148 Extracts from the Journals. [July, 



children of robust parents are feeble, and, though precocious, are 

 destitute of the bodily hardihood and mental energy essential to 

 eminent success in any pursuit. Hence such children must usual- 

 ly give place to youth irora the country, whose descendants in 

 time must yield to others from the same prolific source. Scandi- 

 navia was called by the historian, " the workshop of the human 

 race," because it poured forth such swarms into southern Europe. 

 Equally proper is it to call the farm-houses of the land the work- 

 shop of the nation. For, if this supply should be cut off, our 

 cities would soon be depopulated, or at least sink into weak effe- 

 minacy; and in fact, the locks of the nation's strength would be 

 shorn, and we should shake ourselves in vain. Hence, as I have 

 wandered over the hills and valleys of our land, and have met by 

 the wayside, and on the farm, or in the meanest hovel, with chil- 

 dren uncultivated, and even repulsive in their appearance, yet 

 healthy and hardy, I have often felt for them no small degree of 

 respect, when I recollected that probably, under that rough exte- 

 rior, there lay concealed the future wealthy merchant, or eminent 

 artizan, or distinguished scholar. The refined city beau, or belle, 

 may indeed smile contemptuously at the uncouth manners of the 

 plow boy, who, on his first trip to the city, is staring about the 

 streets with half opened mouth; but not unlikely that despised 

 rustic will one day rise far above them in w^ealth, learning, and 

 respectability. At any rate, such transmutations are of every day 

 occurrence in the city. 



But let not the farmer vainly imagine, that because he furnishes 

 so important a part of the raw material of national prosperity, 

 he is independent of that prosperity. Let incompetent, or am- 

 bitious, or unprincipled men get the reins of government into 

 their hands; let them adopt measures that paralyze commerce, 

 shut up manufactories, discourage internal improvements, and 

 above all, plunge the nation into war; and the farmer will find a 

 worm at the root of his own prosperity and happiness. His pro- 

 duce will rot on his hands, his income be consumed by taxes, and 

 his sons, instead of rising to respectability and influence in pri- 

 vate life, will be made " food for pow^der." In short, he will soon 

 learn how intimate is the connection between his private fortunes 

 and the state of the nation. 



The cause of education is regarded by all intelligent men, es- 

 pecially in a country like our own, as one of the most important 

 of national interests; and hence we should inquire what influence 

 is exerted upon it by agricultural pui-suits. An eminently saluta- 

 ry influence, is the decided reply. Especially is this the case in 

 respect to popular education, as appears from several considera- 

 tions. These pursuits, in the first place, afford more of leisure 

 for study than most others, since the hours of active toil must be 



