22 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



through the snow. The poor horses suffer at least 

 as much as their riders, for besides the general ef- 

 fect of the cold, they are tormented by ice forming 

 in their nostrils and stopping their breathing. — 

 When they intimate this, by a distressed snort and 

 a convulsive shaking of the head, the drivers re- 

 lieve them by taking out the piece of ice, to save 

 thein from being suffocated. When the ice ground 

 is not covered by snow their hools often burst from 

 the effects of the cold. The caravan is always sur- 

 rounded by a thick cloud of vapor ; it is not only 

 living bodies which produce this effect, but even 

 the snow smokes. These evaporations are instant- 

 ly changed into millions of needles of ice, which 

 fill the air, and cause a constant slight noise, i-e- 

 sembling the sound of torn satin or thick silk. 

 Even the reindeer seeks the forest to protect him- 

 self from the intensity of the cold. In the Tun- 

 dras, where there is no shelter to be found, the 

 whole herd crowd together as close as possible to 

 gain a little warmth from each other, and may be 

 seen standing in this way quite motionless. Only 

 the dark bird of winter, the raven, still cleaves the 

 icy air with slow and heavy wing, leaving behind 

 him a long line of thin vapor, markiing the trace 

 of his solitary flight. The influence of the cold 

 extends even to inanimate nature. The thickest 

 trunks of trees are rent asunder with a loud 

 sound, which, in these deserts, falls on the ear 

 like a signal gun at sea ; large masses of rocks are 

 torn from their ancient sites ; the ground in the 

 tundras and in the rocky valleys cracks, forming 

 wide yawning fissures, from which the waters, 

 which were beneath the surface, rise, giving off a 

 cloud of vapor, and become immediately changed 

 into ice. The effect of this degree of cold ex- 

 tends even beyond the earth. The beauty of the 

 deep solar star, so often and so justly praised, dis- 

 appears in the dense atmosphere which the inten- 

 sity of the cold produces. The stars still-glisten 

 in the firmament, but their brilliancy is dimmed. 

 — Travels in the North. 



For the New Enfcland Farmer. 

 WINTER LECTURES. 



BY WILLFAM C. BROWN. 



The New York Tribune of the 4th inst. has an 

 article on Popular Lectures, in which occurs the 

 following paragraph : — 



"We would suggest the propriety of leaning less 

 on scholars and persons of literary habits for the de- 

 livery of lectures, and of valuing more highly the in- 

 culcations of practical men. If our most intelligent 

 and cM.p;ible artisans, our best instructed and most 

 successCul farmers, our prominent and scientific in- 

 ventors, could oftener he induced to assume the lec- 

 turer's platform, and give the people of their own 

 and the neighboring townships the best results of 

 their studies and experience, the lectures would be 

 more useful, and, ultimately, mure^ popular than 

 they now are." 



Here is a suggestion worthy the consideration 

 of all perscms interested in the delivery of lectures 

 during the winter n\ontlis. This custom has be- 

 coiue so prevalent, and bids so fair to become uni- 

 versal, that it deni-.mdsthe earnest inquiry of good 

 men, how popular lecturing shall be conducted, so 

 as to secure the licst results to the pui)lic. 



If meclianics and farmers were called upon to de- 

 liver lectures, such a call would prove a powerful 

 Incitement to the work of preparation, and the 



knowledge obtained under such circumstances, con 

 a>nore, would be vastly more valuable than mere 

 school learning ; and it would not be long before 

 lecturers, self-taught, intelligent and practical, 

 would multiply on every hand, and still the in- 

 crease be less than the demand for them. The la- 

 bor of self-preparation would become infectious ; 

 and we should behold the novel and wonderful 

 sight of whole communities cheerfully engaged in 

 studies of a character every way calculated to ex- 

 alt and dignify the human mind. It would be diffi- 

 cult, if not impossible, to make an estimate of the 

 vast amount of good which would flow from this. 

 Vicious and trashy amusements of every kind 

 would gradually fall into disrepute, as they already 

 have, to some extent, principally through the in- 

 fluence of popular lectures. 



There can be no doubt, that there is a great 

 amount of talent in our farmers and mechanics ly- 

 ing dormant. We can conceive of no course bet- 

 ter adapted to arouse and develop this talent, than 

 the one suggested. Its development would prove 

 a blessing to the nation, not to be estimated by 

 gold and silver. We should soon find men of gen- 

 ius, intelligence and eloquence springing up all 

 over the country,, and their example would prove a 

 powerful stimulus to the younger portion of the- 

 community. 



Such lecturers as we have described, would not 

 be very likely to choose abstruse and metaphysi- 

 cal, but practical and useful subjects — subjects 

 suited to the tastes, capacities and pursuits of the 

 great body of the people, who, in a government 

 like ours, should always be first considered in all 

 projects of enlightenment and improvement, for in 

 them dwells the sovereign power. 



Such lecturers, also, would be less expensive 

 than professitinal men, and this would not only en- 

 able cities and large towns to have more lectures^ 

 but would enable small towns, now without them, 

 to establish every winter, a course. 



The Tribune speaks of one of the results of pop- 

 ular lectures, which we think of the highest im- 

 portance. We cannot do better than to copy the 

 pai'agraph : — 



"One of the good results of popular lecturing is 

 its tendency to assemble the entire movable popula- 

 tion of a village, or rural township, and, make tliem 

 better acquainted with, and more kindly diposecl to 

 each other. If lecturing did no other good tliau this, 

 it would be of great value. Our division into reli- 

 gious sects, tends to alienate and estrange us from 

 each other. . The lecture-room nmst become the So- 

 cial Exchange — the place where acquaintances are 

 made and friendships cemented; and we would sug- 

 gest the expediency of a general agreement to assem- 

 ble from half an hour to an hour prior to the com- 

 mencement of the lecture, for the purpose of social 

 intercourse and general conversation." 



A New Source for Good Fruit. — ShouM our 

 present liqu<ir law remain in force it will benefit 

 our farmers in a way of which the originators of 

 that law did not dream. We have thousands of 

 apple trees, of natural fruit, in every town in the 

 State, the crops fn^m which have in former years 

 been made into cider, at a very small profit to the 

 owner. These trees, if tlie law is sustained, will 

 he grafted over, and pay him a five fold increase 

 on his present receipts. We farmers need just 

 such a rap over the knuckles as this to awaken us. 

 to our true interest. — Middlesex Farmer. 



