u 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



bers but thirtT-seven cents, — a sum so small that it cannot 

 possibly interfere with the reading of other agricultural 

 journals. Ours is emphatically a pioneer paper, designed 

 to cultivate a taste for agricultural literature and science 

 among the largest number of citizens. Since it was started, 

 iixty papers of like character have been called into exist- 

 ence ; and if properly patronized, it will soon create a 

 market for sixty more, and better rural journals. This 

 country now supports about three thousand political papers, 

 and one thousand only of all others. Our thirty years' ex- 

 perience in writing for the press, teaches this fact : Farm- 

 ers will, by force of long habit and education, pay one five 

 times more for a political article, which we can write in 

 thirty minutes, than for an agricultural essay involving 

 years of patient research, and elaborated by thirty hours' 

 severe toil. "NVe do not complain of this, for political 

 papers are two centuries old, while those devoted exclu- 

 sivelv to agriculture and horticulture are, comparatively, 

 the creations of to-day. The latter must soon undergo 

 great changes ; for the owners and cultivators of the soil 

 will see their utility, and the necessity for their improve- 

 ment. \Vith an addition to our subscription list, we can 

 make the Farmer t«ice as valuable at its present price. 



Premiums foe Volume XV., Second Series. — The 

 liberal premiums offered for subscribers to volume fifteen, 

 second series, of the Genesee Farmer, commencing on the 

 first of the present year, have attracted deserved attention. 

 When the names of tbe successful competitors are an- 

 nounced in May, some that might easily have won prizes 

 worth having, will regret their neglect to do so ; and we 

 respectfully give such a hint, that it is not now too late 

 to take the field and achieve the most satisfactory results. 



We are profoundly thankful to our numerous friends 

 for giving this old pioneer work, which caine into being 

 with tlie first log-cabins of the West, a hearty welcome to 

 their firesides. Long and faithfully has it labored to pro- 

 mote the great farming interest of North America, without 

 once turning to the right hand or the left, to advance any 

 personal or private interest whatever. Seven years ago, 

 we wrote and published in the January number of the 

 Farmer, 1S47, the following paragraph : 



" The farmers in the vicinity of Edinburgh, give Prof. 

 JonxSTOX five hundred pounds a year (some $2,500), to 

 keep up a laboratory for the benefit of their sons, for the 

 analysis of soils, fertilizers, &c. Permit us to state a few 

 facts by way of contrast. While we have, written nights, 

 when farmers were asleep, for political papers, that our 

 davs mi?ht be devoted to the advancement of American 

 Agriculture, we have actuatly expended two dollars for 

 every one that we have ever received from the agricultu- 

 ral community, in the purchase of chemicals, ajjparatus, 

 geological maps, specimens, &c." 



Oar subsistence is derived from other resources than the 

 Farmer ; and therefore we are wUiing and able to expend 

 the income from the paper in the way which it is believed 

 will do most good to the public. No man can carry prop- 

 erty with him from this world to the next, and a very little 

 food and raiment will suffice during the few years tliat he 

 lingers on this side of the grave. 



Conducted on so broad a principle, and designed to 

 elevate tlie standard of rural literature, science and prac- 

 tice, the Genesee Farmer has peculiar claims to the con- 



fidence and support of its readers. It carefully avoids all 

 the humbugs of the age, so prolific of quackery and upstart 

 pretension in every department of human knowledge. In 

 exposing these, it unavoidably makes some bitter enemies ; 

 and therefore it needs the active assistance of all honest 

 persons. If such will show this number to their friends, 

 many new names may be added to the present list, and we 

 can go on improving the work with equal pleasure to the 

 writer and profit to the reader. 



Farmers' College in Ohio. — In Hamilton county, 

 near Cincinnati, there is a flourishing educational institu- 

 tion, which was commenced in 1833 by Mr. F. G. Cart, as 

 a private enterprise, under the name of " Pleasant Hill 

 Academy." In process of time, this academy became a 

 literary college, with a board of directors, and its annual 

 catalogue now numbers 321 pupils, over 200 of whom are 

 in attendance. Hitherto it has been a " farmers' college" 

 only in name, for the simple reason, as we understand, that 

 the officers of the institution had not the funds required to 

 purchase and put in proper oi'der a farm, and endow pro- 

 fessorships of rural sciences. The founder of Pleasant 

 Hill Academy, and President of the College, has recently 

 resigned, that he may devote his whole time and talents to 

 the commendable labor of procuring the funds necessary 

 to establish a first class institution for the professienal edu- 

 cation of young farmers. In the circular issued by the 

 board, we find the following remarks : 



" The old doctrine has been repudiated, that a man can 

 not be a respectable scholar and worthy the honors of a 

 college, unless he has devoted tlie greater part -if six years 

 to the study of the ancient classics. Ani'ile fiu ilities have 

 always been furnished to such as desired to i rosecute a 

 strictly classical course; but such 'i'ufler.'s 1. ve not re- 

 ceived honors in this institution, to the exclusion of tho-e 

 who have acquired an equivalent amount of kiK.vvlv.dge ki 

 the scientific department." 



This middle course is equally safe and wise. .Vs a life- 

 long friend of industrial education, and schools -if applied 

 sciences, we protest against the fanatical folly or' proscri- 

 bing the ancient classics, while opposing their preiiosterous 

 claim to parainount consideration in the last half of the 

 nineteenth century. 



Ohio is now in a fair way to call into existence the first 

 agricultural college in the United States — an honor that will 

 in future years redound more to her glory than any which 

 any member of the confederacy has yet achieved, not ex- 

 cepting our own " grand canal." It gives us great pleas- 

 ure to see the Ohio Cultivator lend a helping hand in tliis 

 noble enterprise. That print truly says : " The losses that 

 our State annually sustains by the impoverishment of her 

 soil, by deficient crops and misapplied labors, arising from 

 ignorance of the principles of agricultural science, we have 

 no doubt are greater than would be the cost of establish- 

 ing a first rate agricultural school and experimental farm 

 in every county, and of educating all the sons and daught- 

 ers of our farming population." 



For thirty years we have preached this doctrine, and 

 might appeal to official reports made to our State Legis- 

 lature and to Congress, as vouchers, if they were needed. 



OuB own distrust justifies the deceit of others. 



