VOIj. MX *0. 46. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER 



365 



For ihe N. E. Farmer. 



THE YOUNG AGRICULTURISTS— PUBLI- 

 CATION OF THEIR OPINIONS. 



Mn PnTWAM — I waa much gratified upon perus- 

 ing your lust paper, to observe a communication 

 from " A Farmer's Boy." Willi tlie practical mat- 

 ter of which he discourses, I am unacquainted ; 

 but I may say his conclusion.^ appear plausible. It 

 is not my intention to criticise his positions or the 

 manner in which they are expressed : far from it : 

 both are worthy a maturer head. I wish to express 

 my approbation of the disposition which inclined 

 him to observe, to commit his inferences to writing, 

 and to send them for publication in your columns ; 

 and to say to him, in addition to the encourage- 

 ment extended by yourself, try again — go on ob- 

 serving and communicating the results of your ob- 

 servations for publicity : — it is a proud distinction, 

 young man, to have the thoughts of your own un- 

 aided conception, spread before the eyes of thou- 

 sands, and a source of pleasure to reflect that those 

 thoughts, though originating with your humble self, 

 may become established as truths and prove a 

 benefaction to community. 



So far, Mr Editor, from there being any objec- 

 tion to your publishing the opinions of the young, 

 I think the disposition to communicate them for 

 your pages, is eminently worthy encouragement — 

 especially as there is such a reluctance manifested 

 by the older to furnish for this purpose whatever 

 they may have learned in the progress of their pil- 

 grimage here. You need entertain no fear, sir, 

 that such communications as that of " A Farmer's 

 Boy" will in the least diminish the interest of your 

 paper — they will rather enhance it; and I hope 

 the laudable example he has set, will induce others 

 of his years to " f illow copy." — By all means let 

 the rellective young be stimulated and encouraged 

 by the conductors of the press, in this disposition 

 to communicate their thoughts for publication. 



I have said, Mr Editor, all that I designed to 

 say when I commenced; but if it will not encroach 

 too much upon your space, I will add a few thoughts 

 upon a subject which bears some nflinity to the 

 foregoing. If, in your more discerning and better- 

 balanced mind, my anticipations should seem but 

 as "the baseless fabrics of a vision," I must plead 

 in excuse of the defect the phrenologist's decision, 

 that " Ideality" and " Hope" are two of the ruling 

 influences in my mental constitution ; and if I shall, 

 betray ignorance in regard to the true state of 

 things in the agricultural world, I sincerely solicit 

 to be informed wherein I err. 



I think I can see, sir, in the young farmers that 

 now are, the " dawnings of beams and promises of 

 day," which in due time will break forth in the un- 

 dimmed and refulgent lustre of the sun upon the 

 cause of agricultural improvement. — However much 

 the discoveries of the closet and the laboratory may 

 be calculated to benefit and perfect the art of hus- 

 bandry, they will never — depend upon it, sir — they 

 will never to any general extent be brought in to 

 its aid, until the great mass of those who cultivate 

 the earth shall be composed of men who can dis- 

 cern and are willing to admit, that the deductions 

 of science and philosophy are more deserving their 

 attention, than the erroneous opinions of those 

 whose misfortune it was to live in an age when, 

 compared with the present, the lights of knowledge 

 were dim in their lustre and circumscribed in their 

 extent. And here let ua ask, is there any well 



founded prospect that our yeomanry will he com- 

 posed of such men — men who instead of sneering 

 at book-learning, in compliance with the dictates 

 of hereditary prejudice and self sufliioient ignorance, 

 will be disposed to court its enriching aid and prac- 

 tice upon it.i suggestions? I, for one. sincerely 

 think there is. '-Coming events cast their shadows 

 belore." I think I can see such a yeomanry in the 

 " Farmer Boys" of the present day : — I think I can 

 see in them the germs of that mighty agent whicii 

 is destined — gradually it may be, but surely — to 

 achieve that signal triumph in a change of our 

 husbandry, which I am disposed to believe it has 

 been reserved tor modern light and modern truth to 

 obtain over ancient ignorance and ancient error. 

 My whole hope for whatever of great improvement 

 our agriculture is to undergo in a half century to 

 come, is centered in the young farmers of this 

 generation as the chief agents through which it is 

 to be accomplished. These expectations may be 

 disappointed ; — -indeed, to the more sagacious they 

 may appear as the mere illusions of fancy : to me 

 they seem no less practicable than probable : I see 

 much (hat is auspicious for the issue I predict, — 

 much that warrants me in believing, that the day 

 when the young farmers that now are shall take 

 the places of their fathers to till the fields which 

 they now till, will be a proud day for our agricul- 

 ture — a proud one for our country. Coming into 

 manhood, as they will, divested of prejudice, eager 

 for knowledge, infused with the improving spirit 

 of the age, and enlightened with the teachings of 

 the common school, — do not /Aese considerations go 

 far in justifying the expectations I entertain, the 

 hope I cherish ? Mark me, sir: the " Farmer Boys" 

 that now are, will make the men who will effect 

 that stupendous revolution in our husbandry which 

 will exalt the art among the highest in the indus- 

 trious sisterhood, and contribute more than any 

 bloodless revolution which has preceded it, to make 

 us as a people pre-eminently prosperous, and as a 

 nation pre-eminently independent. J. H. D. 



()[/°It is pleasant to soar on the pinions of im- 

 agination, and those who describe the beauties of a 

 world which she creates, peoples and instructs, help 

 to improve and elevate the matter-of-fact and igno- 

 rant world of which we are a part. This predic- 

 tion from the foreman on Fancy Farm, creates a 

 smile — and smiles are good. — Eu. N. E. Far. 



CAUSE OF THE COLD, WET WEATHER. 



We have been querying in our mind — what can 

 be the natural cause of the cold, wet weather with 

 which we have been so steadily afflicted this spring.;^- 

 For, really, we have hardly had a single pleasant 

 day since the equinoi in March ; North Eastern 

 storms, one after another, have prevailed to make 

 the heavens black and the earth blue, for the last 

 six weeks. Seldom has the sun been seen ; it has 

 been, decidedly, the most gloomy weather we have 

 ever known for so long a time. What can be the 

 cause of this sort of weather, and may we expect 

 that the same cause will operate to produce a cold 

 season .' 



A writer in the Eastern Argus, who appears to 

 reason well from well known natural principles, has 

 hit upon a conjecture that seems to us to offer a rea- 

 sonable conclusion on this subject. He says he 

 has noticed, that whenever large quantities of Po- 

 lar ice have floated out upon our North Eastern 

 coast, in the spring, we have invariably had a cold 

 season. Such immense masses floating in the vi- 



cinity of this part of the continent, must necessarily 

 chill the atmosphere to a great extent, and that 

 lower temperature condenses into rain the fogs and 

 vapors which always hang over the Grand Banks, 

 and creates a wind that naturally seeks its current 

 in the direction of the continent where the air is 

 more highly rarefied. This makes for us a N. E. 

 wind, which brings on the protracted rains that 

 usually accompany a storm from that direction. — 

 The conjecture is a rational one, and we think is 

 entitled to consideraiion. It is known, as reported 

 by the English steam ships, that large islands of 

 ice, mountains high, have floated out from the Po- 

 lar regions into the Grand Banks on our North 

 Eastern coast. 



We have not much confidence that we are to 

 have, the approaching summer, much corn-growing 

 weather; and we advise farmers to plant the earli- 

 est varieties, so as to run as little risk as possible. 

 I'old seasons, however, are generally more favora- 

 ble to grain, grass and potatoes. One cold sum- 

 mer, it is to be hoped, will kill off the weevils. We 

 have more confidence in the success of wheat this 

 yc^ar than we have of corn But do your duty and 

 trust to Providence. 



The following is the article in the Argus to 

 which we have alluded. — Maine Cult. 



THE COLD WEATHER. 

 Mr Editor — For many years past I have ob- 

 served that our cold summers have uniformly been 

 remarkable for the large quantities of Polar ice 

 which have accumulated in the vicinity of the 

 (Jrand Banks, and further south upon our coast. 

 In conversation with a friend a week since, upon 

 the backwardness of the present season, I remark- 

 ed that we should doubtless soon learn of the exist- 

 ence of large quantities of ice upon the coast ; be- 

 ing persuaded that the uncommonly cold weath- 

 er which we have lately experienced, was owing 

 principally to this cause. A paragraph in the pa- 

 pers has Terified the prediction — a large quantity 

 having been fallen in with by vessels lately return- 

 ing from Europe. It is well known that sailors are 

 generally admonished of their vicinity to icebergs 

 by a fall in the temperature ; and it is reasonable 

 to suppose that the influence of large masses of 

 ice upon our coast, would be extensively felt, and 

 produce an important modification of our seasons. 

 The British Provinces and New England feel this 

 influence more than any other portions of our coun- 

 try.: indeed the>' are almostthe only portions which 

 are materially affected by it. One result which 

 may be expected from so unpleasant a neighbor- 

 hood, is the frequent recurrence of easterly storms ; 

 for the atmosphere in the vicinity of the ice being 

 much conde.ised, will have a strong tendency to 

 rush to land, where it is more highly rarefied. This 

 circun:stance, too, has some effect in keeping the 

 ice near our shores, and were it not for the coun- 

 teracting influence of the Gulf Stream, which tends 

 eastwardly, we might expect that the existence of 

 large masses of ice upon our coast would produce 

 almost a Greenland in summer. It may be worth 

 while for men of science, and more particularly the 

 farming portion of our community, to notice the 

 connection which is here suggested. Should large 

 quantities of ice continue to be seen in our vicini- 

 ty through the month of May and into June, we 

 shall unquestionably have a cold, unproductive sea- 

 son. M. S. 



Teach the young to protect the birds. 



