152 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Makch 



"So now )'0u have got a dollar's worth of mar- 

 bles, for which you never paid one cent !" said his 

 mother, slowly and with em])hasis. 



John, who Avas an honest boy, looked at her as 

 if he did not fully comprehend the extent of her 

 meaning. 



"Mr. Lowly," continued his mother, "is a gam- 

 bler, and he wins other people's money in the same 

 way. He plays 'upon the square,' he says." 



As the truth flashed upon John that he was a 

 gambler, he burst into tears, and asked his mother 

 wliat he must do. After showing him how little 

 evils cxj^anded into greater, and how persons M'ere 

 tempted to cheat and defraud when there was a 

 prospect to make anything by it, she told him to 

 return all Peter's marbles, and then go and ask 

 God to forgive him. 



Peter seemed very thankful to get his marl)les 

 back. John left him whistling a merry tune, which 

 seemed just like he was saying, "Johnny an't go- 

 ing: to be a gambler." 



EDUCATED FEET. 



Who can tell to what uses the feet and toes 

 could be put, if a necessity arose for a full devel- 

 ment of their powers ? There is a way of educa- 

 ting the foot, as well as the hand or the eye ; and 

 it is astonishing what an educated foot can be 

 made to do. Wc know that in the time of Alex- 

 ander, the Indians Mere taught to draw their bows 

 with their feet, as well as with their hands, and 

 Sir J. E. Tennent tells us that this is done up to 

 the present time by the Rock Veddahs, of Ceylon. 

 And nearly all the savage tribes can turn their 

 toes not only to good, but bad account ; like the 

 aboriginals of Australia, who, while they are cun- 

 ningly diverting your attention with their hands, 

 are busily engaged in committing robberies with 

 their toes, with which they pick up articles as an 

 elephant would with his trunk. So also the Hin- 

 doo makes his toes Avork at the loom, and weaves 

 with them with almost as much dexterity as with 

 his fingers. The Chinese carpenter will "hold the 

 bit of wood he is planing by his foot, like a parrot, 

 and will work a grindstone with his feet. The 

 Banaka tribe, who are the famous canoe-men on 

 the West African coast, will impel their light ca- 

 noes — weighing only from eight to ten jjounds — 

 with great velocity over the Avaves, and, at the 

 same time, will use the foot to bail out water ; and 

 when they would rest their arms, one leg is thrown 

 out on either side of the canoe, and it is propelled 

 with the feet almost as fast as Avith a paddle. 

 There Avas also Monsieur Ducornet, Avho died only 

 four years ago, Avho, although he Avas born without 

 hands, Avas brought up as an artist, and Avho an- 

 nually exhibited at the Louvre pictures ])aintcd by 

 his feet. Then there Avas Thomas Roberts, the 

 armless huntsman to Sir George Barlow, Avhose 

 feet Avere made to ])crform the duties of his hands. 

 And there Avas William Kingstone, Avho Avith his 

 toes Avrote out his accounts, shaved and dressed 

 himself, saddled and bridled his horse, thrcAV 

 sledge hammers, and fought a stout battle, in Avhich 

 he came off victorious. — Cuthhert JJede's Glen- 

 creggan. 



THE CATTLE MARKETS FOB FEBRUARY. 



Tlie following is a summary of the reports for the four weeks 

 ending February 20 : 



NUIXBER AT MARKET. 



Cattle. S'leep. S.'iotes. Lire Fat Hogs. 



January 30 S04 2470 400 '200 



February 1294 3571 250 150 



" 13 9S9 325S 250 50 



" 20 ISIO 2502 150 — 



Total 4897 11811 1050 400 



PRICES. 



Jan. 30. Feb. 6. Feb. 13. Feb. 20. 



Beef cattle, 4P' lb 4?fi6Jc 45«6J 5(57 5 i?6J 



Sheep, live weight 4'j!i6 4|i(j5J 4Vtt5J 4',?j5? 



Swine, stores, wholesale.... 3irf4i 3J*f4 SJno iSfiv)^ 



" " retail 3J54| 4 §5 4 36 b'nG 



Livefathogs 3|~ 3^ij4J 4} 



At this market, prices and estimates of beeves are based on the 

 total weigUt of hide, tallow and dressed beef ; in Xew York, on 

 ttie weight of beef alone ; a difference of something like one-fifth. 

 Tlrat is, an animal whose four quarters weigh 100 fts. each, 

 would be rated in Brighton as dressing about 500 lbs., and in 

 New York at 400 fts., and consequently 4c iP' ft. in this market 

 would amount to the same sum as oc #■ tb. in \ew York. The 

 "fifth quarter,'' as the hide and tallow are often called, is heavi- 

 er, in proportion to the aieat, in very fat than in light animals. 



Remarks. — The Xortliern catlle and sheep at market the past 

 month have been very good, many of them being really v^ell 

 fitted. Cut few stores have been offered for sale, and but few 

 have been called far. 



In the price of working oxen and milch cows, there has been 

 but little change during the month. Our reports of sales have 

 not been very numerous of either class. Pretty good oxen are 

 sold at from $75 to $100 V pair, and cows from §25 to $45. 



The cattle and sheep alluded to in the following paragraphs 

 were at Brighton Market, February 20: 



JIammoth Cattle. — Messrs. Soollans & Flinn put five of 

 their Western beeves into a yard by themselves on AVednesday, 

 which were visited as curiosities by nearly every person on tlie 

 ground. They were fed by J. Dennis, Esq., of Niles, Cayuira 

 Co., N. Y. One pair of Durhams which liad been in his stable 

 for three years, weighed at Albany 6050 fts. Another five-year 

 old pair, of the "mooHy" or no-horned race, weiehcd at home 

 5000 lbs., and at Brighton 4800 lbs. But the lion of the party was 

 a four-year old steer, which weighed at home 2900 fts This 

 steer had no appearance of being over-grown or awkwardly fat, 

 deeply as his ribs were covered, but was well-proportioned, tidy- 

 looking and pretty spry, notwithstanding his great weight. The 

 same might he said of tlie Durham oxen, while, to my eye, the 

 no-horns were less comely. The whole lot were rich animals, 

 such as I have not been accustomed to look upon, and good .nidg- 

 es said, such as are seldom seen either in Brighton or N. York. 

 I understood they were not sold at the time I saw them, nor did 

 I learn the price, but it is to bo hoped that the lovers of good beef 

 v/ill reward Messrs. Scollans & Flinn, not only for the pleasure 

 they may enjoy at the dinner-table, but for that afforded to the 

 many admirers of "neat stock" who saw them at Brighton. 



Great Sheep. — A^^aleg, Curtis & Sinclair sold to .T. AV. Hol- 

 lis 9 Cotswold and Lester sheep which weighed at Albany 2400 

 lbs., or an average of 267 lbs. each. They were all smooth weth- 

 ers, no horns or stags in the lot. Four of them were rai«ed in 

 Albany county, and 5 in Genesee. Only 1 had been slaughtered, 

 and that yielded 33 fts. of rough tallow, which we were told, Jlr. 

 llollis said was the largest amount he ever took from any one 

 shrej) before. Those acquainted with the kind of sheep slauch- 

 tered by Mr. Hollis for many years past will not need aiiyf arlljer 

 particulars of this lot, except that wc understood the sheep cost 

 about $25 each. 



Comparative Value of Oats and Roots. — 

 Four and tAvo-thirds pounds of oats are estimated 

 by analysis to contain a little over one pound of 

 flesh, muscle and fat forming principles ; to equal 

 that it Avill take, of carrots, nearly nine lbs. ; of 

 Aberdeen turnips, near tAventy lbs. ; and of SAved- 

 ish turnips, near seventeen pounds. It Avill be 

 seen that the difiercnce is greatly in favor of oats. 



