536 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



THE BABY PAYS. 



I have never known a house without a baby 

 that got along as well as other houses. I never 

 knew a baby that didn't pay its way in smiles 

 and kisses to deguile the toil-worn and M'eary. 



"I was going out to-day to get some steers to 

 fat this winter, if that fellow had paid up his note 

 yesterday," says Wm. Nickson, as with a corru- 

 gated brow and sad look, he sat down by the 

 kitchen stove. 



"My dear, I thought you had twenty steers 

 novv," gently replied the wife. 



"Twenty ! and what are they to eat up a hun- 

 dred acres of corn that wont pay for hauling to 

 market at a sliilling a bushel. This miserable 

 war !" 



"Wab, wab, wab," says the baby, and the fa- 

 ther's eyes mechanically wander to her, where she 

 is locomoting along the floor froglike, as fast as 

 hands and feet can carry her. 



"Patty cake," says the older brother, and as 

 baby crowingly responds, the care-wrinkled brow 

 of papa relaxes, and the corners of his mouth be- 

 gin to twitch. 



"You mind how she singed for a preacher on 

 Sunday ?" says little Charley. 



"Thei'e never was such a baby !" says papa, as 

 he snatches up the little chit, and kisses the hands 

 that would fain twine themselves in his whiskers. 



The steers and the cares are forgotten, and after 

 a merry jaunting of baby to "Banberry Cross," he 

 goes out to his field hands a better and happier 

 man. 



For my part I pity the woman who hasn't got 

 any babies to win back the smiles to the stern 

 faces of the lords of creation. — Prairie Farmer. 



Benefits of Relaxation in the Education 

 OF Children. — Sir Benjamin Brodie thus ex- 

 presses his opinion on this subject : — "It is only to 

 a limited extent that the education of children can 

 be advantageously combined with bodily labor. 

 Even in the case of grown-up persons, some inter- 

 vals of leisure are necessary to keep the mind in a 

 healthful and vigorous state. It is when thus re- 

 lieved from the state of tension belonging to ac- 

 tual study that boys and girls, as well as men and 

 women, acquire the habit of thought and reflec- 

 tion, and of forming their own conclusions, inde- 

 pendently of what they are taught and the au- 

 thority of others. In younger persons, it is not 

 the mind only that suffers from too large a de- 

 mand being made on it for the purposes of study. 

 Relaxation and cheerful occupation are essential 

 to the proper development of the corporal struc- 

 ture and faculties ; and the want of them operates 

 like an unwholesome atmosphere, or defective 

 nourishment, in producing the lasting evils of de- 

 fective health and a stunted growth, with all the 

 secendary evils to Avhich they lead." 



I CATTLE MABKETS POR OCTOBER. 



The following is a summary of the reports for the fire weeks 

 ending October 23, 1862 : 



NUMBER AT MARKET. 



CnWe. 

 September 25... 3353 



October 2 2S09 



" 9 2706 



" 16 2892 



" 23 3466 



Sheep and 

 Lambs, 

 6960 

 8557 

 8255 

 6726 

 7730 



15,231 



38,228 



Shctes and 

 Piss. 

 600 

 450 

 400 

 400 

 250 



210O 



Lire 

 Fat Hogs. 



2000 



2500 



2000 



500 



7000 



The following table shows the number of cattle and sheep 

 from the several States, for the last five weeks : 



Cattle. 



Maine 3078 



New Hampshire 1946 



Vermont 5655 



Massachusetts 365 



Northern New York 897 



Canada 326 



Western States 2964 



15.231 



Sheep. 



6849 



2551 



14832 



72 



2308 

 11498 



1118 



38,228 



PRICES. 



Sept. 25. Oct. 2. Oct. 9. Oct. 16. 



Beef,^flb SgSQj 33.S63 35,g6J 83563 



Sheep and lambs.. $2i(R3J $24333 $2|@3J $2^24 



Swine, stores, wh'le.334 3 iQi 3ig4 - (g4 



" " retail. 4 55 SigSJ 3136 4 (g5J 



Dressed hogs 434J 4 (g4i 4^34^ 4|S4§ 



Oct. 23. 

 3327 



$23341 

 4135^ 

 5 ®6 



Remarks. — The number of Western cattle at market this 

 month is smaller in proportion to the Northern, than it was in 

 September, and the average quality decideflly inferior. One 

 week something like 200 might have been selected out of the 600 

 at market, whose live weight would not have exceeded 900 fts. 

 each. October 9th, Mr. A. N. Monroe sold 42 such cattle, aver- 

 aging 814 lbs., 40 #■ cent, shrink. There have been, however, 

 some lots of choice, corn fed Western bullocks at market every 

 week, which have sold about 25c 4f 100 lbs. higher than the best 

 Northern o.xen. Occasionally a really extra pair of stall fed 

 Northern oxen have found their way to market this month. In 

 the report of Thursday, Oct. 23, a pair was noticed as follows: 



Bouncers. — Mr. Berry Long had 1 pair of oxen on sale at 

 Cambridge, which, although not offered as workers, did never- 

 theless draw, pi-etty much all d.ay, a large crowd of men and 

 boys. Several experienced dealers laid the live weight of these 

 "steers" at 6000 tbs., or three tons, which the owner said was a 

 little too high, as they weighed at home only 5960 lbs. Mr. 3. 

 S. Learnard drove off these cattle, with the promise of further 

 particulars hereafter. 



These oxen were not extravagantly fat or over-grown, but 

 were well-formed, active, and apparently in a thriving condition. 



The number of Northern and Eastern oxen at market, October 

 23, was very large and the average quality uncommonly good. 

 As there were less than 400 cattle from the West, the trade was 

 quite brisk. Some of the marki't men said that more stock 

 changed hands on Tuesday of that week than on any other day 

 during the past two years. 



Notwithstanding the large number of cattle and sheep which 

 have been offered for sale during the month, it is evident that 

 prices are higher at its close than at its commencement. 



Hides are now quoted at 7 (g 7,'jC ^ lb. ; tallow 7^4 3 8c ; and 

 sheep's pelts at $1,50. 



Working oxen were quoted in report for October 23, as follows: 

 6 ft. oxen $50 3 75 ; 6 ft. 6 iu. $00 3 85 ; 7 ft. $90 3 110. Ex- 

 tra somewhat higher. 



Milch cows which are really good sell readily at good prices, 

 while poor ones, being by far the largest class, sell low and hard 

 at any price. Sales from $20 to $50 — many cows with young 

 calves are sold at about $30. 



The trade at the swmo market is also improving, although the 

 number of stores reported is small. 



\ 



