NEW ENGLAND iAKMEK, 



jTiiY 15, issr 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 15, 1835. 



FARM SCHOOIi ON THOMPSON'S ISLAND. 



On the 9th inst. we had the pleasu/e ofjuining a 

 large party ol respectable inhabitants of Boston, in an 

 excursion to visit the Boston Jlsylum and Farm School. 

 The steamboat General Lincoln gave us a rapid and 

 pleasing conveyance to one of the islands in Boston 

 harbor, called Thompson's Island, in which the above 

 named seminary is situated. This steamboat is a de- 

 lightful vehicle, audwon its way with a swift and easy 

 progression among the isles and promontories whii h 

 d'wersify and adorn as fine an expanse as ever presented 

 a vase to the majesty of Neptune, or a mirror to his 

 (]ueen. Madam Amphitrite. 



A little past 9 A. M., we were landed at a wharf re- 

 cently constructed by the founders of the establishment 

 and were conducted by Capt. Chandler, the Superin- 

 tendent, to a large and commodious Farm house. This 

 is of brick, standing in an elevated site, from which is a 

 beautiful and romantic view of the outer and the inner 

 harbor, as well as a picturesque country bordering on the 

 water, and presenting various forms of beauty and sub- 

 limity. The pupils of this school a.nounting to fifty- 

 six were assembled in a large hall, in a neat but plain 

 uniform dress, and exhibited as pleasing a collection of 

 " happy faces," as we recollect ever to have seen 

 When we mentally contrasted the situation and pros 

 pec sof these boys with the wretched and desperate cong 

 dition from which they were rescued by the charity of 

 the founders and patrons of the Farm School, we could 

 not but wish success to the humane efforts of the latter ; 

 and that they might long live and prosper, enjoying 

 the happiness of being the means under Providence of 

 rendering others happy and useful in their day and gen- 

 eration, instead of paupers and criminals which with- 

 out the helping hand of charity they could scarcely 

 have failed of becoming. The pupils of the institu- 

 tion are taugi t reading, writing and arithmetic, and par- 

 ticular care is taken as well of their moral and physical 

 as of their intellectu;il eduration. 



The visitors by invitation, walked over the farm, 

 which consists of about 140 acres. This 1= naturally a 

 good soil, and ihe quantity and quality of this produce 

 is increasing under the skilful management of Captain 

 Chandler, who appears to have been born a farmer, and 

 brmght vp a rural econcmist ; and a better man for the 

 station he occupies, we believe could not be found in 

 the Union. Hoping to obtain a particular statement of 

 his improvements both in progress and in anticipation we 

 shall say nothing about them till we can realize our 

 wishes on this subject. 



The visiters were presented with hand bills contain- 

 ing " The first .InnuuL Report of the Directors of the 

 Boston jisylum and Farm School." By this it appears 

 that " The proposition for a Farm School, for the more 

 extensive rescue of idle and morally exposed children 

 in our city, grew out of the fict,— that the Asylum for 

 Indigent Boys, which has long been one of our favorite 

 and most valued chariiies, was intended principally for 

 orphan boys ; that it did not and could not extend it- 

 charge to vitiated children of twelve or fourteen years 

 of age ; and that it could not give employment 

 to any of the children under its care : and that our 

 House of lleformation, a municipal institution, re- 

 ceives, and can reci'ive none, except those, who shall 

 be convicted of legal offences and shall be sent to it by 

 a court of Justice. A number of gentlemen in the 

 city were therefore very desirous that an institution 

 should be established here, to which children already 



corrupted or beyond parental control, and greatly ex- 

 posed to corruption and of any age, — a surrender 

 having been made of them by their parents or guar- 

 dians, — might be sent without the intervention of a 

 legal conviction and sentence : and in which such em- 

 ployments might be pursued by the children, as would 

 make the institution in the strictest sense a scliool of 

 industry" &c. The proposed Farm School was after- 

 wards united with ' the Asylum for Indigent Boys' and 

 " The Institution in its present form will comprehend 

 oil the benevolent objects of the projectors both of the 

 Farm School and the Asylum." 



This institution, it appears to us constitutes one of 

 the most important links in the chain of charity. The 

 boys who are admitted are not like the inmates of the 

 House of Reformation stigmatized by vice and qualified 

 by crime for receiving the benefits of th- Asylum. 

 Honest poverty here finds a refuge free from the con- 

 tamination of evil communication, bad principles 

 and bad examples : and the little pupils are taught 

 the most useful, healthful, and honorable of the arts 

 and thus qualified to become profitable and iespectable 

 members of society. It appears, however, by a state- 

 ment made by Lieut. Governor Armstrong, as well as 

 by the " Report" above quoted that the funds are not 

 at present adequ.ate to supply the wants and defray the 

 expenses of the establi.-hinent on its present footing : a 

 fact which if generally known, would, we hope, elicit 

 such donations from the wealthy and the charitable as 

 would fully develope and beneficially employ its means 

 of doing good. 



Government of the Boys' .isylvm and Farm School. — 

 Samuel T. Armstrong, President; Jonathan Philips^ 

 Vice President; Edward S. Rand, Secretary ; William 

 Hales, Treasurer ; Francis Parkman, J.ohn Tappan, 

 John D. Williams, Moses Grant, Joseph Tuckerman, 

 Charles C. Paine, William Gray, IJenjamin A. Gould, 

 Henry B. Rogers, William H. Prescolt, Henry Upham, 

 Thomas G. Carey, Managers. 



rots, beets, and other garden vegetables should be care 

 fully dried and preserved lor fodder, in short almos 

 all vegetable substances, which contain no poisonoui 

 quality, and which can be reduced to a stits 

 which will enable cattle to masticate them w.ll serve a 

 a substitute for hay, more or less valuable. The 

 should be cut fine with a straw-cutter, and those whic 

 are least palatable mixed with others more so, and th 

 whole with a little meal These messes should b 

 sprinkled with fine salt, or wet with salt water, an 

 cattle will eat them with eagerness, and thrive as we 

 as on the best of their winter fare. 



To the Editor of llic New England I'armer. 



Dear Sir — As there is much speculation upon th 

 subject of silk culture, and the growth of the mulbe 

 tree, I would suggest one argument adduced by a piuu 

 friend, against the project, viz. —The Rev. Clergy ar 

 interested in the subject. And he asks if it will not in 

 terrupt the solemnity of the Sabbath.'!!! What 

 question for a sensible man to ask ! T. 



By the Editor. — None of the manipulations relativr 

 to the silk manufacture need to be performed on thi 

 Sabbath except feeding the worm, .'ind no objections I 

 feeding silk worms on that day could be suggests 

 which would not as well apply to feeding cattli 

 or other domestic animals, giving food or drink to chil 

 dren, milking cows, or catching or harnessin.; horses t' 

 ride to Church, Sic. 



FARMERS' AVORK. 



Fond for Cattle the ensuing Winter.— The present sea- 

 son is nt^tonly very backward, but in some parts of the 

 rnuMtrj ii is said that hay must be very scarce, and 

 substitutes therefjre will be expedient if not 

 indispensible. The farmer, however may yet raise 

 corn, (as recommended by F.meritus in this day's paper, 

 page 1) may sow millet, or plough up a piece of pas- 

 ture or a strip of mowing land and grow turnips for 

 feeding cattle. It is not necessary hereto give direc- 

 tions relative to the culture of these crops, we would 

 only state our belief that English turnips at thiss.'ason, 

 will be found to present the greatest advantages as food 

 for cattle. They may well be sown as late as the first 

 of August, though it would be desirable to sow as soon 

 as possible after the middle of July. We will here 

 suggest some substitutes for hay, which may be worth 

 consideration, though we have not known all of thein 

 tried. 



Weeds of every description, which are not noxious or 

 poisonous to cattle may be cut while yet green, and be- 

 fore their seeds are ripe, dried and put under cover. 

 Cobs of Indian corn should be ground or pounded, and 

 cob meal may be made a valuable substitute for more 

 expe:;sive food for domestic animals. Cabbage stalks 

 and perhaps roots, also washed and cut with a straw 

 cutter, or a sharp spade, and mixed up with a little In- 

 dian meal and salted would furnish a great deal of nu- 

 tritious matter. The haulm or vines of iieas and benns 

 are useful for fodder, if dried in season without being 

 too much exposed to rain and dew. The tops of car- 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL, SOCIETT 



IRUITS EXHIBITED. 



Saturday, July II, Iti35. 



Hon. E. Vose exhibited very fine specimens of Whitf 

 Bigarreau and Black Tartarian Cherries. 



Messrs Hovey — Knight's Scarlet Elton Strawberries" 

 large and fragrant, the first of that kind exhibited. 



Messrs Winsliip, sent to the Hall a week since sever 

 al varieties of new sorts of strawberries (the list o 

 which has been mislaid) some of them were represent 

 ed as being very prolific. 



For the Committee, E. M. RtcnARns. 



An adjourned meeting of this society will he held al 

 the Hall in Cornhill,on Saturday next, at II o'clock 

 A full and punctual attendance of the members is re- 

 quested for tht tiansaction of important business. 



July ii. v.. Weston, Jh. Rec. Sec. 



According to the terms of the Farmer, no subscrip- 

 tions are received for less than six months — we have 

 had many take the paper one or two months, and then 

 discontinue ; this subjects us to loss and makes our files 

 imperfect. In future a person commencing a new year 

 will bechaiged forat lealsix months. 



Death of Chiif Jlist'cr Karslia!]. 



It is with emotions of the deep, st regret lliiit we an- 

 nounce to our readers that Jons M\kshali., Chie^ 

 Justice of the Supreme Court of the United St ites, de- 

 parted this life the Gth inst at the Boarding House of 

 Mrs Ciiin, Walnut str.i t, Fhilad. 1| liia. Thispain- 

 ful intelligence cannot but produce ii strong sensation 

 throughout the whole country — Philadelphia Inquirer. 



0= A meeting of the members of th:- Suffolk Bar 

 was held on Monday, at whirh the Hon. D.iniel Web- 

 ster offered a series of jesniutions supported with his 

 usual eloquence testifying their sense of the b^iis sustain- 

 ed by the community in the death of ("liief Justice 

 Marshall, and resolving that one of the members be 

 appointed to deliver an address on his life and char- 

 acter. 



