THE FARMER'S iVJONTIlLY VISITOR. 



125 



11) in a few journals that come to our hand, we 

 enumerate in difieiv.nt parts of the country no less 

 than seventeen barns, besides several houses injur- 

 ed or destroyed by lightning", and several lives lost. 

 Tlie barns were mostly crammed with grain and 

 hay, and in some of them the loss wds three or four 

 thousand dollars. In Maryland, in New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania and New York, such disasters occur- 

 red, and in not a single case is tliere any allusion 

 made to precaution or protection, either by light- 

 ning rods or by insurance of tlie propertj'. 



Little as is known of the nature or cause of the 

 electric fluid, enougii has been ascertained to dem- 

 onstrate that a eolunin of heated vapor, whether 

 rising from a chimney, or from a mass of vegetable 

 matter partially heating, as almost all hay or grain, 

 when first put in a barn or stack does, forms one 

 of the best conductors of the fluid, and one which 

 oftener attracts it than any other. A vast quanti- 

 ty of grain had been gathered into barns the week 

 preceding Aug. IJ, and the showers of that day 

 seemed charged with the lightning to an unusual 

 extent. Of these barns, four were destroyed in 

 Onondaga Co. alone ; tliree in New Jersey, within 

 a few miles of I'liiladelpliia ; and the remainder in 

 different parts of the country visited by some one 

 of the many thunder gusts of that day. 



Every farmer should provide rods for liis Iiouse 

 and his barns • the expense is but trifling, the se- 

 curity they aflurd very great. The points oi tiiem 

 should be kei)t bright ; at the places of contact with 

 tlie building tliey should be insulated by glass or 

 some non-conductor; and the rod at the foot 

 biiould penetrate tlie ground so as to reach earth 

 always moderately damp ; orsJiould end in a doub- 

 le point That the fluid if conducted down the rod 

 may readily escape. On no consideration whatev- 

 er, should a conductor be painted. 



We have bet'ore recommended it to farmers to en- 

 sure their buildings ; and we again urge it upon 

 their notice. None are more interested in the safe- 

 ty of their buildings and their crops, than them- 

 selves, and every reasonable precnation should be 

 adopted to prevent a catastrophe which in a moment 

 may darken their fair prospects for life, if not re- 

 duce to absolute want. As mutual insurance com- 

 panies to affect tiiis have been formed in several 

 parts of the State, firmers at the most trifling risque 

 can protect one another, and no one, in tlie hope that 

 he sliould escape accident of such kinds, should 

 neglect such a precaution against total loss. The 

 man who has a thousand dollars worth of wheat 

 burned in his barn, if he has an insurance of two 

 thirds of the amount, will not be as distressed as 

 he who iias no insurance, and sees all lost in a mo- 

 ment. — Gen. Farmer, 1838. 



For llie Fanner's Monthly Visitor. 

 £ducatiou of Farmers,— No, 4, 



SGHOOI, TEACHEnS. 



Furnishing seventy thousand American sciiools 

 with well qualifled teachers is, perhaps, the most 

 important and the most dilflcult subject connected 

 with the intellectual and moral character, and of 

 course with the liberties of our Republic. As long 

 as talents, like every article of commerce, will find 

 the best markut, men of high intellectual and mor- 

 al attainments cannot be retained in schools at 

 iwenty-five dollars a month, while other profes- 

 sions otfer four times the salary, with one half the 

 labor and drudgery, and twice the respectability. 

 No matter how many Teachers' Seminaries are es- 

 tablished or -how rich!}' endowed, and how great 

 the number or the qualifications of teachers, they 

 can never be retained in common schools, until 

 they are paid, and until the profession of teacliing 

 stands as high in public estimation, as that of law, 

 medicine or divinity. 



It must also be recollected on this subject, like 

 every other system of National Education, that 

 more than three fourths of the subjects of education 

 are to be farmers and farmers' wives. Consequent- 

 ly, that system, which -is best fitted to promote the 

 farming interests, is best fitted for tlie interest of 

 our Republic. In view of that fact, no one can 

 doubt but a practical and scientific farmer may be 

 better qualified to educate farmers, than the more 

 scholar, however highly accomplished. This opin- 

 ion is entirely corrpborated by facts, as many farm- 

 ers, v>^hom I have known to pursue teaching as a 

 winter profession, for a course of years, have made 

 far better teachers, than are ever found, in stu- 

 dents of a college, or in medical, law, or divinity 

 students,, wlio use teaching as a kind of cats-paw 

 profession, to aid them into another, which otfers 

 larger emolument and higher respectability. While 

 our schools are furnished from the students men- 

 tioned, it is evident tliat they must suffer all the 

 embarrassments, losses and other evils which can- 

 not fail to arise from inexperienced laborers; and 



not inexperience merely, but those making no cal- 

 culations, and taking no means, to acquire either 

 experience or skill. 



Let young farmers adopt teaching as their pro- 

 fession during the winter, for a course of years, 

 and these two hitherto insurmountable obstacles, 

 the want of salaries and experience, will, in a 

 measure, at least, be removed. The farmer could 

 afford to teach in his own district, at thirty dollars 

 a month, for four months in a year better than one, 

 who depended entirely ui)on teaching for tlie sup- 

 port of a family, could for fifty dollars. As with 

 the aid of a laborer whom jie might hire for ten 

 dollars a month, or perhaps by the assistance of his 

 sons without hired labor, he might attend to all the 

 winter business of his farm, in addition to his ser- 

 vices in the school. 



It is evident that a young farmer, who at six- 

 teen or eighteen years of age, should commence 

 shaping his course for the business of teaching as a 

 profession, though it might be but for the winter, 

 would act under very different motives, and conse- 

 quently make greater and higiier efforts, than a 

 kind of interloper, who had escaped from anotlier 

 profession, just long enough, and devoting just 

 hours enough, to secure cl/cic dollars to help him 

 on to his mure respectable calling. The former 

 would be upon the alert to learn the best modes of 

 teaching, to ascertain what were the best books, 

 and to become lioily intelligent and skillful in his 

 adopted profession ; while the latter would meet, 

 they always do meet, any proposals for scho<d im- 

 provements, with, '■'■J hacc not time to attend to 

 litem ;' as I must keep along with my class at col- 

 lege, or I wish to be admitted to the bar next court, 

 or next year, or to a license for preaching or prac- 

 tising medicme. 



To my mind it is evident, tliat a practical farm- 

 er, who has also the science and the experience for 

 teacliing, may be better qualified for educating 

 farmers, than any person who makes teaching ex- 

 clusirclij his psofession. Uy connecting his pur- 

 suits of science and reading in winter, with his 

 fanning operations in summer, he would not only 

 make education more practical, but'farming more 

 scientific, consequently both professions would be 

 benefitted. His illustrations and experiments in 

 geology, botan}^, entomology, chemistry, natural 

 philosophy, geometry, (tc, made for the benefit of 

 his pupils in his school, could be applied, {luring 

 the succeeding summer, Loth by teacher and pupil 

 upon the farm. 



Kxperience fully proves that summer schools, 

 which are composed principally of girls and small 

 boys, are most prosperous, under the charge of la- 

 dies, as are schools of email children at any season. 

 If a farmer should have charge of a school in his 

 own district for a course of years during the win- 

 ter, his sister, or as the case might be, his daugh- 

 ter, might have this same school during the sum- 

 mer, when he would still have a kind of double in- 

 terest in its success. 



It must be evident from these views, that the 

 plan here proposed for supplying scjiool teac-hers, 

 would have at least tiiese advantages over that now 

 pursued, viz : it would be economical, it would 

 make teaching a profession, and it would give 

 schools the advantage of practice with theory. It 

 must aliio confer upon cliildren two advantages 

 which would be lost, ificaciiing was cxclusirclij a 

 profession, viz : the advantage of experimental 

 knowled-ge with theory, and to all young children, 

 and to girls advanced in education, the advantage 

 of ladies for their teachers. 



In connection with the system here presented, 

 'cincuiT i-cHooLs,' to be held weekly or semi- 

 monthly, and attended by teachers and lecturers, 

 who are familiar with tlie sciences, and supplied 

 vvitli apparatus and specimens for illustrating them, 

 would be highly inijiortant, especially in aiding 

 young gentlemen and lad.cs in quothfiflnir them- 

 selves for teaching. Much nriglit be said on the 

 economy, and power, embraced m a system of itin- 

 eracy, whetlier connected witli religion or educa- 

 tion, but the present occitsion does not permit it. 

 JOSIAH HOLBROOK. 



Whitewashing. 



Last spring we reminded our readers of the ad- 

 vantages of whitewashing, and as we know that 

 some neglected it tlien, we would again remind 

 them of the advantages to be derived by it. Dog 

 days are at hand when \vc always have a great deal 

 of close muggy weather in which malignant diseas- 

 es are more apt to be generated than at any other 

 season ©f the year, and during which most insects 

 deposite their eggs. There are also many rainy 

 days, which cannot be employed out of doors, we 

 tiierefore advise those who have not before white- 

 washed their cellars and those parts of their build- 



ings which need it, to do it now. By using a wash 

 of quicklime while hot or as soon as it is slaked for 

 this purpose, they will destroy the eggs of insects 

 and do much more to remove the cause of infec- 

 tion, and effectually close up many places which 

 would otherwise be favorable depositories for the 

 eggs of insects, and produce a sweet and healthy 

 atmosphere around their buildings. 



Maine Farmer. 



Fur the Fartiier'd Monililj' VisUor. 

 tStanzns, 



Written on flic summit of Kcarsargc Mountain. 



Wliat thoughts of thee, dear native land, 



Have birth, as on this giant -mound, 

 Above a world of care, 1 stand 



And gaze upon the landscape round. 

 I may not joy in distant clime 



To hear the awful thunder peal 

 His trump from Alpine Iieights sublime, 



Yet here a rapture rare I feel, 

 And still I love my own hills moro 

 Than lofty Alpine summits lioar. 



My native land, I cannot think 



Thou art like other empires gone, 

 With glory fleeting that must sink 



As soon into oblivion ; 

 No for glory's thine unknown 



To boasted heatiien Greece and Home ; 

 IL-re Freedom, on her 'mountain Throne*, 



Hath reared an everlasting home. 

 And rising raund me these lair hills 

 Are all her guardiun sentinels. 



Tell me not of Ausonian plains, 



Achaia to the muses dear, 

 Where art 'mid hoarv ruins reigns 



That ask tlie traveller to revere 

 The birth-place of the Belvidere ; 



A purer light, than ever fell 

 On those gray realms, beams round me iiere ; 



Here, where thy robust children dwell, 

 A race, firm, brave, intelligent. 

 The bulwark of our government. 



The crowded mart may bend the knee, 



And back to slavery's chains return ; 

 'i'he green homes of thy yeomanry, 



Wliere all the patriot virtues burn. 

 The tyrant's poisonous tread shall spurn ; 



And ages hence, when time hath shed 

 His classic halo on the urn 



Of him who for his country bled. 

 The fabric that our fathers planned, 

 Unshaken as this mount shall stand. 



Dear mount farewell ! Here I have seen 



The storm-clouds sweep the vales below — 

 Here marked the arrowy lightning's shine 



Beneath with fearful splendor glow, 

 And heard the tliunder bellow there. 



While tlinu unmoved, with cloudless brow, 

 Didst view tlic scene, and all was fair 



And bright around me ht-re, as now. 

 So stood the '"Pater Patris?," when 

 Red battL- raged around, serene. 



Dear mount farewell! Yt_'t I could love 



To linger still till day is gone. 

 And see the silvery choirs above 



Look down upon me here alone, 

 Thrilled by mid-night's uneartlily tone. 



Farewell ! But I will come again 

 When Autumn round his fruits has strown, 



And here I'll raise my humble strain. 

 In praise to Him whose bounteous hand 

 Has richly blessed my native land. 



juvj:nis. 



Salisbury, July, 1S3LK 



From tlic Bjsioii ("uliivator. 

 To Masons, 



We profess to be fond of the old fashioned oven 

 and of its contents. We consider bread which has 

 been baked in tliem and then suffered to cool be- 

 fore eating, to be much more wholesome than hot 

 cakes direct from stove ovens. 



We think also there is no loss of fuel in heating 

 a properly constructed oven of bricks, and that a 

 saving of labor is made by baking a good batch of 

 rye and Indian, that shall be a standard article in 

 the family for at least a week. We do not insist 

 on its always being eaten cold. It is much im- 

 proved for toast — a dipped toast — by being toasted. 

 But we wander from our caption and our subject — 

 no wonder ; we liave not yet had breakfast. Now 

 to the point — and the curve too if you will. We 

 want a it^od old fashioned oven made for us, where- 



