1856.] '' Terra Culturer— Prof. Comstoch. 457 



thousands have fared far worse. And the loss sustained bears a very 

 striking proportion to the stimulating treatment the trees have re- 

 ceived. 



Jesse Morgan. 

 Beech Grove^ Rush County^ la. 



Freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of the press 

 are the glory of our times, and the pride of our republic. Yet amidst 

 our vaunted rights and privileges we are often arrested in the con- 

 templation of our joyous condition with the reflection and indeed 

 with the aprehension of being under the surveilance of a more cruel- 

 tyrant than the Czar, and exposed to a worse serfdom than his sub- 

 jects by the oppressive domination of fashion — of public opinion. 



How did you like ihQ preacher, the lecturer the stump Orator of yes-, 

 terday. The honest reply, if made, often would be, "I have not 

 heard any body say." All are more or less influenced by others, 

 and this is right to a certain extent; but never admissible where 

 "ignorance is the mother of devotion," or where the wise vauntingly 

 assume that "wisdom will die with them." We have in our prose- 

 cution of the science of Agriculture both of these classes to contend 

 with. We have those who have planted, and sowed,- and done ev- 

 erything 'in the moon' according to the tradition of their great grand- 

 father Abraham. And others who have come to the conclusion that 

 there can be "nothing new under the sun," since they have been 

 permitted to sit at the feet of wisdom, "and have all learning and 

 all science gained." Although it is a generally admitted fact that in 

 these last days the world has made great progress, let us not hastily 

 come to i\\Q conclusion that it has reached i\\Q Ultima-tliule, and that 

 the present generation has nothing to do but follow the lights of the 

 past, or that generations to come will bask in the perfect sunlight 

 of the present, and must needs fold their hands when ice are gone. 

 Let us then neither assume the character of dogmatists, nor man -wor- 

 shipers, but try, examine, prove whatever presents plausible claims 

 for our investigation. Although Agriculture is the oldest pursuit 

 of our race, we have reason to believe there remains much to be learn- 

 ed in relation to it. Indeed, as a science, it is yet a terra-incognita^ 



