1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



465 



mm 



'^ei fla -V' ---^ 



SALEM IIOEMAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC. 



The above Institution is situated about 10 miles | 

 from Norwich, and 13 from New London, in the 

 rural town of Salem, Ct., and in one of the most 

 pleasant valleys in New London County. 



The Institution is designed for ladies only, and 

 the only study taught is music. It was founded by 

 Orrajiel Whittlesey, about 16 years ago and un- 

 der his auspices it has grown into public favor, and 

 is now justly celebrated as a place where a thor- 

 ough and practical musical education may be at- 

 tained. It is retired from the noise and amuse- 

 ments of city life, — has an able board of teachers, 

 and an unique system of instruction, well adapted 

 to secure the purpose for which the school is estab- 

 lished. Its usual number of pupils is about forty. 

 It is emphatically a school among the farmers. 

 Among the number of its pupils from year to year, 

 I have noticed the daughters of farmers from dif- 

 ferent States of our Union. These young ladies 

 have gone out from it accomplished musicians and 

 teachers. At the recent anniversary, the graduat- 

 ing class consisted of twenty to whom the examin- 

 ing board awarded diplomas. 



The young ladies who received diplomas, remain 

 at the seminary one year. They practice on the 

 piano, or other instruments five hours each day — 

 and study the theory of music about three to five 

 more, and are required to pass an examination in 

 presence of a board of examiners before receiving 

 the honors of the Institution. 



Attached to the Institution is a farm of about 

 one hundred acres, which is worked in a scientific 

 manner under the dii-ection of Mr. Whittlesey. 

 Much of this farm is under very high cultivation, 

 and furnishes the school family with every variety 

 of vegetable and fruit in their season. 



The expense of a musical education at this Insti- 

 tution is $250. The time required one year. Stu- 

 dents may enter the seminary at any time, and 



there are no vacation*, but an annual examination 

 in August or September, E. R. Warren. 



Boston, Aug. 30, 1856. 



h'or the New England Farmer. 



SHALL I STICK TO THE FARM? 



Mr. Editor: — BelieA-ing that you are willing 

 to make all due allowances for the writings of 

 youth, I again venture to communicate with you 

 on the subject of farming ; not for the purpose of 

 gratifying any vanity which I may liave of seeing 

 my thoughts occupy a place in your valuable jour- 

 nal, but for the purpose of laying before you my 

 objections to farming. 



In my former communication, I gave my objec- 

 tions in such a way that you were led to a misun- . 

 detstanding of them, and consequently your kind ' 

 remarks did not meet my case exactly ; therefore 

 in consideration of this fact, I will now attempt to 

 give them in as clear a manner as possible. 



In the first place the returns for labor spent on 

 the farm are so small, that it becomes necessary 

 for one who attempts to gain a livelihood from the 

 soil — being without money and those sciences the 

 knowledge of which are so indispensable to a thor- 

 ough understanding of the art of farming, it seems 

 to me a stranger might as well hope to find his 

 way through Boston, blindfolded, as for a man to 

 think he can progress in farming, and su])port a 

 family as he should ; especially, if he should have 

 the misfortune to possess a large one — to employ 

 every moment from early in the morning till late 

 at night, in hard, physical labor, allowing himself 

 scarcely a moment for study, unless you might call 

 the perusing of a newspaper study, which, I am 

 pained to say, is a great stranger in many of our 

 tarm- houses. 



Here, Mr. Editor, is my great objection to re- 

 maining in the business in which I now find myself 

 engaged ; not because there is too much bone la- 

 bor, as you seemed to think — but because there is 

 too little mental. 



If it were ])ossil)le for one to start in this em- 

 ])loyment with so small a sum as you think suffi- 

 cient, and so divide his time that a regular system 



