<&Mmer& jWoittrrlrj Iftsilcrr. 



IHt' 1 ~-* ~"* — --J> ' ■- 



CONDIXTED BY ISAAC WILL. 



CHOSEN rEOPi.: tit- has mad* mis rttL'LiAR dkposttc ron scnsT»NTiAL and *;ErcL-i>e VMil i I . ' 



-.hfftrsuii. 



VOL. 11. NO. 12. 



CONCORD, N. H„ DECEMBER 31, 1849. 



WHOLE NO. 132. 



HTlt. - -■ i .- . i r i ^r i ■ ■ ■■■■ .— . 



THE FARMER'S .JIOSTIILY V SITOR, 



ri ai.isni.n by 



JOHN F. BROWN, 



ISSt KD OS THE LAST HAY OK EVKRI MO.VTII, 



At Ayei's Block, Concord. N. H. 



D^° Gkkeral Ai.lnts.-Juhn MabsUj 7? Washington St. 

 1 : Uoolev, Kress & Hill, lfll Broadway, New 



Voir i uv ; um. M Morriso n , Pennsylvania Aye , Waah- 



t ii Lit.. 1 1 ( in [I. \. Biu., Keene N H.; Thomas Chamilek, 

 Bedford, N. u. 



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I-'rom the Albany Cultivator. 

 The Study of Nature Recommended. 



Editors Cultivator — Much has been said and 

 written within the last lew years on ilie imijoit- 

 ance of ihe study of Natural Science to the 

 farmer; still, we ihtnk the subject is so import- 

 ant that there is little danger ol' too much being 

 said. The study of Natural History has received 

 so little attention in the United States, that very 

 few farmers have a familiar knowledge of cheni- 

 istry, geology, mineralogy and botany, not to 

 mention entomology, which may be said to be 

 in its infancy in this country, a large portion of 

 our insects yet remaining unknown and unde- 

 scrihed. Let the votary of Natural Science 

 Havel to collect specimens, and he will often he 

 questioned respecting the use of his specimens. 

 If be gather plants, the general impression will 

 be lhal they are for medicine. He will rarely 

 meet with any one who knows the utility of a 

 Cabinet or a herbarium, almost every body sup- 

 posing that they are to be converted into money 

 in some way; yet to what practical use many of 

 the specimens can be applied, they cannot im- 

 agine. 



It is an old saying, that " knowledge is power," 

 and ibis maxim is most strikingly verified in the 

 pursuit of farming; so much so that individuals, 

 farming in the same neighborhood, with farms 

 of an equal natural fertility, meet with widely 

 different results. The one has large profits on 

 bis capital invested, and the other, perhaps sinks 

 money, or with difficulty raises sufficient to de- 

 fray all expenses and support Ilia family. The 

 one obeys nature and her laws, and the other 

 manages without system and contrary to nature. 

 It may be said that many fanners make money 

 and are highly successful, with little or no know- 

 ledge of Natural Science. Granted ; yet it must 

 be admitted rhat they llttvfe derived benefit from 

 the example of others, who were acquainted 

 wild natural science, or they have more or less 

 followed the instruclions of men who, by ex- 

 periment and observation, have obtained at least 

 a partial know ledge of the laws of nature. He- 

 sides, if we examine closely, we shall find that 

 most of our very ignorant rich farmers, have ac- 

 quired money by great industry and economy, 

 carrying the latter vir tie to so greai an extent as 

 lo deus ihemsob.s and families many of the con- 

 veniencies and comforts of life. All will admit 

 thill a knowledge of chemistry, geology and bot- 

 any, embracing a knowledge of vegetable physi- 

 ology, would be of great practical utility to the 

 fanner. Were he a chemist, he could analyze 

 the soil, and to do this, sufficient for nil practical 

 purposes, is within the Capacity of all. By anal- 

 yzing the soil, and knowing in addition the com- 

 position of ihe plant cultivated, the farmer knows 



what his soil needs, to mow that plant in its 

 greatest perfooiion ; or, in other words, he can 

 feed the plant ils proper food, and in suitable 

 quantities. The farmer deals with nature. The 

 grealer portion of his life is spent amid Ihe 

 Mines of nature; hence, the more he under- 

 stands nature, ihe better will he know how to 

 manage her in her varied changes. The great 

 improvements that have been made in agricul- 

 ture dining the last few years, an; mainly owing 

 to the application of science; and as yet we are 

 but in the commencement of Ihe improving era. 

 Then it behoves us as farmers, to study nature, 

 and let the youth of our land, the future farmers 

 of the country, be taught the study of nature. 

 Then, by knowledge joined with experiment, 

 industry and economy, they will scarcely fail to 

 enjoy a competence, besides having a greater 

 opportunity to make new discoveries in agricul- 

 ture and science, than ihe professor whose life is 

 spent in ihe laboratory or academic hall. 



Notwithstanding the great assistance science 

 affords in the acquisition of wealth, we think the 

 greatest recommendation to its study, is its pow- 

 er of affording happiness, which, after all, is the 

 chief end and aim of every rational being. Our 

 best and most permanent happiness, is mental, 

 or derived from the mind. All other enjoyments 

 are shared by the brutes, in common with man. 

 Hence it follows, lhal the highly cultivated mind 

 is capable of greater enjoyment than that which 

 is uncultivated, because the cultivated mind has 

 a greater variety of food to satisfy its desires. 

 We say its capacity for happiness is the greatest ; 

 not that, in every instance, the cultivated mind 

 is always the happiest. We think the cultivated 

 mind, versed in Natural Science, is the happiest 

 of all, because the study of nature is more con- 

 genial to the mind in its natural state than any 

 other. Most of us recur with pleasure lo the 

 period of childhood, when we roamed in the 

 woods and fields, gathering flowers and hunting 

 birds' nests, or chased butterflies and played in 

 the brooks. Then was the time that all nature 

 looked smiling, and Ihen was ihe lime to have 

 instilled in our breasts a love of suture, by in- 

 structing us in the first principles of natural sci- 

 ence. We have been told that Air. Barnes, 

 whose name is identified vviili the conchology of 

 this country, many years ago had charge of a 

 public school in the cily of New York, and was 

 highly successful in managing and improving 

 his boys, besides implanting in their bosoms a 

 strong love of nature, without interfering with 

 their other studies. He encouraged the boys to 

 gather curious stones, pebbles, shells, &c, dur- 

 ing times of intermission and vacation, and to 

 bring them lo him. He would then name them, 

 and talk about them, returning to each boy his 



own specimens, ami ihe boys began to form 

 cabinets tor themselves. The effect was, it kepi 

 the boys out of mischief, besides affording them 

 useful knowledge. Many of the boys of that 

 school preferred gathering specimens in Natural 

 History, to play, and several of them afterwards 

 became distinguished naturalists. But the pre- 

 sent system of common school education tends 

 lo deaden, instead of strengthen, a love of nature 

 in children. Even in our higher schools and 

 colleges, the study of Natural Science is consid- 

 ered of secondary importance, and there, if 

 taught, it is generally dune very superficially ; 

 however, a brighter day begins lo dawn, and its 

 importance is seen and felt by many. 



A great proof of the power of the study of 

 Natural History to afford happiness, is its hcalili- 

 giving principle. It leads its votai ies to spend 

 much time in the open air, amid the glorious 

 scenes of creation, where their minds are agree- 

 ably entertained by the surrounding objects, 

 whose order and beautiful adaptation of means 

 to ends, excite both wonder and admiration. 



That the state of ihe mind has a great influence 

 Upon the health of ihe body, is well known lo all. 

 Its power lo restore to health consumptive and 

 dyspeptic poisons, is magical. We know of 

 several distinguished naturalists, wdio think that 

 they are indebted lo their love of nature for their 

 health and life. At one lime, ihe state of our 

 heallb was such, that our friends supposed we 

 would not live long, and we almost despaired of 

 life. Away from home, in the University at 

 Middletown, Ct., we began the study of mine- 

 ralogy, and the formation of a cabinet. With 

 congenial spirits, we roamed over the glorious 

 hills of New England, examined her quarries, 

 mines and stone fences, in search of specimens. 

 We had happy times. Our health was restored. 

 A great recommendation to the study of na- 

 ture, and one which should induce parents lo 

 have their children thus instructed, is that it is a 

 great preventive of vice and dissipation, because 

 the mind of the naturalist is never at loss for 

 employment, for suitable food. Let him be 

 where he may, the great book of nature is ever 

 open, inviting his study and attention, always 

 presenting something new or wonderful. The 

 great order and variety which nature displays, is 

 one great cause of the study of Natural History 

 being so fascinating, since the love of variety is 

 deeply implanted in the human heart. The 

 mind of the student of nature is never at loss 

 for company, for good society. He has no need 

 of resorting to the tavern, the grog-shop or gam- 

 bling-house, !o pass away ihe time. Let our 

 farmers' sons be well educated, especially in the 

 different branches of Natural History, then they 

 would not become dissatisfied with their voca- 

 tion, as it sometimes happens, but they would 

 prefer it to every other. Supposing that a farmer 

 knows the correct name of ev°ry plant. with ils 

 properties, that grows on his farm, the composi- 

 tion of its soil, its minerals and rocks : would 

 not such knowledge add greatly to his happi- 

 ness? Then he would work undersiandingly, 

 and his daily walks in the fields would be enliv- 

 ened by familiar acquaintances. Not a flower, 

 or plant, or pebble, would escape his notice ; in- 

 deed, there is nothing which tends more than 

 the study of nature lo increase the powers of 

 observation. The naturalist sees beauties un- 

 seen by others ; tastes pleasures unfelt and un- 

 known to others. " He sees wisdom in the trees, 

 books in Ihe running brooks, sermons in stones, 

 and good in every thing." He does not become 

 tired and disgusted with life, and find fault with 

 Ihe world and the order of Providence ; but the 

 more he studies, ihe more be discovers wisdom, 

 design, and goodness in the arrangement of" 

 things, and a unity of design in that arrange- 

 ment, proclaiming that its author is one and the 

 same, possessing all knowledge and power. It 

 has often been said that a country life is ihe hap- 

 piest, and poels have oflen sung its praises; lor 

 this the citizen pants while toiling to amass a 

 fbrUMW, and yet such a one, after having accom- 

 plished his w ishes, and purchased a situation in 

 ihe country, is often doomed to disappointment, 

 simply for the reason that such a life is different 

 from his former habits, which have become to 

 him a second nature ; besides, he. is ignorant of 

 Natural History, and a country life soon loses its 

 charms, and he longs to return to his former 

 busy avocation. Had such a one a know ledge 

 of arid tattle for nature, how happily could lie 

 |iass bis lime amid the varied scenes of a coun- 

 try life. 



S. B. BUCKLEY. 

 West Dresden, Yates Co, N V. 



A little gil 

 passed her eig 

 rain '." 



was given: "The drops of rain are the tears 

 shed by angels over the sins of the world." 



inquired of her friend, who bad 



hth year, " What causes the 



to which the following beautiful reply 



