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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film^ d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gaucha d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaira. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. r t 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■r *y' 'A THE PROMPTER, \-K m SERIES OF ESSJ^rS %> ir PUBLISHED ORIGINALtY m THS « ^ miNTEO AND PUBLISHED BY H. C. TKOM80K. 18S1. % ■/W •M- 1 ^<^6-3 IPSiI^IF^(©Il I X B ^l^ followmg Essnijs^ designed for common readers of a *N*eu's- paper, were purposely icriften in a plain every-day stijle, icith some regird to perspicuity, but very little attention to method or embellishment. The subjects icere siigii;ested by circumstances, and adapted to the state of the country and the times. A few repetitions will, it is presumed, he excused by those who consider that popular instruction, to be ejfectual, mast be inculcated by '^precept upon precept, and line upon line.^^ Tlie writer^s object was to promote the improvement f the Province, particularly the District of his residence, by pointing the attention of his felloiv subjects to matters of importance ill rural economy and the pjhilosophy of common life. For the same purpose, these occasional numbers are now collected, and republished, in the form of a pamphlet, of moderate price, the avails of which, if any, beyond def ray- ins; the expence of printings are to be paid by the jjublish- er to the Agricultural Society of the District, in aid of their funds. THE PROMPTER. Kingston, Feb. iO, i821. 4 I inj mm ^'HE PROMPTER TH^ ©Bt-' KUMB'.m I. Whom the peculiar circumstances, uniler which thft Pv^.^ incc was settled, learning was at first, less cultivated here, than in some otiier new settlements. An indiUer- ence to hooks and other sources of inrmination was the natural consequence. It has continued for a series ot years. A taste for reading, however, seems to he spread- in- tliroueh many of our townships. hope it will he ex- tended, and hecome peneral. 'I'he circulation of news- papers will promote it, and he promoted hy U, m turn. These weelily vehicles of intelligence, if properly con- ducted and well supported, ouglif to he read in famihes, not merely as the immediate means of learning the pas- Sins; events and news of the day, hut for the further pur- pose of cultivating a hahit of reading and a taste for in- formation. Such a taste, when once acquired, « grows with our growth, and strengthens with our strength.- This has heen experienced in almost every family, m which a periodical publication has heen, for any cons.der-U, le time, taken and read. With this view, the paper lould be filed and preserved, to give an opportunity of reeving to it andreperusingits contents, as leisure, curiosity or any particular occasion may prompt. Such a recurrence is frequently desirable, especially in coun ry places, and m families not very plentifully supplied with books Manp a man has regretted that he did no preserve a file of his news-papers.^ The trouble of it is very >ncons.derable, in proportion to the satisfaction and utility of it. It may be advantageously commenced with the first mimher of a new volume or a new year, and still more so, with thecom- mencemrnt of the paper itself. As you, Mr. Editor, have, in your Prospectus, promised TUB pnoMi'Tcn. NUAIBKU il. 11 i I E t^ooi^rapliy of any co-in^ry is a pro2;iT«sivc sricnco, diani^iiii; v>i(h Ihi' clh-uij^cs in -Ibr state of (lir country and its various natunvj and civil divisions. This varirJion is rccdlv ii:rca1er. and much more (ibyUTvahV^ in now cw.n- tries, than in those \\ hich have Uvvn lonj; pcUkmI and have accjoired a moie fixed and pernip.nent slate. ''I'he province of Uppei'-Tanada hoin,'i; new and fliinly setlled, its geo:i;ra|diy is yet very isjipeiTect. To point out such of its imperfections, as are fuit^cep'ilile of rrsy correction, notfcjr the sake of cxpof^llre, hut willi a view to practical improvement, is a Lind:d)le luidcrlakinu;. At present I sliiU only notice mv? circumstiniceexisiing witliin the immediate circulation oi'tlie Herald. There is a distinction bet\A een Towns and Tov/nshipp. TI>e whole country, so far as it liashcen surv<^yed. is laid out into Townships, correspondini:; in some respects, widi the parociiial divisions of £n2;iand, iMit more nnifiTm and regular in their extent ; whereas there are scarcely a dozen Towns in the Province. In the prop.er j^onqraphicnl language of Upper- Cm ad a, a Town, whether laid out ns such in the oridnal survey, or snlr-c f:ncnily cslaldished, is a comparatively small part of tlie Ts?wiiship to Vvlu'^h it belongs; being wh.at onr neighbours in the slate of. New- York would denominate tjje Village of tbc ''"owni^dup. But several Tov/nsbips in (he Dislrict of Johnstown, ard one range in tb.e Midland District, fiom TGngston up to the Carrying Place, and from the Hiver I'rent. down on the north side of the oay of • Quinte, to Camden on tlio Appanee Kiver^ were vulgarly styled Towjis^ disliu- Tilt: rnOMTTKR. / fx\Wi\ l^^hii T Avn ; iMiiost Town, M«a)U(l Tonmi ; antl so itoiamacn, ^vh•u•h was l^lcvcnth town. A «>"»^ f r !!";.ics orn.mhrrs were attached to the Townships hr.i laid out in the distiict of Johnstown. Thisde.i.^n.j;ion of Townships by numbers was neces- sary at first, there hein- then no proper nanus h^g^Hiy Tin to any of them. The necessity, however, soon ^norwards leased, when a les'il. approimale name av^s as^i-ned, bv public authority, to each Township, lint tlK- eusiom bein- once intrudiued, was unnece.^sarily con- tinned, and is retained lo this day, by many ot theori-mal iiP.nbilant., and such uf their deseendants and others wiio haTe setJed anion- them, as are illiterate and have but little iniercoui- e with tlie world. Some of them seem to be so h)cal and limited in their information, as to be hardly sensible that their Townships have proper names ; and T)roi)aldv, (h) not know that there are 1'ownships in an adioinini: district bavin- the same numbers with their own: s(» Uiat a letter directed to a person in a township described by its numl>er, witlumt distin-uishins the dis'rict, is liable to be transmitted to a wrong place, and perhaps to a person not intended. Several laughable mistakes of ibis kind are said to have happened. One ol them, cimneeted with the remittance of a sum of money, is likMy to become the su]>ject of a lawsuit. Uncertainty ov( onfusiiui in the names of places is sometimes a serious evil, and is often attended with ridiculous incidents. The retention of these numerical Nick-names ot town- sliins is a strikin- exempliftcation of the force ot habit. ■When the itdiabitants who use them are reminded tha*, their lan-ua-e in this particular appears to others unintel- lioihle, thev readilv acknowledge its impropriety, and admii that townships ou.-ht to be mentioned in conversa- ti»m as they are des( ribed in all public ])roceedin.ii;s, legal proce«s deeds and other writings ; but add, that they have been so accustom^Hl to the numbers o!" the townships, that thev dn w.i think of their names. Let the custom descend thr >u"h one or^vo generations more, and it would be ad- l,a^'^,Cu^ vritk [lie pertinacitv of local aud hereditary pride. liViiCVI. \,\J a The puompter. To the caiuloiir of the present inlinliilants, therefore, I submit it, as a matter of jjropriety and duty, to endeavour to correct this vulgareiTor, and conform tlie language of their townships to that of the country at large. NUMBER III. INTKIINAL improvementij, particularly in the means of inland travel and tiansportation, seem to he the order of the day, among our neighbours on the other side of the lake. In sucli works of public utility, the State of New- York holds the foremost rank. The present Governor of that populous state urges it, with all his personal and of- ficial influence, and is seconded l)y the l^egislature, and supported by the vcduntary exertions of the citizens re- siding on the routes of the projected roads and canals. Tast sums of money and labor have been a|)plied,and are in a train of application, to the formation of the Western Canal, intended to open a communication between the wa- ters of lake Erie and the Hudson's river, and to be con- nected in its course, with various stage roads. Huch eflorts on that side of the lake will inevitably give our enterprising neighbours a derided commercial ascen- ilency over us in this Province, unless we make some cor- responding exertions ; to which we are invited, not only by a spirit of fair competition, but also by the advantages, "which the God of nature has put in<^o our hands. Between Montreal and Lake Ontario, the river affords US at least as good natural accommodations for navigation, as they have on the other side, and more convenient situati- ons for the artificial aids of locks and canals. Kingston is a far better commercial depot and ouUet from the lake, than any on the opposite shore. Between the St l^awrence and the head of the lake, the superiority of advantages for na- vigation is on our side, and the facilities of inland commu- nication are still more decisively in onr favor. From Kingston towarf Is York, we have a natural canal superior to any artificial one v,iiich could lie farmed at the expence of miiiious, and extending aoveitty niilcs nt least, through cfove, I idcavour 5uase of e moans, order of i of the jf New- rernor of and of- irc, and tens re- canals. ,and are ^Veslcrn the wa- be cou- ibly give il asccn- )me cor- lot only antagesy r affords ligation y itsituati- igston is ke, than ?nce and s for na- commu- From superior expence, through *iiE PROMn t:n. y one of the most fi^riilrt and populous Districts of the Pro- vince. Fi'cmi tlie head of tlie Hny oi t^mn c, lliere is a road, Cipahle of being made, b^ reasoiialile exeriionh, an exceilentstage road, directly lo V ork,(he capiiui of the jtro- vince. It passes tlirough a range of townships of he first order in point of fertility, and most of tliem alre;idy containing a considerable [)opnlation which is rapidly in- creasing every year. The increase would be acceletned 1)y a liberal improvement of the means of travelling. The soil, in general, is not only fertile, l)ut tavourablc fov a goud ro.id. It is true, some of the lands on this route are owned by non-residents, a circumstance which has hilhcrto operated unfavourably, as to the settlement of those town- shii»s. Hut it is hoped, the proprietors, if tliey do not v/ish to have their lands immediately settled, will esteem it their interest, as well as their duty, to unite in contributing to the improvement of that important public road. The inha- bitants of the townships, through which it passes, it is pre- sumed, will feel a commendable emulation to promote so valuable an object. Those who cannot pay money, should contribute labor, to be applied, under the direction, and to the satisfaction, of some jutlicious superintendent of the work. For this purpose a subscription should be circula- ted before the opening of the Spring. By such exertions for promoting the practical improvement and prosperity of their country, they will more effectually prove their at- tachment to it, and do more to guard against the boasted superiority of our neighbours on the other side of i lie lake, than by the loudest professions of patriotism and loyalty, or the most eloquent invectives against our national rivals. NUMBER IV. \\ 7. HEAT is the staple production of Upper-Canada, and flour ought to be our best article of exportation Our soil is adapted to it ; the climate is favourable ; and the habits of our people are formed to the growing of this valuable grain. Yet our flour has not so his:h a character. B 10 THE PROMTER. as e.. it ought to have in market. The flour of Genesee luwi claimed a su|>eriority to that of the Head of the Lake, or the iUy of qjiinte ; a superiority, which 1 hope our £i;row. ers, manufacturers and inspectors will not be willing here- after to yield ; although, I helieve, (^enesee procluces better Hour than the average of the state of iNew-York. Indeed it is well known in the mercantile world, that the flour exported from the port of .\ew-York is considered inferior to that of Phil.->delpl)ia and Baltimore ; and the New- York merchants and manufacturers of flour, as well as their legislature, are taking measures to improve the^ quality of their fl.our, in jrder to raise its price in foreign markets. In this Province, also, every practicable effort should be made, by all persons concerned, in the various deiiar^mentsoflabourconnected with soimportant an article of produce, not only to increase the quantity produced m the I'rovince for consumption and exportation, but also to send it into market in as pure and perfect a state as pos- sible. Our farmers should increase their care m preparing their\::round, in procuring the purest and fairest seed, free fi'om anymixture of inferiorgrain,in sowingitin proper sea- son and manner, in weeding out the stalks of cockle that appear in the field, in harvesting and securing their crop, in cleaning it for the mill, and saving it from heating m the heap ; pnd our millers should be stimulated to double dilio-ence in grinding and packing It, so as to guard against su-h iniurv as it too frequently sustains from being unskil- fully and 'carelessly packed. Inspectors have a respcm- sible duty enjoined upon them by law and their oath ot of- fice The state of markets requires tin increased attention to tiiese particulars, in order to establish the reputation ot our staple export, and secure a reasonable price for it. IS U A] HER V. Various species of fruit trees, which are cultivated to advantase in more southern latitudes, are n.>t adapted o M^Su. ; and it wouldbe a waste of labour to attempt he cXUon^i^^^ them here. But that is not true of the AprLRtl-ee^ Which 2;rows very wua vu «i^ — » r ' - "I . THE PROMPTER. 11 si lift of La-lce Ontario. This is the most valuable of all species of Friiii. It coiitiiiiutes most to tlie support and comfort of life ; as it may l)e applied, in various mo les ofcoi)kery used in families, and also converted into that pleasant and healthy beverage, v ider. Experience has proved, that a settler, going upon a new farm, cannot augment the value of the land hii clears by any other means, so much, in pro- p(U*tiontothe expense, as by setting out an orchard of Vp- ph' trees^ and payin.^ the necessary attention to tiieir pre- servation and growth. Whether, tiierefore, he expects to spend his life on that fiirm, or intends to prepare it for sale, at an increased price, it is his interest to plant an Apple Orciiard as sonn as he has cleared the ground suffici- ently for the purpose. The gradual growth of fruit trees is, probably, one prin- cipal reason why they are so much neglected. If they could be brought to a productive state in one y«'ar, with ten limes as much expense as they in fact cost, many would have orchards, w ho whoUv neirlect them, in coasideration of the length of tim;' whicli mu>t pass, after they are plant- ed, before they bear fruit. A few w eeks ago, i conversed on this subject, with aii old setller in a neigliljouring town- ship, who has a young orchard just l>eginni-ig to bear. He said, that for many years after he had sectknl upon his lot, lie thought of procuring and seeing out apple trees ; but omitted to do it, from an apprehension that he shnnld not live to eat of the fruit. At len;;tb, hr^vever, he did it, under a conviction that if he should not enjoy the l)er?efit himself, his children might : and he had already lived to see his orchard become so productive, aw lo fsirnish an am- ple supply of Apj)les for the u^^e of bis family and a sur- plus sufficient to make a considerable (juantity of cider. \o class of people can live with more independence and comfort than our farmers, who own the soil wliich they cul- tivate, and expect their children to inherit it af-■ i2 THE PROMPTEK. / lionoral)le exceptions ; but the neglect is unfortunately loo general. The circumstances, under which the ct.uniry was settled, afl'ordecl, for some years, a degree of apolojAy Wv it, Eut there can now be no reasonable excuse. The time has arrived for improvement in every thing v. hichmay increase the wealth, tlie com 'or- and accommodation of the mhaln- tantsof the Province, and render it a desirable place of re- sidence. In this respect our interest as individuals, and oui duty as patriots, concur in requiring us to promote, both by pre ept and example, the general cultivation of fruit, inirticularly of Apples, as one of the surest and most necessarv improvements of the country. Every iriend to it niay thus subserve its interest wbile pursuing his own. The plantingofnurseries should be encouraged in every town^biri ; and care should ])e taken, not only to increase the (uiantitv, but also to im] rove the quality of a]>ples, there beiMs; no article of prodiice more susceptible ot ame- lioration by artificial means than this most useful fruit. If men of intellli-ence and practical acquaintance witli the management of fruit trees will be careful to observe, ancl communicate to the public, the causes of their progress and decav, their diseases, inc idents and properties, v^. cu- liar to ouV soil and climate, ^iiey may, by such communica- ti.ms, contribute still further to the prosperity of the coun- try. NUMBER VT.- The supnort of tho poor in Eiiglaml, ami this Vvav- m'V. .in.l every other civilized country, is a sniyect attend- ed wi-i, difficulties ; one, on which a diversity of opinions is til he expected. „ , The d.tci vine of the Enslisli system of pauper laws, a- dopted also generally in the British Colonies nov rompos- intl jiic United States, that parishes shall maintain then- respective paupers, byparochial taxes, laid and collected for t!-.a* purpcse. althousl- henevolent'in principle, and .... 1.. :<»■. ,v. h.sheen f<.und. in practice, liable to great abuses. Besides the inconvenient restriction ot common THE PROMPTER. 13 ,.L. .. io chano-in- ilie places of tbeir residence, and laiive to settle. uenls, it has tosoeietl ^\^L*V . . ^ j,,^^. tu\v. laws of Eugland, at the tivst ««««'»" fjf^j ^^^ ;\, cid S'arliamcnt, they expressly <"''=«P^^f ,t^ "r^^.'^e -ei respect the support ofthepo^r; *^"<\ ""^^ I' ?,'\'^ pa.'secl any act Ihemselves for that l'"fP»;'^„ J' ^^Ucab e [esal provision on ti. su ^c^^^^^^ ^if l^t latT'ome by aw to the support ot pAupeis. ii " ,, , ,\\sbuvse- ditrictsthe Magistrates in «<^;f^°"« ''fT* f " {f Jai e" by ments for such obj-cts out «V'?-P- 'llS haveCn au taxes on rateable pmpcrty; but j^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ pxrpss of iiuTsdiction, and the piaciice is ui v ThekgLlature have not thought it proi^r o make .c sunporfof the poor a district charge ; and it is tobe hoped tev never will. If a compulsory provision should be ^L bv li V t^^LBVC are many reasons for charging these v- rafto'^nS" rather thanlhe Districts ^g^e main- tenance of their respective paupers. ^^ ^.x. 've «me ^ ne i„,practicability. of =^i^— ^.^^^^^^^^ pauper laws, arising from the gieat exteiu effected blether, therefore, ^e necessary reUe is to be ettected by taxation, or voluntary contribution, it ought to by townships, in preference to districts- .j ^ ^ Until some comp«lsoi;y ^^f''^X>S^>^-'^l statute, charity IS the onsy lesource. luui w,,. ;„ ronre niav he aided by charitable associations. But, m to the relief of the indii^ent and destitute. It is an inms il ». le dutv. resulting from the state of socely. We I ii Hi ^^ ' THE PROMPTER. are but stcvvarch of whai we possess, accountable for the use we ma.ve o; it ; and a portion of it is evideiirly intend- ed, by the great J^ropnetor of ail, for the benetil of our fel- low men m levs fortunate circumstances. 1 hat alone can reconcile a beneyoleni mmd to ti.e unequal distributions of lortnne. I his is a world of vicissitudes, also, as well as of inequalities. Any of us, our friends, our fiunilies, or chihh-en, however eas;y at present in circumstances, may, by some unexpected revolution, /)e brought to a state of dependence and indigence, and in our turn, need the hand oi charity to relieve our distresses or supply our wants. Benevolence^ therefore, is the common cause of all who jnirtake of the lot of humanity. It is our inierest. no less than duty, to encourage habits of industry and economy, and, by all reasonable efforts, to discountenance idleness' improvidence, dissipation, infemperance, vice, and all the usual sources of pauperism, ikit we must do something more. \V e must contribute a portion of our substance, o? our earning^ 'o the succour of the children of want and distress. 1 ii,s is the clear dictate of reason, and the re^ vealed command of Heaven. The divine autlmr of our religion has enjoined it upon us to feed the hun-ry, to clothe tho naked, to open our doors to the stranger, to* visit tJie sick and imprisoned, and, as we have opportunity and means, to administer to the necessities of our brethren of the human family, the least of whom he has condescend- ed to call to brethren also ; and has enforced his injunc- tion by pointing to the retributions of eternity, to be avvard- ed according to the exercise or neglect of that hea^ enly virrue. "^ In addition to the common obligations of charity, the in- ha]„tants of i I THE PROMPTER. \ is necessary to such a tax, but it must even originate iu tlitir house. here is a double gunrd, placed by the constitution, in faror oi the pecj ie. '« he ri f rescntatives themselves, in comajon with their feHow subjects, bear their proportion ot the taxes wiiich they grant. They will, also, naturally feel responsible to those, by wbom tl.ey have been elected;, and by whose suffrages alone they can be re-elected. To give full force to this constitutional responsibility^ the acts, votes and proceedings of the Assembly, on sub- jects of taxation, and, indeed, upon all subjects of impor- tance, ougbt to be published, and perused by their consti- tuents, to enable them to judge of their conduct, and ex- press such judgment iu their elections. It is the fault of the electors, if the Assembly is not, in fact, as it is in the- ory, a true representation of the sense of the people. Ours IS a government of checks. Each H ouse has a check u pon the otber. His Majesty^s Representative is a check upon both ; and public sentiment is a rational check upon the three branches of government. Even in the most absolute monarchy, the opinion of a well informed public will be respected ; an 1 more so in a mixed form of government, one branch of which, like that of the mother country, is de- mocratic, and inwhich the freedom of the press, and the right of public discussion are allowed. In the excerciseof their legislative discretion, the Pro- vmcial Parliament have laid several duties and indirect taxes, which are certainly not oppressive. They have likewise established one annual direct tax, collectable in the several Districts, for District purposes, and predicated upon assessments, theprinciples and forms of which are prescribed bylaw. The Justices of the I ourts of KSessions are authorised to make the estimates for these District taxes ; but, not beins: ibe representatives of the pe<»ple,they are properly limited in their an' ority, both in respeet to the amount of the ra^es. and also as to the ob- jects of expenditure, to which they are to be applied- In each district, the district fund is by the act made payable to such person or pprson«, as the Justices, at their re- spective general quarter sessions, or the greater pait of :inate iu in , iu tlOM, elvey oportiou aturally ed. isihilitv, on sub- f impor- ' consti- and ex- fault of in tlie- 3. Ours skupon :k upon pon the ibsolute will be rnment, ^ is de- md the he Pro- indirect eCt \.Oi\m rposes, [1 forms of the ates for fcives of ty, l)oth tlie ob- d. In laynlde lieir re- part of THE PROMPTER. i7 ihem, then and there assembled, shall, by their orders, di- rect and appoint, for the uses and purposes therein be- fore recited, •• and for any other uses and purposes to which the public stock of any district is, or shall be appli- cable by law." Here are the limits of their discretion, beyond which they have no right to tax their respective districts. They cannot apply the district funds to any oth- er uses and purposes than those which are designated by law, as district charges. Upon the principfe already stated in relation to Parlia- mentary Representatives, and which is applicable also to Justices of the sessions, the district accounts, annually al- lowed by the Justices, should be published, to afford sat- isfaction to the inhabitants of the district, and to ope- rate as a check against illegal, partial, or erroneous allow- ances. Within the limits thus established by law, and guarded in practice, taxes cannot be very burthensome ; and we have no Provincial direct tax, no pauper or other parish tax. Towns which are allowed a police, are liable to a po- lice tax, for the repair of their streets, and other town im- provements. No one, surely, will grudge such an ad- ditional tax, applicable exclusively to the accommodation of his own town. The highway taxes, required by statute, and payable iu labour, have been complained of, as unjust, because not duly proportioned to the respective means of those, from whom the labour is required. His Excellency, the Lieu- tenant Governor, in his speech, at the close of tlie last ses- sion of the Provincial Parliament, admitted the justice of these popular complaints, and expressed an intention to recommend some redress of that grievance at a future ses- sion. The whole quantum of labour applied to the roads is not unreasonable, in the existing circumstances of the country, although there might be, and it is to be hoped there will be, a more reasonable apportionment of it.* Much dissatisfaction has also been manifested at the exemption of the lands of absentees from taxes, especial- *An improvement of the law on this subject has since been adopted, c 18 TUK rROMPTER. ' JJ ly hii^hway ilulle^^ by which those hinds arc jinmodiatcly ])enetlted. 1 cannot deny that such huids ouqht to \n\ tax- ed, as well as the non-resident lands of inhabitants ; and they who are of this opinion have a right, tiy all constitu- tional means, to endeavour to obtain an amendment of the law, to that eHect.t In the mean time, let us duly appreciate the actual slate of our taxes. Tiiereis no country, whose iidiabitants are, upon the whole, less burthened with taxation than this Province. It becomes us, then, as good subjects, to pay those duties which are required of us, with cheerfulness and punctuality. They are inevitalde. ^' As sure as rates," is a proverbial expression. As they cannot be a- voided, and are, besides, very reasonable and moderate, every one should make his calculations for them, and be seasonably provided with the means of satisfying all debts, whether of money or of labour, due to the public. f By an Act since passed, the lands of absentees are subjected to taxation. Snch compliance with the -wishes of the people tends to secure their confidence and attach- ment, and evinces true wisdom on the part of the Legislature. It is an exemplifica- tion of the very principle of representative government. NUMBER VIII. Punctuality is a practical and very necessary virtue. It is of use every day, and in all circumstances of life. The daily rotine of domestic concerns requires it, in every department, and from every member of a well regu- lated family. A punctual observance even of the stated hours of meals saves much time, which would otherwise be lost; and time, as Dr. Franklin justly observes, is mo- ney. Punctuality is the life of all appointments and meet- ings for private or public business, in which the concur- rence of two or more persons is necessary to any transac- tion. In such cases, the want of it occasions waste of time, vexation and disappointment. Several, perhaps many, are detained by the absence or tardiness of one. \i should be esteemed a point of honor, as well as moral duty, not to cause others io wait for us ; for, of all euiploymeuts, w ailing is one of the most unpleasant. \ THE PROMPTER, •-1 ts ^ 19 it, in l^lc c]»ariit;s have need of punctualiiy in pevfovinlnj; wovk for tlieir cusioiiiers by the appointed times. A failure, in this respect, is vexaiious and oiiensivc. A customer is aisobli -"d by bavin- to call a second or tblrd time for bis promised work. In order to be punctual, a tradesman lliould make £;ood calculations, and not, for the sake ot asnin^: employment, ensac;e work earlier, than lie has -i)0{f reason 'to believe it can be accomplished. " This observation is applicable to men in mercantile and nroresslonal business. AVith punctuality and perseve- rance, persons of moderate abilities have frequently sue- reeded ; while tliose who are dilatory, or neglectful of their jippointments, s;cuerally fail, let their talents be ever so "•reat. Almost every one, who has acquired a fortune by ti-ade. or risen to eminence by a liberal profession, will be found, upon investis;ation, to have been excm])larily punc- tual in the transaction of business. The reader's own re- collection will probably supply instances in verification of Ihis remark. But in no particular is the force of punctualiiy so imme- diately felt as in making payments. He who pays punc- tually, if his character is not grossly defective in some o- ther point, is always respected. Like charity, this virtue " covers a multitude of sins.'' /V punctual paymaster can ordinarily command what credit he pleases ; and there are times when credit is equivalent to money, as the means of cither getting or doing good. Nothing is more gratifying to a creditor, than to observe bis debtor ambitious to efTect his payment at the precise time limited by the contract ; and a habit of paying and performing promises punctually is a source of peculiar gra- tification to its possessor. Such feelings are justifiable and commendable. Whoever has the means of perform- ing his promise ought not, tL.^agh indolence or forgetful- ness, or any light cause, to delay the performance a single bour. If human pride can ever be said to be virtuous, the pride of punctuality is a virtue. Misfortune and disap- pointment may sometimes unexpectedly deprive us of the power of being punctual. Every one, in the course of his life; has expenenced more or less of such emban-assment. !■ if 220 THE PROMPTER. 33nt our inability is more frequently the consefjucnce of too mncli facility in undcrtakine; to pay. withont considerin,:; suiliciently our ine;ins of payment { so that when the sti- pulated time arrives, we are still unprep .red for it. The habits of the country, in point of punctuality, are too generally lax ; and this habitual laxity isagravated by the present distrcssinr,- scarcity of cash ; an evil which will continue, until it shall be remedied by the increased industry and economy of the inhabitants : for, so loni; as the country consumes more than it produces for market, our money will tlow oil*, as naturally and as necessarily a» water runs down hill. Many expect relief from the institution of a bank in the Province. But the effect of that new institution is too much relied on. I hope it will aff'ord ^reat accommodati- on, and do much good. It will, doubtless, increase tho medium of circulation, for a season, and to a certain ex- tent. But the evil day of payment will overtake a Hank debtor as soon as any other ; and a bank cannot wait any longer than another creditor. Indeed a greater degree of promptness is expected in dealings with a bank. I very much fear, that the common want of punctuality, that sin which so easily besets the people of this country, will dis- tress both the bank and its customers. It certainly will, unless its operations shall have a reforming influence up- on the pecuniary habits of the country. Every borrower of the bank, and indeed every other person among us, should bear in mind, that he cannot keep money, if he gets it, unless by his exertions, he earns, and actually procures, the means of paying for it. I Oi NUMBER IX. Ull relative duties are numerous. Indeed most of our practical duties are of that class. Every person is related not only to other persons individually, but also to various societies, natural, civil, religious, professional and voluntary ; and is bound by obligations of duty, resulting fruui each of his social relations. He is a member of that natural society, called a family; THE PROMPTER. iirst, tliat of Ills parents, and afterwards, perhaps, hisown. Under this head, also, may he comprehended the whole of his kindre, to tiie haz.irdiuij; of their title by their ovvn ,ieg- lec*. T e oi)j^'ct oftiie hiw being to give notice of trans- fern, 11 s ii)sequent iJiircha>.er, who, without such notice, tnk s I (l-ed, and has a memorial of it duly registered, wiu hold the land, against a prior purchaser, who has omitted to give the notice required Uy law. There tiuist not only be a memorial registered, but it must be conformable to the provincial act. It would have be-^n more simple, and in that respect more safe, if the act Lad directed the deed itself, at full length, to be registered, as it is in some of the United States ; but the register's books would have been more encumbered, and the fees of c<»urse greiter. The law, therefore, only requires a me- morial of the deed. It must, however, contain certain pariiculars mentioned in the operative terms of conveyance. It must be adapled to the deed. For the want of such an addition of a witness, for instance, as the act prescribes, a memorial has been holden to be illegal and void, and a subsequent deed of transfer, witli a proper memorial duly registenMl, has been judged valid, notwithstanding a for- mer deed with a defecti /e memorial. The entire omission of a memorial, or neglect of its registry, is not so common an error, as the careless or unskilful manner in which it is dr^uvn and executed. Many of the memorials actually registered, if examined by the standard of the law, would be decided to be materi'ally deficient. The deficiency may lie undiscovered for years ; until some competition of interest or claim shall occasion an examination into the title,when a link in the chain of conveyances may be found defective, and the estate lost. If the reader i« about bargaining for real estate, the Prompter advises him, unless there is some peculiar reason to the contrary, to insist upon an actual conveyance by deed, instead ot a mere contract for one ; and to have his deed and memorial drawn, or at least examined and ap- proved, by some skilful conveyancer, and the memorial then registered without delay. Many persons without a knowledge of the common law rules of conveyancing, or the provisions of our statutes. TKK PROMPTER. 29 lliiuk, hecaiise fliey can wi ite a fair liand, and liavc copies, or livinied blanks of a deed and nu oi^.ria I, tliat tliey can fill tiiom up, so as to pass well enon2;h. But, '- every man to Isis tnide/' says one of tliose rules of common sense, called prover!)s. Conveyancins; is a trade or art, and a more intricate one than numy others. You would not em- ploy a blacksmith to cut you out a broadcloth coat, be- cause helms a coat pattern,and will cut one by it forashil- linc; ; nor would you apply to a tailor to shoe your horse, beSiuse he lives nearer, or works cheaper than the smith. Then, why should you employ a schoolmaster, who un- derstands 'grammar, and boards in your family or neigh- borhood, but has never sudied the law of conveyancing, to draw a deed or memorial, intended to secure your own csiate during life, and the inheritance of your children af^ ter you shall be laid in your grave ? Property of a personal and possessory nature passes safely from hand to hand in any intelligible mode of sale and delivery. But the permanency of real estate, and the dependence of one transfer upon another in succession, re- quire more precision as well as formality, in the w litteu instruments of conveyance. NUMBER XIII. While a purchaser of real estate is examining th^ title, and proturing a regular conveyance of it, he should by no means neglect the boundaries. In a new country, like this, ihe bounds and lines of lots or tracts of land, w liich are bought and sold, are not, as they are m 1^ ng- land, and other old countries, ascertained by actual, well known, and long continued possession. On the contrary, they are attended with more or less uncertainty, ansirg frem hasty original surveys, made when the country was in a state of wilderness, and the land of little value ; from the narrowness of the lots, compared with their length ; the variation of the needle ; the imperfection of the instru- ments used by diflerent surveyors, and other causes ; one of which is the general neglect of monuments and bounda- m ( ;J m so 5FHE PROMPTER. ries. Hence many disputes have already actually occur red, and still more are likely to eusue. This is an in- creasing source of litigation through out the Province. The boundary lines of adjoining lots are more frequently drawn in question, than the title of the lots. In this state of things, it is peculiarly incumbent upon the purchasers of land to ascertain, with all possible care, the existing bounds and limits of the land they purchase ; and upon all land-owners, to preserve and perpetuate such actual boundaries as are ascertained and known. It is a duty, which they owe to themselves and to the public ; since nothing tends more to disturb the harmony of socie- ty, than the litigation which grows out of conflicting claims to the same land. Connected with this subject, is a practice, too common in many of our townships, but of a most injurious and de- moralizing tendency. The great demand for lumber has temi)ted persons, who in their common dealings would be esteemed honest men, to take occasion, from the unculti- vated state of the country, and the uncertainty of limits and lines of lots, to cut timber where they have no right, and, in many instances, where they know they have not even a colour of right. Such trespasses have been committed to a great extent. It is, indeed, one of the most crying sins of the land, and calls b.udly for reprehension and redress. The owners of lots, thus stripped of their timber, and depreciated in value, do not need the Prompter's advice, to pursue their proper remedy, where the trespass can be proved, and the trespassers have means of satisfying dam- ages. But it is a moral as well as civil evil, against which tiie good people of this country, whether land owners or not, should be prompted to unite their influence, to dis- countenance a practice so unjusliflable in itself, and so per- nicious in its consequences. NUMBHR XIV. U PON contemplating the state of this Province, and considering the circumstances which have retarded its Ml I I I tually occur [lis is an in- ovince. The e frequeutlj umbent upon )ossibie care, ?y purchase ; [•petuate such ►wn. It is a » the public ; >ny of socie- iicting claims too common rious and de- p lumber has igs would be 1 theunculti- ty of limits ave no right, ley have not great extent, he land, and timber, and ier's advice, spass can be isl'ying dam- gainst which id owners or ence, todis- ', and so per- THE PROMPTER. 31 ovince, and retarded its tit a m A- uvoeiress, and the existing means of promoting its improve- me!it and prosperity, I have long been of the opinion, that our farmers keep and use too many horses and too tew ox- en Both of these domestic animals are useful, valuable, and indeed necessarv. Each species of them are better adapted, than the other, to some appropriate uses ; and either of them may be indiscriminately employed for many ^"({fThe labour which is common to both of them, that which is performed by horses costs more than that which is performed by oxen. A horse team absorbs a larger portion of capital than an ox team. The horses them- selves are of higher price. Their food costs more. J heir harness and necessary furniture are more expensive. They are more difficult to be restrained ; and therefore require greater strength of fences, and consequently more labour and expence in fencing a farm, and also occasion more damage and destruction of crops for want ot sufficient res- ^ Horses are subject to a greater variety of diseases than oxen ; are liable to more casualties ; and when worn out, or disabled for service, their flesh 's of no use; whereas that of oxen may be converted into beef, and produce a profit instead of a loss. This is a beef-eating country. We consume a larger quantity of meat,in proportion to our numbers and wealth, than is consumed in almost any other country of equal po- pulation. It is, of course, a marketable article which pretty uniformly bears a good price here, and will c«)n- tinue so, as long as eating shall be in vo^^ue among us. In- deed our meat market is so high, that our neighbours on the other side of the Lake furnish a very considerab o part of our supplies ; a circumstance not very creditable to our farmers ; one cause of which is the custom of using too many horses and too few oxen on their farms. If fhe reader will do himself the justice to sit down and count the cost of his farming stock, including not merely the first prices, but also the accruing expences, losses and g«in«, he may theoretically agree with the Prompter ^« this opinion ; but, through the influence of habit, and lU 3U THE PROMPTEIl. fashiou of the country, will probably, in practice, continue for sometime longer to prefer horses u> oxen. A pair i.f horses are more gratifying to the driver than a pair of sluggish oxen. And ahnost evi-ry man, rich or poor, feels some degree of horse pride. Besi es, a change of custom IS a gradual operation, requiring a considerable length of time. I am confident, however, that experience w ill e- ventualiy introduce the economical reform now recommen- ded. Thesoonerit shall be effected the better. Mean- while care should be taken to improve our horses and cat- tle of every kind, by obtaining the breeds most servicea- ble and profitable, and l>es'. adapted to the state of the country, and by adopting the best practical means of keep- ing, feeding, restraniing, and manngiug them. In these particulars, there is ample room for improvement ; and the Prompter would rejoice to see a spirit of competition spr»-id more generally among the land-holders and farmers of every township in tne country. It is a commeudti!>le emulation; conducive to private benefit and public pros- perity. ; ; I NUMBER XV. I T has been justly said, that he who causes two blades of grain or grass to grow, where only one grew before, is a patriot. Huch practical patriotism is within the reacii of every inhabitant of this Province ; and no country ever had more need of it, or offered better encouragement for the practice of it. "I'he natural resources of Upper Canada are ample ; but they have been perverted, or neglected, and not brou'^ht into productive o))eration. ^ In this remark I have no reference to any measures or regulations of government. Political topics are not witli- ill the range of these desultory essays. I am speakin«- of the state of the country, and the means and capacities ofihe inhabit ints to increase its productiveness, and en- joy the benefit of that increase. Our soil is fertile ; our climate is healthy; our taxes I THE PROMPTER, 33 , continue 1 pair (»f a pail* of )()or, feels of custom length of :e will e- icommen- Mean- s and cat- servicea- e of the 3 of keep- In these ; and the m petition d farmers uendahle lie pros- vo blades before, is ? reacli of II try ever ement for iple ; but t brought isures or not witli- speaking apacities and en- our taxes are not heavy ; and ^el the ronsumption of the country is greater than its pr; duce. i>ur inip(,rts excf ed our exp<.ri^ ; aiid the excess must be remitted in money, to the moiler country, tiie Lower Province and the United Slates, (jur ciioulating medium, already too scarce for the facility of business, is oi* course growing scarcer. 'I lie reader has probai)ly felt tliis eml)arrassing scarcity of m(mey, and will readily admit it as an evil ; but he may say, in liis heart, •* Why should ihe I'rompter reprove me for it? It is not my fault/' Not your faul*. sir ? Pray stop a moment,if you please ; and tell me candidly, if you do not consume more, in various ways of expenditure, ihan you produce l)y all your earniugs ? If so, then the present scjircity of money is your fault, as well as your misfortune ; and, whatever your rank or profession may be, ihe Prompter will not consent to your wearing the name of a patriot, or a loyalist, unril you sliall have made reparation for your share of the public evil. If you ask how that is to be done, the answer may be contained intwobrief j rop- ositions ; earn more, and spend less. Cause two blades to gro\v,where one grew before. Increase the quantity and im- prove the quality of the marketable produce of the country. At the same time retrench your surplus expences, and save all you can of your earniugs. Encourage others to do the same ; until,by such united industry and economy, the ba- lance of trade shall be turned in your favor, 'i'ben money will flow back into the Province, and our pockets be once more filled with a ready medium of trade and business. NUMBER XVI. J Always form an opinion of a Farmer's character, from the state of his fences. If they are strong and neat, of S(»und materials, of good size and well laid up, I conclude that !ie is industrious, punciual in business, and thviviog in Ids circumstances. But, if tlsey are roiten, '{m'^^v. n down, or neglected, with hog-holes underneath, and iie upper rails l^riken, I infer tlui' he .iyT hizy, or U\(\^ «nm, or is overwhelmed with debt. If 1 w(jre a merchant, or D al THE PROMPTER. a director of a bank, I slioiild hesitate about trusting; a far- mer, wliose fences are generally out of repair. It is a bad I 11 r.! 1 sign. Tiie fencin*:; of a Farm in a proper manner is an im- portant part of rural economy. If land is worth cultiva- tion, it is worth fencing well. The expence, Indeed, is considerable ; but it is a necessary one ; and good eco.^o- my requires tliat it be done ettectually, in the first instance. A weak fence requires such frequent repairs, that the final cost is more than that of one made strong and substantial at once. A low fence tempts horses, sheep and other cat- tle to leap over it, and teaches them to be unruly. It must then be raised higher, in order to reslrain them, than would have been requisite, if made right at first. In the mean time, crops of great value are destroyed ; and the trans- gressing animals are injured, and perhaps lamed, by fet- ters, clogs and other instruments of punishment and res- traint, which w >uld not have been necessary, except for the deficiency of the fences. It would be difficult to calculate how much is lost every year, on a farm of a hundred acres, in consequence of the neglect of fences. There is a loss of time and labour in driving out cattle, from the h»ts upon which they trespass, from time to time^ and in repairing the breaches they make in the enclosures, as well as the loss of crops. if the mischief is dtme by the farmer's own cattle, he i.^ often provoked and angry at them, when he is himself more to blame than they are. But when the cattle are his neighbour's, especially if the fence also belongs to his neighbours division, the provocation is much greater. The tresspasing beasts are driven away to the pound, or an action of trespass is commenced for the damages. A quarrel ensues ; and the families are at variance, proba- bly for years, and perhaps during life. All this, for want of good fence. Next to tattling and slander, the neJilect of division fences between adjoining farms is the most common source of feuds among neighbours. H eader, if you are a farmer, and wish to enjoy the fnvM:^ i;f your labour, to thrive, to support your credit, and be esteemed a Christian or a good neighbour^ take the THE PROMPTER. 3d Prompter's advice, antl be sure to make and maintain '^ood fences on your farm. S U, FROM THE UPPER CANADA HERjVLD. Mr. Printer^ fo „ ^^^^u ?^ ^y Prompter in your Paper, my wife frequently says tonu', - I h?re. husband, observe what th. Prompter says in this num- ber He certamly nieans you. and I wonder you don't take the hint, and conform your conduct to his adv ict .» I cannot deny that many of his re- marks are applicable to me, and I am sensible that I deserve rtoroof and ought to re orm. But my wif,,like myself, has some occasion f?r re- formation ; and I don't like to bear all the blame in the family Tii re fore I wish you would request your correspondent to prompt the wuu.cn I little now and then, respecting the concerns of their department • en 1 niay.m my turn, have an opportunity of quoting some of his economical hints to my dear Joan, who is. indeed, an excellent helpmate, uponthi' whole, but sometimes has as much need of good a-I vice as, ^ Your humble servant, ^ DARBY. NUMBER XVII. <^A Penny saved is as good as a Penny earned " E8, and better too ; for what is saved is in our actual possession, vvitliout any trouble or cost of collertion • Whereas we are not always sure to realize the benefit of our earnings. The little items of money, and scraps of time, which almost every person expends unnecessarily, that is wastes (lor every useless expence is really a waste) if added to- gether, amount to a considerable sum at the end of the year;and,in the course of an ordinary life, their amount tioTs ^^ ^^^'^ ^"^ ^"^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^o economical calcula^ These might be saved ; and, in the present hard times, such savings are of peculiar importance. Indeed the nee- ect ot them has been one of the causes of the hardness of the times. Individuals and families, of all sitmUh and descriptions, have generally indulged in expences. with regard to furniture, dress, fashion, articles of luxury and li i!-T!u '^'*'^ numerous debts, of all classes of t^^o. pie, Which the scarcity of money renders visible and dis- m THE VROMPTER. lis W i lr(!ssin£5. Ifow many persons, ^vlio woro sii[.poso(l to hv* and might in IVici Ikivc beon, uncmliarnisscd and indr|>i'n- dent, are now i^roiuiiny; nndrr rmlmrrussnuMils, juid ('i»m- ])lMinini; ol'tlie liardncss of tlic liuios ? Oiu' presses upon ano^lier, ami lie npon liis next nei^'dhHir ; unTil the pres- snn* has hecomo general, and coniphunt is the order of the day. ' : jie cure for this evil is as obvious as the cause of it. We must ret re nc! our ca'pcnditurpfi^ increase oure.verti- on^, and be sure to live within the limits of our resj/ectire incomes. Tliore is no other remedy. Borrowini; mcniey of hanks ; speculating inhim!)er ; and all the various con- tri^ances to pr(»cnre a iiclilious and temporary credit, nre quackeries, more likely in thoend to kill than cure. Ke- tn nchment ot Our su,)eriluous expences is a bitter pill ; b(j.,in the present state ((f the pecuniary epidemic, nothing else will 4:;ive relief. On tliis poinUherc is ur!:;ent nce(\ of a s^eneral reform; and in Ihi^ indispensible work of reformation, every per- son has a duly to perform, either from his own necessities, or for the sake of his influence with others. Let the rea- der, therefore, whether old or younp;, a husband ur wife, the head of a family or a sini:;le person, !)e prompted to take the subject iiito immediate consideration ; and, at least, my friend, until you shall have paid off your debts, which at present hang so heavy upon you, stiidy and prac- tise the means of reducing your expences, an(? augment- ing your earnings. Let a habit of frugality be established. Let industry and economy become fashionable : and, where they are adopted, let creditors be as patient as the times will permit ; fiN .ind creditors liavo, pro- hii%\>f, ncviT \m\ winm^cr molivii-* ior ex* ri'n the other. TliPm lUM or uana fiirer opportunity for the evfcrcise of tho gol- den rule ot'duinj^ t(» others, as ue would have tlvcm, upon a reverse of circumstances, do unto us. >®«a5?!*- ^1 NUMB^Jl XVI 11. KAVELLING in a retired part of the connfry, I once happened to be caught in a snd«h'n shoWv-rot itnn, at a distance iVom an inn, and took slielter in a poor unfin- ished house, standinj^ by the sale of the road. She owner, who appeared to be indolent and soinewhai in- firm, but possessed of a degree of shrewdness and bi mor, received me with a lieavty welcome, .ind apologized' for the leaky state of bis himse. It lacked, he said, half a dozen shingles upon the roof, near the ridge, where the rain, for the want of tliose few shingles, came throui^l;, and dripped down, to the injury of tlie furniture, and the annoyance of the family. He bad, for a long lime, inten- ded to make the necessary repair, but had not yet eflc'cted it. When it rained, he always resolved to ati/ inp^ it, ag soon as the rain should be over. Jiut, when ihe v» eather became fair, he was no longi r seusil»le of any immediate occasion for it ; and, as it could be done at any time, it passed out of bis mind, unMl another storm revived his recollection, and renewed the determination, which he had thus often formed, and as often forgotten. In short, sir, added the old man, when I suffer for the \v«nt of it, 1 cannot do the work, without great inconveni- ence ; and w hen I can conveniently do it, I never feel the want of it. This whimsical account of the operations of his mind made a strong impression upon mine ; and 1 often think of it, when I see persons of my acquaintance resolve, and forget, and then re-resolve, to perform some necessary, but unpleasant or laborious act of duty. If a man's iinances are as leaky as the roof of the rorin- tryman's house, the sunshine of good fortune may render as THE PROMPTER. him too warm and comfortable to be mindful of it, and tlie same embairassmeut, which like a storm, makes him feel the leak, may, like that also, prevent his stopping it. m m A NUMBER XIX. J. PERCEIVE that a premium is proposed by the ag- wcuifcural society of the Aiidland District, to encourage the growing of Barley. That is proper. But I see no such encouragement yet afforded for the cultivation of Hops ; and have felt mortified, for our farmers, to ob- serve this article imported into this Province from the States, when our own soil is so peculiarly adapted to it, that a sufficiency might be produced here, with very little care and expence. Hops grow in this country almost spontaneously. In any of our townships, a farmer may easily plant the vines, which will improve from year to year for a coniderable number of years. His labour will be am- p.y rewarded. At the same time, he will have the satis- faction of performing an act of patriotism. By suppl ying our own brewers with this useful article, he will contri- bute to retain in the province the money which is now car- ried out of it, to pay for what is consumed among us. Reader, do you drink beer ? Then cultivate Flops, as well as Barley, ^f, in this, or any other particular, you neglect the means with which Providence has blessed you, to furnish supplies for our own market, and by such culpable neglect, indirectly co-operate in sending abroad our circulating medium, in payment for articles cf neces- sary domestic consumption, the Prompter is bound by a sense of justice, to tell you, that you have no right to com- plain of the scarcity of money, or to ask for legislative aid. You must first do your duty, as an individaal. Put your shoulder to the wheel- in the language of the fable, and whip up your horses ; exert all your own means, before you call upon Hercules to lielp you out of the mire. By producing a plenty of the raw materials of beer, and thus promoting the manufacture and use of that heal- thy drink, you will at the same time, contribufe lo another object, most devoutly desired by the natriofe nnd nhilan- THE PROMPTER. B9 tliropist, the gradual disuse of ardent spirits, so pernicious to tiie health and morals of any people, and of none mora than the inhabitants of this province. Beer, the favourite drink of the English nation, and ci- der, the national beverage of the Americans, being both of them adapted to this country, shonld be made here in plenty, from tiie produce of our own soil, and substituted in general use, instead of those liquid fires, by which, at present, so many victims of intemperance are habitually consumed. NUMBEK XX. JlHERE is much good sense in many of those pithy little remarks, which have been so long current, as to have acquired tlie name of Old Sayings ; and although Cervantes has ridiculed them, by putting them in ridicu- lous profusion, into the babling mouth of Sancho Panza ; though Chesterfield, also, has proscribed them from the style of his man of fashion, they are, nevertheless, intelli- gible and instnictive to common minds. One of these pro- verl)ial truths is that a man must ask Ms wife^s leave to become rich. Both husband and wife, indeed, must co- operate in accumulating wealth. It requires their united and perseverina; eiforts. A. large proportion of their dai- ly earnings will inevitably be absorbed by the support of their family, to which both of them are bound to contrib- ute. From his superior strength, and the relative profits of the employments appropriated by nature or custom, to the two sexes 'respectively, he can generally earn and bring into the family stock, more than she ; but the lay- ing up or wasting of their joint acquisitions depends most upon her. It belongs, almost exclusively, to her department to manage all domestic concerns, and direct the use of the various articles of provision and clothing, the two prin- cipal heads of family expence. If she has a happy f&cnh ty of economizing with neatness, order and elegance, she will administer a moderate income in such a manner. *hat her husbaad and cluldreu^ her person^ her house and fur- m 40 THE PROMPTER. CI ' nitiire, will all appear respectable ; while another family^ with a lari^er income, adminiHtered by a slattern of a wire, will be iir-provideil, ill-dressed, and scarcely decent in their appearance. Tiie care of cliildren, especially in the early stages of childhood, the direction of domestics, and their d:iily habits of industry or idleness, saving or waste, are em- phatically within the province olthe wife. 'I'hese general observations are appliv able to families of (liff rent ranks and circumstances in life. In the busi- ness and labour of men there is great variety, from th'ir various situation^^, professions and employments ; but the round of female duties is substantially similar in families of all grades and conditions. Let their circumstances be more or less aiHuent, the domestic department is the prop- er :-^cene tf economy. In this season of pecuniary distress, therefore, when men are so generally pursued by debts and duns, and threatened with writs and executions, the Prompter ap- peals, with confidence, to his female readers, to exert their- influence in promotion of an economical reform, as essen- tial to the prosperity of individual families and of the country at large. While you are industrious yourselves, let no member of your families be inactive or unemployed. Idleness is, at once, an apprenticeship to poverty and vice. A habit of Hpplication to either learning or labour, to some usfjiil oerclseof body or mind, is one of the most essenVial pnrts of education, conducive alike to virtue, prosjierity and enjoyment of life. This habit, which is better for any child than a patrimony, depends much upon female care and vigilance, at that early period, when, " as the <*twig is bent, the tree's inclined!" Industry, however, though absolutely necessary, is not sufficient, without fru- gality. Be prompted, then, my friend, whoever you are, that may honor these news-paper hints with a perusal, be respectfully prompted to review the objecis of your habit- ual and occasional expenditure. If any of Hiem are fo'md to be nrrdle^'^, in thesf duU times, retren;'' them ; '»:id apply the sums thus saved to the payment of debts, if your THE PUOMPTER. 41 lHis])aiid lias the misfortune to owe any ; if not, to the im- provpinent of your estate. Guanl against a passion for purcliasini^ ornaments and useless articles, because they are recommended by fancy or fashion. Let not a silly emulation of superiors in rank or good fortune entice you into expences not requisite for the comfort of yourself or your family. In sliort, if by industry and economy, your husband, according to the proverb, a^-iks your permission to acquire property and become independent in estate, let your prac- tice of the same virtues give him a satisfactory answer in the affirmative. FROM THE UPPER CANADA HERALD. ►iNCE T read, in the HeraM, the Prompter's recommendation of the cul- ture of Hops in this Province, I have observed several instances of the exper- iment being- made with success, and will take the liberty to point out one of them. The luxuriance with which the Hop vines grow in front of the Com- manding Officer's house, in the Town of Kingston, is sufficient to satisfy any observer, that the soil and climate of this country are well adapted to their cultivation. The process of planting, poling, tending and harvesting them, requires so little labour and expence, that it can hardly fail of being profita- ble. It is to be hoped that some of our good farmers will devote a portion of their ground to this useful object, and that they may find their hop-yarther and m )re direct, because it is new, an I he his n.>l bt'en icrustoaied to it. Of course, he loses all the Klva/ita:;^s of the pr^c^ressive improve- ments in the arts of life, resulting from reason and expe- rienc:'. There is a story of twi peasants, who used to carry their corn to the same mill, to be 2;round. One of them was a projector, credulous and lickle, varying; his projects, as any new whim liappened to cross his brain : the other was of a plod rpason. which, however, ''^e did not •i II I 1 «;ifird bv Ion I'-riMi tinn- ed use. Accordingly he held it in veneration, as an an- THE PROMPTETl. 43 cient and establislied usage, and persevered througli life, in rejecting tlie plausilile innovation oi* leaving out the stone, and dividing tlie grain into two equal portions, one at each end of the bag. He would say to those who en- deavtmred to convince him that he was carrying an unne- cessary u eight, and might save much labour by changing bis practice'; *- Vour reasons ajjpear very specious in theory, to be sure ; but it was the maxim of my goiid old grand mother, that innovations ate dangerous ; and 1 will not rjin the risk of a change ; as I cannot be certain, what it might lead to, or ^vbere itwouhl end/' Header, do you laugh, in your sleeve,at the peasant,for riding with a bag of corn on his shoulder, to favour his boise ; or for carrying the weight of a stone to mill, as a balance for his grain ? Htop, if you please, and consider, \vhether you are not laughing at y(,ursclf. Kxamine your own conduct, and see if you also do not in practice bear vsome dead w eight, for no better reason than that the hab- it of it w as derived from your ance tors, or has been con- tinued without examination, until it has become second nature. Even legislators would, perhaps, do well to encpiire, whether the laws of the country are not, in some particu- lars, still carrying a stone to mill, merely because the practice of doing so bus the sanction of ancestral usage, originating, indeed, in a different state of society, or was introduced in the childlux^d of the Province, and has sur- vived the occasion of its introducticm. The golden mtdium between a spirit of innovation and ttie perpetuation of existing evils, is a maxim as applicable to legislation, as to the affairs of common life. While rash and inconsiderate changes shcmld be opposed with firm- ness, improvements, suggested by experience of the want of them, and recommended by sound reason, as adapted to our actual circumstances, ought from time to time, to be seasonably adopted, as well for their own sake, as to ob- viate complaint and disccmtent. Their adoption may be effected with more ease, and less danger, in a youngcoun- try, whose laws are comparatively few and simple, than in au old one, in which a long train of dependent or con- si -M I flE PROMPl tii. II nected laws ftrc combined into a system, that nun ))c af^ fected throughout by a change of a single part. NUMBEU XXII. iff UNERALS, in every country, are regarded by sen sible travellers as characteristic of its state of religion, so- ciety and manners. There ought to be, and g-enerally are, some religious rites performed at a funeral. It is an occasion on which the mind is most susceptible of the truths of religion, and most sensible of the importance and ne- cessity of its consolations. The forms of burial service will,of course,be various,according to the respective tenets of different sects of Christians ; but, in other particulars, the fashionof the country w ill prevail. There is, indeed, scarcely any subject, over which fashion has a moie irre- sistible cohtroul ; and there is none, in which it is of more importance that it be decent and reasonable. The funerals in this Province generally, so far as my observation has enabled me to judge, are exceptionable in several respects, which I take the liberty to suggest, for the consideration of those, whose influence, if united in such an object, may eifect a practical reform. i St. The manner in w hich a corpse is carried, from the dwelling house to the church, and thence to the place of interment, is inconvenient and indecorous. The coifm, without any thing to support it, is borne upon the shoul- ders of the carriers, who, in the act of shouldering their load, often shake it, as if they were trying to awake the dead, and then march along, in an awkward and appa- rently painful attitude, under their burden. When it is shifted from one set of carriers to another, the procession is interrupted and stopped. 'I'he body might be carried much more conveniently, as well as decently, in a hearse ofmoderateexpence, or on abler, at the cost of a very tiifle. These, together with a decent pall, should be pro- vided by the church, or society, or town, or by subscrip- tion, and kept by a sexton for general use. 2d. There is a want nf nrrlpv ant\ rl ral processions; except those of military men. Such ir THu' PROMPTER. 45 rc£:;iilaritj subjects US to reproach, as destitute of a sense of propriety, and in a low state of national nirnners. \]\ things, especially those of a puldic nature, should **be done decently and in order,." Tiiis divine command is emphatically applicahle to a funeral. In a grave, regular procession, there is a solemnity adaj)ted to the mournful occasion. Not only they ^vho^nove in it, hut spectators also, partake of the solemn impression. But, at our fu- nerals, we >o generally huddle along, in a promiscuous crowd, with very little attention to regularity. The con- fusion of the scene is so common, that we seldom advert to its impropriety ; but strangers, accustomed to iiior? or- derly funerals, regard the custom with disgust, and speak of it in terms of censure. 3d. Funerals, in some of our towns, are hecomins: too expensive. Tiiis is a serious evil. In many instances, It already operates as a distressing tax upon [mor fami;ies. Charges of printing and distributing cards of invi- tation, refreshments at the dwelling house, decorations of the coffin, scarves, gloves, tokens, presents, fees, wages, &c. al)sorb what might better be reserved for the payment ot debts, the provision for a widow, or the main^emuice and education of orphan children. Eut, when fashion re- quires a sacrifice, esj>ecially when the requisition is made under the imposing fcn-m of respect for the deceased, at a time when all other feelings are merged in those of grief and aftection for a departed friend, the tyrant must and will be obeyed,whatever inconvenience or distress may ba the inevitable consequence. I^hose who are Idessed with atliuence,and move in fashionable circles, ought to consid- er this, and magnanimously discountenance examples of expence, which, although not embarrassing to their own lamilies, may bring embarrassment, if not rnin, upon some ot their less fortunate neighbours, who struggle hard to support a respectable appearance and standing in society. I was gratified to read, in a late Montreal News-paper* a proposition for a public meeting, to adojit measures for restraining and lessening the expenses of funerals. I have not learned the result, or the progress of this lauda- oie attempt ; hut 1 cordially wish it success. It is an oh- .]ect ot real benevolence. 46 THE PROMPTER. NUAJIiEit XXIII. l^^VEKY country lias its pecurpvr customs, wliich form some of the most distin-uishiiii^ lines in the nadun- al character of its inhabitants. One of tlie necnliarities A' Canada is the custom desig- nated by the term Vhanmivi. 'I lie praciice itself, as well as the name, is of French derivation. It has Ion- pre vail- ed in Lower Canada, and was thence transplanted into this Province, 'rhere bein- no corresponding; woixl. by which it can be expressed in our lau-ua-e, the ori-mal term, instead of beiii- translated, is Anii;licised and re- tained. , , ,^ ,. , ^.,, The custom is similar to an old Knglish one, still pre- vailiiii^inlSew England, and some parts of this Prov- ince, called riding Skimmingtun, from the name of he place where it is supposed to have originated ; with this difference, that the objects of a Charivari are some nevvly married couple, accused of what the mob are pleased to think an unseasonable or incongruous match ; \vhereas the Skimmington discipline is applied to a married person of either sex^ a;uilty or suspected of misbehaviour towards a husband or wife. They are both attempted to be excus- ed, and even justified, upon the same principle, that they are necessary to correct certain improprieties ot conduct, which are not within the reach of legal correction. That, however, is a dangerous doctrine. It a mob ot DeoDle in disguise are to be tolerated with impunity, m inflicting punishment, by way of sport, and acccu-ding to their sovereign will and pleasure ; one ov two sons of mis- chief, undei-the cover of the usage, may, from motives of malice or resentment, or for mere frolic a^id fun, raise a warty of disguised black-guards, to disturb the peace, and wound the feelings of any family. Every one has some enemies ; and, under the dominion of such a capricious fashion, no one can be secure from insult. Meanwhile the law is trampled on, in the face of the community. For every Charivari, in which three or more •^ 1 • • ,i:^i^«M-. «;«+ . onfl if tin' rioters are are enij;agett, isaii inuK iii.ti n-.rL , co. 1st, com nonly styled the Black Acf, ill vviiicli it is, luiumj; other tlun;i;s, enacted, " Tiiat if any [lerson oi- persons, being armeil vvitli swords, fire- arms, {)v othev offensive weapons, and having his or their faces hl.ickcd, or being nthericise dis^^iiised, shall appear in any forest, chase, pirk, paddock, or other gronnds in- closed with any wall, pale or other fVuice, wherein any deer have been, or sh ill be usually kept, or in any hi^h road, open heath, common or down, §^c. every person so ollending, being thereof lawfnlly convicted, shall sulFer death, without the benefit of clergy, &c." That severe act was intended for' the preservation of the public peace, and the protection of private individuals. But, not only the statute but the common law also are prac- tically repealed, I>y the prevailing fashion, countenanced and ccmnived at.as it has been. A person thus attacked may naturally en such desperate modes of defence; but 1 entreat every nvuler of these remarks to con iider seriously, that when he joins in an unlawful euterprize against his neighbour, he jMits himself out of the protection of the law, and becomes answerable, civilly and criminally, for any couserpiences, however fatal, that may ensue. A masked rahlde, in the night^mholdened by a hope of concealment and impunity, excited by mu- tual emulaiion and tlie anplauses of spectators, and, per- haps, stimulated Iw spirituous linufn's^ may tk».o('eed to excesses, beyond their first intm'^ion ; and every one of the party is guilty of the whole outrage. 48 TUK PROMI'TEU. The friends of peace and 2;ood order, of a due observ- ance and execution of the Uws, should l)e prouipUd, by a scuse of duty, more forcibly than by these cursory iuuts, to unite their influence, and put down tliis vul;;ar custom, the relic of a barbarous ajiie, and tlie opprobium of the^c jnore enlii^htcaed times. NUMBER XXIV. The Agricultural Society of the Midland District, wr.>. in its or*,2;in, cotemporaneous, and supposed to l)e co«;ii ct-d, with some other projects, which, though well in W. vded. ^v'ere fimnd not to coincide with the present views of ihv, inha])itants in general. From that association of idea „ probibly, and a misunderstanding of it'j nature and intent, W di^l i.;»t, at first, receive the snpport to which it was we'l latitled As its object becomes better nnder- sto mI, it is mor" ^: -nerally approved. Like other human m? 'Uions. i a?idoubtedly has imperfections ; but its ge- neral tendon y is to the public good. , It is tvM ^ as an objector lately remarked, it may, in its op 'rati. reate a degree of strife and envy. Actions cofid 'j\ « t' nselves may be performed from bad motives. In the ('ns of Si. Panl, some " preached Christ, of envy and s' ' but ^le great Apostle of the Gentiles esteemed th«* ^ • dng of the Gospel so necessary and important, th^ir rejoiced in it, even under those disagreeable cir- ^u 'i^'ancefs. Envy, indeed, is an unworthy passion ; but em' lation, if not essentially virtnons, is auxiliary to virtue. It is the great spring of luiman exertion, through every successive stPge of life, from the cradle to the grave. Mo- ralists agree in justifying it, as the motive, by which chil- dren, in families, schools and seminaries, are stimulated to diligence, enterprize, and good behavior ; and, nnder different forW^, itcontinnes to influrnreus in matnrer years. *< Men are but c!!ildren of a larger gi'owth." Competi- tion animates tb^ir endekvonrs, extends their progress, and iiicrGases the pWi^ci of ^le whole ma^s tif labor, 'rius principle of action ra'>v jasUtiably b^ applied to the im- provements in agriculture. To excite, aid and direct it. ^^ THE PROMPT EK. 49 in that application, is the iegilimale dosii^n of an agriciil- tural institution The society in this district have commenced their ope- rations, and had one mcetiriu; for the exhiliition of ai;ricnl- tiiral productions and improvements. Un(hu" existing cir- cumstances, it was a good commencement, and has convin- ced many, who hefore doubted, of the practicability of the undertaking. The future proceedings of the society will, of course, be commensurate with their means; and these' must depend upon the liberality of those, who, l)eing sat- isfied of the utility of the association, are disposed toron- tribute, through this organ, to the good of the public. The inhal>itants of this portion of the province are of sufficient ability ; and, it is confidently hoped, the experiment may prove, that they are not less willing than able, to sup- port an institution, which has for its object an increase of the produce, the profit, the wealth, the respectability, the prosperity and happiness of themselves, their families and neighbours. Farmers of the Midland District, you will surely listen, with candour, to the Prompter, who addresses youin your own behalf. This is emphatically your cause. It is your interest, that is directly and principally concerned. Your soil is naturally fertile. Under a proper cultiva- tion, it will be productive ; and, what is of primary impor- tance, it is your own. Most of you are proprietors of the farms which you occupy ; and are, theretore, inter- ested in the permanent improvement of them. In this re- spec*, you enjoy an enviable superiority over the tenantry of older countries ; who, having no freehold interest, are tempted to extract immediate profit, by temporary modesof culture, which leave the rented premises stripped , exhausted and depreciated in value. You have no such temptation to abuse the land you labor on. It would be cheating yourselves. You arc favored with a healthy climate. If your win- ters are too cold, and your summers too jshort, for some fruits and crons. conffenial wifli mnrp Gnnfli«ii»n lafifiwi^o there is a sufficiency of others, suited to this climate : and G 00 THE I'llUMPTEK. you are exempt from the epidemic scourges of warmer re* gious. Among your peculiar blessings, it is not the least, that your taxes are comparatively light. There is, perliaps, no country, where a smaller proportion of the income or produce of labor is exacted for public uses. Be sensible of this immunity. In many countries, taxation, with more hands than Briarius ever had, seizes upon Ihe labourers earnings, and leaves him but a pittance for his own use. That government which secures its subjects in the enjoj^- ment of their property, and the fruits of their industry, •with few and moderate taxes, is, and ought to be, sure of their attachment, wherever they were born. This allegi- ance, whetiier native or not, is at least natural. It is foun- ded on the ruling principle of our nature. Y(m have the strongest possible inducement to be indus- trious. You are directly interested in the proceeds of yfvir labor ; and your interest is your duty. Industry is not merely the handmaid of wealth ; she is, at the same time, a guardian of virtue and good morals. It is the order of Providence, that it should be so. To eat his bread in the sweat of his face, is the common lot of man. But yours is happily cast. TSie lines are fallen to you in pleasant places : and you have a goodly herilage. NoUvithstanding the hardness of the times, in conse- quence of the scarcity of money, you are at leisure to culti- vate the arts of peace. Your labors are not interrupted by alrj'ms of war, by military draughts or requisitions. A comparison of .y«mr present condition, in ♦hat respect, with what yt'u experienced during the late war, will enable you to judge of the value of peace and a quiet home Other comparisons may teach you lessons of content- ment and gratitude. Tiie first settlers of the country, as so!T^ft of you can recollect, were generally poor ; and all of them encJMintered the privations incident to new settle- ments. But you are now secure and independent in yimr estates : you possess a competency, and have ample means of imi^ro^ ing your property and your comfous, by reason able f'xertions. To stimulate your exertions, with a view to your im- THE PBOMl'TEK. 9i mediaU- benefit, aiul ll.e c..i.so<|uent prosper! y of (lie dis- ^l,a md h"proviucc, is ll.e, design of the Asi.cultural As- s" Xm TI.C pri«-« to be bestowed fortlmt l'mp.'«^- '"^ m nded as testiilouials of n-erit, more valuab e ..- t Jat vii>w, tlmn in point of pecuniary amount. 1 '«'"h'' "!^ present state of tl.eir funds will not enable the society o el-nd IbeiWrewardsvery far, it is tl.eir wish to encourage every bram I. of agriculture proper for the cun'^- , . The most effectual an.l economical manner of cl. ar n ,,cw land is worthy of attention, in a •l'^'"'<;'' "^ T*"": 'n" large a portion is still covered with forest trees lUs pro'cess shoul.l beconnecte.l with the s.v.ngof I'^a -e^, knd the conversi..u of them into nolash and l'«'ari'^^ •^;;"^' i„ which there is need of ecom.n.y, as wel as pl''W -V; There is another ob ect, too" .tae regar o.l m a "« v <^.u« try. and that is the reservath.n ol sulncienf woodUm .or Sd, conveniently situalcd in ndaticn to , the dweUing house Our townships are y cl m their youth : but ixpe. rifcl' has already conVimed the "vv-ierof almos every cultivated farm of his error in this particular, when it is too late to ren-xdy it. The expense of fuel wi I eventually ho ereat, in a country not su,.plied with coal or peat ^ Fencing is another thing essential to a farm. Our fo- rests on the norih side of Lake Ontario are destitute of chesnut, one of the most useful species of timber for rails ; and other suitable kinds soon become scarce on a farm of ordinary cultivation. In some places, resort must be haa to walls of stone, and hedges of thorns, at present havdlj k'lown in this province. The cheapestand best pract.caVslc mode of enclosing a farm,and dividing it into proper I0.5, with cood and sufHcient fences, of tba materials produced on the farm, is worthy of consideration and experiment. Different soils require difle.rent modes of plougft- ing and preparation for seed. Improvements appropriate to your dayey, limestone land, and to all the varieties of voiir soil, and adapted to the various productions «i the country, may result from judicious cbservaUoas and actual experiments. , • „_ Ihe saving ana appiicauiiu n ii.an...--' •.• - - t- - tant in a new than an old country ; and have lalUeito xt- 52 THE PK'OMPTEK. ce.vo,l very .tile alien t.on in U.i.s province, K„t tiie time nas come when it ,s necessai-j- to attend io this subject. Many ofyonrflel.k are exbauste.l by a succession of cror.s, M 1 mamu-i„s tuem ,s already an object of importance Wl>atetfectmay be produced on your soil by gvpsum, so generally and so .uccessfully used a hundred miles south fnS,,'-!? '°,""', f'=«''t?ined by experiments, accom- pamed ^^itb a calculation of the expense of procurins it Implements of husbandry suitable to your farms a?e sus- cep.able of improvement in their construction, and the ap- plication of them to ictual use. ^ A proper conrse of tjUage and rotation of crops are sub^ .eels of no small practical consequence ; and every year increases the necessity of attendinj; to them. Improvements may doubtless be made in tlic selection of seeds of the most useful grains, grasses, roots and ve- getables, and in the time and manner of sowins; and plant- ing them, as well as harvesting and securing their respec- tive crops, and preparing them for market or family use. i here is great room for improvement in the lirecds of domestic animals suitable for service, consumption or mar- ket ; and in the manner of feeding and managing them to the best advanta"" 'p The management of dairies, also, and the manufacture ofcheese and but er, are important collateral branches of a^ncu ture. huch improvement in these articles as this district IS capable of, would increase the comforts of its in- habitants, and retain among them lari^e sums of money, York ''''^ """"^ ^ ^"^ ^^'''"' neighbors in tbe state of New .In.ll?"""'''^"^ T^^^' agriculture, you should encourage domestic manufactures of the raw materials of your flocks amfields They may furnish employment for idle hands and lacant hours, and save you many items in the bills of of your family expenses ; items, Miiich, regarded sindy, appear inconsidfirable ; yet, when charged and addecl up by a good mercantile accountant, amount at the end of the I year to a forrnidalde sum, and perhaps occasion a bond 8C I; morte:a_2:e, with theadditinnfif mo-icfot.?. f^^^ „^.n y; I costs. Household manufactures; intended for family use, THE PKOMPlKii. 63 ' ' > wear better and last longer, than fabrics which are desii^a- ed to be good for sale only, and which come to you ciiar- ged with duties, commissions and profits, besides the freight and transportation of many thou«ai Tiie lime has been, when your wives and cl ands of nilk^s. hJldren mignt have felt mortified to be seen in home-made clothin^- ; but ,the Ciuintry is fast out-growing that silly pride, and faslsion will rio longer object against your manufacturing and wear- mg the produce of your own farms. IS below that of some others. This is indeed a ccuiside- rable market foifruit, not only from Genesee, but also from iSiagara. Our ])rethren there may perliaps liave some ad- vantages of climate beyond ours ; but that is not tlie prin- cipal cause of their superiority. The dilference is more in the local sjurit which has prevailed in the two districts f-espectively. In that, a few of the first settlers set an ex- ample of early attention to fruit trees ; the fashion spread and became general. In this, there was unfortunately an original want of am])ition ; in consequence of winch, fruit was too generally neglected in most of our townships - ?3ome valuable exceptions, however, are sufficient to de- monstrafe that the fault is not in our soil or climate, but in ourselves Motives of local pride as well as personal in- teiTst ought to induce every landholder here, to take some pains individually to raise the character of the district and particularly or the township, in which his farm is si^ tualejl, by the sowing of nurseries, the setting out of or- chards, the melioration of fruit by engrafting and innocu- tation. On this and other branches of agriculture, it is londly hoped that a spirit of emulation is now rising and spreading among you, and that improvement will soon be the order of the day. Every friend to the prosperit;^ of the country should jn-omote so audable a spirit, both by precept and example, ^et competition be excited in every l^p^crhhnuvh^r.A La township throughout the district, and in "all the se'verai departments of husbandry. Let it be a subject of compa^ Pj^ THE PilOMPTEU. rison, of observation and discussion, that it may become the fashion. I o render agriculture nishicmible, the hm- peror of China, once a year, goes into theiield, with his court, and actually holds the ph.ugh in person, as an ex- ample to his subjects. We have no emperors to teach us the art of ploui-hing ; but we have men of respectabili- ty whose united^ inlluence may give an impulse to the public sentiment, in favin- of exertions and improvements in a^-ricultnre. It is a science, as well as an art. The natural philosopher, the chemist, the geologist, the man of taste, the admirer of nature, not less tiian theday laborer, may here find exerrise for his proper talent. There can- not be a more delightful employment than that of a scien- tific amculturalist. Gentlemen of intelligence and leisure may amuse themselves,v hile they subserve the public wel- fare by collecting and publishing the results of practical experiments, made by themselves or others. The news- papers read in the district, are open to such publications, and tliev will be perused with more interest, than specu- lations or experiments on similar subjects made in other coun:ries. , , i n i r, It is reasonably to be expected that many competitors wiilin the course of the pres -nt year make seasonaide preparations to enter the lists for priz-s, at the next year's exhibition ; ard that Improvement in i he variuus br? nclies of agriculture will by that time be visible in every town- ship of the district. H*. NUMBER XXY. _ ROM the first settlement of this province the general use of ardent sp. ritsTias been a serious evil. Their impoverishing- and demorahz.ns? effects hive beetand still are. too visible not to be seen ^y^^l^'y;-''r'T:t"Zn and lamented by every patriot and phdanthrop.st «7^^^>- 'l.^^ ^''^^^h hX; sands, and rum its ten thourtnds. Whereverthey have been freeu and hab - tually used, their consequences have in many instances been P^^'^^/' "'^J "^^ ' disease and death ; and no where are their victuris more common tha in tlm country. The national drink of the En^^T.sh is beer, of ^*^^«"« /l^^'f '^^VrUon in England drunkenness is not so frequent or fatal as here. The companson may be extended to New England, where the popular beverage is ^.dcr a^id the people are comparatively temperate. In Canada more avde"%and st.mu- ^ofALI\v\f. aremriistomarvuse; andUie natural consequences follow. A ohaiJe*inthis"custom of the Canadians would be a salutary re urui, con^^^ivc aSo the preservation of their health, the amendment of their morals, and tlie advancementoftheir prosperity and happiness. . . , „„j If, in the place of rum and brandy, they would generally subsUtule beer and ^ i^W I I THE PROMPTER. 5W cider, the propOT productions of the country, they would incur less danger of habitual intemperance, that sin which most easily besets them, and at the same time would expend a smaller portion of their substance ; and thai reduced ex- pense would be defrayed without sending abroad the circulating medium, which is already too scarce among us for the convenient transact ion of business. The farmer would drink as well as eat the produce of his farm ; and of covirse would be less affected by the variations of foreign markets, more secure against debts, and more independent in his circumstances. His vaste, under the regula-- tion of habit, would soon relish and even prefer these milder substitutes. In the mean time, let the gentleman of fortune, whose income enables him to afford it, continue to import his liquors. Let the connoiseur still enjoy his wine, his brandy and Jamaica spirits, ripened with age, and irellowed to his taste, by two voyages across the Atlantic. The husbandman, whose lot it is to earn his living, instead of living upon the earnings of his ancestors, or on a stipend derived from the public revenue, should adopt a system of practical frugality. He ought to make his cider himself, ard pay for his beer with barley and hops, the growth of his farm. Such an excnange would be reciprocally beneficial to the orewer and to him- self. He would then have only to go 'to his own cellar, or his neighl)or*s bi-ewery, for his liquors ; and not to send for them, as he now does, to France and Spain, to the African and West India Islands. What a saving there would be in the single item of transportation, the cost of which, for so many thousands of miles, is a dead loss to the world, while it is paid for by the consumer of im- ported spirits, in addition to the original price of those articles ! In this remote corner of the world, at such a distance from the ocean, every good farmer sliould be supphed with his stock of family liquors from his or- chard, his barley field and hop yard. With such economical supplies,^ and corresponding economy in other things, he may take his comfort, live within his means, bid defiance to duns and deputy sheriffs, and have no more cause to complain of the dulnessof the markets, the scarcity of money, and the hartl- aess of the times. Is not this conclusion founded on fact and fair reasoning ? ' Yes,' says a reader, lounging at a tavern ; * the Prompter is perfectly right : brandy and rum have rmned many of my acquaintance, and will ruin as all, if we don't reform :' Then lays down the newspaper, and calls for another half pint, de- termined to go home, and hereafter be sober andindustr'ous — when the leopai"d shall change his spots, or the Ethiopian wash himself white. NUMTJEK XXVI. %Jy Yan act passed at the last session^'df the Provincial parliament, additionx.f duties are laid upon the importation of produce and manufactures from the U- nited States. These duties, which met with some opposition, and will undoubt- edly press hard upon certain classes of people, are intended to protect and en- courage the farmers, who are the most numerous part of our population. Merchants, mechanics and professional men are all entitled to the protection •f government ; but it should never be forgotten, that the first interest of Upper Canada is agriculture. We are, and ought to be, an agricultural people. This is the predominant character of the Province. Commerce, indeed, is a nccessaiy auxiliary, without which the produce of our farms, beyond our own consumption, would be of little value. These in- terests being thiis connected, and in some measure mutually dependent, nei- ther of them ought to be sacrificed to the other ; biit both of them, together "with all others, should be patronized by law, in' proportion to their respective degrees of importance. Consequently, as agriculture furnishes employment and support for a great majority of his Majesty's subjects in the Province, it justly merits a principal share of public patronage. Neither the people nor their Representatives in Parliament should lose sight of so important an object. Upon this principle, the new impost duties were laid. As a preneral Drinci- « a6 THE PROMPTER. pie, it is fust, \vhatever defects or d'sproportions there may be in the appKca- tion of it in tlie details of this particular act ; errors which can be corrected, as practice and ex,jerience siiall require. But something further is requisite. These duties will operate immediately in favour of the fanning interest ; but they will not be effectual, without the strenuous co-operatioii of the farmers themselves. Our surplus productions mi:sr find tl)tir way to market, where they will be met by those of our com- pelitors. In the commercial world, the prices of marketable articles, like flu- ids in the natural world, tend to a level. To that common level of market pri- ces, in spite ol' local and temporary restraints, the produce of rival countries, beyond w hat they consume at home, must eventually be carried. Such is the natural course of things. No protecting or prohibitory duties, therefore, nor any other legislative reg- ttlations, can long maintain the market value of sucli produce on the Canadian side of the Lake at a rate above the prices currei\t on the American side ; any more than an act ofParliament can raise the water of the lake higher on thi^ than it is on the opposite shore. In both elements there may be temporary swells, from one side to the other; but there can be no permanent accumulation. The "nconsumed produce of the soil, if not wasted, will flow off to the oceai\ of foreign markets. There the exporters of it fi-om each country must meet in competition ; and there it must be practically ascertained how much they can afford to pay for it to the producers ; and thiis the prices will be settled there, whi< h will govern the value of the respective articles at home. Instead, thei-efore, of calculating upon any lasting superiority of prices, our farmers should seasonably prepare lo compete with those of the other shore, in the quantity, quality and reasonableness of the productions which they fur- nish for exportation. Farmers of Upper Canada, permit the Prompter, on the approach of the agri- cultural season of the year, to suggest, tliat you are the most niunenms por- tion of the inhal)itantB of the Province. You possess the largest share of the substantial property of the country. You are its main stay. Its prosperity de- pends on yoii, more than any other class of people. Your exertions must de- termine the experiment, whether this Province can support an advantageous competitioii with the neighbouring States, in the market oC^^flour and other agricultural productions. In this struggle, it is the duty of the legislature to attendto your interest, and eive you every practicable encouragement, con- sistent Avitli the general welfare. But, after all, your success, under Provi- dence, depends upon yourselves. There is one circumstance in our foreign relations, which for the present, promises a favorable operation. The United States, with a view to counteract the British system of Colonial monopoly and exclusion of foreigners^ establish^ ed by the navigation laws, ^ave interd^ted the connnercial intercourse be- tween their ports and tVo? f the Brittsh Colonies, and have thereby excluJ ed themselves from the Bi h Weit India market, which Is open to thcvessets and produce of Great Ik its and het tei-ritories. In tliat market, therefore, our exports may obtaiit a p. .ority, while those of the United States are driven to more distant parts of the world. This may for some time operate to your advantage. r w . In most respects you stand on an equal footing with your rivals. Is not your soil as productive as theirs ? Are you not as little burthened with taxes, and enjbarrassed witli debts, as t^y are ? Are you not as capable of managing and improving your farms, as thlij^ ? Are you not as healthy, as active, as indus- trious, as frugal, as patriotic and ambitious, as resolute and persevering ? Be prompted, thenrto make a vigorous general effort, this season, while the ope- ration of Provincial duties, andCAmerican non-intercoursejpitli the West Indies, aids you, to turn the scale in favour of your country. The attempt is honorable, but arduous, requiring the evertion of all |rour energies, and the husbanding of all your resources, extending also to the economy of families, as well as the labours of the field. Every man, woman and child should unite in it, and every U^triot wish you success. ■V ''f¥"%