®l)c .farmer's ittontljln bisxtor. 



83 



of agricultural products, as any other Slate in 

 tlie Union. Her manufacturing interests are so 

 diversified, that a ready market is always itt hand 

 for the most of. her products. Water-power is 

 to be found iu more abundance in North-western 

 Pennsylvania, than in any oilier section of the 

 Union. The streams are never-failing, and so 

 rapid, thai machinery may he erected in every 

 two or three miles, and often in less distance, 

 without any detriment to each other. Iron ore 

 is to he found in almost every county in great 

 abundance, and situate in the immediate neigh- 

 borhood of the streams. Bituminous stone coal 

 is also imbedded in every hill, and Conns inex- 

 haustible mines. Not uiifrequently are the iron 

 ore and the stone eoal mined from the same 

 drift — thus affording the raw material and the 

 means to work it, at the same spot, and at the 

 very mouth of the furnace. The manufacturing 

 of no one article, affords so great a market lor 

 the farmer's produce as that of iron ; so great a 

 number of hands, and so many horses are em- 

 ployed at each of these establishments, as to 

 consume a vast amount of the grain, bacon, beef, 

 &c. of the surrounding country. And fir the 

 successful production of iron, no Slate in the 

 Union can ever compete with Pennsylvania. — 

 Some counties are thickly doited over with these 

 establishments, and give employment to some 

 two or three thousand men. This is mentioned 

 only as one of the many advantages possessed 

 by North-western Pennsylvania, over ibe other 

 States, in offering a market to the farmer for the 

 fruit of his labors. Public improvements are 

 extended almost to the farmer's door, whereby 

 if he have an overplus of produce, beyond the 

 consumption of his own neighborhood, he can 

 avail himself of the Philadelphia or New York 

 markets, and through them command the market 

 of the world, thus affording the producer as well 

 the advantages of an extensive and almost unex- 

 ampled home market, as the benefits of the mar- 

 kets of the Atlantic cities. Among the oilier 

 sources of wealth to Northern and Middle Penn- 

 sylvania, are her limber and lime-stone. While 

 we have nothing to say against the rich and very 

 productive lands of the great Valley of the Mis- 

 sissippi, we would have our Eastern readers, who 

 feel that they must emigrate, to look about them 

 a little nearer home. We are sure very great 

 advantages are often overlooked, wholly for the 

 want of a little observation anil calculation. 

 Everybody seems to take for granted, that the 

 far West is the only place where money can he 

 made, and without slopping to make a figure 

 break away from home, friends, and society, for 

 this great El Dorado. — Pennsylvania paper. 



Importance of Education---The Farmer. 



It is calculated that the division of the occupa- 

 tions of men in the United States' is nearly 

 in the following proportions: — ■ 

 Number engaged iu Internal Navigations, 33,070 

 " " Ocean, 55,021 



" " Learned Professions, 66,255 



" " Commerce, 119,607 



" " Manufactures, 791,794 



" " Agriculture, 3,7U>,L»5l 



Thus it will he seen that those who are enga- 

 ged in agriculture are three and a half times 

 greater in number than those ill all the other di- 

 visions. The agriculturalists consequently have 

 the physical and numerical power, and can at 

 any lime control every government in the United 

 States-, and give tone to public opinion. But do 

 they ? No, indeed, for however powerful they 

 may he in number, they are weak in influence, 

 and this arises from want of proper education. 

 The sixty-five thousand two hundred and fifty- 

 five in the learned professions, are intellectually 

 stronger than the three millions seven hundred 

 and nineteen thousand nine hundred and fifty- 

 one, engaged in agriculture, and therefore rule 

 them. If it were not so, seven-eighths of the 

 offices in the country would not he held by law- 

 yers and doctors; nor would all the colleges and 

 high schools be endowed principally for the 

 benefit of the learned professions. 



Farmers, when will you arouse yourselves to 

 the dignity and importance of your calling, and 

 educate yourselves to that height of intelligence 

 which "ill make you the rulers instead of ibe 

 rultd of the other professions? There is surely 

 nothing to prevent this if you will only be true 



to yourselves. Look at the millions annually 

 thrown away upon the horrid barbarities of war 

 or the preparations for it, and the honors that are 

 awarded to those engaged in shedding a bro- 

 ther's blood, and compare these with the pitiful 

 and downright contemptible sums which arc- 

 grudgingly dob d out for your benefit. Every 

 occupation iu the country seems to be bountiful- 

 ly provided for, save that of the farmer, and 

 surely no one is to blame for this but yourselves, 

 for if you choose, you need only to speak to your 

 servants, (your rulers) and reform might be had 

 at once. Ponder these things well, then, and iu 

 the legislatures assembled speak out and de- 

 mand equal benefits with the most favored of 

 the other professions. — .'hnerkan Agriculturist. 



From the Albany Cultivator. 

 The Farmer's Song. 



My sturdy sons, bring forth the share, 

 All sharp to turn 111' untojter'd soil ; 



If we in autumn fain would bear 



The golden sheaves, fear not the toil ! 



Those demagogues who strive for place, 

 And others chaiu'd to " glory's car," 



Fancy in labor there's disgrace, 

 And honur in inhuman war. 



.Not so, we reck our country's weal, 



True honor lies in arts ol peace, 

 We'll guard it with our hearts of steel, — 



And dig to find the " golden fleece." 



IMor while we till the teeming earth, 



Let us forget that we are bound, 

 By all the blessings of our birth, 



To strive thai knowledge may abound. 



What though the Spring to labor calls. 



And Summer sees the forehead glow j 

 Autumn with plenty tills our halls — 



In Winter pleasures overflow. 



Then let us bless our happy slate, 



And yield to earth the seed and erain ; 

 With grateful hearts we'll watch and wait, 

 11 'file early and the latter ram." 

 Albany, March, 1848. M. W. H. 



single gas will sustain life for any length of time 

 but ibe air, and bountiful is our Creator who has 

 supplied our earth with such a quantity of it. 



The act of respiration is curious. By it a 

 decomposition of the atmosphere is effected as 

 thorough as by the most trying process. The 

 human frame is like a great furnace, and tho 

 lungs the bellows which leed the fire. Tho 

 great difference between the comparison is that 

 the human frame is in the interior of the bellows. 

 A man breathing consumes six hundred and 

 forty pints of oxygen gas in twelve hours, mak- 

 ing fourteen thousand four hundred inspirations, 

 and during the short time that elapses between 

 an inspiration and an expiration, the air is totally 

 changed in its character — the oxygen is abstrac- 

 ted and united with ihe carbon, and carbonic 

 acid gas is formed and this is expelled from the 

 lungs with the unaltered nitrogen. The air that 

 is expelled from the lungs will not support 

 flame. If we take a glass vessel with a lube 

 filled exactly to its top or bottom, and inspire 

 and expire a few times by the tube, it will be 

 found that a lighted taper introduced into iho 

 vessel, will be immediately extinguished. This 

 simple fact should arrest the attention of those 

 who desire to see health attending the laboring 

 classes. Well ventilated apartments are just as 

 essential to health as food and drink. 



There is one mysterious view which we may 

 take of this subject, viz: the renovation of the 

 air after being breathed by myriads of animated 

 beings who are continually consuming its vital 

 principle. The plan which the Almighty lias 

 designed for this purpose (renovation) is unknown 

 to man. We behold harmony and beauty in the 

 whole system of the adaptation of man to the 

 atmosphere, and the atmosphere to man. and in 

 the language of Holy Writ, " it is very good." 



From the Scientific American. 

 The Atmosphere. 

 The atmosphere is an ambient mantle which 

 wraps ihe earth in its soft embrace, lis direct 

 height from the surface of the earth is calculated 

 to.be fifiy miles, or Ihe ltX> proportional altitude 

 to the diameter of the earth. The weight of the 

 whole atmosphere which surrounds tiie earth, 

 has been calculated by some one fond of curious 

 comparisons, to he equal to a solid globe of lead 

 sixty miles in diameter. The air can he weighed 

 as well as solids, and likewise measured. It is 

 essential lo the life of man, animals and vegeta- 

 bles. Without air no creature could breathe. 

 Air is everywhere present upon the globe, and 

 bears upon every part of its surface with an 

 enormous pressure. Every square inch of the 

 human body continually supports a pressure of 

 fifteen pounds. A great number can scarcely 

 credit this, as every step we lake must displace 

 an equal weight as that supported by our bodies. 

 But we can scarcely say we support this weight, 

 as we are supported by it ourselves equally on 

 all sides, and we move through it as easily as 

 the dolphin glides through the waters of the 

 deep. Each gallon of air weighs about a quarter 

 of an ounce. 



Air is capable of being contracted or expan- 

 ded in bulk both mechanically and chemically. 

 It can be condensed by pressure and expanded 

 by heal, and ils hitler quality is just beginning to 

 he developed as a powerful propelling agent in 

 ihe Air Engine. Although the atmosphere is 

 such a beautiful and transparent substance, yel 

 il is uot ii simple substance. It is composed of 

 two gases perfectly opposite in their natures 

 singly. The one gas is named oxygen and the 

 other nitrogen. The oxygen is positive in all its 

 qualities, the nitrogen is negative. The heating 

 and cooling of the atmosphere will not affect the 

 quality of the air, but combustion will. Com- 

 bustion withdraws ihe oxygen frqm the atmos- 

 phere and carbonic acid gas is liberated. The 

 oxygen alone supports flame, the nitrogen is a 

 non-supporter. The atmosphere is composed ol 

 7'.) parts nitrogen ami '21 parts oxygen, and al- 

 t hough many gases have been discovered and 

 combined, yet no other combination and no 



From the .New Orleans Delta. 

 Mexican Art. 



There are many interesting specimens of Mex- 

 ican art and tasle now being exhibited on St. 

 Charles street, opposite to the Theatre, which 

 our citizens will find worthy of being seen and 

 examined. The saddle of Santa Anna, captured 

 at Puebla, which cost originally $5000, is a gorge- 

 ous and magnificent piece of art, and displays in 

 a strong light the great skill and taste of ihe 

 Mexican mechanics. It would be vain to at- 

 tempt a description of it, so rich, various and 

 beautiful are ils texture and ornaments. It 

 glitters with precious stones, and is heavy with 

 gold and silver. The pommel is a solid gold 

 eagle's head, and the green velvet of the seat is 

 relieved by the most tasteful and elegant gold 

 and silver embroidery. The stirrups are of solid 

 silver, washed with gold. The bridle is of gold 

 cord, and the frontispiece is of gold, studded 

 with brilliants and jewels of different hues. — ■ 

 Throughout all the appurtenances there prevails 

 the same luxuriance of ornament and of wealth. 

 This saddle wtts taken at Puebla when Santa 

 Anna was forced to make a precipitate retreat 

 from that town. It was manufactured in that 

 place. No wonder that ihe Mexicans who ride 

 such saddles as these are always in such a hurry 

 to fly from our rough boys. The capture of a 

 Mexican involves something more than a loss of 

 his life or liberty, it involves a transfer of nearly 

 all his worldly wealth, which usually consists in 

 his ornaments and military equipments. An 

 American soldier fights for his honor, his flag, 

 the fame of his country. A Mexican fights for 

 his diamond-hilled sword, his gold epaulettes, his 

 magnificent saddle and bedizened uniform. 



Among other interesting curiosities exhibited 

 is ihe gold clolb dress in which the infant of 

 General Santa Anna, by his present wife, was 

 christened. This was found in a tortoise-shell box 

 of diminutive dimensions and most ingeniously 

 interlined with silver anil gold. The same box 

 contained a miniature silver trunk, intended no 

 doubt to amuse ihe young Santa Anna. 'We 

 could not suppress a sigh of sympathy and regret 

 for the loss of a relic of so much value to the 

 estimable mother ol' the litile infant, 



We saw, also, the silver and gold corded tas- 

 sels of Santa Anna's bed, and many little toys 

 and ornaments which formed a portion of his 

 household gods. There are two specimens of 

 the carving in virgin silver, or tortoise-shell, of 

 glass work, of hair-plaiting, all made hv ihe 



