1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



95 



them. The man who is to meet the farmer in the 

 walks of every-da)/ life, who is to suggest to him 

 safe and useful experiments, who is to assist his ef- 

 forts, and correct his practical errors, who is to se- 

 cure his confidtnce and be to him a guide and a 

 friend, must be nut only a man of science, but a 

 practical man. He must possess a large share of 

 practical sense, and have occupied a loide circle of ob- 

 servation. The mere Agricultural Chemist, fresh 

 from the schools of Germany, would cost our far- 

 mers more bi/ the fruitless and unsuccessful experi- 

 ments he would sel them upon, than all the advan- 

 tage would be worth, that would result from his 

 teachings. Our farmers would be disgusted with 

 his ignorance of practical details. 



That fine spirit that is manifesting itself at the 

 present time, especially among our young farmers, 

 needs to be fostered and encouraged. If it is di- 

 rected by a skilful liand, it cannot fail to lead to 

 good results. IJut if an unskilful hand attempt to 

 give it direction, it will bo more than discouraged. 

 It will be changed to prejudice, against all ^ience 

 — which will retard for years, the march of im- 

 proveaient ; like the prejudice which arose against 

 the expensive and impracticable experiments of the 

 gentlemen farmers of the last generation, and 

 whicli has not yet died out of the community, but 

 is still f lund opposing the effijrts of the patriot and 

 the philanthropist f(jr the good of his country and 

 his race. 



It seems to me, that what is wanted at the 

 present time, is that tlie spirit of improvement and 

 enterprise should be encouraged and strengthened, 

 and the farmers tauglit to unite their efforts, and 

 concentrate their influence for their own and the 

 public good. Prejudice is to be overcome, and a 

 disposition is to be awakened and developed in some 

 practical form, to secure for themselves and their 

 children more and better instruction than they have 

 hitherto enjoj'ed upon all subjects relating to their 

 daily business. When a public feeling has been 

 called forth, and a demand created for more scien- 

 tific instruction — then the farmers will be prepared 

 to sustain institutions that will afford them in- 

 struction of a higher character. But until a larger 

 demand exists, it will be in vain to furnish a sup- 

 ply. Scientific instruction of a high grade will not 

 be appreciated, and if provided before the practical 

 men are prepared for it, it will only serve to put 

 off to a more distant day the very object at which 

 we are all aiming, viz., practical farming, guided 

 by scientific knowledge. 



completed, furnishing her in the richest manner, 

 at a cost of $50,000 over ordinary ships of the 

 kind. About the first of May he will take on board 

 his sons and daughters and forty or fifty other 

 guests, and sail for London, Copenhagen, Stock- 

 holm, St. Petersburgh, Havre, Bordeaux, Lisbon, 

 Gibraltar, Marseilles, Naples, ]\Ialta, and .such 

 other ports as may be desirable, staying a short 

 time at each port, giving fetes and seeing the lions. 

 The entire expense, which is estimated at more 

 than $200,000, will be borne by the projector. 

 This is about the most extensive plan of a pleasure 

 trip ever yet entertained, and when carried out 

 (which it undoubtedly will be) will be very apt to 

 give Europeans some new ideas of the outside bar- 

 barians of Yankeedom. — Neio York Tribune. 



AUTUMN AND WINTER. 



BY FRANCES GAGE. 



The Autumn is going with its beauty so glowing. 

 And Winter o'er all things is casting its pall; 



The rose-tree is fading, no longer 'tis shading 

 The arbor of love or the bright water-fall. 



Tlie dahlias are lopping, the ripe fruit is dropping, 

 The corn-leaves are withered and dry on the stalk; 



The ring-dove is sighing, the grasshopper dying, 

 The fire-fly no longer enlivens the walk. 



The forests are changing, the wild birds are ranging 

 To hunt out a home v^here the skies are more clear; 



The stream deeply flowing, the chilly winds blowing. 

 All tell us that Winter, cold Winter is near. 



Summer's sweets while we're tasting, away all care hasting, 



The days of the peach and melon are o'er; 

 Then let us be trying, while Autumn is dying. 



To lay up for Winter a plentiful store. 



Work freer and harder, fill the barns and the larder, 

 Then give to old VV'inter, uhene'er he shall come, 



A welcome most willing; we'll heed not its chilling, 

 If there's warmth round the hearth stone and plenty at 

 home. 



But while we are cheerful — no c.iuse to be tearful, 

 Let us think of the children of Sorrow :ind Wrong; 



And give from our treasure, with no stinted measure, 

 Of the good gifts of Heaven to help them along. 



Ohio Cultivator. 



Remarks. — We commend the above suggestions 

 to every reader, and especially to those in every 

 State, who have a controlling influence in direct- 

 ing agricultural education. The first thing to be 

 done is, to prepare the mind for a better system 

 by the plainest and most practical teachings — the 

 initiatory steps — and until that can be accom- 

 plished, all higher aims will prove worse than use- 

 less. 



A M.\GNtFicKNT Pleasure Trip. — A prominen 

 steamboat owner of this city, who has made an 

 immense fortune in steamboating, has devised a 

 novel, most liberal and magnificent plan for dis- 

 bursing some of his gains, lie proposes to rig in 

 the most perfect style, a steamer yacht, now nearly 



For the New Encrland Farmer. 



PSACH BORER PLASTERED UP. 



Having in my garden a very vigorous peach tree, 

 aiid observing that it was very much afiected by 

 borers, especially in the forks of its limbs, I began 

 to cut them out. Still F was afrai<l that tliis op- 

 eration, to be performed in many places, might in- 

 jure the tree, and as I had some very fine, almost 

 pure white clay prepared, I plastered the limbs of 

 the tree with it, and closed, when the plastering 

 cracked in becoming dry, the cracks by rubbing 

 them over with a painter's brush, dipped in water. 



The plastering became hard enough to with- 

 stand the effects of rain fiir several weeks, after 

 the elapse of which all the borers were dead. The 

 wounds caused by them, healed quickly over, and 

 the tree is as healthy as it can be. 



This experiment corroborates the fact, relating 

 to the destruction of the iipple borer, communica- 

 ted in No. — of the New England Farmer. 



Charles Siedhof. 



