124 



GENESEE FARMER. . 



May. 



and soutli-west sides of the tree, for the eggs and Inrvae de- 

 posited there by tlio countless swarms of summer insects. 

 These, if suffered to remain, would prey upon the very vi- 

 lais, if 1 may so express il, oflhe tree, and in the succeeding 

 summ.T give birth to myriads more of tiieir race, equally 

 destructive. 



Here, then, is a whole species. I may say, genus, of birds, 

 which Providence seems to have formed for the protection 

 of our fruit and forest-trees from the ravages of vermin which 

 every day destroy millions of those noxious insects that 

 would oljiervvise blast the hopes of the husbandman, and 

 which even promote the fertility of the trees ; and, in re- 

 turn, are proscribed by those vviio ought to have been their 

 protectors, and incitements and rewards held out for their 

 destruction ! Lei us examine better inio the operations of 

 nature, any many of our mistaken opinions and groundless 

 prejudices will be abandoned for more just, enlarged, and 

 humane modes of thinking. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



" Farmers' Daughters"— again. 



Mr. Editor : — Noticing in your last number 

 an article written by a farmer's wife, entitled 

 " Farmers' Daughters," I perused it with great 

 eagerness; but I was somewhat disappointed with 

 the tenor of it. I agree witn your correspondent 

 in some of her statements — but in others, I can 

 not. She inquires "if farmers' girls have ever | 

 seen, or heard of independence for the farmers' 

 wife ]" I am a farmer's daughter, and I have | 

 both seen and heard of independence for the 

 farmers' wife, as well as for the farmer. I am 

 acquainted with several farmers, who have been 

 accustomed to keep individually from five to nine 

 cows, and one hundred sheep or more, who have 

 retired from business, with only one cow and a 

 few sheep, (and they retain those because their 

 wives choose to manufacture their own butter, 

 and prepare their stocking-yarn.) Now, I ask, 

 are not the wives of those farmers as independ- 

 ent as their husbands 1 



She says, also, " There is no class of women 

 of whom so great an amount of care and labor is 

 required, as among farmers, nor where the de- 

 pendence of the wives is more abject." Many 

 undoubtedly, agree with her in the foregoing 

 statement, whi^le others are of the saiDe opinion 

 that I am. It is true, I know not ihe condition 

 of the farmers' wives and daughters in the com- 

 munity where she resides, (nor do I wish to if 

 they are all as unpleasantly situated as she is,) — 

 yet I think I can estimate, in some degree, the 

 difference in the situation of the farmers' wives, 

 and the wives of the traders and mechanics of 

 this town, as it has been my lot to spend some 

 time with persons who followed the above seve- 

 ral occupations ; previous to which my opinions 

 coincided witli those of your correspondent. I 

 admit that at some seasons of the year the labor 

 of the women among farmers is more fatigueing 

 than it is among traders and mechanics ; but I do 

 not think, at any time, they have to endure more 

 fatigue, or care, or anxiety of mind, than does 

 the wife of the physician. The physician is call- 

 ed to visit the sick ; his wife knows not when he 



will come home : he may be at home in an hour 

 or two, he is as likely to be absent a day or per- 

 haps a week. This is wliat I have heard physi- 

 cians' wives say many a time. And if there is 

 any thing to be done, she is obliged, oftentimes, 

 to do it herself, or provide some way for it to be 

 done. The farmer is usually at home, (his farm 

 is his home,) and if his wife wishes for his assis- 

 tance, he is (or ought to be,) willing to assist her. 

 She knows when to prepare the repasts for the 

 day, having commonly, reason to expect they 

 will be eaten when prepared, (and there is noth- 

 ing that is more trying to a woman's patience 

 than to be obliged to keep her victuals standing 

 an hour, or even half, and much more a day, be- 

 fore they are eaten.) 



What she says respecting farmers' daughtei-s 

 marrying persons of the same occupation of their 

 fathers, may be true in some instances ; but in 

 this community there has been no less than fif- 

 teen girls, farmers' daughters likewise, who in 

 the space of two or three years have married 

 farmers ; and I know of but two who have been 

 married, who did not marry farmers. 



I think they must have chosen their compan- 

 ions, or their parents must have preferred to have 

 them unite their interests with those of the farm- 

 er — and it is altogether probable, the girls and 

 their parents were satisfied with their so doing. 

 I think the situation of your correspondent is de- 

 plorable in the extreme ; by her description of 

 it, she makes it a parallel case with that of the 

 drunkard's wife, I hope that hers is an isolated 

 case ; and I dare to presume it will compare with 

 the good chief magistrates of our government — 

 very " few and far between." 



A Young Farmer's Wipe, 



Perry Center, March, 1847. 



Watering House Plants, — There is a great 

 deal of discretion to be used in watering plants. 

 The regular course of giving them all a regular 

 forenoon and afternoon dab is the worst possible 

 policy, Tiie roots of a well established plant 

 penetrate and fill the entire earth of the pot, and 

 by the usual process of giving a little water every 

 day only keeps the surface wet and the bottom 

 of the roots around dry and moulded. The true 

 course is, to let them stand till quite dry on the 

 surface, and then to give them a thorough water- 

 ing even till it percolates through the bottom, if 

 the pot is well drained with broken earthen or 

 oyster shells. Occasional liquid manure, or 1 

 lb. of guano in 2 gallons of water, tells well on 

 the growth and increased size and beauty of the 

 foliage of flowers. * 



A DROP or two of honey well rubbed on the 

 hands while wet, after washing with soap, pre- 

 vents chapping, and removes the roughness of 

 the skin. It is ])articularly pleasant for cliildren'e 

 hands and faces in cold weather. — Selected. 



