lew more important implements, I propose lo 

 enter upon the easy task of censuring the want 



of system; but in such a manner, I : , as to 



i 

 I ' AOiiii-OLA. 



ing machine in this State, does not, 1 believe, ex- 1 Soncca counly, (N. Y.) May, 1849. 



Kinduess the best Punishment. 



A Quaker of most exemplary character, was 

 disturbed one night by footsteps around his 

 dwelling; and lie arose Irom Ins bed and cau- 

 tiously opened a back door lo reconnoiire. Close 

 by Was an oui-liou.-e, and under it a cellar, near 

 a window of which was a man busily engaged 

 in receiving the contents of Ins pork-barrel Irom 

 another within the cellar. The old man ap- 

 proached, and llie man outside fled. He stepped 

 up lo the cellar window and leceived the pieces 

 of pork from the thief within, who, alter a little 

 while, asked his supposed accomplice, in a whis- 

 per, "Shall we lake it all ?" The owner of the 

 pork said softly, " Yes, take it all," and the thief 

 industriously banded lip the balance through llie 

 window, and then came up himself Imagine 

 his consternation when, instead of greeting bis 

 companion in crime, he was confronted by the 

 Quaker. Both were astonished, for the thief 

 proved to be a near neighbor of whom none 

 could have suspected such conduct. He plead 

 for mercy, begged the old man not to expose 

 him, spoke of lite necessity of poverty, and 

 promised faithfully never to steal again. 



" If ihuu hadst asked me for meal," said the 

 old man, •' it would have been given thee. 1 pity 

 thy poverty and thy weakue-s, and esteem thy 

 family. Thou art forgiven." 



The thief was jireaily rejoiced, and was about 

 to depait, when the old man said, "Take the 

 pork, neighbor." 



"No, no," said the thief, "1 don't want the 

 pork." 



" Thy necessity was so great that it led thee 

 to steal". One-half of the pork thuu must lake 

 with thee." 



The thief insisted he could never eat i morsel 

 of it. The thoughts of the crime would make 

 it choke him. lie begged the privilege of letting 

 it alone. Bui the old man was incorrigible, and, 

 furnishing the thief with a bag, had half the 

 pork put therein, and laying it upon his back, 

 sent bun home With it. He met his neighbor 

 dally lor many years alterwards, and the families 

 visited together, but the mailer was kept a se- 

 cret; and though in after lime the c. I re u instance 

 was mentioned, the name of lhe delinquent was 

 never known. The punishment was severe and 

 effectual. Ii was piohahly his first, it was cer- 

 tainly his lust attempt to steal. 



Had the man been arraigned before a court of 

 justice, and imprisoned lor the petty theft, how 

 different might have been the result His family 

 disgraced, their peace destroyed, the u mi's char- 

 acter ruined, and his spirit broken. Revenge, 

 not penitence) would have swayed his I earl, lhe 

 scorn of the world would have blackened his 

 future, and in all probability he would have en- 

 tered upon a course of crime at which, when 

 the first offence was cum milted, bis soul would 

 have shuddered. And what would the owner 

 id' the pork have gained ? Absolutely nothing. 

 Kindness was the best punishment, lor it saved 

 while il punished. 



The following illustration in point is going lhe 

 rounds of lhe newspapers : — .. 



Isaac Hooper, who wasa member of lhe Friends' 

 Society in Philadelphia, once heard a colored 

 man, a painter, by the name of Cain, a hardened 

 wretch, using profane language, and lhe most 

 horrid oaths, while engaged III a street fight ; and 

 supposing persuasion would have no effect upon 

 him, he took him before a magistrate, who fined 

 him |br blasphemy. Twenty jears idler, Isaac met 

 Cain while travelling, and observed that his ap- 

 pearance was very much changed ; that his dress 

 was tattered, and his countenance care-worn. 

 This touched the Friend's heart, and lie stepped 

 up anil shook hands with, and spoke kindly lo 

 lhe lorlorn being. At first Cain did not recog- 

 nize him, when the Quaker said lo him, "Dost 

 thou not remember me, and how 1 had lliee fined 

 for swearing ?" 



"Yes, indeed, I do," said the colored man. 

 " Well, did it do thee any good ?" 

 " No," said he, very gruffly, " not a hit ; it only 

 made me mad lo have my money taken from 

 me." 



Hooper then invited Cain to reckon up lhe in- 

 tercut on tin- fine, and paid him Imlli principal 

 and interest, I meant il lor 



thy good, Cain ... I il sorry I did thee any 

 harm." Cain's countenance changed— the tears 



