312 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the ground, and on 72 acres of them the examiners saw no 

 iveeds; in fact, the whole farm was perfectly free from them. 

 Twenty tons of guano, bonedust, etc., were used each year. 



These instances are sufficient to show that even agricultural 

 pursuits may be prosecuted successfully without manual labor 

 on the part of the owner, and without in any way detracting 

 from the social position, or infringing upon the delicacy of 

 either sex. 



The history of nearly every* patriotic State in the Union 

 abounds in incidents of young women during the rebellion 

 usurping ex necessitate the rights and privileges of the fathers, 

 husbands or brothers who were at the front, and not only di- 

 recting the operations of the farm, but carrying on the various 

 processes in person, riding the machines, loading and unloading 

 hay, hoeing and reaping ; and the cases are not rare at the 

 West of females now managing and cultivating farms as a pur- 

 suit more agreeable to them than indoor employments ; and taking 

 into consideration the machinery by which farming is now carried 

 on, the comparatively slight amount of severe manual labor requi- 

 site, and which can be hired for the emergencies, these women 

 farmers may find it a more satisfactory business than many trades 

 followed by women, and the labor on the whole less severe. 



" There appears," says Sir Humphrey Davy, " nothing more 

 accidental than the sex of an infant. Yet take any great city 

 of any province and you will find that the relation of males and 

 females is unalterable." This dictum of the philosopher is 

 substantially correct, and it is apparent that an unerring intel- 

 ligence so adjusts the balance of the sexes, that were it not for 

 the wars and emigrations of man a helpmeet would be found for 

 each of the male sex as for his great progenitor, and the sacred 

 institution of the family would thus enfold the whole human 

 race ; and this being the normal condition, it is proper before 

 deciding as to the effect of any class of education upon those 

 abnormally situated to examine its appropriateness to the ma- 

 jority. It is conceded that the great need of women at the pres- 

 ent time is a more substantial and domestic education. Personal 

 adornment a century ago was the foible of both sexes, but the 

 men have sacrificed mere show to substance and comfort, whilst 

 the women, if any change has taken place, have rather increased 

 their fondness for rich habiliments. Somewhat parallel to this 



