lOS 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER 



Vol. 3. 



stand and adapt our produtuu.. . c I'lo soil and clima;t,c, 

 and turn our attention to the cultivation of that wliich 

 wa3 most profitable, and consequently keep up a mure 

 steady eiiuilibriuin of prices. As it is, I am satisfied 

 that some few of our products yiell us a fair figpipen- 

 sation for our labor ; and that there arc others\^iioh 

 mitrhtdo so, which we do not now cultivate; but there 

 are many more that do not yield us one half of tlie ex- 

 pense of cultivation .at present prices, counting labor 

 worth but fifty cents per diem. It is a mistake to sup- 

 pose that one mode of cultivation or kind of production, 

 will answer equally well for every section jK our diver- 

 sified soil and climate. What is profitable in one section 

 is unprofitable in another. \ B 



I fully agree in every particular with your vaUiable 

 correspondent, W. Garbutt, in what he has said, in hig 

 co:nparison of English and American agriculture; and_ 

 I would api>ly the same reasoning to the difl'erent sec-^ 

 tions of our own country. It may be profitable or good 

 economy to cultivate roots on a large scale for feeding 

 stock in the vicinity of our cities and large to<.™s, 

 where laborers are more plenty, land dear, and Kay' 

 worth from ten to twenty dollars per ton ; but frouf my 

 own practice and experience, I am convinced Jhat it 

 has cost me on my farm from fifty to one hundred per 

 cent more to winter a creature on roots, than ^fSs on 

 hay. .s 



Permit me here to remark, (with a desire(.riot to ap- 

 pear censorious, as it certainly is contrary to my feci- 

 incs,) that the agricultural p.ipers, in recommending a 

 system of cultivation, have not duly consider«i« the 

 natural differences of soil, cUmate, prices of labor, pio- 

 ducts, lands, &c. ; but have too generally recommend- 

 ed tlie same system for every section of country. Or 

 perhaps, they have supposed that the farmers themselv.s 

 wouM take those things into consideration ; but the 

 farmers omitted to use iheir mental faculties, and conse- 

 quently have fdiled in their first experiments, which is 

 the cause of some of our bc.«t farmers entertaining 

 strong prejudices against what they .sneeringly term 

 "Book Farmers." 



I was much pleased with the manner which you 

 treated the suliject of a threatened withdrawal of pat- 

 ronage, because you admiticd an article in your paper 

 that did not correspond with the views of some of your 

 subscribers, on the subject of Protective Duties. You 

 say, and say truly, that it is a matter of great nati.inal 

 i nportance, and a question that concerns the farmers 

 as much or more than any otiierclass; ami further, that 

 you are willing to hear, and let your readers hear what 

 may be said on both sides of that great question. 1 

 have read several times, and with great satisfaction, the 

 article in your January nu;i her complained of I con- 

 sider it a spirited, well written article, and an honor to 

 the head and ho.%rt of the wi iter a i containing the sen- 

 timent- of a true American, tin I perfectly free fro n the 

 " advocacy of British inte ests." I ask your respected 

 friends, if they have not seen much stronger articles in 

 t!ic Far.ner in favor of protective duties than on the 

 opposite side of t ic question, or the one signed S. W., 

 the article objected to. Suppose that S. W. or myself 

 should threaten to withdraw our p.itronage on that ac- 

 count,what would you think of us ? would you not say 

 that our cause was a bad one, if it would not bear dis- 

 cussion and investigation, or 



" He that will nit renson is a bigot, 

 lie thai dare not is a slave." 

 But, .Vlr. Editor, you need not fear that S. \V. will 

 withdraw his pa ronage of 50 cents or 50 dollars, be- 

 cause a portion of your correspondents differ with him 

 on that suliject. I will voucli for him, although an en- 

 tire stranger to me ; yet I am certain he docs not fear 

 free discussion. 



Should you consider my desultory remarks worthy 

 of a place in the Farmer, I propose giving at some fu- 

 ture '.iinc, an estimate in detail of the first cost of pro- 



ducing the several agiicultural products of Michigan, 

 tbun led on an assumed basis, of improved land at S2U 

 per acre, labor at 00 cents yicr day (by the year), and 6 

 pcrcentinteNst-on the capital invested, which is not 

 very far f onjfthe real standard. And trust that some 

 one, if not all, of your correspondents, in the diflcrent 

 sectionsof this glorious country, will concur with my 

 views on this subject, and made it manifest by sending 

 in their estimates in detail, with all the circumstances, 

 whys and wherefores, for publication. 



J. S. DUTTO^'. 

 Monroe. Mirhiirnv, ISI'2, 



neply to Zclia." Dclence of Farmer's Wives 

 and Daiighlers. 



Mm Editor — I would not inlriide.iipon yotir pa. 



tieneeso soon ncoin, If I did not feel n little excited 

 nbom eome of Zel a's remorks, which, though good 

 and full of interest, I eonsiiler as not applicable to 

 larmers, their wives find their daughtere generally. 1 

 commend the discretion and wisdom she is anxious to 

 (enforce, but would guard ngninst views which I con- 

 ceive to be erroneous 



In the first place, she calls upon women to consider 

 whether their influence goes to promote temperance, 

 industry and their nalurnl results, or the opposite. 

 These considerations deserve the attention of every 

 niTother and daughter, every father and son. The 

 mirjd and the body are so connected, that the occupa- 

 tion and condition nf ihe one sensibly affects the other. 

 When we labor with our hands, our minds almost un- 

 consciously imbibe ecntimenta and feeling which the 

 employment is adapted to inspire. When we open 

 our hearts to the influence of pieiy and compassion, 

 our hands are prompted to acts which may alleviate 

 the sorrow and distress our eyes behold. For this 

 reason, it is judicious and highly desirable for all per- 

 sons to employ their minds and thoughts in n manner 

 that may actuate their hands to perform their duty ; 

 and study to use physical st.'cngth in a manner that 

 may impart to the mind the satisfaction resulting from 

 a useful and virtu:.>nd life. 



She farther adds, ** that she believes it is generally 

 admitted, that the extrovagance that choracleriacs our 

 age, the enormous ei^iiendiiurcs of time onti money 

 on mere trinkets, is the predominant cause of the em- 

 barrassments of our times. I suppose that politicians 

 would differ on this point. Be that as it may. I really 

 do not believe that the tiinkcts of the farmers, their 

 wives or dniigbteis, would amount to a vast sum. 

 They generally understand too well that their money 

 is hardly earned, and therefore prize it loo highly to 

 trifle it away. ] should have supposed that Zulia in- 

 tended her remarks for n certain clnse, to which it 

 would bo very ap|ilicable, if she had not said " no 

 particular doss is exempt from the charge." Now I 

 contend that fnnners, ns a general thing, are exempt 

 from extravagance in any thing, except the idea thai 

 ihey are loo poor to lay out a great many dollars ip 

 enlargin; , uultivaiing and ornamenting the minds or 

 persons of iheir children, or of affording themselves 

 the means of useful in iruction. Not that I would 

 advise or wish anyone to live beyond their means; 

 not so, hut every one should study to make themselves 

 useful, and use the means which God has given them 

 to elevate and improve, to refine and polish, ihe men. 

 lal powers and personal qualities, for which the means 

 of improvement have been so amply providrd. I 

 should be sorry to indulge any unjust prejudice, but 

 the farmers are more exempt from this reproach ol 

 extravagance than the working classes of ihe cities 

 and villages, as ihey live more secluded from the 

 fashionable and vain, and consequently have lesB to 

 tempt their love of show and splendor. 



Again she says, "all have lived beyond their 

 means, beyond the limits of common sense and pru 



enee," &c. I must think il Zelia were os well ac- 

 quainted with the habits and management of farmers 

 as I am, she would not have said all. Thai they have 

 been to a degree involved in the generol ruin ond dis- 

 tress ihot pervades the country, I do not deny. But 

 that il has bt'en brought upon them ihroi.gh the niis- 

 innnagemeni and extravagance of iheir wives and 

 daughters, or even their own, I connol odmit. That 

 the merchants and mechanics, the professic nal men, 

 and the drones, have long indulged in a vain and de- 

 ceitful ottenlaiion and exiravafionce, is evident. But 

 the farmers, although their produce has been much of 

 the lime almost imniarkctable, and when sold, sold nt 

 reduced pricee^aOT on credit, still by the persevering 

 industry of the msclvee, their wives end their daugh- 

 le B, ond the economical management of their busi- 

 ness ofTairs, they have broved the storm of broken 

 banks and broken credit, broken lortnnes and broken 

 spirits; and by a un firm course of good policy and 

 praiseworthy sell-denial of the dainties and luxurice 

 of life, they have saved their own and many other 

 fortunes. How seldom do we hear of a farmers 

 breaking or losing hie farm, except through the gen 

 erous endeavor to save np unfortunate friend or falling 

 neighbor, or by some rash trade or speculation, whol- 

 ly foreign from his propel puisuit as a larnier. 



Again she says, " no person or people who consume 

 more than they produce, can long escape being en- 

 slaved some way or other." As Zclia has made no 

 exceptions before, I conclude she did not intend any 

 here. There may be some it is true, among the lar- 

 mers, ihal are possessed of a false and vain ambition ; 

 but I fancy they are few, compared with those who 

 deem time and money expended in the cultivation 

 of the mind and person, as almost wostcd and improp- 

 eriy applied. It must be evident, that this paragraph 

 cannot touch the farmers, who support the whole com- 

 bined mass of all classes; the high and the low, the 

 great a()d the small. If ipstcad of confounding the 

 industrious a d frugal wives and daughters of the 

 land wiih the city automatons and villoge dolls, who 

 view labor os degrading, and those who labor as 

 slaves, if Zelia had made a wise distinct! m, ond di- 

 rected her remarks to those whose views are bound up 

 in purposes of ambition, or their lives consumed in a 

 round of idle indulgences of fashionable dissipation, 

 and who subsist only on the plunder of the fruits of 

 the industry of other rnen, instead of implicating the 

 industrious and independint yeomonry, then I would 

 heartily haveaccorded in her views. But Zelia, this 

 will never answer — we have come within an inch of 

 tiolitics— and shall be very likely to get n lecture, or 



an excommunication, either of whicli would be 



dreadful. 



But to atone, Zelia, for the liberties I have taken, 

 let me say, bad ynu and I lived in ancient times, and 

 1 had happened to have been o priestess at the temple 

 of Delpbos, I would have consecrated in golden let- 

 ters (with the precepts there) your remarks. " I am 

 not desirous of curtailing the pleasures of life, or 

 hoarding up riches lor thcii o.vn sake ; but would re- 

 commend such true economy as will promote perma- 

 nent and rational hoppiness ; anJ enable us to do good 

 where the opportunity presents itself. For any other 

 purpose the acquisition of wealth is scarcely worth a 

 thought." 



Let this ever be our motto ; to combine in a con- 

 sistent and reasonable manner, the useful with the re- 

 fined and the ornomenlal. FLORA. 



Ploughing in Vegetable Crops to Enrich the 

 Land* 



We publish to day a communication ol "Turnip- 

 seed" (pray take some other name) on the subject of 

 "Glowing Wheal on Inverted Gieensward;" to this 

 H'l; are glad to add a communication of Mr. Tufts of 

 Le Roy, on the subject of destroying Conoda This- 



