THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION. 



95 



cd to the wants and condition of Southern agri- 

 culturists; and here again, to show not only 

 what my views are, but that they so remain after 

 years of reflection, let me recur to the Amer- 

 icaxi Fanner for 1821. If I dwell more than 

 may seem necessary on a single point, it is 

 because I verily believe tliat in no other way 

 but by a radical change in the books used and 

 the subjects studied, and, in a great measure, in 

 the qualification of instructors, can thorough re- 

 form and regeneration for the Southern States be 

 brought about — we must begin by instructing 

 tiiose, thoroughly, in the true wants of agriciil- 

 tare, and the true principles of the practice of 

 that art, who are to come after us, and to frame 

 the laws and policy of these States. But first 

 please tuni back to Mr. Randall's important let- 

 ter, page 44 of the July number of the Journal 

 of Agriculture and see how, twenty-four years 

 ago, his suggestions were shadowed forth in the 

 following from the American Fanner of 1821 ; 

 and how, as evinced by his letter, the ideas thea 

 thrown oat, are approaching their consumma- 

 tion in this State, where there are now mare 

 than eleven thousand common school districts, 

 and mare than 650,000 scholars — though then 

 there were not half that number^. Shooting 

 ahead of Virginia as one of Stevens' flying 

 steamers passes a sloop on the Hudson, what 

 will New York not do, when, a few years hence, 

 their million of scholars come to be educated in 

 the way. and imbued with the sort of knowledge 

 here recommended : 



"Since the happiest experience has proved 

 that the cultivators of the earth may be as opu- 

 lent and illustrious as Washington, let us pro- 

 ceed to inquire into the means of making us a 

 jieople great in the profession of agriculture ; 

 intelligent in its theory, bright in its practice. 



The foundation of general education is laid 

 in the common schools of the townships, hun- 

 dreds, parishes, villages, boroughs and cities. — 

 \Vt! will denominate those schools for reading 

 and writing the primary schools. From the 

 nutural e(iuality of men, the.se schools must con- 

 tain the same proportion of sound and strong 

 minds as our academies, colleges and universi- 

 ties. In these little scenes of puerile instruction, 

 teachers should be prefeiTod who have a talent 

 and knowledge in fanning, fi-uitery and garden- 

 ing. They should have a suitable teacher's 

 glebe, as part of their support, and for the exer- 

 cise of the i)idustry, talents, care and manage- 

 ment of the children. The teacher should study 

 to instruct them in the practice, course, and rea- 

 sons of culture. He should haxa a manual of 

 the farmer's profession, out of which portions 

 should be read as exercises. It would be wor- 

 thy of the wisdom of the State Legislatures to 

 oH'er a premium, in money, to such persons as 

 should compose and compile the best hand-hook, 

 for that purpo.se, which should be printed in a 

 plain, cheap volume for tho.se schools, and forthe 

 families of planters and fanners, male and fe- 

 male. Women ai-e often distinguished in gar- 

 dening and fruit, and arc respectable in the econ- 

 omy and managemeiU of a fann. Cuts or plates, 



exhibiting " the mechanic powers," the lever, 

 the wedge, the inclined plane, the screw, the 

 pulley, with their uses, advantages, and reasons, 

 or principles, would be highly amusing and 

 deeply instructive.* Competition, in little sec- 

 tions of the teacher's ground, as to kinds, quali- 

 ties, and quantity, would have an excellent ef- 

 fect. Every parent or guardian would cheer- 

 fully supply his child or ward, with seed for his 

 httle section of the teacher's ground. Approved 

 tools should be a subject of particular con.sidera- 

 tion. Whenever ground could not be obtained, 

 or cultivated, such a hook as has been mentioned, 

 would be highly favorable in its effects upon 

 j'oung minds, and most so in the cases of the 

 children of the ignorant, the unskilful, the poor 

 and the unwise. 



The neighbouring heads of families should 

 send to the teacher a constant supply of articles 

 on agi-iculture from newspapers andpamphlets, 

 specimens of fine wool, or curious seeds, fruits, 

 plants, engravings, tools, implements, utensils, 

 ores of lead, iron, copper, tin, &c. clays, ochres, 

 new improvements, proces.ses, inventions, &c. 

 &c. as they might fall into their hands from time 

 to time. After securing one for himself every 

 planter and farmer should send one to the teach- 

 er. These two effects would be produced, the 

 teacher and the pupils would acquire a variety 

 of useful knowledge pertinent to culture, neve* 

 to be forgotten, and the pupils would carry it 

 home to their fathers and relation.s, and thus dif- 

 fuse knowledge, and increase its activity, at 

 least among the uneducated. 



In the next class of schools above the com- 

 mon or primarj', and below the colleges, which 

 we call in America, Academies; the same means 

 may be used to excite to agricultural instruction, 

 reading, observation and reflection. It may be 

 done in a more accurate, systematic and exten- 

 sive manner. Dictionaries of agriculture ; con- 

 cise systems. Dictionaries of the'branches of art 

 and science connected with culture, may be ea- 

 sily and cheaply introduced. The superior pro- 

 fessors would be warned on the subjects, by the 

 opening of it, proposed in the common or pri- 

 mary schools, and assisted by conferences and 

 correspondence, with the most powerful men 

 among the practical farmers and planters of 

 tlieir vicinity and acquaintance. The best Amer- 

 ican and foreign writers may be consulted, and 

 the branch oi landed culture in our academical 

 economics maj' be rendered delightful, oraamen- 

 tal, beneficial and accurately technical and sci- 



* Two Indian warriors were shown a beautiful pair 

 of compound brass pulleys, in the coUcfje ot" Phila- 

 delphia. Each block had" perhaps a dozen sheaves, 

 and was atiout as large in circumference as a com- 

 mon tiuubler, and capable of receiving only a good 

 silk bobbin of the thickness of a tenth of an inch.— 

 The two stout red ddldren of nature were told by the 

 ititfi-j)reter, that a little boy then before them, would 

 force them, by ttiose pulleys, to come tosrethor. Each 

 seized one of the double blocks by the hooked metal 

 haudle, and stood at a distance trom the other, of 

 about three or four feet. The little boy began to 

 draw the cord, iuid forcing the Indians to approach 

 by tlie power of tlie pulhi/s, the Indians, with a little 

 pa.ssion on their faces, set foot to foot against each 

 other, and endeavored to keep apart. The child, 

 who W!L= instructed, pulled upon the stiing, and laugh- 

 ed archly. The Indians struggled, with violence and 

 rage, using all the force of their arms, legs, and weight 

 to keep apart, but to their great mortiticatiou, were 

 brought together, with the scotched blocks of those 

 powerful little pulleys. No pupil in tlie college libra- 

 ry, no savage of a dozen there ever forgot that practi- 

 cal lesson upon thepower of liie pulley. 



