124 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 9, 16^. 



[From the Christian Spectator.] 



FRUIT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ARDENT 

 SPIRITS. 



In lately reading in the New Edinburgh Ency- 

 clopedia, Vol. X. article Horticulture, my atten- 

 tion was arrested by the following remark : "It is 

 a jusli,>obseryation of an eminent horticulturist, 

 (Mr. Knight) that the palate which relishes 

 fruit is seldom pleased with strong fermented 

 liquors, ana that as feeble causes, continudlly act- 

 ing, ultimately produce extensive effects, the sup- 

 plying the public with fruits at a cheap rate, 

 would have a tendency to operate favorably both 

 on the physical and moral health of the people." 



Upon comparing the observation here made, 

 with the habits of various persons witli whom I 

 have been acquainted, I was led to conclude that 

 it was founded in truth. 



Viewing the subject to bo one of some impor- 

 tance, f then endeavored to ascertain whether the 

 fact alleged received any support from the known 

 habits of different nations. In the northern coun- 

 tries of Europe the finer fruits, if raised at all, are 

 raised only in small quanties. Even in England, 

 cherries nnd peaches, and pears, uml apples, fitted 

 for the table, are seldom brought to perfection 

 without the aid of walls, and coverings, and arti- 

 ficial heat ; and in cold seasons, even apples of 

 the hardier kinds do not ripen in the open fields. 

 But in England, and in all the other northern 

 countries of Europe, the intemperate use of strong 

 fermented liquors prevails every where to a very 

 gre.^t extent. On the other hand, in France, and 

 Spain, and Italy, and the other countries in the 

 south of Europe, whore most of the fruits above 

 mentioned are raised with ease and in the highest 

 perfection ; and where in addition to tlieso they 

 hive an abundance of the most delicious grapes 

 a!.d figs ; and in many places, olives and oranges; 

 'ngether with many other fruits peculiar to warm 

 climates, drunkenness among all clusses of socie- 

 ty is almost wholly unknown. It is worthy of re- 

 ;oark also, that savage and uncivilized nations, 

 who have seldom any fruit except such as grows 

 wild, are almost universally greedy after ardent 

 spirits. 



The diversity which prevails in Europe with re- 

 spect to the use of ardent spirits has sometimes 

 been resolved into the influence of climate. In 

 cold regions it is thought there is naturally a much 

 stro iger propensity for ardent spirits, than in re- 

 gions where the climate is more mild and uniform. 

 But this opinion is wholly unsupported ; nay it is 

 contrary to well established facts. In Nubia, ly- 

 ing within the torrid zone, there is a universal pre- 

 valence of intoxication ; uncivilized nations pos- 

 sess the same propensity for intoxicating liquors 

 in warm, as in cold regions ; iind in our own 

 country as free use is made of ardent spirits at 

 the south, as at the north. 



The cause of the temperance which prevails in 

 "■-he south of Europe, it is believed, will be found 

 m the use of fruits ; which are very abundant in 

 r.hose countries where the vine flourishes. But 

 the tendency of wine to create an intemperate ap- 

 pelils is comparatively so small, the quantity of 

 weak and therefore harmless wine made and con 

 sumed in countries producing the vine is so great, 

 and so excellent- is the fruit itself, that the vine 

 aiay doubtless with propriety be cultivated for the 

 jtirpose of checking intemperance. 



Ba the United States of America, though weU 



fitted for the production of fruit, throughout near- 

 ly their whole extent, drunkenness is every where 

 very common. This may perhaps be considered 

 an anomaly. But it admits, I think, of a satisfac- 

 tory explanation. The original settlers of this 

 couutry ware principally from the British Isles ; 

 and brought with them a taste for fermented li- 

 quors which they had contracted in their native 

 land. For a long period, they were of necessity 

 wholly destitute of fruit, with the exception of a 

 few inferior kinds which grew wild. And even to 

 this day the more delicious fruits — such I mean 

 as are suited to the climate, are by no means ex- 

 tensively raised. On probably nine tenths of the 

 farms in the State in which I reside, which is one 

 of the oldest, there is little fruit of any value, with 

 the exception of apples, and these often not graft- 

 ed. Peaches were formerly common, but now 

 they ere very rare — though with a little pains 

 easily raised in any quantity. English cherries, 

 with the exception of a few places, are by no 

 means abundant, often none in a whole township. 

 Good pears, in any considerable variety, are sel- 

 dom seen. And atraA berries, raspberries, and 

 gooseberries, are cultivated only in a sinnll num- 

 ber of gardens. Here and there an individual is 

 attentive to the raising of fruit. Though but few 

 families, probably not more than one in five hun- 

 dred, are well supplied the year round, with the 

 various fruits suited to the season. Hitherto, 

 therefore, in the country, the use of fruit can have 

 had but a partial influence in promoting temper- 

 ance. In confirmation of the origin of intemper- 

 ance in this country as above explained, it may be 

 stated, that in Cuba, settled by the Spaniards, a 

 people distinguished for their temperate habits, as 

 was lately asserted in the New York Advertiser, 

 "there are no drunkards!" 



The manner in which fruit is made to supply 

 the place of fermented liquors is easily explained, 

 and the statement, it is belisved, will correspond 

 with what most persons have experienced, or ob- 

 served. In tlie intervals of our regularly estab- 

 lished meals, we all occiisiohally, and very many 

 of us constantly, either feel, or fancy that we feel, 

 the need of some slight refreshment. At such 

 times, if fruit is not to be had, many persons re- 

 sort to fermented liquors, and thiis insensibly lay 

 a foundation for intemperance. But if they are 

 in possession of delicious fruits, these are almost 

 always chosen by temperate people in preference 

 to the choicest wines. This need of refreshment 

 is moro especially felt in summer, consequent 

 upon the exhaustion occasioned by heat and fa- 

 tigue. Fruit is then found to answer the double 

 purpose of quenching thirst, and recruiting ex- 

 hausted animal nature, and in the most perfect 

 manner. It is in the highest degree — I refer only 

 to the case of temperate persons — grateful to the 

 palate — refreshing to the system — and salutary 

 in its remote and grateful effects. The man, in- 

 deed, whose pppetite is not satisfied with delicious 

 Iruits alone, already possesses a dangerous fond- 

 ness I'or spiritous liquors. It may be thought by 

 some, that t!ie laboring classes of the community 

 would set but little value upon the substitute here 

 proposed for ardent spirits. Whether they would 

 or not, it is certain that the use which they make 

 of ardent spirits is detrimental. But what reason 

 can be assigned why they should value fruit less 

 than othar men? They have the same appetite ; 

 and fruit is equally refreshing to theta. The re- 

 foroaCioD of drookeQ lalboiers, by tfte enbititution 



of fruit for ardent spirits, is certainly not expect- 

 ed ; nor indeed the reformation of any other class 

 of drunkards. But in those cases where the na- 

 tural taste has not been vitiated by the use of 

 ardent spirits, it is believed that fruit would be 

 chosen by laborers invariably, in preference to 

 ardent spirits, allowing at the same time, that 

 they were properly aware of the danger of intem- 

 perance. Nothing certainly can be conceived of, 

 more suited to the wants of a laborer, toiling in 

 the dust or sun, athirst and weary, than a plate of 

 strawberries, a melon, or a basket of cherries, or 

 peaches, or apples. With these and other fruits, 

 which might easily be raised in sufficient abun- 

 dance, together with such simple drinks as com- 

 mon beer, milk, and molasses and water ; and 

 cider when desired, the laboring classes of the 

 community would undoubtedly he able to perform 

 the greatest quantity of work, with the highest 

 health and in the best spirits. 



The expense of cultivating fruit is much less 

 tlian is generally supposed. In the court yards 

 and g.irdens connected with most houses, there is 

 ground sufficient, and ground usually unoccupied, 

 for raising m abundance every variety of fruit 

 suited to the climate, with the single exception of 

 apples. The original expense of procuring the 

 trees is trifling; and even this may soon be whol- 

 ly saved by a little pains in raising them. 



The importance of providing substitutes for 

 ardent spirits has frequently occurred to the be- 

 nevolent, and various substitutes have been sug- 

 gested. In recommending fruit for this purpose, 

 it is not designed to have it take the place oi 

 other suitable substit'.tes ; but to have it intro- 

 duced into their number, with that rank nnd im- 

 portance in the scale to which its just claims may 

 entitle it. 



FARMING IN ALABAMA. 



Extract ofaleUer from the interior of Alahamo, to the Editor o* 

 the Verr.iom Chronicle. 



Northern Farmers might prosper here without 

 much aid from slave labor. The price of the go- 

 vernment land is a dollar and a quarter an acre, 

 and the best improved lands are purchased for ten 

 dollars. The great object of farmers here being 

 their cotton crops, they have hitherto paid com- 

 paratively little attention to the ordinary comforts 

 of life. The stock are without pasturage, and are 

 suffered to run at large in the range, as it is call- 

 ed, or the woods, and the cows are milked only 

 when they may be allured to the pens by the 

 calves. Of course, cheese is not made, and but 

 little butter. Still this is naturally a fine country 

 for stock ; and even as they are managed, or rather 

 without any niana^'eraent at all, they grow to a 

 larger si/e than any I have ever seen. They liter- 

 ally occasion no expense, a.-i it is unnecessary to lay 

 up in the summer their support for the winter; for 

 there is no month in the year nhen they do not 

 find grass and herbage enough for subsistence. A 

 New-England fnrmer, indeed, would manage dif- 

 ferently here ; for bv takiujr a little pains, he 

 might find his account in furnishing for the mar- 

 ket the best of beef, b'utter and cheese, and this 

 without intrenching upon his staple crop, if'heat 

 is another neglected item here. It is but two years 

 since cotton fell to its present low price, (about ( 

 cents) and although the soil is said to be well a- 

 dapted to this grain, the farmers hare not yet fall- 

 en into tb« praatics of r&ifling it, while thay girr 

 from 6 to 8 dollars a barrel for flour. Tfa«r« is ■»- 

 doub« chat (he estvDsiTt and estrem»lj fei^ £»(■- 



