1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



163 



(pecuniary ; and who estimates every thing by 

 the narrow, selrish standard of dollars and cents. 



In my former communication. I spoke of the 

 tpolicy of killing birds. I now proceed to speak 

 of the right. I am aware that the right of man 

 over the animal creation is, by some, considered 

 absolute and unconditional : i. e. that he has the 

 right to u&e all inferior animals acconiing to his 

 pleasure : to kill and to destroy without motive 

 or object, except the qualification of his own will. 

 This is a claim on the part of those who make it, 

 which cannot be conceded by us, nor established 

 by them. Now it cannot be denied that the va- 

 rious animal tribes were created for wise pur- 

 poses, though we may not be able in every in- 

 sftance to trace them. To argue otherwise would 

 be "to charge God foolishly." Neither can it 

 'be denied that, to have created them merely to 

 be the sport of a class of beings calling them- 

 selves ratianal, would not be a wise purpose, un- 

 less it be wise for intelligent and rational beings 

 to indulge in acourse of action that is calculated, 

 in its nature and tendency, to foster a spirit of 

 •cruelty in ihose who indulge in it. 



What, then, is the true meaning of the per- 

 mission given to man, by virtue of which he 

 •claims, and is allowed to exercise, "dominion 

 over the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air," 

 &c. Evidently this : that man should have the 

 pre-eminence ; that he should have the right to 

 defend himself and his against the lower animals ; 

 the right to employ them for all proper, useful, 

 end economical purposes. More than this can- 

 not be reasonably claimed, or contended for, 

 without imputing either folly or cruelty to the 

 Creator. 



To a truly benevolent mind, the idea of taking 

 life under any circumstances is by no means 

 agreeable. The thought of terminating, " for- 

 ever," an existence, that, for aught we know, 

 may be as capable of enjoyment as our own, is 

 often truly painful, and should operate to damp 

 our destructive ardor. Life should not be trifled 

 with, nor innocent life taken, without a valid rea- 

 son- We should not rashly, nor needlessly, 

 " take away what we cannot give." 



Hence I would lay down the following rules, 

 which I believe to embody the sentiment and 

 doctrine of the Divine permission : 1st. That it 

 is lawful to take the life of any animal, which, if 

 -suffered to remain, would destroy either us or 

 ■ours. This gives us the right over all beasts and 

 (birds of prey, venomous reptiles, &c. 2d. That 

 it is lawful to kill, for our own use, whatever 

 ilives upon our labor. This gives us the right 

 over our domestic animals. 3d. That it is law- 

 ful for us to kill such wild animals as we may 

 need and use for food and other necessary 

 purposes. This gives us the right over such 

 wild animals as constitute what is generally 

 calledgame ; as deer, buffalos, pigeons, par- 

 •tridges, water fowl, &c. With this agrees the 



sentiment so beautifully portrayed by the Poet : 



" The sum is this ; if mari':< oonvenisnce, health, 

 Or safety interfere, his right« and claims 

 Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs. 

 Else they are all, — the meanest things that are. 

 As free to live, and to enjoy that life. 

 As God was free to form them at the first, 

 Who, in his sovereign wisdom, made them alL" 



The same exposition of the divine permission 

 will direct us in regard to the manner of taking 

 away life whenever it shall become necessary or 

 proper. To exercise unnecessary cruelty in 

 taking the life of an animal, is no less reprehen- 

 sible, than to take it away unnecessarily. Hence, 

 whenever life is to be taken away, it should be 

 done in the quickest and easiest manner possible. 



Fairport, March 9, 1847. H„ 



Fence Posts, —Milk and Butter. 



Mr. Farmer : — A question or two. Are 

 leached a.shes valuable as a top-dressing in setting^ 

 fence posta 1 Having got the impression that 

 such was the fact, in making a good fence the 

 other day with red cedar posts, I was at the 

 trouble of hauling leached ashes a mile or two 

 to finish filling the holes; and while in the act, 

 one of my neighbors came along, and, not much 

 to my satisfaction for the pains I had taken, in- 

 formed me that it was the sure way to make my 

 posts rot, for he had seen it tried. I doubted this, 

 and still do ; but should like to have your opia- 

 ion upon it. 



How many quarts of milk, of an average qual- 

 ity, will it take to make a pound of butter ? — 

 Some of our villagers who keep cows are loth 

 to sell milk at three cents per quart, because they 

 want to make their own butter. I should like U> 

 know how niuch their butter cc^ts them per lb. 

 at this price for milk. 



June, 1847. A Subscriber. 



Remarks, — Leached ashes will not hasten the 

 rotting offence posts. The entire cavity around 

 the post in the ground should be filled with pound- 

 ed charcoal and lime or ashes, which will protect 

 the wood from decay for a long period. Soaking 

 that portion of the post which is to stand in the 

 earth in lime water is also beneficial. 



It usually takes from 10 to 14 quarts of milk 

 to make a pound of butter. For the two years 

 preceding the last twelve months, we bought our 

 milk in the city of Buffalo at 2 cents a quart, 

 which was brought 22 miles into the city by rail- 

 way, and purchased of farmers at one cent a quart, 

 They found it better to sell milk at that price 

 than to make butter at 11 or 12 cents a pound. 



Grant Thorburn has lately sent to the Em- 

 peror of Russia 10 pounds potato seed, at twenty 

 dollars per pound. 



He is happy who hath a friend at need ; but 

 he is more truly happy who hath not need of his 

 friend. 



