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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



they have recently ushered into the world. Cocks 

 crow and hens cackle with unusual zeal, doves 

 coo, turkeys strut, and the guinea hen screama, 

 so that the whole farmery is checkered with new 

 sights and made vocal with new sounds. 



If March were less turbulent, and April less 

 fickle, giving us a saccession of gentle airs and 

 sunny days, there would be a sameness in the 

 •weather of May that would be monotonous and 

 tiresome, and we should long for high winds, 

 snow squalls and pelting showers. We realize 

 our delightful sensations by contrast. A sea cap- 

 tain waited at the mouth of the river Neva for the 

 ice to break and pass out, so that he could go up 

 to the city of St. Petersburg, the capital of the 

 Russian empire, and discharge his ship. When 

 the time arrived he did go up, unloaded, took in 

 another cargo, went to a distant port, and in six 

 weeks was back again to St. Petersburg. The 

 change which nature had wrought in that brief 

 period he described as astonishing, as bordering 

 upon the marvellous ! And it was marvellous ! 

 As he ascended the river, flowers greeted his eye 

 all along its banks, and their fragrance was waft- 

 ed by gentle airs far over the peaceful waters. 

 Instead of the white shroud that covered the earth 

 so short a time before, fields of clover blossoms, 

 stout timothy, or the silky red-top, now waved in 

 the wind, or was falling by the mower's scythe. 

 It was in the midst of the hay season, and the 

 scene presented was lovely and animated in the 

 extreme. The hardy sailors seemed inspired by 

 this wide and wonderful contrast, and became po- 

 etical in expressing their admiration of the charm- 

 ing landscape presented to them. 



In England, however, the climate is more tem- 

 perate, and the changes must be more gradual ; 

 yet they have been sufficiently wide and sudden 

 to produce in the minds of its poets some of the 

 warmest commendations of the month of May. 



We cannot apologize to the reader for giving 

 this brief corner of our page to the month of May. 

 It is not out of place, nor will it be without its 

 practical influences to him who loves the ways of 

 nature and studies her curious works. 



Our application is this : If the farmer has made 

 careful preparation for his summer work, and has 

 trained his mind not to be too anxious for to-mor- 

 row, he will find great contentment and profit, 

 even in the changeable month of May ! 



Hay Crop of the U. S. — The average hay 

 crop of the United States is now about 20,000,- 

 000 tons, worth according to quality, from $5 to 

 $25 a ton, averaging perhaps $10, which would 

 give $200,000,000 as the annual value. 



A Farmer's eyes should become familiar with 

 each nook and corner of the farm and farm build- 

 ings. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PAY YOUR DEBTS. 

 What a diff'erenl world this would be if all men 

 did their utmost to keep clear of debt! How 

 much less of bad feeling, anger, hatred, sin and 

 misery should we see in the world if men would 

 promptly pay what they owe each other I 



There is a large class in the community, who, 

 I am happy to say, do strive to keep square with 

 the world, who are really honest in heart ; and 

 there is also another class who are not troubled at 

 all if their debts are not paid,— indeed, they seeni 

 to be troubled a great deal if they a*re obliged to 

 pay them. There is also another class who would 

 like to pay their debts, but who do not seem to 

 have sufficient energy and perseverance to shake 

 ofT the load with which they have aUowed them- 

 selves to be encumbered. As there is not much 

 hope for those who are already "bead and ears'* 

 in debt, nor for those mean, detestable people 

 who do not pay if they can help it, I will, in this 

 article, address those who are just beginning in 

 life, who are free from debt — farmers, mechanics 

 and others, who mean to live an honest, industri- 

 ous life. 



1. Set this down as a rule to which you will 

 strictly adhere when it is possible so to do— pay 

 as you go. Many have begun in life with this 

 rule for their motto, but have sadly failed in the 

 observance of it. And why have they failed ? 

 Misfortune caused some to fail, but nine out of 

 every ten Tailed because they were somewhat de- 

 ficient in ster7i, unfiinching principle, and manly 

 independence, and because it sometimes requires 

 considerable self-denial and much exertion to fol- 

 low the above rule. But, my young friends, un- 

 less you should be afflicted with more sickness 

 and disaster than commonly falls to the lot of ev- 

 ery human being, you can pay as you go. Al- 

 though you may not be able to follow all the new 

 fashions, yet you can live comfortably, and can 

 move about in society with a mind and conscience 

 at ease; you can walk the streets, and enjoy the 

 beauties of nature and art, without fearing to 

 meet an old creditor whom you should have paid 

 long ago. It may sometimes be good policy for a 

 young farmer to buy a farm, partially, or even 

 wholly on credit, provided he can derive an in- 

 come from it sufficient to pay the interest on the 

 debt and some of the principal each year ; but if 

 he cannot do this, or if he can only pay the inter- 

 est, the sooner he sells the farm the better. It 

 would be far better for him to work out as a com- 

 mon day laborer than to make a slave of himself 

 all his life merely to pay somebody their interest 

 money. 



2. Never buy anything unless you need it ; 

 and not even then unless you can pay for it at the 

 time, or know that you can very soon. One great 

 reason why so many are in debt is because they 

 buy things which they do not need ; and this is 

 often done for the sake of keeping up a fashiona- 

 ble appearance. The poor strive to keep pace 

 with the rich in outside show, and they soon find 

 themselves deeply in debt. How much more 

 worthy of respect is the man who wears the coars- 

 est cloth, drives a slow horse and rides in an old 

 wagon, which have all been paid for, and are his 

 own, than the man who dresses in the finest broad- 

 cloth, drives a splendid pair of horses, and rides 

 in an elegant carriage, but who owes almost every 



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