1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
311 
“HINTS TO EMSffiiltANTS.” 
Hints to Emigrants, or to those who may contem¬ 
plate emigrating to the United States of America. 
By Rev. D. R. Thomason, Secretary of the Phila¬ 
delphia Emigrant’s Friend Society. 
The great tide of foreign population which is eon* 
stantly flowing to our shores, has long rendered some 
safe and correct emigrants’ guide, a desideratum. Mr. 
Thomason’s manual we think, supplies the want indi¬ 
cated. It is written with much candor, and evidently 
with a strict aim to truth. The writer is an English¬ 
man, who has resided in the United States eighteen years, 
and during that time has had opportunities for acquir¬ 
ing a good knowledge of the various sections. His 
remarks are addressed chiefly to the laboring classes of 
Great Britain and Ireland, who contemplate emigra¬ 
ting to America for the purpose of engaging in agri¬ 
culture. His ideas in regard to the expediency of emi¬ 
gration, for people in various circumstances, appear to 
be well founded. It is the small farmers and farm-la¬ 
borers, that he thinks would be most benefitted by a re¬ 
moval to this country. The independent tenant farm¬ 
er, he advises to remain where he is; because “ the in¬ 
ferior prices of farm produce in this country, and the 
higher rate of wages, together with the less abundant 
crops which are raised, less owing, probably to any in¬ 
feriority of soil and climate, than to the mode of culti¬ 
vation, render farming less profitable here than in Eng¬ 
land so that.“ the tenant of a large farm there, 
can afford to live better than the owner of the same 
number of acres here.” 
But to the two classes before mentioned, the induce¬ 
ments to settle in this country are great. In relation 
to the small farmer, it is said—“ the proceeds of the 
sale of the stock and lease of your farm, will buy you 
a good farm in this country. Here you may live in in¬ 
dependence and comfort. You have the advantage 
of education for your children, and may see them, in¬ 
stead of going down a step in society below yourself, 
moving upward; for it is the glory of our country, that 
the path of our children is upward, and that to their 
elevation there are no limits till they reach the summit 
and are in possession of the highest honors which their 
country can bestow.” 
The advantages offered to farm laborers are equal¬ 
ly great. “ They can find plenty of work here, and 
their children, if they are able to work, can get good 
places—for good boys and girls are much wanted. Ser¬ 
vant girls may come over in any numbers, if they bring 
good characters with them, and they may find good pla¬ 
ces as soon as they arrive. * * * Boys above ten years 
of age may be placed with farmers or mechanics, until 
they are eighteen, and they will have board and clo¬ 
thing and schooling the while—girls may be placed in 
the same way.” 
He alludes to the extravagant expectations in rela¬ 
tion to wages which foreigners, on first landing here, 
frequently entertain to their injury. His counsel is— 
u get employment as soon as you can, on any terms; 
be industrious, attentive, respectful; make it to the in¬ 
terest of your employer to keep you, and you will soon 
find out how much you are worth, and you will get it 
too.” 
More good advice is given in the following language-. 
ts Do not come out under the idea of settling in any of 
cur seaports. You must keep out of the crowd, is the 
advice we have constantly to give to emigrants. To 
the want or neglect of this advice, the lamentable fail¬ 
ures and misfortunes which befall foreigners in this coun¬ 
try must mainly be ascribed. I know only two descrip¬ 
tions of emigrants who may safely calculate on finding 
employment in cities. These are, lads and female ser¬ 
vants.” 
A word of useful caution is given to young servant 
girls. “ I have said that men from the old country 
must try, as soon as they can to be like Americans; 
but I advise you to stay what you are; in dress, deport¬ 
ment, habits, the same modest, respectful, affectionate 
and faithful girls you were at home. You know not 
how much you will be prized. You have, probably, 
heard that in this country, female domestics are not 
called servants but helps, that they sit down at the same 
table with their masters and mistresses, and are alto¬ 
gether treated as members of the family. In the coun¬ 
try generally, this is the case, though less so than for¬ 
merly; but in our cities and larger towns, the English 
eustom obtains; and I can assure you that the Ameri¬ 
can practice is productive of much unpleasantness and 
annoyance, and is the principal cause why there is so 
little attachment between the mistress and servant. 
The latter may insist on equality with the former, and 
the claim may reluctantly be submitted to, because 
otherwise the 1 help' will not stay in the house; but she 
will be far less respected than the girl who knows her 
place and is willing to take it. Your duty and interest 
will be to leave this matter to those who employ you, 
and take with becoming modesty and cheerfulness what¬ 
ever place is assigned you.” 
The section of country which the author deems most 
eligible for emigrants, is the southern part of the state 
of New-York, the states of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, 
Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Preference is also 
given to cleared lands, as better adapted to the general 
habits of foreigners than those which are heavily tim¬ 
bered. The latter conclusion is probably correct; and 
it may be true, as a general rule, that the section of 
country named, offers the greatest inducements to the 
class of settlers alluded to; but we think there are 
other parts where the emigrant may locate advantage¬ 
ously, without encountering the obstacles incident to 
pioneer farming, clearing the forest, &c. In Ohio, In¬ 
diana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, &c., near the na¬ 
vigable waters, or with means of communication by 
railroad or canal, there are always farms, more or less 
improved, and with good natural soil, which may be 
bought comparatively cheap,—the owners having the 
prevalent passion for selling out and removing “west.” 
All agricultural products suitable for transportation 
readily sell for cash, where there is ready communica¬ 
tion with the lakes, and the markets may be expected 
to improve. 
The “old lands” of Virginia are favorably spoken of 
for emigrants, in the work before us; and the outlines 
of a system of cultivation, adapted to that section, are 
given. The chief peculiarity of the proposed system, 
consists in keeping the live-stock on the soiling plan. 
This, on account of the facilities it affords for making 
manure, we have little doubt would be preferable at 
first—especially as there would probably be a scarcity 
of suitable grasses for grazing—and perhaps might be 
found most profitable as a permanent system. 
In conclusion, we will remark that the little work 
contains much information, valuable in an agricultural, 
civil and moral view; and we cordially recommend it to 
the attention of the class for whom it was designed. 
