236 



Choice Observations on Siocli-hreedlng;. 



Vol. VI. 



and to whom appeals mio^ht be made at all 

 times ; stating also, that at the expiration of 

 the term of apprenticeship, the lad would be 

 entitled, by exhibiting his certificate and 

 proving the faithful discharge of his duties, 

 to a sum of money, or a portion of land, to en- 

 able him to start in life as an industrious 

 member of society, whether as mariner, far- 

 mer, tradesman, teacher, &-C., with the right 

 of applying to the institution for direction and 

 assistance in all circumstances of doubt or 

 difficulty that might at any time befal him in 

 his future course through life. And here I 

 must be permitted to indulge a strong pre- 

 ference for the profession of agriculture, and 

 would propose, as far as consistent with per- 

 fect freedom in the choice of occupation, 

 which ought religiously to be guarantied to 

 every individual, that its pursuits should be 

 urged upon the notice of all and every one, 

 inasmuch as "agriculture is the life and soul 

 of every community; all other trades and oc- 

 cupations being dependent upon it, and to it 

 all must look for support in the hour of trial." 

 And who, besides Girard, ever had it in his 

 power to settle half a country in this way 1 

 Imagine now a deserving young man, 20 

 years of age, having passed an apprenticeship 

 of six years with an intelligent farmer, and 

 receiving from the institution a gift of thirty 

 acres of land, with a comfortable cottage, 

 stock and implements sufficient for a com- 

 mencement, and an industriousand intelligent 

 companion in a wife of his own age and 

 choice, from among the members of the in- 

 stitution — for there are female as well as 

 male orphans, equally requiring the care and 

 support of such an establishment — and thus 

 beginning the world at the right end, in the 

 morning of life! I declare I never before 

 envied Girard his riches! With these young 

 men, thus settled upon the lands of tlie insti- 

 tution, should be placed as apprentices, for 

 six years, the youths of the establishment 

 who have attained the age of 14 years, and 

 have chosen that employment ; and the older 

 settlers should be expected to assist the new 

 occupiers, by lending a helping hand in the 

 cultivation of their land the first year, and in 

 doing other kind offices. Here would.be a 

 settlement worthy the name of Harmony 

 truly, and erected of far different materials 

 from that of the marble palace. And all this 

 the donor might have accomplished during 

 his lifetime, and been " twice blessed ;" lay- 

 ing up, at the same time, " treasures where 

 neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor 

 thieves break through and steal." 



On the subject of early marriages, I should 

 wish to be permitted to say to the young men 

 of this land of peace and plenty, liberty and 

 happiness, !iel something- to do, put your 

 trust in God, and marry — keeping account 

 of profit and loss. Veritas, i 



Choice Observations on Stock-breeding. 



It is a great mistake to suppose that ani- 

 mals of the same breed, and reared in tiie 

 same manner, are better in England than 

 they are in this country — the reverse I verily 

 believe to be the case, having all the choice 

 varieties of England now in this country. A 

 man may now buy at home the pure bloods, 

 selected by his own eyes, for less money than 

 he will be required to pay for inferior animals 

 of the same race, if he import them from Eng- 

 land — no man therefore can import stock ad- 

 vantageously or profitably from abroad, unless 

 he has been breeding the same race of ani- 

 mals at homo for many years, and requires 

 a new cross from a distant family ; and then 

 his selection should be made from the flocks 

 of the best breeders, regardless of cost — such 

 men only ought to import, and such 07ily can 

 do it advantageously and profitably to them- 

 selves. 



Keep your breeds entirely distinct, and 

 bring in your crosses from distant families of 

 the same race, and do not give them even 

 one cross of another breed, unless you have 

 a definite object — some specific point of form 

 or quality which you wish to correct or im- 

 prove, and then you must be sure that you do 

 not introduce, at the same time, another de- 

 fective point; and pursue the object with un- 

 deviating steadiness. Should you not, upon 

 trial, like tlie race you have adopted, change 

 it altogether and get another, but do not jum- 

 ble them up together, for it is wholly incon- 

 sistent with, and contrary to, the true princi- 

 ples of breeding ; and will not fail to land 

 you in the cheerless position of disappoint- 

 ment and disgust. The first cross between 

 different races will sometimes give you fine 

 animals for the butciier, and may improve 

 some deficient point, but the next admixture, 

 if you do not take especial care, will leave 

 you with nothing which you can call by any 

 other name than mere sheep or cattle. Like 

 poor land made rich, without changing its 

 constituent parts, ever struggling to get back 

 to poverty, so live stock, from a jumble of 

 different breeds, are perpetually inclined to 

 breed back to their original races, under de- 

 teriorating circumstances. Occasionally you 

 may get what naturalists term an accidental 

 variety, but when you do get an animal of 

 this description which you may desire to per- 

 petuate, the experiment is a dangerous one, 

 and to transmit its good qualities, requires no 

 ordinary degree of judgment and intelligence, 

 and also indomitable perseverance. 



Gen. Emory. 



More gold is to be obtained within the 

 plough's depth of the surface of the earth, 

 than far below it. 



