1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]MER. 



29 



Indeed, we include them in our list of the in- 

 dustrial professions, believing they should be 

 considered working men. Still, our experience 

 and our observation is yearly strengthening 

 our conviction of the importance of the truth 

 expressed by the aphorism "Every man to his 

 trade." On this principle we have questioned 

 the expediency of such institutions and associa- 

 tions as the "Department" at Washington, the 

 Agricultural College, the Entomological Soci- 

 ety in Philadelphia, or any similar organiza- 

 tion, engaging in the book or periodical pub- 

 lishing business, especially on the gratuitous 

 system. In our notice of the first number of 

 the Practical Entomologist, we expressed the 

 same opinion. 



This publication has been issued one year. 

 The fre^ system has been abandoned, and an 

 able and responsible editor announced for the 

 year, — Dr. Benj. D. Walsh, of Rock Island, 

 Illinois, to whose careful observations and 

 ready pen the Entomologist is largely indebted 

 for the valuable matter wliich fills its pages. 



In his "salutatory," Dr. Walsh says : "What 

 little I have hitherto done for the Practical 

 Entomologist, has been done without any pe- 

 cuniary benefit to myself, and solely with the 

 object of furthering the interests of science, 

 by proving to the people that scientific truths 

 are often of real, practical, doUar-and-cents 

 utility. WTiether my present position will be 

 continued beyond the current year, will de- 

 pend principally upon whether the American 

 people endorse my poor efforts for their bene- 

 fit by subscribing liberally to the Practical 

 Entomologist. 



We therefore take pleasure in publishing 

 and endorsing the foregoing recommendation 

 of "S. H. S.," which we may be permitted to 

 say comes from one of the ablest and most 

 devoted entomologists of New England. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 "GOOD ADVICE." 



I was interested in reading the article in the 

 Farmer of Oct. 27, with the above heading, 

 and being a practical mechanic old enough to 

 have worn glasses, and to be the father of five 

 boys who are old enough to be tliinking of go- 

 ing to learn trades or something else, I pre- 

 sume to offer a few hasty words upon the same 

 subject. 



The "extreme scarcity of boys who are de- 

 sirous or willing to learn some good trade" is 

 owing to some other reasons, in part at least, 



besides those named, i. e., disinclination to 

 learning a trade recpiiring time and patience, 

 and the absorption of so many by the war. 



The general use of machinery to so much 

 greater extent than formerly, has, probably, 

 done much more in producmg the result than 

 any other one thing. 



When I was in my teens, the cabinet busi- 

 ness — for example — was carried on entirely 

 "by hand," and from three to seven years 

 were required for a smart boy to become a 

 "skillful workman." The lumber, hard and 

 soft wood, was sawed off the proper length, 

 sawed or hewed the right width, planed the 

 right thickness, scraped, filed, pomaced and 

 sand-papered the right smoothness, all "by 

 hand;" and a deal of elbow-grease, time and 

 patience it required. But while doing it, a 

 great amount of mental and physical discipline, 

 besides the dexterous use of all manner of 

 wood-worker's tools was required ; so that 

 when an apprentice graclnated he was expected 

 to know something useful, and to be ready to 

 commence the doing of it. With his "kit of 

 tools," and a hundred feet of lumber he could 

 set up cabinet business for himself, if his "in- 

 tended's" father would let him have room in his 

 woodshed to set up his bench. He was an in- 

 dependent man, and could make and finish 

 ready for use any article of household furniture, 

 whether bureau, locker, side-board, book-case, 

 table, light-stand, wash-stand, bedstead, chair, 

 settee, cricket, clothes-horse, bread-trough, 

 rolling-pin or cradle ! 



But now, where could a boy go to learn such 

 a trade ? Everything is done by machinery. 

 The manufacturer don't want any apprentices, 

 he gets his bureaus, tables, bedsteads, sofas, 

 &c., all made by the piece, and he hires hands 

 to tend "machines rather than to make furniture. 

 A boy may go into his factory (not shop) and 

 tend his machines while the machines make the 

 furniture, from fourteen to twenty-one years, 

 and when he gets through, he don't know 

 enough about the use of tools to make a decent 

 milking-stool. And so of man}' other trades. 

 But still, boys are wanted, and v.hy the scar- 

 city ? 



Another reason is, that the parents of the 

 best boys do not want to have their sons go 

 into such company as is found in too many 

 shops, where sv/earing, drinking sabbath- 

 breaking, gambling, and all sorts of Hcentious- 

 ness are common. It is no less true now than 

 heretofore that "evil communications corrupt 

 good manners" and good morals ! and if man- 

 ufacturers want apprentices, and such ones as 

 will be "good, and stay," they must be more 

 careful as to the company they put them into. 



Such manufiicturers as Messrs. Fairbanks, 

 of St Johnsbury, Esty & Green of Brattleboro, 

 Vt., and numerous others, who will have no 

 apprentices or journej'men but such as cheer- 

 fully comply with their wholesome moral regu- 

 lations, find no difficulty in getting all the ap- 

 prentices they want. 



