i5G 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



182/ 



Extracts from '■'■Jin Mdrfs lo the Socieiy uf the 

 Counties of Hampshire, Franklin, and Hawp- 

 den, for the promotion of Agriculture and the 

 Mechanic Arts. By Hon. Mark Doolittle." 



[Cnncliided Tioni pEige 146.] 

 V/e need not look abroad to witness the ad- 

 nnce in the farmers' property, by reason of man- 

 .ifactnres. We liave seen it in this State, and 

 within our awn limits. In view of the growth of 

 ihcso establishments, a question has arisen — are 

 not wo in danggr of a similar fate which attended 

 Jie British manufactories ? In answer to which, 

 we say, our situation is totally different from 

 theirs. Of the two millions of families which 

 compose the population of England, (the popula 

 tion is somewhat larger than here assumed) about 

 750,000 are agricultuiists, leaving 1.250,000 in 

 trade, manufactures, professions, and other em- 

 ployments. In the United Slates, it was not long 

 since calculated that ten sixteenths of our popula- 

 tion were agriculturists ; but suppose the number 

 IS not over nine sixteenths, it places us at a safe | 

 distance from the causes of their troubles. i 



A wise government will protect its own manu- 

 ! ictories. — "it belongs to the real statesman," 

 -lys Rousseau, "to elev.nte his views in the impo- 

 lion of taxes above the ni re object of fniance, 

 :i:id convert them into useful regulations." If the 

 little cloud which now darkens the prospects of 

 our manufacturers, arose from causes -vhich were 

 lasting in their operations, it would deserve the 

 serious consideration of government, whether 

 sound policy did not demand an increase of iluty 

 .m the importaiion of rival fabrics. The slory 

 ihat our woollen manufactories, for example, were 

 suffered to languish under a tariff, falsely called 

 a protecting duty, which secured the sales in our 

 markets, of woollens from Great Britain, of ijioro 

 !!!an ten million of d'_>llars annually, would be view- 

 ed by those who should come after ns .is a monu- 

 ment of lasting reproach to the govomm -nt which 

 should suffer it. But without fnrt.'ifr infifercnce 

 of government it is rnnfidently beliesf 'nt their 

 increase and prosperity is sure, and th-it d.e pe- 

 riod is not fjr distant when New Kiu;lnvj will be 

 to southern and western AmericR, what England 

 for a long period has been to tl.c enstern conti- 

 nent. * * * * 



The increase of the pauper expenses ■.vithiii this 

 Commonwcaltli has gone far in advance of the 

 i-atio of tlic ii-.crease of population. From 1800 

 to 1890, while our population had incrcn.-^ed but 

 about one to four, our t>tate pauper account in- 

 areased about twelve to four. Since then, llie 

 weekly allowance for State paupers has been di- 

 f:iinishcd, which ha.s diminished the amount of 

 State charges, but the expenses upon th(> several 

 towns are increasing continually. The itholfl 

 amount paid is probably not miich less Ihan half 

 a million. This is a subject in which the proper- 

 ly and morals of the community are deeply in- 

 volved. While vi'^wing it every one will lament 

 the e.Kistnuce of the great cynsc of pauperism 

 in our country. Intemperance is the flood-gate 

 which opens to it, and to every vice. It i-: lamen- 

 table, indeed, that in a land aboun 'inii' vith the 

 blessings of providence, a class of men 'dioiild be 

 found brntali ing themselves in a way appalling 

 to ever^ feeling of our nature, and that too asrainst 

 every restraint which morn! cousidprations can 

 interpose. To the common drunkard, warnings 

 snd reproofs are like words upon the desert air — 



lost without a trace. Ministers may preach — ( poiatoes,) a few inches' aildaional earth, or an 

 moralists may write — the press with all its pow- e'liivalent of litter spread over the rows, will 

 crs may lend its aid — moral societies may add prijtect them from the frost. Then take them up 

 their iufl.iencc, and temperate societies their ex- . eaily in the spring before vegetation commences, 

 ample, still the plague advances, and like the j anij they -.v ill be founil to possess, in an eminent 

 overaowing of mighty waters, is spreading its , detree, the sweet freshness of new potatoes, 

 branches in every direction, regardless of every I | 



, , ■' ' o 'I I GVTHERIKG AND PRESERVliNG POTATOES. 



obstacle. i I 



You may as well attempt to secure your pro- 1 ^Extracted from the Transactions of the Society 

 perty against the aggressions of the pilferer, or | "''Arts ni London : 



the implements of gaming from the hand of the i f he usual mode at present practising for endeav- 

 gambler, as the into.Kicating cup from the lips of! o"f'"S to preserve potataes is 'o leave them after 

 the drunkard. Each of these, should alike be | difging. exposed to sun and air to dry. This ex- 

 treated as vioiUors of the rights of the commun- 1 poMire generally causes them to have a bittsr 

 ..■■ The law of the Commonwealth providing a i t»Ptc ; and it may be remarked, that potatoes are 

 p-nalty against common drunkards, which hasj'iwerso sweet to the palate ^s when cooked im- 

 bo,.n in vour statute books nearly forty years, and i mtidiately after digging. I fini that when pota- 

 eniorced in some parts of the Commonwealth, has j to«s are left in large heaps or pits in the ground, 

 been but a dead letter with us. It has very sel- t thit a fermentation takes place which destroys 

 dom, if ever, been enforced within our limits. If|tli(^ sweetest flavour of the potatoes. In order to 

 yo.i look at our gaols, and our prisons, and inquire I F«vont that fermentHion and to preserve them 

 into the history of the wretched tenants, who in- 1 f!-!"" losing the ori inal hue and pdr^asant flavour, 

 habit those dreary and life-wasting receptacles, | 'ny plan is, (and which experience proves to me 

 you will leaxn tha't in nine cases in ten, drunken- ! to have the desired effect ) to have them packed 

 n.:<s was the door which opened upon them the i in casks as they are digging from the ground, and 



crimes liiat clmin them there. Should each conn- j 



ly within llic Commonwealth be provided with a 



hous;? of correction, suitably appended with land 



and work shops, and the law enforced against 



common drunkards, the public would soon find i 



on; haU of their pauper taxes saved, and a check msny potatoes as it would, were no earth or sand 



to have the casks when the potatoes are piled in 

 them, filled up with sand or ear:h, taking care 

 that it is done as speedily as possible, and tliat all 

 spaces in the cask of potatoes are filled up with 

 earth or sand ; the cask thus packed holds as 



found to that dangerous and wide spreading evil. 



Every successful effort to restrain the vices 

 which .^ro abroad in the land — to promote indus- 

 try — to retrench unnecessary expenses — to dif- 

 fuse useful information to all classes of the peo- 

 ple, sh'i.ild be placed among the items of capital 

 in fivor of the farming interest. 



Witiiout constant vigilance for the promotion 



used, and as the air is totally excluded, it cannot 

 act on the potatoes and consequently no fcrinen- 

 taton can take placs. — Pcnn. Gazdlr. 



THE POTATO. 



Nothing gives us more pleasure than to be able, 



when addressing our readers, to use the language 



of couijratulation — to speak to ti;ein in terms of 



cheerfulness — to turn tlie'r attention to something 



of tii'-.-^e objects, no comnnuiity can expect contin- | ^},j(,|, jg ji,,, (.^ygg „f thankfulness and rejoicino 



pro-perity and happiness. To the promotion 

 of these, the fathers of New Ensfland were dis- 



not by the anticipation of a far distint and doubt- 

 ful benefit, but by some homely blessing which 



tinguished for their att:chment. and by an adher- j ^^^^ ^^^ ,,, ^,^^ ^g^y ^^f of enjoying. We cannot, 

 ence to them, lived as blessinsrs to successive i j^erefore, refrain from expressing our satisfac- 

 ag.-s. The dignity which they wore, was that uj^j^^ ^^j p,^|y ^^ ^^,g j^i,undarcc of the Potato crop, 

 which alone characterizes true greatnpss— an un- ^^^ ^^^ unrivalled excellence of the Root. Last 

 weaiie i exertion for the benefit of their fellow I ^g^^^. ^ ^^^j pQ,^,^ ^^.^^ Y^\.^ „ ^^^^^i of great price. 



very seldom tn be mot with ; xiany were the do- 

 mestic altercations upon thesuhject — the lord and 

 master of the Wiirwani, insi-tiug gravely thn. 

 there must have been some fault in the boilins; 

 while " iVv dear" as oravely protcstin<r that the 

 stPi:'!t';Ht — the test of trials rendered them more j.^..^ ^^.^^ j,, ,|,p p„,,,,o itself. We differ from the 

 conspicuously bright. Their religion «'as practi- | ^^j^^;^^ ^f ^^ Rnglnh Editor who characterized 

 cal— not like the meteor which astonishes for i p^^^^j^g ^^ ^^ „(,o,„i„,,(,|e nii.Mure of mud and wi>- 

 ouce and disappears, but like the sun. scm-i\ and ^^^ . ^^ ^^^^^ jj^^.g |,ppn ,lefi,-ient in taste. This 

 uniform in its course. The inheritance they have ;vg„gtable is the. bre.'i<l fruit of .)ur country — a ma- 

 left is seei. in all we have— in all we are. While ,g^'j^] pjjjg^ „,- „„,. prosperity ; It should be lauded 

 the soil which they cultivated remains. — their ^ ,jy pg^j^.^) pp^nomists. and its praises should re- 



men. To this end, every enterpri e was under 

 taken, and every achievement accomplished. — 

 Tney laid the foundation of a mighty empire, and 

 through the veil of future years saw the magnifi- 

 ccnc of its superstructiVre. Their virtues were 



labors and their virtues will never be forgotten. 



POTATOES. 



sound from every string of the provincial lyre ; 

 there is more solid inspiration, if rhymers did but 

 know it, in half a jieck of blue n<hie.i, than in all 



We recommend, from experience, the follow- ; {.^g i,iue gyps in the world. Thrrefore, we say 



ing directions for gathering and preserving pot 



ain, we heartily congratulate the country on 



toes, to all who desire to have them good. There I (hg unrivalled e.xcellenee of the crop, which bids 



is another plan, however, which might be practis 

 ed upon a small scale, to have a few prime ones 

 for family use in the spring, and that is, not to 

 gather the potatoes in the fall, but to let them 

 remain in the ground during the winter. If the 

 patch be not flood 

 have been planted a moderate depth, (for deep 



fair to render even our beggars mealy mouthed. 

 [New Brunswick Courier.] 



CATTLE. 



At the late Cattle Show at Washington, in this 



with water, and the potatoes Jstate, some of the cattle exhibited were weighed, 



anil their weight shows no trifling improvement iu 



plantiBj; is always found to produce the sweetest fthe breed of cattle in that quarter. A bull calf, !» 



