NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



227 



lard and cold lodging, their long marches and 

 astings, and their constant exposure to all the 

 ardships of the wilderness, which give them 

 uch Herculean limbs and stature; such pro- 

 igious might in the deadi)' fray, and such 

 wiftness ot foot in pursuing the vanquished. 



1 am far, however, from sa^'ing that such 

 aining, would ensure to every child the arm of 

 chilles, or the courage of Logan, or the con- 

 titulion and daring of Martin Luliier — Some 

 fould doubdess sink under a vigorous early 

 isciplinc ; but not near so many, as is gcneral- 

 y supposed. The truth is, there is a mistaken 

 nderness wliich daily interferes with (he heHlth 

 iving economy of heaven. Too many parents, 

 istead of building upon the foundation which 

 od has laid, first subvert that foundation by mis- 

 laced indulgcncies, and then vainly attempt to 

 uild among the ruins. They cross and perplex 

 ature so much, in her efforts to make their 

 hildren strong and healthj', that she at length 

 afuses to do any thing, and the doating, 

 nrents are lett to patch up the shattered 

 id puny constitution as well as they can, 

 ith tonics and essences. In this way, not 

 few young men of good talents, are ren- 

 red physically incapable of pursuing their 

 lUdies to any advantage. They can never 

 ar the fatigue of close ond long continued ap- 

 ication. The mind would gladly work, but 

 e earthly tabernacle is so extremely frail, 

 at every vigorous effort shakes it to the foun- 

 »tion. It is like setting up the machinery of a 

 irnace, in a mere shed, without studs or bra- 

 s — or like attempting to raise the steam for 

 large ship, in a tin boiler. Whatever talents 

 <youth may possess, he can jBccomplish but 

 tie in the way of study, without a good con- 

 tution to sustain his mental efforts ; and 

 ch a constitution is not a blessing to be enjoy- 

 I of course. Like almost every other gift of 

 laven, it is to be obtained by human provi- 

 nce, and in the use of means adapted to the 

 d. How many who begin well, ultimately 

 il of eminence and usefulness, through exces- 

 re tenderness, and for want of skill and care 

 their early physical education, it is impossi- 

 s to say ; but that many a young man is doom- 

 to lingering imbecility, or to a premature 

 tave by this kind of mismanagement; and 

 «t the subject on which I have hazarded the 

 iregoing remarks, is intimately connected with, 

 vital interests of the church and the slate, 

 '11 not, I think be questioned. 

 " One thing more, I deem it important to say, 

 fore I dismiss the ])resent topic. The finest 

 nstitution, the growth of many years, may be 

 ined in a few months. However good the 

 lalth of a student may be when he enters col- 

 e it requires much care and pains to pre- 

 Tve it ; and there is a very common mistake 

 to the real cause why so many fail. Hard 

 idy has all the credit ol undermining many a 

 nstitution, which would have sustained twice 

 much application and without injury too, by 

 rly rising and walking, and by keeping up a 

 ily acquaintance with the saw and the axe. — 

 orthless in themselves, then, as are the ele- 

 2nts which compose this mortal frame, so es- 

 otial are its healthful energies to the opera- 

 ins of mind, that so long as the body and soul 

 main united, too much care can hardly be be- 

 )wed upon the former for the sake of the lat- 



I hilerestiiig Calculatioti. — Supposing the earth 

 I to be peopled wi(h one IhoiKsand millions of in- 

 ; habitants, and allowing 33 years for a genera- 

 I tion, the deaths of each age amount to 30,000,- 

 jOOO; of each day to 82,000, and of each hour 

 to 3446. But as the number of deaths to Jhe 

 number of births is as 10 to li?, there are 

 born yearly 3G,t)00,000 ; daily, 93,030; and 

 , hourly, 4109. Keckoning only three genera- 

 j lions to a century, and supposing the world 

 j has existed 5720 years, there have been only 

 172 generations from the creation — 125 since 

 the Deluge, and 55 since the Christian aera. 

 j Out of every 1000 there die annually 30; and 

 the number of inhabitants of every city and 

 I country is renewed every thirty years. Of 

 I 200 children, one dies in the birth ; but more 

 than one third of the births die within (wo 

 years of age. The births are more numerous 

 than the deaths, in any given place ; and the 

 proportion of the births of male and female 

 are not in wide proportion, not an uncertain ac- 

 cidental number, but nearly equal. Major 

 Grant's table formed about 150 years ago, slat 

 ed, for the bills of mortality, 15 males to 18 fe- 

 males; whence he justly inferred, that the 

 Christian religion, prohibiting poligamy, is more 

 agreeable to the law of nature than Mahome- 

 danism, and all other persuasions that allow it. 

 The majority of males is a wise dispensation 

 to provide for their dangers and losses by wars 

 sea voyages, excess of labor, &.c. 



From tlie American Farmer. 

 REMARKABLE MANGEL VVURTZEL. 



Nolteu-ny Court House, Jan. 12, 1824. 



Dear Sir, — At a stated fall meeting of the Ag- 

 ricultural Society of Nottoway County, Virginia, 

 Dr. Archibald A. Campbell, exhibited Ivvelve 

 mangel wurtzels, grown in his garden; the size 

 of them were so far beyond any thing of the kind 

 I have ever seen before, 1 was induced to weigh 

 then; they weighed 152 lbs. averaging 16 3-4 

 each the largest of them weighed 16 2-3 ; one 

 of them measured 30 inches in length ; they are 

 of (he mottled kind, and grow more out of the 

 ground than any I have ever seen : from the 

 well known properties of the mangel wurtzel, I 

 am induced (o believe they are far preferable 

 (o the common turnip or the rutabaga, whether 

 as a food for cows or hogs they are eaten wilh 

 avidity by both. 



1 am, sir, with respect, your's, &,c. 



= N. WARD. 



Onions. — This vegetable is supposed to have 

 been originally brought from Egyp(, where they 

 must have possessed a most bewitching taste, 

 since the Israelites would fain have returned tu 

 bondage, for the sake of enjoying them again. 

 Alexander the Great sent them to Greece, and 

 from thence they became common on (he whole 

 condnent. It is remarkable that the particles 

 emanating from this bulbous root are so volatile 

 and so keen, that they instantly corrode the ex- 

 ternal surface of the eyes, and draw tears; and 

 it is more curious still, that if, when (lealing an 

 onion, the cook wishes to be spared this lachry- 

 matory affeclion, a small piece of bread placed at 

 (he end of (he operadng knife, will absorb the 

 effluvia and prevent the disagreeable effect. 



Mustard. — Why buy this when you can grow it 

 in your garden? The stuff you buy is hnW drugs 

 and injurious to health. J nurdsijuare oi' ground, 



sown wilh common Mustard, the crop of which 

 you would grin<l for use, in a li((le mustard-inill, 

 asyou wanted it, would save you some mona , 

 and probably save yo\ir life. Your mustard 

 would look brozi'n instead of yellow ; but ihf 

 former color is as good as (he Ia((er : and, as (•> 

 (he taste, the real mustanl has cerlainlv a much 

 belter than that ol the drugs and flour, which go 

 imder the name of mustard. I^et any one trij it, 

 and I am sure he will never use the drtigs a- 

 gain. The drugs, if you lake them freely, leav»! 

 a burning at the pit nf your stomach, \\h\ch the 

 real mustard does not.— Cnhbclt. 



HISTORICAL. 

 The Britisji General, Prescolt, who was cap- 

 tured at his quarters on }{liode Island by Col. 

 Barlon, being on his route through the State of 

 Conncc(icu(, called at a tavern to dine, (he 

 landlady furnished (he (able wilh a dish ofsucli- 

 atash, boiled corn and l.'eans. The General 

 being unaccustomed to such kind of food, with 

 much warmth exclaimed, " Wha( do you treat 

 us wilh the food of hogs?" and taking the dish 

 from the (able, strewed the contents over the 

 floor. The landord being informed of this, 

 soon entered, and with his horse whip gave the 

 General a severe chastisement. The sequel ot 

 this story has recently been communicated by a 

 gertleman at Nantucket, who retains a peifect 

 recollection of all the circumstances. Af(er 

 Gen. Prescolt was exchanged and restored to 

 his command on the Island, the inhabitants 

 of Nantucket deputed Ww. Rotch, Dr. Tup- 

 per, and Timothy Folger to negociale some con- 

 cerns with him in behalfof the town. They were 

 forsome time rel'used admittance to his presence, 

 but the Dr. and Folger overcome the opposi- 

 tion and ushered themselves into the room. 

 Prescolt raged and stormed with great vehe- 

 mence, until Folger was compelled to withdraw. 

 After the Dr. announced his business, and the 

 General had become a little calm, he said, " Was 

 not my treatment to Folger very uncivil?" The 

 Dr. said yes. Then said Prescolt, " I will tell 

 you the reason. He looked so much like a 



d d Connecticut man, that horse whipped 



me that I could not endure his presence." 



RECIPES. 

 Mr. Cooper, in his Dictionary of Surgery, 

 gives (he following recipe as infallible for (he 

 cure of corns. — Take two ounces of gum ammo- 

 niac, two ounces of yellow wax, six drachms of 

 verdigris, melt them together, and spread the 

 composition on a piece of soft leather or linen; 

 cut away as much of the corn as you can wilh a 

 knife, before you apply the plaster, which must 

 be renewed in a fortnight, if the corn is not 

 by (hat time gone. — Am. farmer. 



Cosmetics. — Of cosmetics, the only good one 

 is line soap, plenty of cold water, moderate food, 

 and moderate passions. 



Longtnly of the Horse.— The Pittsburgh Mercury 

 slates, that there is now employed, at the Point lirew- 

 ■y, in that city, a horse whose age is at least 31 years. 

 For the last fourteen years he has been in the posses- 

 sion of his present owner ; find he is now as active and 

 tprightly as most horses of seven years old. He Ijas 

 hauUd, within the last fourteen years, upwards of 

 39,ni;0 barrels of beer and porter. These facts are at 

 1( ast curious, and go to show, that, wilh proper atten- 

 tion and care, that noble and valuable animal, the 

 Horse, win be serviceable much longer than is general- 

 ly supposed. — Fhila. -paptr. 



