1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



505 



as broom corn is used. It is said that the juice vocation or profession which interest or taste may 

 when set with alum, dyes a beautiful red, but in lead him to choose and follow. There is really no 

 this experiment I have not been successful. The , vocation in which men can engage that demands a 

 seed when ripe is good for fattening hogs, fowls, 'more libei'al culture than agriculture. In this 

 Sec. I believe it is to be a great article, second in pursuit, the brightest genius may find ample scope 

 importance to few things that the farmer can grow. | to display and exert itself. 



It is very desirable that it should be more exten- As the writer has often remarked, farming is the 

 siA'ely raised another year, and careful experiments most complicated of all the arts. It is the art of 

 made with it so as to determine its comparative [arts. And alas, how little has been done to devel- 

 value as a field crop. If you desire I will send some op and confirm the rules of this art. Had the 



stalks of the cane to your office. 



James H. Hyde. 

 JVewton Centre, Sept. 22, 1856. 



Remarks. — Our own experiments with the 

 growth of the Chinese Sugar Cane correspond with 

 those of our correspondent. We can scarcely con- 

 ceive of a more important acquisition to our pro- 

 ducts than that of some plant which will enable us 

 to cultivate sugar orchards along side of our cran- 

 berry meadows, and apple orchards. We trust 

 that others will make such experiments with the 

 cane as will justify a more extended trial another 

 year. 



/•'or the New England Farmer. 



EDUCATION OF FARMEES. 



"How much education for the farmer ?" inquires 

 a recent correspondent in the columns of the JVew 

 England Farmer. Just as much as circumstances 

 and opportunities will allow him to acquire ; just 

 as much as if he intended to be a minister, a doc- 

 tor, or a lawyer. The prevalent notion, however, 

 is, that if a farmer have six sons, and intends that 

 the eldest shall be a farmer, the second a school- 

 master, the third a doctor, the fourth a lawyer, the 

 fifth a minister, and the sixth a merchant — three 

 of them, at least, those designed for the learned 

 professions, must have a "liberal education," while 

 the two that are designed for mercantile life and 

 teaching, must each have what is called a good 

 English education ; the other, it matters little 

 whether he go to school much or not, for he is to 

 be a farmer. The chief thing for him is, that he 



conductors of the farms over Christendom been ed- 

 ucated men, as well as practical, how different 

 would have been the condition of the farmers to- 

 day, compared with what it really is. Why, every 

 farm, so to speak, is a laboratory ; for a lal)oratory, 

 says Webster, is "a place where work is performed, 

 or any thing is prejjared for use." The conductor 

 of the farm work, whether he do the labor with his 

 own hands, or em})loy others, is the master chemist 

 of the field laboratory, and is "preparing something 

 for use." One of his experiments, if it prove suc- 

 cessful, will prepare wheat for bread ; another will 

 prepare corn, another oats, another barley, another 

 buckwheat, another potatoes, and others, roots, 

 bulbs, grass, hay, live stock, &:c., &c. Now if it be 

 admitted that it requires a liberal amount of cul- 

 ture for a man to go into a chemical laboratory, (a 

 mere toy-shop compared with a farm, in results 

 and everything else,) and work experiments suc- 

 cessfully — and none will deny it — then how much 

 more important is it, that the conductor of a farm 

 should be a man of liberal culture, a man that 

 knows how to combine elements, so as to make 

 wheat, corn, roots, grass, &c., upon which man and 

 beast are to subsist. The chemist in the laborato- 

 ry makes his labor successful, as his audiences will 

 bear record. So should the director of a farm ; and 

 so does the farm director in his laboratory, when 

 under the influence of experience, observation and 

 knowledge ; a trio that should illuminate the path 

 of every farmer. More anon, if you will allow, 

 Messrs. Editors. L. v/. 



To Make Ink. — Seeing in your column "To 

 Correspondents" your answer to a communication 

 from C. C, of Ohio, I send you the enclosed circu- 



should be athletic, apt, and willing to work with jlar, which I received from Detroit, in answer tp a 



his hands ; ready and skilful in dirt digging, as 

 taught by the traditions of his ancestors, and by 

 the same, to hate and despise all "book farming," 

 as being speculative and theoretical hypotheses. 

 It might be deemed pertinent here to start the in- 

 quiry why tliis son should be taught to hate hook 

 farming, and the others be taught to love hook 



{)reaching, hook counselling, hook diagnoses, and the 

 ike ? Are not law, medicine and theology as rife 

 in speculative hypotheses as agi-iculture ? Why 

 not then be consistent, and either discard hook 



note "enclosing stamp." If C. C. wishes a good ink 

 let him try this. 



1. Take three ounces of best galls, and 1-4 of an 

 ounce of cloves, bruise to a coarse powder, and bcil 

 over a slow fire in a pint of water for a few hours, 

 stirring frequently ; then set aside in a covered ves- 

 sel till cold ; then strain, and supply the place of the 

 water lost by evaporation till it measures one pint. 



2. Now dissolve 1 ounce and 1 dram of best 

 copperas in 1-2 pint of water and strain; then dis- 

 solve 5 drams of gum arable in 1-2 pint of water, 



knowledge in all'cases, or else admit it in all, and and add to tlae copperas solution and 1-2 pint of 



so learn to discriminate between truth and error, 

 between mere speculative theory and sound instruc- 

 tion, between hypotheses and true knowledge, as to 

 avoid imposition, deception, impostors and charla- 

 tans, whether they appear as lecturers and teachers, 

 or as authors of books, papers or periodicals ? 



The position taken by the writer, is, that it is no 

 matter v/hat vocation or profession you design your 

 son for, give him the best, and highest, and most 

 liberal intellectual culture in your power, and then 

 he is ready to study and pursue successfully any 



good cider vinegar. Now mix 1 and 2, and add 1 

 ounce of Uquid blue. Use soft water. Let your 

 ink be exposed to the air, and you will have a black 

 ink. — Scientific American. 



Sealixg-tvax for Fruit C^ins. — A very good 

 sealing-wax is made by melting and stirring well 

 together, one ounce of Venice turjjenetine, four 

 ounces of common resin, and six ounces of gum 

 shellac. A beautiful red color may be given by ad- 

 ding one quarter of an ounce or less of Vermilli-on. 



