42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



comforts ; and il he has any reflection, he will 

 look back with hitter but unavailina: regret on the 

 cruel indulg-cnce of his parents. Better for hiin 

 would it have been if he had been the oflfspring 

 of poverty, or, as is sometimes the melancholy 

 I'act, better that he never had been born. Hut 

 .should he, by a happy-constitution, or a fortu- 

 nate concurrence of circnm~tances, be kept from 

 the paths of dishonor and vice, still tlie chance 

 in great that his pursuits will be al'ter frivolous 

 objects, and that his character through life will 

 be marked with the stamp of insignificance. 

 To such a doom do many of our most wealthy 

 and respectable citizens deliberately devote 

 their offspring. Cruel parents! Neglecting to 

 bring up a son to any business, trade or profes- 

 sion, whatever may be the rank or condition 

 of the parent, is a crime of the deepest die — it 

 is next to munler — It is the same thing as cut- 

 ling off from society one of its members, whose 

 usefulness, if a due discharge of parental duty 

 had not been omitted, might have been cminent- 

 Jy great — It is more — It is letting loose on soci- 

 ety one, who, as he has not been taught to do 

 any thing useful, must of necessity do miscliief, 

 for inaction is unnatural. If his constitutional 

 powers, temper and disposition happen fortun- 

 ately to be feeble, mild and spiritless, he may 

 be comparatively harmless. But the greater 

 his powers, the more ardent his temper, the 

 more perverse his disposition, and the more in- 

 flated his pride, and these commonly go together, 

 the greater is the evil to be apprehended tVom 

 him — It is a parent's devoting his child to that 

 unhappy existence, which is the inevitable lot of 

 all who are not put into the road of useful em- 

 ployment, and often it happens that it is also 

 consigning him to ignominy, coupled with every 

 calamity of life in its most terrible form — It is a 

 crime of the worst kind against the community 

 — It is one of the most cruel curses that a fa- 

 ther can intlict on a son.* 



Let the biographies of eminent men be con- 

 .sultcd, and it will be seen, that, superadded to 

 the ordinary severities of their instructers or 

 masters, their distinction is to be chiefly ascrib- 

 ed to self-i7iiposed severities, deliberately adopt- 

 ed and perseveringly observed, till they have 

 riviited the habits that gave the complexion of 

 their fortunes and determined their destinies. 

 Such men have in their education and subse- 

 quent pursuits submitted themselves to priva- 

 tions and toils compared with which the ap- 

 prenticeship and labors of the most active iar- 

 mer may be said to be but of trifling amount. 

 Without such self-imposed discipline, Franklin 

 would not have risen above the standing of an 

 ordinary printer. Washington, whose name is 

 encircled with a halo of glory unparalleled a- 

 mong mortals, would have been confounded 

 with the common planters of Virginia, had he 

 not, from early life, subjecteil himself to a uni- 

 form series of labors and sufferings, both of body 

 niid mind, of which the mo-t industrious farmer 

 or mechanic cannot form an adequate idea. It 

 is nevertheless true, however, that the innate 

 greatness of such men gives them a sublimity 

 of feelinjj that makes their labors and sufferings 



comparatively light. And so will it be with all 

 who undertake a profession with that exalted 

 enthusiasm which is not to be daunted, nor 

 chilled for a moment, by prospects of the great- 

 est obstacles, but, ever contident of victory, will 

 encounter them with the utmost prompitude 

 and alacrity, however formidable and appalling 

 their character or appearances may be. 



The chief difference between the noble and 

 ignoble of the human race is this : The one, 

 after liaving obtained a distinct view of his du- 

 ties, and the necessary means for attaining a 

 noble end, prescribes to himself a conduct for 

 accomplishing his purposes from which he will 

 never deviate, whatever may be the tempta- 

 tions or discouragements to induce him to re- 

 linquish it or to relax in his efforts. The other 

 will, on the appearance of every little difficulty, 

 shrink into himself like a snail, or sink into a 

 helpless state of despondency. 



Read the choice of Hercules when addressed 

 by Fame and Pleasure, personified as deities. 

 Had he been intimidated by the labors which 

 the first required of him, or accepted, like many 

 an unfortunate youth of our times, of the prom- 

 ised dalliances of the other, instead of obtaining 

 an immortal fame, he would have sunk, a mis- 

 erable, debauched, effeminate wretch, into the 

 gulf of oblivion. 



Nothing is more idle or preposterous than 

 the notion that success or celebrity, in any 

 sphere, can be obtained without great exertion 

 and intense application. Reason, at the first 

 glance, pronounces it ioolish ; and every day's 

 observation shows it to be false ; and yet it 

 seems, some parents think that their sons will 

 become soiiicthiiig without any labor to qualify 

 them for it, and as a consequence, their sons 

 dream of distinctions without an effort to attain 

 them. They expect to glide smoothly down 

 stream on the credit of a family name, or a 

 family's riches, or po.ssibly on the reputation of 

 a superior genius, without the necessity of com- 

 batting contrary winds and currents, into a port 

 where accumulatious of wealth ,ind honor await 

 them. Miserable dreams ! fatal delusions ! No : 

 young men must have it impressed on them, as 

 an undeniable self-evident proposition, that they 

 must work, and work hard both in qualifying 

 themselves for the business of their profession, 

 whatever that may be, and in conducting it af- 

 terwards, if they have any ambition to be seen 

 in the ranks of honorable men ; and that all their 

 powers must be strenuously, systematically and 

 perseveringly exerted, if they aim at any thing 

 like superiority. 



(to be conti.vued.) 



*■ Tlic author lias been informed, that in a town in 

 this state, not as populous as Albany now is, and not 

 less healthful, out of forty younj; men of llie most re- 

 spectable families whn had reaclicil thi' a2;e of manliood, 



MASS.\CnUSETTS AGRICULTURAL HEP0SIT0RV AND 

 JOURNAL, FOR JUNE.* 



(Continued from p. 22.) 



The next article which merits particular at- 

 tention, is by J. Lowell, Esq. on the culture of 

 Sea Kale, (Crambe Maritima,) and of the Salsa- 

 fy, or Oyster Plant, (Tragopogon.) 



Mr. Lowell says these plants were introduced 

 some years since, but their use has not become 



common m this country, although they are both 

 favorites at European tables. 



'■'• The Sea Kale is a plant of recent intro- 

 duction in Europe. Perhaps its culture cannot 

 be traced back beyond forty years. It is a na- 

 tive of the sea coast of the Southern parts ot 

 England, where it is found growing in sea land. 



'■• It is very hardy — grows in any tolerable 

 soil — is perennial, and costs not half the labor 

 bestowed on asparagus. It may be raised from 

 the seed or from the root, and fifty plants, oc- 

 cupying a very small space, will supply a single 

 family. In its taste it resembles the Cauliflower 

 The only labor it requires is to cover it witl 

 san<l, or earth, or with pots, or boxes in March 

 so as to exclude the light, and to blanch it, oi 

 make it white. If not blanched it is neither st 

 beautiful to the eye, or so tender, orsodelicalt 

 to the taste as if blanched. It should be thor 

 oughly boiled, and is better if boiled in mil 

 and water. It should be served up like Cauli 

 flowers, with melted butter. It comes in at 

 season in which our vegetables in this countr 

 are very deficient. 



•'If in England and France, where it has t 

 compare at the same table with green peas an 

 spinach, it is admired as a luxury, can it b 

 possible that it will not eventually succeed wit 

 us ? We shall be happy to furnish seeds of it t 

 any persons who may be disposed to introduc 

 it.'"' 



'• If in older countries, with milder and shor 

 er winters, in which they give you green vegi 

 tables nine months in the year, they value sue 

 a plant as the Sea Kale, it must be of great* 

 value to us, whose soil is bound in frost fro 

 the lOth of November to the first of April, ai 

 sterile till the first of May." . 



'• It requires no manure as the Asparag J 

 does. It is indeed injured by it, and if our fa ' 

 mers in the interior had a patch of it in tin 

 gardens, they would have an earlier succuU- 

 vegetable to eat with their salted provisioi ^5 

 than any other they could raise."' 



Hill's British Herbal remarks that, " Tl 

 people about the sea coasts boil the Cram 

 Maritima, in the way of savoys and cabb.agt 

 and the like ; and it is very well tasted ai 

 perfectly wholesome. This had led some 

 take it into their gardens, and it is preferred 

 most other kinds at table." 



" The Salsafy, or Oyster Plant," Mr. Low. 

 continues, " is another vegetable of easy pi 

 duction, and universally eaten, when introduc 

 to the table. I know no one vegetable whi 

 is more esteemed. 



" It resembles a small parsnip in its appe; 

 ance. It is raised annually from seeds, and 

 easily, requiring no more care than the carr 

 In bears a tolerable crop. In Europe it is eat 

 both boiled and fried. In this country it is p: 

 boiled, and then fried either in batter, or wi 

 out. It forms an admirable garnish for boil 



" .-fome persons may, perhaps, think it needless for 

 un to quote largely from a puljlication wliich is in the 

 hands of many of our readers. But, we beg leare to 

 observe that the greater part of our subscribers do not 



and who had not been educated fur any profossion, not take and have no chance to peruse the Massachusetts 

 one survived his fui tiotji year. 1 Agricultural R.ef)ository. Wc arc more solicitous to 



publish vxtfitl than orighial matter ; and surely 

 circulation of any article which promises advantagt 

 the public ouj;ht not to be limited to the publicatior 1^ 

 which it makes its first appearance. In England i ' I 

 useful article is published in any one of the many sci 

 tific periodical works with which tiie country abour 

 it is copied into all the rest. Krirh paper hasgener: 

 a share of matter, written for that particular paper, 

 the greater part of its content-? is frlcrted from cl 

 co-temporary publications. 



