FARMERS' REGISTER 



337 



nny thiiiii for it, replietl, that " he had Kwallowecl 

 n few shot to Uerp them down." The poshion 

 assumed by Mr. Hawkins in the above extrao.r, 

 that "iiznoranl men arc the nio?t irreclaimable 

 theorists," may perhaps seem to some a very bold 

 position; and yet I will venture to assert that a 

 careful observation of ihe liicis of the case will 

 fully confirm its correctness — at any rate, such is 

 the result of my observation. I'he truth is, the 

 human mind is so constituted, that it is impossible 

 for a person to become acquainted with any larpe 

 number of flicts, and not reason upon them, and 

 Ibrm some theory respecfino' them ; and, if ijino- 

 rant of any of the data on which such reasonint; 

 fihould be based, or of the correct principles of 

 theorizing, he will almost inevitably run into error. 

 An acquaintance with true science, so far tVom 

 leading a man into a course of unprofitable theo- 

 rizins; would be the very best means of preserv- 

 ing him from such a course. 



Such a scientific course as that which has been 

 proposed, would require for its cotTipletion, in the 

 case of a young man already familiar with the ordi- 

 nary branches of an English education, about two 

 years; or, with very close application, perhaps a 

 somewhat shorter period might suffice. The study 

 of the sciences should be commenced in youth; 

 for lew men can be brought to s,\ve that close at- 

 tention which is necessary for the successful prose- 

 cution ofsuch studies, after tiieir proper school-days 

 are over. But " in the morning of our days, when 

 the senses are unworn and tender, and the gloss of I 

 novelty is fresh on all the objects which surround 

 us;" when the memory is susceptible of its most I 

 lasting impressions, and the curiosity is all life ; a 

 taste tor such studies can be planted, and those 

 habits of minute and careful observation, so essen- 

 tial in scientific pursuits, can be formed. At this 

 period the father must in all cases think and act 

 for his son. Does he desire to leave him beyond 

 the reach of poverty and want? It should be a 

 question for serious consideration, whether he can 

 best secure this end, by adding a few hundred dol- 

 lars to his patrimony, or by expending that money 

 in giving him an education, which will fit him ful- 

 ly for his intended business, and which will be to 

 Itim a source of pleasure, as well as profit, to the 

 end of his days. 



At this lime it is generally admitted, that the 

 agriculture of Virginia needs a change for the bet- 

 ter. That it is not what it should be ; we need no 

 other evidence than that afibrded by the fact, that 

 manyofour most valuable, most enterprising young 

 men, are leaving the land of their lathers, to seek 

 a home, and perhaps many of them a grave, in the 

 far distant regions of the west and southwest. — 

 Within a short time, a spirit of improvement has 

 sprung up, which seems to be gaining strength, 

 and extending its influence year by year. What is 

 nowneeded is something to give to this spirit a right 

 direction ; and this is the very thing which agricul- 

 tural education will accomplish, if it accomplish any 

 thing. If this can be done, we may confidently 

 indulge the hope that V^irginia will yet recover her 

 proud pre-eminence among her sister states ; that 

 her now half-deserted districts will again be filled 

 with a contented population ; that her most impo- 

 verished soils will be restored to more than their 

 ancient fertility, and will again wave with the gold- 

 en harvest ; that her sone, instead of turning their 

 footsteps to some distant land, will remain at home, 

 Vol. VIII.-43 



and, proud of their birth-place, will close theirdays 

 "within sight of the very spot where they were 

 born." 



ON THE IJTFFERENT PROPOSED SCHEMES OF 

 ROTATIONS. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Carysbrook, Maij 12 th. 1840. 

 One of those lucky mischances which some- 

 times occur to the way-faring man has brought 

 me to-day, nolens volens, to this place : a |)lace 

 which has been rendered not quite so noted in 

 your ]ournal by the essays of its worthy proprietor, 

 as was Carysbrook of England by the temporary 

 occupancy of the unfortunate Charles, who, if I 

 remember aright, took refuge there from the pur 

 suit of the commonwealth's men. How are the 

 apparent errors of short-sighted mortals turned to 

 good account by a kind Providence ! I deplored 

 missing my way as a great evil ; but what a treat 

 was in s'ore for me, in the slight of this interesting 

 spot ! Still more 1 lamented my fate when I found 

 the landlord was from home! But you and your 

 readers are the gainers by my ill luck, insomuch 

 as it has produced this valuable communication. 

 Nor is it a total loss with me ; for the absence of 

 the host has been the means of bringing out in 

 finer relief the shining merit of his represen'ative, 

 a personaire bearing the name of the immortal 

 author of the Declaration of Independence, who in 

 his sphere, (the department of butler,) is no less 

 perfect than was his great namesid^e in the cabi- 

 net; and to whom, if Pope said true, equal honor 

 is due : 



" Act well your part, there all the honor lies." 



Casting my eye around the hall in which I now 

 sit, where are to be seen the appliances of hunt- 

 ing and fishing, it tt?ll upon some of the numbers 

 of your Register, which, among other appropriate 

 periodicals, are scattered in careless literary con- 

 fusion about the room. In the March number I 

 found an essay on " the five-field rotation and 

 grazing;" this referred toother communications 

 on the same subject in the February number. 



Now, Mr. Editor, my success in the discussion 

 of Jefferson's eatables, has not inspired me with 

 the vanity to pretend to discuss litrniing matters 

 with these gentlemen. It is true I am a sort of" a 

 farmer in an humble way. Having failed at one 

 of the learned professions, I betook myself to ni}'' 

 present occupation, as a make-shili, hoping that if 

 I failed here too, my errors would be more apt to 

 escape observation. 



The first thing thai struck my attention in the 

 above mentioned essays was the remarkably civil, 

 complimentary style of your tip-top fiirmers to 

 each other. 1 like it much. It is so difl^erent lioni 

 that gasconading, insulting mode of writing prac- 

 tised by politicians ; and not in writing only, but 

 in debating too. I trust the new code of honor 

 which authorizes one man to give another the lie, 

 or charge him with dishonesty, and then to avoid 

 responsibility by averring that he means a political 

 lie, or political dishonesty, will never find accept- 

 ance among the agricultural community. Among 

 us, let there be no nice distinelion between an^ 

 agricultural lie and any other. 



