128 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



dispel those barbarous notions, that all the edu- 

 cation a farmer's wife should possess, must be 

 confined to the dairy and the kitchen ; that wo- 

 man was created but to be a servant to man, and 

 to administer to the physical wants of his family. 

 When we meet with a woman of superior educa- 

 tion, we find one who is attached to rural life, 

 and who, if she were married to a farmer, would 

 administer his affairs in the most acceptable man- 

 ner. She would also render his house agreeable 

 by her conversation and her good sense, and by 

 enlisting his sympathy with her own love of na- 

 ture, make him more contented and happy, when 

 employed at home or in the field. 



Another important consideration is the power 

 that is placed in the hands of an intelligent moth- 

 er, to afford her children a superior domestic ed- 

 ucation. A mother enjoys more o[)portunities 

 than the father for exercising influence upon the 

 children. It might be allowed, therefore, that 

 we should first educate the daughters, rather than 

 the sons of farmers, even if the interest of the 

 latter were the only object of our concern. A 

 mother, who is capable of instructing her chil- 

 dren, seldom fails to exercise her capacity for 

 their benefit ; but the same cannot be so gener- 

 ally said of fathers. We have no doubt that the 

 talents of the father as often descend to the off- 

 spring as those of the mother, though a contrary 

 notion prevails ; but it will be admitted by all, 

 that the mother's ignorance and the mother's ed- 

 ucation are more generally transmitted to the off- 

 spring than those of the father. 



But it is not the literary education of young 

 women of the rural classes that should be only 

 regarded. Inducements should be offered to them 

 to make themselves acquainted with the theory 

 of agriculture. The knowledge of the intelli- 

 gent and believing wife might often convert the 

 ignorant and unbelieving husband to faith in new 

 improvements, and induce him to learn and to 

 be progressive. Her instructions to the children, 

 if she could not influence her husband, might re- 

 deem them from the bondage of ignorance, and 

 lead them to improve upon their father's prac- 

 tice. The farmer's wife should be well acquaint- 

 ed with the farm and its wants ; she should have 

 sufficient practical knowledge of agriculture, to 

 be able, if it were necessary, to superintend the 

 exercises of the farm. A woman does not unsex 

 herself by extraordinary acquisitions of knowl- 

 edge; but rather by assuming the masculine man- 

 ners and habits of the other sex. 



In the preparation and distribution of tracts, 

 the educational wants of the female sex must not 

 be overlooked. There are some studies and ex- 

 ercises that are supposed to be peculiarly adapted 

 to female taste and genius. This is said of bot- 

 any, which certainly enjoys more favor among 

 young women ; and perhaps it is only through 

 their influence, that young men could be induced 

 to give any general attention to it. But it is 

 needless to dwell any longer upon the share which 

 woman may have in imparting a taste for the 

 study of nature, and for the refinements of life, 

 to the other sex. We may remark, in conclu- 

 sion, that if we would improve farmers and farm- 

 ers' sons, in taste and in the amenities of socie- 

 ty, they must receive their culture through the 

 female sex ; but all practical knowledge and tact 

 must proceed from their formal experience and 

 o'->servat.' ^n. 



For the New England Fdrmer. 



FARMEHS, LOVS YOUR CALLING, AND 

 MAKE YOUR HOME3 PLBASAiVT. 



Mr. Editor : — Probably mine is a hackneyed 

 subject, but as it seems important, it may be well 

 to "keep it before the people." 



When we look around over many farms of our 

 land, and observe the absence of improvements, 

 the indift'erence paid to making things convenient 

 about them, and 'he absence of shrubbery, and 

 shade trees, and sundry fixings about the house 

 to beautify and give an idea of a "pleasant home," 

 we see that some do not appreciate the beauties 

 of landscapes, trees and flowers, or are disposed 

 to make the most of the things around them in 

 life, so far as rural enjoyment is concerned. But 

 some may say that c>immon farmers having noth- 

 ing but their farms, which may be small, cannot 

 afford to spend large sums of money like the rich, 

 in beautifying their grounds ; true, yet it costs 

 but little to set out a few shade trees, and shrub- 

 bery, in a tasty manner, and to have the rose, 

 the dahlia and the peony to blossom in the yard. 

 I am aware that many live on farms not their own, 

 and so cannot be expected to make those im- 

 provements that they would on farms of their 

 own. But some hire farms when they may be 

 the proprietors of small estates, merely because 

 they may get better returns from the banks than 

 they could from farms, perhaps, and so live on, 

 farming for gain without being in love with their 

 calling, and ignorant of the superior enjoyments 

 of those intelligent farmers who live on their own 

 acres, and take pleasure in endeavoring to im- 

 prove their farms, and in rendering their homes 

 pleasant and happy places, and fit abodes of pro- 

 gressive farmers. E. T. C. 



Portsmouth, R. I. 



Remarks. — Excellent. Indoctrinate the peo- 

 ple with these ideas, and the price of good land 

 in New England will advance twenty per cent, 

 in less than five years. 



For the Nair England Farmer. 

 POTATO CULTURE. 



I have always noticed in this section that po- 

 tatoes planted on old pasture or mowing land, 

 newly broken up, and planted without manure, 

 were nearly or quite exempt from the rot, and 

 that some particular varieties have never rotted 

 in the field, though heavily manured. These facts 

 I cannot exactly harmonize with Mr, Reed's 

 theory. I read with hope the plan your Concord 

 correpondent was so fortunate to peruse, and 

 practice with success. I inserted peas in the po- 

 tato according to directions, and waited patiently 

 the result, which I am sorry to say was not very 

 favorable. Several varieties which I tried, rot- 

 ted just as bad as those planted without peas. I 

 cut the tops from some soon after they commenced 

 drying, and covered the stubs with earth. I dug 

 part of them, and found only one affected, and 

 that but slightly. My hired man dug the rest, 

 but said there were no rotten ones among them. 

 The same varieties in other hills and rows, were 

 one fourth perhaps affected. W. I. SiMONDS. 



Boxhury, Vt., Dec. 22, 1858. 



