178 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
OPINIONS OF WISE MEN. 
It is stated by Plutarch, that when Periander gave an-entertainment to 
the wise men of the day, the question— Whichis the most perfect popu¬ 
lar government? —being propounded, Solon answered, that where an in¬ 
jury done to any private citizen is such to the whole body : that, says 
Bias, where the law has no superior: that, says Thales, where the inha¬ 
bitants are neither too rich nor too poor: that, says Anacharsis, where 
virtue is honored and vice detested: says Pittacre, where dignities are 
always conferred upon tne virtuous, and never upon the wicked: says 
Cleobulus, where the citizens fear blame more than punishment: says 
Clio, where the laws are more regarded, and have more authority, than 
the orators. 
Aristides, the Athenian, used to say, that the true citizen, or the ho¬ 
nest man, ought to make no other use of his credit or power, than upon 
all occasions to practice what was honest and just, and engage others to 
do fhe same. 
The science of agriculture , is nothing more than an endeavor to disco¬ 
ver and cure nature’s defects; and the grand outlines of it are—“ how to 
make heavy land lighter, and light land heavier; cold land hotter, and 
hot land colder.” He that knows these secrets is a farmer, and he that 
does not know them is no farmer.— Davis’s Survey of Wiltshire. 
Every man that wears a British coat, pays the tithes, the poor rates, 
the rents, the taxes of England, with export duties and profits to foreign 
merchants; all of which is so much actual loss to the country— Chanc. 
Livingston. 
Influence of luxury. —The most judicious historians, the most learned 
philosophers, and profoundest politicians, all lay it down, as a certain' in¬ 
disputable maxim, that wherever luxury prevails, it never fails to destroy 
the most flourishing states and kingdoms; and the experience of all ages, 
and all nations, does but too clearly demonstrate this maxim— Rollin. 
THE POLICY OP A GREAT STATESMAN. 
It was by the improvement of agriculture, says Sir John Sinclair, “ that 
the most celebrated statesmen of modern times, justly called Frederick 
the Great, (more from his attention to internal improvement than to fo¬ 
reign conquests,) raised his dominions, notwithstanding the disadvantages 
of situation, soil and climate, to that height of prosperity and power, to 
which they attained during his reign. His practice was to lay out about 
£300,000 sterling, (equal to $1,300,000,) per annum, in the encourage¬ 
ment of agricultural improvements, which he considered ‘ as manure 
spread upon the ground,’ to secure an abundant harvest; and in fact, in¬ 
stead of being impoverished by such liberal grants, he thereby increased 
his revenues so much, that he was enabled to leave a treasury behind 
him, amounting to above £12,000,000 sterling,” ($57,000,000.) 
Opinion of the celebrated Watson, Bishop of Llandaff. —If we have 
quoted the following before, our apology fordoing it now,is,that the sen¬ 
timent is so just, and withal so important, that it will well bear repeating. 
“ The agricultural improvements which have hitherto taken place among 
us,” says the Bishop, “ have been by the expenditure of private wealth; 
but the country cannot be brought to that perfection of cultivation, of 
which it is capable, unless individual efforts are aided and accellerated by 
public wisdom and munificence. I boast not of any particular patriotism, 
but I would willingly pay my share of twenty or thirty millions of public 
money, to be appropriated by the legislature, to the agricultural improve¬ 
ment of Great Britain and Ireland. This appears to me to be an object 
of far nearer concern to our independence as a nation, than any exten¬ 
sion of commerce, or any acquisition of distant territory, ever can be.” 
The territory possessed by any people, is the original property, or cap! 
tal stock, from which they are supplied, not only with the necessaries, but 
with the comforts of life; and in direct proportion as their territory is im 
proved, their prosperity will be advanced. 
Where agriculture is neglected, population must be scanty, because 
the necessaries of life are wanting; and the great body of the people 
must be miserable, because regular employment cannot be furnished to 
them. Perhaps at no period has the land been more perfectly cultivated 
in Great Britain, than at the present; hence the lower ranks are better 
paid, better fed, better clothed, and in every respect more comfortably 
situated, than in former times. By the extension of agricultural improve¬ 
ment, by the meliorations made on the capital stock of the country, the 
numbers of the people have increased, manufactures have prospered, and 
both inland and foreign commerce have been carried on with vigor and 
success.— Brewster. 
HINTS ON DIET AND DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
In boiling potatoes —the tubers should be sized, and put into cold wa¬ 
ter, hardly enough to cover them, that they may heat and cook through 
equally. If put into hot water, the outside is done, breaks and wastes 
before the inside is cooked. It is better to boil than to steam them. 
Barley mush —one pound of barley will give the consistence of pud 
ding, says Cooper, to one gallon of water; but it requires to be boiled 
five hours to bring it to this consistence. 
Bread —Bake your own bread; one pound of flour will furnish rather 
more than 1| lbs. of bread.— Cooper 
Fleas and lice on poultry are destroyed by a decoction of sassafras 
wood— T. C. 
Meat can be preserved fresh in hot weather —1 . By covering it with 
fresh charcoal powder in a cool cellar. 2. By covering it with molasses. 
3. By keeping it in a vessej where carbonic acid gas has excluded the 
common air. 4. By folding it in a cloth dipped in vinegar wherein pep¬ 
per has been infused. 5. By wiping it dry, and enveloping it in melted 
suet.— T C. Sausages, secured by the last mode, may be kept till summer. 
If your flour be not good , add about an ounce of common carbonate 
of magnesia to ten pounds of your flour. This takes away the sourness, 
makes it rise better, and makes it more wholesome. Half an ounce of 
pearl ash would have the same e.ffect, but it hurts the color of the flour.— 
T. C. 
Those whose solids are relaxed and weak, should avoid all tough arid 
viscid food, though it ought to be substantial; and they should take fre- 
querit exercise in thaopen air. Hence their food should be stewed, ra¬ 
ther than boiled or roasted. The plethoric, or those who abound with 
blood, should eat sparingly of whatever., is in a high degree nourishing, as 
fat meat, rich wines, strong ale, &c. Their aliment should consist prin¬ 
cipally of bread, or other vegetables, and their drink of water, whey or 
small beer. Persons of a thin habit ought to'follow a course directly op¬ 
posite to that before suggested. Those who are troubled with acidity 
(gouty, hysterical and hypocondriacal persons) should live chiefly on solid 
meat; should avoid all flatulent food, as also all salted or smoke-dried pro¬ 
visions, and whatever is difficult of digestion, or apt to turn sour and ran¬ 
cid on the stomach: Those of a sedentary fife ought to be more sparing 
as to -quantity, and more attentive as to the quality of their aliment, than 
those who take much exercise; and ought to avoid the use of every thing 
which is sour, flatulent; rancid', and oppressive to the digestive organs.— 
Willich. Such as toast and butter, new or sour bread, baked fat meats, 
pie-crust, cheese, &c.— T. C 
The aliment in early life, ought to be light, nourishing, and taken fre¬ 
quently, but in moderation. That of adults should be solid, and suffici¬ 
ently tenacious: the diet proper for those advanced in life, should resem¬ 
ble that of infancy. 
With respect to the quantity of food, there is one general rule, which 
ought never to be disregarded; namely, to cease eating when the first 
cravings of appetite are satisfied, so as to renovate the waste which the 
body has apparently sustained. By a strict adherence to this principle, 
many of those distressing complaints, arising from intemperance, might 
be effectually obviated— Willich. Not less than six hours should inter¬ 
vene between meals; seven hours interval is not too long, but this should 
not be exceeded.— T. C. 
Indigestion (dyspepsia) is produced by too much food; by too stimulating 
food; by stimulating drinks; by unwholesome food, hot bread, &c. by 
want of exercise; by grief; by the use of lobacco, or other narcotics. 
Cure: abstain from the causes. Take moderate purges; use little wine or 
spirits; eat no supper; use exercise— T. Cooper. 
To preserve apples —Wipe them dry, and keep them in a dry cellar of 
uniform temperature, on shelves, in the dark. Or keep them in earthen 
jars, with cuttings of paper from the book-binders intermixed- Grapes, 
in particular, may be thus kept.— T. C. 
SALTING MEATS. ~~ 
Salted meats lose much of their nutricious properties, and are render¬ 
ed more indigestible withal], by giving them too much salt in the curing 
process. Salt, in excess, destroys the gelatinous particles, and renders 
the flesh tough and hard. The use of salt is to preserve meat, and of 
course no more should be applied to beef, mutton, and the lean of pork, 
as hams, than will barely answer the desired end. Salt petre is a power¬ 
ful antiseptic, and sugar and molasses are also so, and they contribute to 
keep the meat tender and juicy; and where they are used in combination 
with salt, they lessen the quantity required of the latter. There is there¬ 
fore economy, as well as pleasantness, in combining them. We have for 
many years followed this suggestion, and kept our meats tender, sweet 
and nutricious. The materials may all be combined in the 
Knickerbocker pickle —which is made by dissolving, by boiling, 6 lbs. 
of salt and 3 oz. salt petre in each gallon of water required to cover the 
meat, when it is close packed in the meat tub, to which a quart of mo¬ 
lasses may be beneficially added. Skim the liquid, when boiling, and 
turn it on the meat when it is cold—and put a weight on the meat, if ne¬ 
cessary, to keep it covered with the liquid. We have sometimes com¬ 
bined the salt and salt petre, both pulverized, with the molasses, and ap¬ 
plied them without water, by rubbing each piece of meat well with the 
mixture, and packing it close. There should be a spiggot near the bot¬ 
tom of the tub, in order that the liquids which settle may occasionally be 
drawn off and thrown upon the top. Meats prepared thus keep well till 
spring, when they require a pickle, and are of much richer flavor than 
those cured in a pickle. The pickle we have named serves alike for our 
hams and beef, and makes them neither too salt, nor leaves them too fresh, 
to suit the palate when cooked. No bloody meat should be put into the 
cask till it is perfectly cleaned. 
