18C2. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



333 



I well remember, that about twenty years ago, 

 there was a severe rain storm in the month of 

 June ; and although our sheep had been shorn 

 more than two weeks we thought they ought to be 

 brought home to the barn. But many of them 

 were so cold and feeble in consequence of the rain 

 that it was necessary to go after them with a 

 wagon. 



About the first of July, 1861, there was another 

 very cold storm of rain, which swept away hun- 

 dreds of sheep in the town where I reside. One 

 farmer lost about sixty of his choicest sheep, al- 

 though thej^ had been sheared several days before 

 the storm came on. I have heard of more than 

 three hundred lost during the storm. 



It is infinitely better lor animals to keep them 

 in a stable or shed, where they cannot get a 

 mouthful of food for twelve successive hours, than 

 to allow them to be exposed for only two hours to 

 a storm of cold rain. 



When I was accustomed to keep sheep I was 

 always careful to let them have a benefit of a shed, 

 if they needed it, iiot only in winter, but during 

 the summer ; and it was very unusual that our 

 horses and neat cattle were left for one hour in 

 the field during a cold storm. Cold storms not 

 only make horses look bad, but they do really in- 

 jure them, by rendering them stiff and dull ; and 

 they often contract severe colds, which, in many 

 cases. Mill superinduce catarrh and glanders. 



Young calves and colts often suffer extremely 

 from exposure to cold storms, even in summer ; 

 and to shelter them, will be time and money well 

 appropriated. "A merciful man regardeth the life 

 of his beast." — S. E. T., — in Country Oentleman. 



THE JAPANESE IN ENGLAND. 

 The London correspondent of the Manchester 

 Guardian wTites as follows : 



The Japanese Ambassadors are the most inde- 

 fatigable of "lions." They are to be met every- 

 where, and go through their sight-seeing with a 

 stolid patience which does as much credit to their 

 strength as to their self-control. They prefer 

 London to Paris, as they have not been made so 

 much fuss about, and are allowed to see things 

 more in their own way, and at their own conve- 

 nience. Paris was done for them by official pro- 

 gramme. The draughtsman is really a clever fel- 

 low in his art, and perfectly indefatigable as a 

 sketcher. He carries the breastfold of his robe 

 filled with note books, in which he works with 

 gi-eat rapidity, and in outline. His drawings of 

 animals at the Zoological Gardens are described 

 to me by a friend who has seen them — for I have 

 not yet had that privilege — as singularly faithful 

 and spirited, and as showing a full knowledge of 

 perspective. The monkeys and the bears were his 

 favorite subjects, as afl'ording most scope for the 

 fun which evidently enters very largely into their 

 way of viewing things. They are not at all carried 

 away by the English ladies. On the contrary, 

 they do not scruple to say that they think us 

 Westerns, of both sexes, a singularly ugly race. 

 It is very wholesome to be reminded of the difler- 

 ence of tastes in this way, for of all the ugly spec- 

 imens of humanity, in Western eyes, the Japanese 

 Embassy, by universal admission here, includes 

 the flower. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BORROWING- AND LENDING. 



!Mr. Editor : — The practice of borrowing and 

 lending may be well enough, sometimes— in fact, 

 may be necessary, in some cases ; but they should 

 both be kept within bounds, and under projjer reg- 

 ulations. This practice, I suppose, is nearly as 

 old as the creation. Society could not well sub- 

 sist, if neighbors M'ere not disposed to accommo- 

 date one another in this way. Let a man's busi- 

 ness or wealth be what it may, he cannot be so 

 independent, as at no time to stand in need of 

 borrowing. Unforeseen accidents may happen at 

 such a time, and in such manner, as to make it 

 impossible for liim to purchase the thing he im- 

 mediately wants. The thing may not be for sale 

 anywhere in the neighborhood, so that he is 

 obliged to borrow, or stop the work. 



But this practice may be carried too far. It 

 may be carried so far as to be ]n-ejudicial both to 

 the borrower and the lender. It ought to be kept 

 under such limitations as to be mutually benefi- 

 cial. "The borrower," says Solomon, "is a ser- 

 vant to the lender." This is sometimes the case. 

 But it more frequently happens, that the lender 

 is a servant to the borrower, and is obliged to 

 serve him, not only in lending him what he wants 

 to boiTow, but in running after the things which 

 have not been returned. If the borrower sets out 

 with a determination to live by borrowing, with- 

 out any intention of returning, or repaying in 

 kind, his intention will soon be discovered, and 

 he will find it impossible to borrow of any who 

 are not slaves to his wishes. So, too, if he habit- 

 ually neglects to return what he has borrowed, he 

 will find that the lender will not endure the ser- 

 vitude of running after the things which have not 

 been returned. 



They Avho lend household articles, or mechan- 

 ics' tools, or implements of husbandry, generally 

 expect to receive their own again unhurt — the 

 very thing, where it can be done ; where this can- 

 not be done, something equivalent. But if they 

 find that what is lent is lost, or forgotten, or brok- 

 en, or wilfully retained, they will soon grow weary 

 of obliging in this way ; more especially if they 

 be ill treated when they go after and ask for what 

 belongs to them. The longer a thing has been 

 lent, the more likely it is that it will never be re- 

 turned, without being sought for by the lender, 

 which is always very unpleasant business. 



The lender ought always to be the judge of the 

 propriety of lending, or withholding his hand, let 

 the borrower clamor as he may. For if the lend- 

 er is obliged to lend whatever an unprincipled bor- 

 rower wants, he can Avith propriety call nothing 

 his own, let him possess what he may ; for there 

 will be borrowers enough to deprive him of all his 

 property. Still, it is ahvays best to cultivate an 

 obliging disposition. He who is altogether un- 

 mindful of his neighbor's interest, may expect to 

 be paid down in his own coin : for his neighbor 

 will be unmindful of him. Men grow tired of 

 lending to those who never think of returning. 

 In such cases, the borrower is worse than the beg- 

 gar. The beggar does not deceive, as in his case 

 no return is expected. The borrower may do 

 much injury to others ; the beggar cannot do 

 much harm, as he has no power. 



Borrowing frequently occasions the loss of much 



