162 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



KOV. 88, 1843 



From the Farmer's Monllily Viiitor. 



QUALIFICATIONS OP FARMERS' WIVES. 

 A writer in the Visitor, for May, speaks of the 

 great importance of females, especially the wives 

 of fanners, beings acquainted with all duties of a 

 domestic liind, and bestows high encomiums upon 

 her " who rises witli the lark," prepares suitable 

 food for her family, &c. My opinion perfectly co- 

 incides with hers as to the importance of a farir.er's 

 wife to know, and that she superintend and assist 

 in her domestic duties, so that every thing be done 

 as it should be. Yes: I would praise her for her 

 skill in preparing the hot cakes and early break- 

 fast. Yet I would contend for the superiority of 

 her, who with neatness and skill performs her rou- 

 tine of domestic duties with alacrity, in order to 

 spend a few hours in usot'ul reading, that she may 

 import light and knowledge to those around her, 

 thereby enriching her own mind, and the minds of 

 her children, so that they may become useful mem- 

 bers of society. 



Time is making vast ravages among those who 

 take an active interest in the welfare of our coun- 

 try. Who are to take their places ? Shall we 

 look for them to our large cities ? Do not many of 

 their young men live in idleness and dissipation ." 

 Are they accustomed to that close application to 

 study and business, wliich is necessary to disci- 

 pline their minds and fit them for important places 

 in government? Where, I say, are we to look for 

 our future legislators and statesmen, but among 

 the sons of our honest yeomen ? 



And does not the formation of their minds de- 

 pend upon their mothers ? Are not the tirst im- 

 pressions the strongest and most lasting? And 

 are not those received from the mother? Is not 

 the child taught the love of good and evil, and the 

 love of God and his country, from his mother? 

 Does he not imbibe her sentiments and feelings 

 with the first dawnings of reason'? How impor- 

 tant, then, that she be intelligent, and that her 

 sentiments be correct and her judgment good. 



The business of farmers requires constant atten- 

 tion through the busy seasons of the year; they 

 have but little leisure for inttllectual pursuits, or 

 instruction of their children, and the woman who 

 spends some porlion of her time in useful reading 

 and imparting the information thereby gained to 

 those around her, does abundantly more to benefit 

 her family, than she could possibly do in raking 

 hay or picking potatoes. We are creatures of imi- 

 tation, monkey-like. If a child sees liis mother 

 take a book, he likewise will take one. If she 

 speaks of what she reads, he will likewise, and so 

 .imprint it on his memory. The influence of such 

 a woman is great. It will be felt around her, and 

 it will tell upon a generation yet unborn. 



Women possess quicker sensibilities and finer 

 feelings than men, and they have more leisure for 

 improvement. Let them improve their time to the 

 best advantage, and we shall have an intelligent 

 community. 



A man's mind is not very likely to expand or be 

 elevated, whose wife can talk of nothing but feed- 

 ing the ducks and chicken'^, though the ducks and 

 chickens should be fed, and fed often, too. 



Pittsfield, Oct. 12, 1S43. • ACCA. 



LONGEVITY OF THE HORSE. 



A few days ago, there departed this life a mare 

 belonging to Mr Robertson, of View Park, Both- 

 well — her principal claim to an obituary notice be- 

 ing the fact that she had completed the extraordi- 

 nary age of full forty years. She came into Mr 

 Robertson's possession in 1818, having then at- 

 tained the comparatively advanced age of fifteen 

 years, which completes the sum total we have sta- 

 ted. "Jess," as she was named, belonged to the 

 hardy Highland breed, and during the period of 

 twentyfive years, since she became Mr Robertson's 

 property, served him and his family — in plow, 

 saddle, or gig, at kirk and market — with a degree 

 of faithfulness which made her known in Bothwell 

 and the surrounding parishes, as the very type of 

 equine fidelity and perfection. For a long time 

 past, " Jess" has beiMi looked npon with interest, 

 as an animal which belonged to a race of horses 

 that has long since passed away, and every one 

 was anxious to show her kindness by treating her 

 will) corn and hay. In this way, "old Jess" never 

 became poor, but remained " dappled, sleek and 

 glazie" to the very last — and in appearance, at 

 least, a living contradiction to the great number 

 of years which she had actually lived. For two or 

 three years past she had been rather a kindly-used 

 pensioner than a regular laborer ; but notwithstand- 

 ing this age of ease, she was always put to any 

 little job of work that was going, and was in har- 

 ness the very week before her death. Indeed " old 

 Jess" might have lived still longer, but for an un- 

 lucky accident which hastened her demise. On 

 Sunday week, the venerable animal was enjoying 

 her ease in a pasture through which there runs a 

 stream, and having stumbled into this, she was un- 

 able to recover herself, and lay for hours before 

 her situation was discovered and assistance came. 

 She apparently recovered under the treatment 

 which was applied, but was found dead in the sta- 

 ble next morning, caused, no doubt, either by the 

 injuries she had sustained in the pool, or by the 

 strains to which she had been subjected when 

 drawn out of it. " Old Jess" was buried in View- 

 park garden, with all the honors; that is, in her 

 own skin, and with her shoes on her feet. 



We have rarely heard of an instance of longev- 

 ity beyond that of this animal; and her case may 

 raise the supposition, that were thi.a fnithful assis- 

 tant treated with more consideration and kindness, 

 the average of his life might be much lengthened. 

 In fact, this supposition is borne out by the opinion 

 of Mr Youutt, and all others who have written on 

 the natural history of the horse; and it is univer- 

 sally assumed by them that we should form a very 

 erroneous estimate of the natural age of the horse 

 from the early period at which he is now worn out 

 and destroyed. "There cannot," says Mr Youatt, 

 " be a more severe satire on the English nation 

 than this, that from the absurd practice of running 

 our race-horses at two and three years old, and 

 working others in various ways, long before their 

 limbs are knit or their strength developed, and 

 cruelly exacting t'roni them services far beyond 

 their powers, their ages do not average a sixth part 

 of tliat which some horses have attained, with kind 

 and considerate treatment." — Scotch paper. 



Cement for Cisterns Ashes two parts, three 



parts clay, one part sand, mixed with oil, will make 

 a cement as hard as marble, and impenetrable by 

 water forever. — Exch. pap. 



'• You Jim ! if you do n't behave yourself, I Ml 

 give you a good whipping" 



"Well, ma, I wish you would — for you have 

 never given me any lickln' yet that I called ' good.'" 



From the Farmer's Cafiinel. 



SEEDLING FRUIT TREES. 



Mr Editor — I was much struck with the plan 

 bility and apparent force of some observations o 

 writer in the August number of the Cabinet, und 

 the appropriate signature of "Poma," on the su 

 ject of Jipplts — particularly the apples of Ohio, 

 have not the article by me, but the gist of his ri 

 soning was, that the youthiul appearance of I 

 fruit trees, especially the apple trees of Ohio, a 

 the fiiirness and soundness of the fruit, which hi 

 attracted the notice even of passing strangers, » 

 probably to be ascribed to the trees themselves I 

 ing seedlings, or recently derived from seedii 

 trees. He argued the probability, that "settle 

 in Ohio from the Eastern States, had taken 

 seeds of apples, as a matter of convenience, in 1 

 of scions or grafted stocks from old trees ; ! 

 that, therefore, the present orchards of Ohio, i 

 in fact, youthful trees. This conclusion would 

 pear to be warranted by the theory and praci 

 now prevalent in Europe — especially in Belgiun 

 ' wliere they are creating, as it were, new and ai 

 liorated varieties of fruits, by planting the seeds 

 several successive generations, until a fine vari 

 is obtained, worthy to be preserved and propagal 

 They are not at all particular about the excelle 

 of the fruit from which they take the first seed 

 planting ; neither does the fruit from the first pli 

 ing show much, if any, sign of amelioration; 

 the second generation comes out with higher | 

 mise, and a superior variety is usually cstablis 

 in the third generation, with the peach, accord 

 to Van Mens, and in the sixth with the apple. 



Knowing how observant he is of things usi 

 in their nature, and connected with the substan 

 interests of society, 1 called the attention of 

 Whittlesey, himself a practical farmer of Ohio 

 " Poma's" remarks, and received from him, v 

 his characteristic promptness and kindness, the 

 closed letter, which you are at liberty to publ 

 if you see proper. 



J. S. SKINNER 

 Washington, Oct. 1«<, 1843. 



Jludilor's Office, P. O. Department, \ 

 Washington, Sept. 9th, 1643. j 



My Dear Sir — Having read your letter of 

 date, and the article signed "Poma," copied f 

 the Farmers' Cabinet, I shall very briefly alte 

 to answer your inquiries. 



The apples in the north part of Ohio — in v 

 is known by "the Western Reserve," and in j 

 country bordering on the Ohio river, as far as 

 rietta and vicinity, wliere I am best acquaintei 

 when proper care has been taken in selecting 

 cultivating them, are superior in size, fairness 

 flavor. 1 have visited no part of the country wl 

 they so generally abound. It is as uncommoi 

 see a house without an orchard, as without a 

 den. 



When trees are taken from nurseries not gra 

 or budded, and are left to contend with weeds 

 grass, they become scrubby ; are covered 

 rough bark and moss, and bear small, ill-flavi 

 fruit. Seedlings, when reared and pruned 

 horticulturist, are in very many instances, i 

 cious. 



Several years elapsed after my residence in 

 Western country, before I saw a defectivi 

 wormy apple. South of Lake Erie, and dis 

 from it from two to twelve miles, is a ridge c 



