Vol. 1— No. 34. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



207 



: 



appear. We solicit our readers to give them spe- 

 cial attention. 



ROCHESTER INSTITUTE— No. I. 

 The Members op the Ikstitcte ciovern 

 ihemselveb. — The Directors have not prepared 

 a code of regulations, nor has the Principal dictat- 

 ed any. As rules were found necessary, the stu- 

 dents counselling for their own good, either to- 

 gether, or by committees, adopted rules concerning 

 labor, board, devotion, and study, and all subjects 

 of common interest. Officers of their own ap- 

 yiointmcnt carry these roles into'opcration. Thus 

 republican principles are practically applied. — 

 .Manual labor with moral truth does in fact ele- 

 vate the character, and call forth the energies of 

 •he soul. Idle, vicious and ignorant young men 

 surrounded by temptations are incapable of self- 

 government, and of course, of the benefits of tke 

 Institute. 



Tirz hmtory of a single day. — The students 

 rise at 4 o'clock — they spend 15 minutes in pre- 

 paring their persons and rooms for study. Near 

 30 minutes are spent in the Chapel in reading the 

 word of God, singing and prayer. Before 5 they 

 retire to their rooms for study. Their meals are 

 at 6, 12 and 6. Three minutes are allowed from 

 (he stroke of the bell, for assembling for any public 

 exercise. Each student studies 10 hours and 1 

 bors 3. For want of room in the mechanics shop 

 fhey are arrayed into three divisions The first 

 division labors from breakfast till 10 o'clock, and 

 recites at 11 and 5. The second from 10 to 3, and 

 recite at 8 and 5. The third from 3 to 6, and re 

 cite at 9 and 1. Lectures addressed to all the 

 students are before 6 A. M. or after meals. Sever 

 al evenings are occupied each week in public ex- 

 ercises; otherwise the time till 9, is spent in study 

 The only time at the discretion of the student is 

 from meals till the next horn, and this is usually 

 occupied with special duties. 



Practical Education. — This title does not 

 mean that Professors are to turn off their pupils to 

 the care of Monitors, nor to dismiss as remote 

 from practical use, the higher departments of sci 

 ence. It has respect to the great result and design 

 of education, in the words of the constitution of 

 the Institute, "to qualify the students for the high- 

 est possible degree of usefulness in the practical 

 duties of life, and every thing which contributes 

 to this end, eitheri n the moral, intellectual or phy- 

 sical discipline, shall receive a share of attention, 

 and be made a matter of direct instruction." The 

 word has respect also to a method of communica 

 ting instruction in which the learner acquires the 

 power to direct his own researches, and forms the 

 best habits of conducting the studies of others. — 

 Natural science is no longer expected to be taught 

 in the abstract dead letter form. Why should 

 others 1 The student of chemistry must be in the 

 (abratory. The American citizen should, as a 

 branch of popular education, examine the politi- 

 cal institutions of our country. His liberties re- 

 quire him to be an able public speaker, and to hold 

 the pen of a ready writer. Several regulations of 

 the Institute, show how constantly this subject is 

 kept in view. Tuesday evening is assigned for 

 public debate — each member in a speech not ex- 

 ceeding fifteen minutes, gives his views on some' 

 .'mportant subject, or cancels the reasonings of 

 others. A person accustomed to debating socie- 

 ties can scarcely form ah estimate of the ord'-r. po- 



liteness nnd exemption from levity and strife of 

 words, which mark the disiconfusion of the Insti- 

 tute. Many of the daily recitations are conducted 

 with special reference to public speaking. The 

 student gives, in his best manner, a full narration, 

 description, explanation, or analysis of the subject 

 before the class. Mathematics furnish a constant 

 exercise for deliberate speaking. Evidence well 

 arranged and clearly announced, is the foundation 

 of eloquence. Translations from other languages 

 whether oral or written furnish a constant exer- 

 cise in composition and criticism. On Thursday 

 e* ening every student reads before his class, an 

 original essay, and on Saturday pronounces a 

 committed address, either extracted, or original. — 

 It is expected that anniversary and quarterly ex- 

 aminations will furnish suitable occasions for cul- 

 tivating this important branch of practical edu- 

 cation. 



Erom the American Farmer- 



DITCHING. 



Fairfax County, Virg. August 9, 1831. 

 Mr. Smith — Having been a subscriber to 

 the "American Farmer" from its commence- 

 ment and feeling that I owe much to you, 

 and your correspondents, I avail myself of 

 this rainy day, to discharge to you and them 

 a part of my obligations, by giving you a 

 short account of my practice and its results 

 — let me premise that you have called me 

 an "old Virginian," and I assume as a truth 

 that this in itself, will shield me from the 

 taunts and sneers of being a boaster or an 

 egotist — when I look back and number the 

 things that have been left undone, I shrink 

 into nothing, and feel that "man is but a 

 wild ass's colt." My farm consists of 600 

 acres of land under enclosure, and 700 out ; 

 the enclosure begins at the termination of a 

 hilly, broken, and very poor country, and 

 slopes rapidly to a dead level, and not having 

 a fall of more than three feet in a mile ; thro' 

 this flat, all the water that falls upon ten 

 thousand acres of the hilly country is pas- 

 sed; from the hills it comes with overwhel- 

 ming violence until it reaches the flat, bring- 

 ing with it mud, sand, and stone. I have 

 seen 100 acres of the flat covered with wa- 

 ter at one view — yes, sir, at one fell swoop, 

 the hope of toil of 12 months would be buri- 

 ed and lost. I had succeeded to those who 

 had high standing for judgment and good 

 farming, the presumption of youth did not 

 dare to any thing like change. I had nothing 

 like a choice before me — the very thought 

 of controlling such a body of water was to my 

 experience, and with my means madness 

 and folly — the books of my predecessors 

 shewed me that their average crop of corn 

 for nine years past did not exceed 120 bar- 

 rels, and the crop of wheat during the same 

 time, did not exceed ISO bushels. I offered 

 to sell, no one would purchase. I resolved 

 to combat my adversary and overcome him, 

 or die in the ditch ; what I could not do in 

 one year I should do in many — in 20 years 1 

 have nearly made my land as dry as the hills, 

 that and that only, is my limit — dry land 

 can only be cultivated to advantage — that 

 only can be improved. I now have from 15 

 to 20 miles of ditching, and some of them 

 20 feet wide. 1 have made as many as 3000 

 bushels of wheat, and 800 barrels of corn, 

 and as for grass when that was worth ma- 

 king, I have sold 100 tons a year. I have 

 made very free use of plaster of Paris and 

 clovei. aud made countless experiments*— 



with these, however, I am done, having set- 

 tled down into a division of four fields— one 

 in corn, one in wheat, and two in clover ana 

 timothy. Every farmer should manure al! 

 he can, and with the least labor in the appli- 

 cation. I have a field now in corn which 

 has given a crop for five years, and with ve 

 ry little manure, I have no doubt of making 

 700 barrels from it — this field improved by 

 ditches and good ploughing is one of those 

 that my predecessor made 120 barrels from, 

 and is estimated to contain 95 acres. I can 

 not conclude this without recommending to 

 all cultivators the use of the coulter plough, 

 nothing can equal it for cheapness and ef 

 feet. Very respectfully, 



A Virginian. 



Rensselaer County Horticultural Society. 

 — The sixth exhibition of this society took 

 place at the Rensselaer House on the 9th 

 August. The display of vegetables, fruit, 

 plants and flowers was very creditable to the 

 cultivators Dr. Spafford agreeably to a pre- 

 vious request of the society, delivered a val- 

 uable and appropriate address. 



Mr. Gorham, of Lansingburgh, presented 

 a superior Cape Brocoli. ( 



Mr. Briggs, of Schagticoke, presented sev- 

 eral bunches early black cluster grapes. 



Mr. Norton, Lansingburgh, two large wa- 

 ter-mellons, two fine citron Muskmellons, 

 two Barker's Newton Pear, and a quantity 

 of Toinatos. 



Dr. Spafford, Lansingburgh, four bunch- 

 es ripe Native Grape. (Dutches County.) 



Mr. A. Walsh, Lansingburgh, Celery, 

 Globe Artichoke, (Cynara scolymus,) Car- 

 doon, (Cynara cardunculus,) Green Nonpa- 

 reil, Broad winsor, and Mazagan Beans,(Fi- 

 cia faba,) Original Lima beans, (Phaseolus 

 hinatus,) Tomates, (Solanum lycopersicum,) 

 Devonshire Gjuardon Apple, perfectly ripe, 

 Hawtherdean and golden Harvey Apples, 

 Okra, (Hybiscus esculentus,) African Millet, 

 (milim nigrieons,) very fine cabbage, large 

 Spanish Fibers, (maxima,) a beautiful bunch 

 of the Roan tree berries, (sorbus aucuparca) 

 Trifoliate sunflower, (coreopsis triplerio,) 

 Perennial sunflower, (Helianlhus pumila,) 

 Tall sunflower, (Helianthus altisimo,) Sensi- 

 tive Plant, (Schranlcia sensitiva,) Bright 

 Scarlet Dahalia, (fulgens,)iinowberry,(sym. 

 pkoreia racemosa,) Monthly cherry — speci- 

 mens exhibited from the same tree of blos- 

 soms, fruit perfectly ripe, and in various 

 states between green and young fruit and 

 maturity, Irish Ivy, (hibernica.) Euiobatrya 

 Japonica, A branch of the Hop tree with 

 second growth Hops, (Pkle atrifulita.) Jap- 

 pan Lily, (coerulea) Wild Alpice, (Laurit.s 

 benzoin,) Purple fringe tree, (Rhus cotinus.) 

 Burning Bush, (mespihis pyracantha.) Irish 

 Yew, (hibernica.) Dwarf Horese Chsenut. 

 (Aesculus macrostachyna.) Pocok's dark 

 yellow senna, ( Coluiea Pococlcii.) Scorpion 

 senna, (Camptonia asplenifulia.) 



American Champagne. — The great a- 

 bundance of pears this season seems to soli- 

 cit our farmers to manufacture that deli- 

 cious liquor. Perry. When carefully made, 

 refined and bottled, it is equal if not superi- 

 or, to Champagne in flavor, without its in- 

 toxicating property. It will sell for three 

 times the price of cider and can bo made 

 with equal ease. — Nat. Gaz. 



Longevity. — The Journal of Health advi- 

 ses matrimony, as one of the means of pre 



serving life-. 



