1879.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



53 



results withiu the spheres of their experiences. 

 Our fathers and our grand fathei-s had but a 

 hmited education, and although they A-iieir 

 what they were doing, and how to do it, .so 

 far as it related to their own mental and 

 physical energies, yet so far as the invisible 

 operations of nature were concerned, they 

 did not pretend to know any more than the 

 philosophy of the present day can tell how a 

 seed germinaks and grown. "Perhaps another 

 reason why they have felt backward in present- 

 ing their e.xperiences to the public is, because 

 those who assume to be better educated than 

 they have not only met them with absolute 

 disbelief, but also with ridicule. Of course I 

 was aware of this before I wrote on the sub- 

 ject, but I thoiiLiht thei-e were some readers of 

 The F.VRMEit who were not too highly edu- 

 cated to lie benelited. Others may smile at 

 what they may consider my simplicity, but 

 the deductions of a long life of experience 

 no one can deprive me of by a mere act of 

 disbelief, backed by ridicule. In conclusion, 

 there are very few now— no matter how highly 

 educated they are — who disbelive that the 

 tides of the ocean are influenced, or caused by 

 the moon ; and who can say that that orb can 

 not exercise some influence over the integra- 

 tion and disintegration of the soil. I am per- 

 fectly aware that many have no faith in these 

 things, but I am also aware that the believers 

 are " legion," and that it has not been to their 

 disadvantage. — J. G., Wancick, April, 1879. 



For The I.ancastee Fabmkb. 

 "BALANCE OF TRADE." 



Ml!. Editor : In tlie February number of 

 The Fakmek a certain J. P. takes exception 

 to a portion of my essay delivered before 

 "the Horticulturikl Society at Lancaster, and 

 published in the January number of The 

 Farmer." That part to which J. P. objects 

 is what I say concerning the balance of trade 

 being in our favor. Let us look at this sub- 

 ject a little closer. 



It may not appear so beneficial to the United 

 States, or a nation under any circumstances, 

 but I am pretty well convinced that, under 

 our present c<jndition of affairs, it is, notwith- 

 standing we are p.iyiiig only for " dead horse. " 

 The horse must be paid for dead or alive, and 

 the price only depends upon what he has 

 earned for us. This must regulate his value. 

 Just so with our National and State debts ; 

 we made them aud realized the worth of them. 



Did not a suspension of the banks always 

 follow, heretofore, right on the heels of our 

 having to pay the difference in silver and 

 gold ? And does it not indicate good manage- 

 ment for a nation to sell nm-e than they buy? 

 This is the basis of success with farmers, 

 merchants and well-regulated corporations ; 

 why, then, does the princijile not apply to our 

 governmeut ?— P. S. Heist, Litiz, Pa., March 

 6tA, 187'.). 



MIGRATION OF EELS. 

 Editor Lancaster Farmer : An article 

 on the above in your journal, with a recpiest 

 whether others have noticed the same, inter- 

 ested mo, and called to mind what I saw 

 about fifty years ago. ^Vhen a boy, it was 

 my delight to go to the river for the first time. 

 The teamster, who went to Columbia for 

 lumber, was allowed to take me along. While 

 they were loading the lumber I went out to 

 the river, and just along the outside of a raft 

 I saw a dark streiik that was moving up 

 stream. Laying down flat to see what it was, 

 I soon discovered that they were little eels. 

 Sometimes the train would be detached for a 

 few moments, ImU nomiy all the time one 

 constant stream against a stream. They 

 sometimes seemed to be in a mass six inches 

 broatl and as deep, and so thick that at times 

 the water could barely be seen beneath them. 

 It would be a mere farce to form an estimate 

 of the numbers, for thev were legion. In an 

 hour's watching I might be sate in estimating 

 them at hundreds of thousands. To make 

 sure of their being eels, I used my straw hat 

 as a dip-net, and succeeded in catching three 

 of them. They were from four to six inches 



in length from my very best recollection, and 

 the time was just before haymaking. 



The idea that they must go to the salt 

 water to breed is a mistake, for they have 

 been bred in ponds until .so fully stocked that 

 they could be raked out by the dozen with a 

 common rake. An article lately from the 

 pen of an old acquaintance of mine in the 

 East, who is posted on the subject, has dis- 

 covered that which was formerly supposed to 

 be the fat of this (mysteriously breeding crea- 

 ture) is, in reality, its eggs, and that a fair- 

 sized female bears nine millions of eggs. If 

 this be so, we wish some were here to lay 

 their eggs in the Missouri river. In the twelve 

 years here but two of them have been caught. 

 Long, long ago we were one of a party that in 

 one night caught in a fish-basket two hundred 

 of respectable-sized ones in Pequea creek, six 

 miles southeast of your city. 



If you think it would interest your readers 

 to learn something definite concerning the big 

 cattish in this big, muddy river, I will en- 

 deavor in some future nurnber to give them 

 an idea of their size and habits. — Samuel 

 Miller, Bhiffton, Mo. 



[We shall always be glad to hear from our 

 old correspondent ; not only about the "big 

 cattish," but also on any subject connected 

 with agriculture, horticulture aud domestic 

 economy. — Ed.J 



For The Lancabteb Fabmeb. 

 AROUND THE FARM— No. 13. 



Did it ever occur to you what capital seed 

 bags the wrappers of The Farmer will make. 

 Our enterprising publishers use a strong paper, 

 and by pasting one end shut we have a bag 

 that will hold a half a pint or more. 

 Gambrel Sticks. 



The past winter I made several gambrel 

 sticks over a new pattern (at least to me). I 

 made it like ordinary sticks, but instead of the 

 usual notches, at each end, I bored one-half 

 inch holes, one inch apart. This I think, after 

 using it, is a decided improvement on the old 

 plan, as the notches, in order to make them 

 strong enough, must necessarily be made 

 further ap.irt than the holes need be. In the 



centre of the stick I put a staple through with 

 a rina in it. In hanging up hogs I have two 

 doubfe pulleys with" hooks, one of wliich is 

 fastened to a pin in the beam overhead, while 

 the other is hooked into the ring in the gam- 

 brel stick memioned above, when one man 

 can raise a 300 jjound hog easier than two men 

 can raise one of 100 pounds. The ring pre- 

 vents slipping, which is sometimes the ca.se 

 with old-style sticks. 



In the spring when the ground opens horses 

 will generally be splashed with mud when re- 

 turning froni the road. To remove it 1 find a 

 knife made of a pine shingle or other thin 

 board, the edges shaped concave on one side 

 and convex on the other, sharpened like a 

 knife, to answer better than a curry comb. 

 The concave side should 

 just fit the convex surface 

 of the horse's leg, when, by 

 the ai<l of a stifl' brush, dirt 

 can t)e removed ([uickly and in a thorough 

 manner. 



Harness. 

 Before spring work commences, all harness 

 should be taken apart and given a thorough 

 washing in warm, soapy water. Don't stoi) 

 washing the harness until all dirt is removed, 

 iis dirt damages the leather more than the 

 washing, besides it prevents the oil from 

 penetrating the leather. After it is nearly 

 dry oil it copiously with neatsfoot or "^'acu- 

 um " oil, after which hang in the sun or a dry 

 place for a day or two before using, and you 

 will have soft harness all summer. — Ruralist, 

 Creswell, Pa., March lath, 1879. 



For The La>cabxhr Farueb. 



THE BALANCE OF TRADE, AGAIIil. 



In reply to my article in tlii^ .lanuary num- 

 ber of The Farmer a writer, signing himself 

 J. S. T., undertakes in last month's issue, to 

 show that I was entirely wrong in the posi- 

 tion I assumed. And I will confess that if 

 bold assertion, uncorroborated by facts or 

 arguments, and with scarcely an attempt to 

 produce either on his part, is all that is re- 

 quired to sustain his position and overthrow 

 mine, then he is triumphant; but not other- 

 wise. 



Ho says my stat«ynents are of "doubtful 

 veracity," and my arguments " utterly weak" 

 and "hopele.ssly illogical." Undoubtedly lie 

 wished his readers to believe they are so. 

 Why then did he not endeavor to prove his 

 assertions by contradicting me with facts not 

 of doubtful veracity and arguments that are 

 logical. His will being good, his omission to 

 do either of these things will probably be at- 

 tributed to its true cause by the readers of 

 The Farmer. 



In my former article I stated my Ijelief that 

 the statistics of the country for the last half 

 century and longer, and also those of Great 

 Britain, would show that in times of ))ros- 

 perity the imports of each country would be 

 found to exceed its exports. Up to the time 

 of this writing I have not been able to lay my 

 hands on a statement of the imports and ex- 

 ports of Great Britain for several years, which 

 I had in possession .sometime ago, and there- 

 fore I cannot produce it here ; but my distinct 

 recollection is that it showed the imports— I 

 think it was for the live years from 1871 to 

 187.) — exceeded the exports by more than 100,- 

 000.000 pounds sterling. I do not ask anyone 

 to take my word (or my memory) for this, 

 however, at present, and will now refer to the 

 official statistics of our own country. 



The "Quarterly Report of the Chief of the 

 Bureau of Statistics," issued by the Treasury 

 Department, at Washington, for the quarter 

 ending March .31, 1>^7S, contains a statement 

 of the imports and exports of the United 

 States for every year from the organization of 

 the government down ; and from that state- 

 ment I derive the following figures (hi round 

 numbers) : 



1790 to 1799, excess of Imports, - - 8101,390,000 

 ISOO to 1809, excess of imiK)rts, - -183,367,000 

 ]810tol819, excess of imports, - - 222,110,000 

 18:0 to 18i9, excess of Imports, - - 40,616,000 

 1830 to 1839, ex«ess of Imports, - - 327,301,000 

 1840 to 1849, excess of imports, - - 56,039,000 

 1850 to 1859, excess of lm()ort8, - - 2,551,000 



Total, 5932,377,000 



It is thus seen that in every term of ten 

 years up to 1800. the imports were greater 

 than the exports, the aggregate excess amcmnt- 

 ing to more than nine hundred million dollars. 

 Can any one believe that we were doing a 

 losing business in all this period of seventy 

 years, aud that we were growing poorer and 

 poorer year Viy year in conse(iuence of our 

 foreign commerce V If that was so, is it not 

 strange th.at some of the illustrious financiei's 

 and statesmen of that period did not di.scovcr 

 the fact and demand the total suppression of 

 a trade that was proving so injurious to their 

 country ? 



But in the eighteen years since 1800, includ- 

 ing the time of the war of the Rebellion, 

 when we were unquestionably going behind- 

 hand—expending far more than we were earn- 

 ing, and including also the time of the late ex- 

 treme depression aud panic, the balance is 

 decidedly on the other side of the book, as it 

 decidedly ought not to be if the Balance of 

 Trade theorists are correct, viz. : 



I8f.ll to 1869, excess of exports, - - ^44.3 ,642,000 

 1871) to 1877,* excess of exports, - - 693,919,000 



Total, ----- ?1,137,.561,000 



These figures speak for themselves. Will 

 Mr. J. S. T. venture to as.sert that the only 

 prosperous period this country has experienced 

 was during the civil war and the period of the 

 subsequent panic? If so, then he is consistent 



