week to works of charity and mercy, the 
world might have been the better for it. 
Many a heart-ache might have been relieved 
by the six hundred and fifty dollars which I 
have puffed away. I think, then, that if I 
had to begin life again, I would not learn to 
smoke. 
I know it may be said that the same argu¬ 
ments could be raised against this, that, and 
the other superfluity, which might be done 
without. But 1 am not writing about this, 
that, and the other superfluity; I am writing 
about tobacco-smoke. 
To turn to another thought; 1 am not 
quite sure that smokingisahealthypractice. 
I know it is not necessary to health, for I see 
my friends who do not smoke are not troubled 
with diseases to which those of us who do 
are subject. My wife does not smoke, and, 
so far as I can see, she does not suffer from 
the privation. I might go a step further, and 
say, I have a strong suspicion that some¬ 
times smoking disagrees with some of us, 
and is rather detrimental to health than other¬ 
wise. Certainly, excessive smoking is in¬ 
jurious ; but who shall draw the line of de¬ 
marcation between moderation and excess 1 
As for myself, I do not know that smoking 
has ever hurt me. It is true, when I have 
a bilious head-ache, I nauseate the smell of 
tobacco-smoke, but so do I nauseate also 
the smell of roast-beef. Still, as I firmly 
believe that I am none the better for smoking, 
I think, if young again, I would not learn to 
smoke. 
Then, again, I can not help the conviction 
that smoking is rather the reverse of a sweet 
and cleanly practice. To be sure, my friends 
praise me for not betraying my habit; nev- 
erthless, there are times when I am glad to 
rinse my mouth, and purify my garments, 
and fear that, after all, I carry about with me 
unmistakable tokens of what I have been 
doing. And I am quite sure that some of my 
smoking friends, who are less particular than 
I am, and especially those who cultivate 
dirty German pipes, are never free from the 
peculiar perfumery of stale tobacco. And as 
this is far from being pleasant to me, who 
am a smoker, I am sure it can not be pleas¬ 
ant to those who are not smokers. More¬ 
over, the expectoration which smoking pro¬ 
vokes is far from a pleasant or cleanly habit. 
On these accounts, then, had I to pass 
through life again, I think I would determine 
to pass through it without learning to smoke. 
Again, I think that smoking does not add 
to a man’s respectability. I am not sure 
that it has not, sometimes, a contrary ten¬ 
dency. This may depend on circumstances. 
Certainly, some men of the highest respecta¬ 
bility do not think it any derogation to be 
seen at times inhaling the vapor of a cigar or 
a pipe ; but no one can say that they would not 
be equally respectable were they known to 
avoid smoking as an evil thing. Whereas, 
on the other hand, some have notoriously 
lost caste by beingnumbered among the smo¬ 
kers ; and, in fact, I am reluctantly compelled 
to admit, if a smoker be reckoned a respecta¬ 
ble man, it is in spite of his habit, and not 
because of it. 
Once more, it is not to be denied that a 
good many people in the world are so fastid¬ 
ious and weak, some smokers Say, as to 
think smoking a disagreeable habit. They 
do not willingly admit a smoker into their 
houses, because they dislike his accompani¬ 
ments. Well, say that it is fastidiousness, 
and affectation, and “ all nonsense ”—though, 
friend and fellow-smoker, we have no right 
to say that—but suppose it be, the effect is 
the same; our practice makes us disagreeable, 
causes us to be shunned, and sometimes, if 
we don’t take care, to be shut out from good 
society. 
True, so far as I am concerned, I avoid this 
evil—the chance of being disagreeable, or 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
165 
thrust out from good society—by never smo¬ 
king except where smoke is Avelcome. But 
it is not pleasant, at times, to be debarred a 
favorite resource for passing time. There is 
a little bit of self-denial required, I think, 
when a man would, but dare not put a pipe 
in his mouth. And as, more or less often, 
such sacrifices must be made by the smoker 
who has consideration for others as well as 
for himself, or who has indeed due consider¬ 
ation for himself, I would, I think, if my 
youth could be renewed, avoid the need for 
this self-denial by not learning to smoke. 
I think, moreover, that smoking is'not one 
of the things which help to push a man on¬ 
ward in the world ; and I am mistaken if, 
sometimes, the habit is not like a clog to keep 
him back. I am very sure that a young man. 
for instance, is not more likely to obtain a 
situation of responsibility and trust because 
he knows how to handle a cigar in an ele¬ 
gant manner, or is refined in his apprecia¬ 
tion of the best oroonoke ; I have a strong 
impression, on the contrary, that such a one 
would prefer keeping this acquirement in 
the back-ground. In other words, I can not 
but be persuaded that—all things else being 
equal—the man who does not smoke has a 
better chance of success in the world than 
the man who does ; and as, if l were young 
again, I should wish to succeed, if possible, 
I think I would not learn to smoke. 
And I do not wonder that men of business, 
and employers generally, look with suspicion 
upon tobacco-smokers ; for though a youth 
or a man, in spite of this practice, may be a 
valuable workman, it is not to be denied that 
the smoker at times lays himself open to 
temptations, strongly tugging at him, to draw 
him aside from integrity and honor. It is 
not every smoker that can puff away at a 
dry pipe ; and the youth who, to be manly, 
puts himself to the discomfort of learning to 
smoke, is likely also, with the same object 
in view, to learn to tipple. In short, I fear it 
would be found, if curiously and strictly 
sought into, that smoking often leads to sot¬ 
tishness. I fear also that, as with every 
other needless expense, it leads sometimes to 
dishonesty. It is not always that a youth 
or a man can afford to dissipate twenty-five 
cents a week, nor twelve cents either, in 
smoke. But a dollar a week would not suf¬ 
fice for the vespertine or nocturnal cigar and 
glass of many a “ fast” youth of the present 
day. Where do they get their quarters? 
Well, I never spent more than I thought I 
could honestly afford on smoke (perhaps 
they do not either), and I never needed to 
wet my pipe ; but because of the temptations 
which beset the smoker, I think, could I go 
back again to the morning oflife, I would not 
learn to smoke. 
Again, I do not think that smoking is gen¬ 
erally necessary as an aid to mental exer¬ 
tion, or an incentive to profound study. I 
can not subscribe to the motto, “ Ex fumo 
dare lucem that is to say, so far as tobac¬ 
co smoke is concerned. There have been 
philosophers, poets, statesmen and divines, 
among the smokers; so have there been 
among the non-smokers. And I am com¬ 
pelled to conclude that wisdom does not coy¬ 
ly clothe itself in vapor. On the contrary, 
I am bound to acknowledge my reluctant be¬ 
lief that if the tobacco-pipe is sometimes a 
help-meet to the pen, it quite as often hap¬ 
pens that the pen is the bond servant of the 
pipe. Therefore, were I to begin the v world 
again, I think I would not learn to smoke. 
I think, lastly that it is very disgusting to 
see beardless youths, and boys just entering 
their teens, puffing and spitting in the public 
streets. It was but an evening or two ago 
that I met a little manikin, about four feet in 
height, and probably twelve years of age, 
with a face as smooth as a girl’s, sucking 
furiously at a dirty mereschaum nearly as 
long as his arm, till the ashes in the bowl 
glowed with a burning heat. And the most 
charitable wish I could frame for the poor 
misguided lad was, that before he got to the 
bottom of his pipe, he might be desperate¬ 
ly sick. 
Seriously, I haye observed so many mis¬ 
chiefs connected with smoking—have known 
so many shipwrecks made by it, ay, even of 
faith and good conscience—have seen so 
much time wasted, so much money, too, and 
so much health—and have witnessed so 
much deterioration of character in some who 
have given themselves up to the practice, to 
be led captive by it at its will—that though I 
may have escaped, by God’s help, its worst 
evils, yet if I had to begin life again, I would 
not—1 think I would not—learn to smoke. 
CORN HOEING AND TOP DRESSING. 
In looking over the mode of cultivation 
practised by those most successful in grow¬ 
ing the corn Grop, and especially the state¬ 
ments of those who have taken premiums 
for large products of this cereal, we almost 
invariably find that clean culture and top¬ 
dressing were practiced. The corn was 
hoed at an early stage in its groAvth, after 
first going through it several times with the 
cultivator so as to mellow the soil as far as 
possible ; and then to each hill some stimu¬ 
lant was given, such as plaster, ashes, 
(leached or unleached), or a mixture of the 
two. In a few weeks the cultivator and hoe 
were used again, and the stalks thinned to four 
in the hill; nor did this suffice, for if time 
allowed, before the corn became too large to 
admit of the passage of the horse, the cultiva¬ 
tor was again employed, and another dressing 
with the hoe given. At this stage in its 
growth the ground becomes so shaded by 
the luxuriant leaves of the grain that little 
further attention is needed. 
Experience confirms what reason teaches, 
that large crops of corn can only be grown 
on rich and well cultivated soils. The struc¬ 
ture and size, and the rapid growth of the 
plant, show that it requires to be well sup¬ 
plied with the necessary food for it its 
growth and perfection. It possesses the 
power of elaborating healthy aliment from 
coarser food than almost any other cultivated 
plant; hence its great value as a preparatory 
crop when such manures are used. It draws 
largely upon the air, and hence needs that its 
large leaves be kept healthy and fresh, not 
parched and rolled by drouth or discolored 
by the presence of stagnant water in the 
soil. 
Plow deep, manure freely, plant early, 
hoe and top-dress with ashes or plaster, 
keep the soil mellow and flat, and allow no 
weeds to grow, and your corn crop will re¬ 
pay well all your care and attention. Neg¬ 
lect, it, and “nubbins” will be yourreward. 
Rural New-Yorker. 
Pacific Mill at Lawrence. —The largest 
and most comprehensive mill in the world is 
the Pacific at Lawrence. The floor surface 
of this immense structure is sixteen acres — 
the largest mill in England is eleven and a 
half acres. There are now in operation 
40,000 cotton spindles and 10,000 worsted 
spindles ; and these are to be increased to 
80,000 and 20,000 respectively. There are 
1,200 looms in operation, to be increased to 
2,400. These, with 2,000 hands, produce 
300,000 pieces of cloth per annum, one-half 
delaines. The weekly consumption of cotton 
is 20,000 lbs., say 1,500,000 per annum, and 
500,000 lbs. wool. Once a month the two 
thousand hands assemble at the cashier’s 
office, where Mr. Clapp pays out $500,000 to 
them for wages, appropriating to each one 
the exact amount she has earned. 
Lowell Courier. 
