the largest sbeep breeder in the State of New York say, that he had seriously injured 

 his flocks of fine Meriuoes by an infusion of Saxon blood of different families ; but the 

 way is to, keep it as pure as possible, and thus ever breed upward. Probably no man in 

 this countr}^ has been more successful in sheep breeding than Mr. Cockrill, who believes 

 in the theory so vehemently condemned by the Boston Cultivator. The letter of Mr. C. 

 will be found in the Patent Office Report for 1850, commencing on page 253. All who 

 believe that the writers for Patent Office documents are incompetent to the task, will 

 best serve the farming interest by inditing better communications, and forwarding them 

 to the Commissioner of Patents, which is the true way to improve the professional 

 character of the reports. 



NATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Speaking a common language, living under a common constitution which is the supreme 

 law of the land, and having a common destiny, what is there to prevent our establishing, 

 on the principle of voluntary arid cordial co-operation, a wise system of National Educa- 

 tion which shall benefit alike the indefinite millions to be educated in common schools, 

 and the indefinite thousands to be instructed in all the higher seminaries of learning? 

 All appreciate the advantages of the most extensive association of political corporations 

 organized as townships, parishes, counties, districts, towns, cities, territories, and states, 

 under the federal government. Churches and religious societies prosper by the joint 

 labors and happy union of vast numbers who often reside thousands of miles from each 

 other, and yet avail themselves of the great American idea which unites the strength and 

 force of millions for the elevation and protection of the humblest citizen of the republic. 

 This principle of national union may be successfully adopted at once by the one hundred 

 thousand intelligent educators in the United States for the improvement of their not- 

 sufliciently esteemed profession. Professors and teachers of every grade have only 

 themselves to blame, if the popular mind regards their services and calling with less 

 favor and consideration than the important interests involved would lead us to expect. 

 The whole art and science of education must be brought before the people in |^ conspic- 

 uous national theatre, like the acts of our leading politicians and statesmen, before the 

 profession of an educator can take rank with that of a general or captain in the army, 

 or a lieutenant in the navy. Men that bury their talents in the ground, court obscurity, 

 and conceal the statistics of popular education in several States, so that it is with the 

 utmost difficulty that the truth can be learned out of their precints, can reasonably 

 expect nothing bettei' than universal neglect and apparent disrespect. 



Feeling a deep interest in the multiplication of common schools and libraries, and 

 their improvement in the States where w^e know they are few in number and poor in 

 quality, we have tried for years to obtain reliable statistical information on this subject, 

 to publish in the Patent Office reports prepared by the writer, in which the facts would 

 have "a wide circulation. It is now three years since the U. S. census was taken, and 

 we have yet to see the first table in print relating to the educational institutions of the 

 nation. Those that refer to manufactures, agriculture, commerce, and population, have 

 been given to the public more or less perfect and complete. 



Of all the great interests of the American people, that of education is most neglected 

 by national statesmen. Is this condition of things to continue to the end of the present 

 century ? We think not. A United States Journal of Education, collecting reliable 

 statistics from all the States and Territories, and carrying the best thoughts and sugges- 

 tions of the wisest educators in the world into every school, academy, and college in the 

 Union, must ere long be one of the many rich fruits of our progressive mail facilities, and 



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