l858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



377 



For the New England Farmer. 

 NATUEE. MAN'S TEACHER. 



"Nature" and "the laws of Nature" are com- 

 mon terms of expression. And their very com- 

 monness may be one reason why they have not 

 a more definite meaning in most minds. The 

 different vegetable productions, animal beings, 

 man, of the higher order of intelligences, and 

 all other objects, material and spiritual, are only 

 parts of a Universal Nature. And the nature 

 of all is their essential constituent elements, 

 properties, qualities and capabilities. Its funda- 

 mental laws are only their general forms of ex- 

 pression. God is tiie author of all things, and 

 originally gave to each being and thing a perfect 

 nature, subject to no law, wrong, conflicting with 

 any other, or in the least opposed to universal 

 harmony. Man's nature then was in consonance 

 ■with the Divine will. One of its laws was pro- 

 gression. He must in his perfect state be ever 

 rising higher and nearer to God. Right and 

 wrong being revealed to him by sin, as a free 

 agent he was permitted to choose either. But 

 in whatever else he may have suflFered by his es- 

 trangement, this law of progression remained 

 the same. He ever advances, right or wrong ; 

 rises or descends ; knowing no standing still 

 point. 



Nature, commonly understood, is the aggre- 

 gate of God's works manifest to man on earth. 

 These bear impress of His hand, and in studying 

 them aright, the soul cannot fail to be purified 

 in thought, feelings and aspirations. The mind 

 will not be' wholly absorbed in the Avorks, but in- 

 stinctively looks beyond ; and through them, 

 catches glimpses of the great Creator, God. — 

 Therefore, to allow this law of progression in 

 man full scope, to develop his intellectual facul- 

 ties and raise his soul nearer to Divine knowl- 

 edge and perfection, he was originally placed in 

 close connection with these works in the garden 

 of Eden. They were thus made his teacher, to 

 show to him, in part, God's character and gov- 

 ernment and his consequent duty ; in all of 

 which he showed his ignorance in attempting to 

 hide from the Lord. If, then, close and contin- 

 ued communion with Nature's works was to him 

 a source of happiness, and that it was we know, 

 as in his perfect state he had no sorrow, and if 

 this condition was best adapted for his progres- 

 sion, these laws being unchanged, we may now 

 expect the same results. 



Nature shows to her student a broad field of 

 knowledge where he can roam at pleasure. Pre- 

 sents to him subjects requiring more than a life- 

 time to fathom. And his moral feelings and in- 

 tellectual taste are elevated in their study. Morn- 

 ing, noon and evening, her lessons are varied, 

 interesting and beautiful. The glory of a sum- 

 mer's morn — when, riding forth on his course 

 from the east, the god of day dispenses light and 

 blessings to all, announced by ten thousand war- 

 blers caroling forth joyous notes of praise, and 

 everything seems inspired with new life and at- 

 tuned to harmonious melody — is unsurpassed by 

 aught of man. And witnessing this, who that 

 has a soul bearing anything of its original like- 

 ness, does not attest sympathy ; and feel the deep 

 fountains of joy and gratitude welling forth in 

 his heart anew. 



And when low in the heavens his chariot of fire 

 descends, and the last rays play around the sum- 

 mits of the hills and dance through the topmost 

 branches of the trees, the clouds burnished with 

 a sea of glory, presenting to the eye a picture 

 which could any artist copy, would immortalize 

 his name — is an hour destined by God to be fa- 

 vored to man. These scenes make him forget 

 the cares and disappointments of the day, and 

 his soul, enraptured, drinks in the beauties be- 

 fore him. 



"Not rural sights alone, but rural sounds 

 Exhilarate the spirit, and restore 

 The tone of languid nature." 



The eflfects of Nature's works ever harmonize. 

 And the thoughts suggested by the scenes of 

 closing day, are deepened by the gentle breeze, 

 the hum of insects and the plaintive note of some 

 bird calling to his mate. 



This is the hour for reflection. Unlike the 

 feelings of the morning, when Nature enlivens 

 us for the duties of the day, we are moved to re- 

 flect on what has passed. Thus are not only our 

 instructions varied throughout the day, but the 

 whole year. Each season has its peculiar lessons. 

 May not Nature then emphatically be called 

 man's teacher ? Such was she appointed in his 

 perfect state ; and now, with these laws un- 

 changed, her lessons are the same, as she aids 

 him in his upward flight. The well ordered mind 

 cannot fail to appreciate her teachings, and ac- 

 knowledge their divinity. 



Man's object in life is happiness. In the thous- 

 and varied pursuits, the true expression of his 

 soul is, make me happy. To attain this his char- 

 acter must be a perfect sphere. Each want must 

 receive just and equal attention, and all his fac- 

 ulties the same cultivation. Those employments 

 must be adopted favoring this. And if he fol- 

 lows the original laws of his being, accepts such 

 employment, bringing him into daily connection 

 with Nature's works, and he heeds her teachings, 

 he will ever progress and enjoy happiness. 



Wayland, 1858. L. H. Sherman, 



For the New England Farme. . 



SALTING ASPARAGUS. 



Messrs. Editors : — Forty years ago, when I 

 bought my farm, I found a bed of asparagus up- 

 on it which furnished my family with a good sup- 

 ply yearly until lately. Having a desire to en- 

 large my beds, and improve the crop, I trans- 

 planted some into a new bed. I had read in the 

 papers that salt was a "superior article" applied 

 to asparagus, as a "fertilizer" which would invig- 

 orate and promote the growth of the plant. Af- 

 ter my new bed had got well established in the 

 soil, I supposed that salt and brine were about 

 the same tifiing, and I sprinkled the latter pretty 

 liberally on to my new bed, and from some cause 

 the "fertilizer" saved us all trouble of weeding, 

 for the plants never again showed their heads. 

 My next experiment was upon the old bed, aged 

 over forty years. I supposed my former success 

 was owing to the application of brine instead of 

 the genuine muriate of soda, and suspecting that 

 brine was not salt, according to "book farming" 

 I strewed the bed with salt till it looked white, 

 and to my great gratification, the weeds surren- 



