Vol. 0— No. S3. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



19;> 



to consider some of the objections which have 

 been iiri^ed by those alluded to against the utility 

 ot books, as being promotive of their interest or 

 happiness ; and will enucavor to produce proof 

 positive, that such reasoning: (if indeed it can be 

 called reasoning) is both fallacious and ruinous to 

 .ill improvement. 



If a former presumes to search the pages of any 

 publicatii)n, which treats upon the subject of Ag- 

 riculture, or domestic economy, he is sure to be 

 stigmatized with the uncouth epithets " book farm- 

 er," "fceiilUman farmer," •' theoretical farmir" and 

 the like ; — and by some, it is roundly asserted 

 that tlieory is altoijether useless in agriculture ; 

 and that the knowledge acquired by individual 

 experience and observation is the onli/ knowledge 

 to lie rrlied on, or regarded. It is to be stated, 

 lio.vever. itiat even such have been sometimes 

 known to admit, that they have caught some new 

 and useful idea froui the Calendar page of the 

 " New England Parmer's Almanack," which has 

 accidentally met their eye when looking for the 

 d ly of the week, or month ; and, having been 

 fjund in an Mmanack, surely must be entitled to 

 some consideration — for the man who can make 

 an Almanack, and fnretell eclipses, and the full 

 and change of the moon, must, to say the least, 

 be endowed with an uncommon degree of wi>;dom 

 and foresight ; and consequently the hints, or 

 facts rccoriled in the Mmanack are entitled to a 

 much greater degree of confidence and respect, 

 tiian the same or similar facts merit if fo .nd re- 

 corded in any other book. 



It is not my object to undervalue, or to se: a- 

 side in the least degree, the knowledge wliich 

 every imlividual may, and ought to acquire, byex- 

 perieuce and observation. No — my object is 

 rather to show that if we act wisely, we sliall 

 unite our own experience and obseivation viith 

 the e.^cperience, observation, and v\isdom of past 

 ages, so iar as past experience has been tested, 

 and found to have had a beneficial result — and to 

 my apprehension there are but two methods by 

 which this can be accomplished — the one is by 

 tradition, and the other by record — and chn it be 

 possible that there are any among us so stipid as 

 to not at once discover which of the two modes 

 ought to have the preference ? and which would 

 be the least liable to abuse ? I venture to say 

 there are none. Nor do I believe there are any, 

 who if they w ill dispassionately reflect,but that will 

 admit the importance and advantage that may be 

 derive I in practical life, by consulting the oracles 

 of past experience. 



The (ibjei t of this association is the improve- 

 ment of its members in useful and practical knowl- 

 edgp, and to aid in diffusing it generally through 

 the community. 



To m'lrc reailily effect this object, it is conceiv- 

 ed that books trentin;! upon Natural Hhih sophy. 

 Chemistry, Agriculture, and Domestic Economy. 

 to be owned in common by those who in y see fit 

 to r-ssociate for that purpose, must necessarily be 

 of vji.sit importance. 



The knowledge obtained by a member of an as 

 sociation, established upoh such principles, will 

 be likely to be of a praciicnl nature, and surh as 

 may be directly applied to the every ilay avoca- 

 tions and pursuit.^ of those concerned ; and will 

 also furnish a strong inducement to road, and ap- 

 ply what they read to their present and future 

 benefit. 



It is believed that an association of this kind 



will have a good moral tendency ; which indeed 

 is a most important consideration. 



The morals of the rising generation most impe- 

 riously demand that something should be devised 

 that will at once displ ly to their view, an object 

 worthy their attention and pursuit, and thus by 

 mixing amusement with instruction, raise in them 

 a sufficient interest to ■ ivert their attention from 

 pl.'ices and p.acticps c.ilculated to fix upon them 

 habita that will infallitily lead to their ruin. It 

 has been said that " it is not frowns, nor is it ar- 

 guments that will correct or pervert vicious prac- 

 tices : it is presenting a. substitute, which is not 

 less interesting, but more useful, that alone will 

 prove an effectu:.! bulwark against vicious habits 

 in the young, and set them in a way that leads to 

 usefulness, respect ibility, and happiness, in this 

 and a future world." 



That logic, ethicks, physic and metaphysics, 

 should claim the dignity of liberal arts or sci- 

 ences, excites no surprise ; — but that the art of 

 managing a farm, a house, and a family, should 

 by .so many be thought of little or no consequence, 

 is indeed strange and wonderful. 



Too many there are that imagine that reading, 

 study thought or reflection, are of litie or no use 

 in the mmagement of domestic concerns, and that 

 It would be ridiculous to refer a housewife, or a 

 huibnndman to booKs to acquire a knowledge of 

 their respective avocatio-is. 



But it is ho(ipd, and believed, that the time is at 

 hand, when those who are required to manage a 

 farm and superintend the domestic concerns of a 

 family, will clearly see the importance of acquir- 

 ing the necessary knowledge to enable them to 

 unite amusement with economy, and labor with 

 profit and by well directed industry, and judicious 

 economy, insure that respectability of character 

 which preeminently bplongs to that class of so- 

 ciety wh'i are the efEciont .supporters of all the 

 others. Surely thai science which directs our 

 conduct, or enables us to reform our mistakes, is 

 entitled to our peculiar regard ; and though it be 

 true that the wisdom obtained by experience, is 

 the least fallible, yet it often costs so dearly that 

 the intrinsic value scarcely compensates the price, 

 and hence arises the advantage of uniting the ex- 

 perience of past ages with our own. 



Perhaps it may be objected, that to become a 

 member of an institution of this kind will cost too 

 much money. To this it may be answered that in 

 many cases it would be an actual saving of ex- 

 pense : for, as it would turn the attention of the 

 members to subjects of general utility, it would 

 consequently divert it from others which are more 

 expensive, and less useful, if not pernicious — and 

 we should consider that a few dollars appropriat- 

 ed to such a pi rpose, is by no means thrown away. 

 I venture to assert that it will be a good deposit 

 of money, not merely yielding 6 or 8 per cent, but 

 50, 7.5, and 100 per cent, profit on your money 

 thus judiciously appropriated. 



.4n excellent trait in the French character In 



Cobbett's "Ride in Fra'hce," is the following pas- 

 sage : — "I remark, as I go along, that the com 

 mon people are very civil and obliging, whenever 

 I ask them any questions about what I do not my- 

 self understand. There is nothing uncouth, no- 

 thing boorish, in their manners. They explain to 

 you as well as they can, what you want to be 

 made acquainted with ; and, when they do not 

 instantly comprehend your meaning, they seem 

 as anxious to anticipate it, as if you were not a 

 stranger, but rather one to whom Ihcy have been 

 used to talk. This is a great merit, and a mark 

 of intelligence in the French people. It enable? 

 you to get along with them, which they cannot 

 well do with us in England. A Frenchman is 

 most completely out of his element in England ; 

 whilst an Englishman in France — (though the 

 country wjy appear very strange at first) finds in 

 the courtesy of the people a great deal to recon- 

 cile him to the strangeness of their customs. 



A comparison between 1727 and 1827. — In the 

 year 1727, hackney coaches were plain, awkward, 

 clumsy things, with no springs, and their num- 

 ber did not e.xeeed thirty-five in the whole of Lon 

 don ; at present they are increased to twelve hun 

 dred. Fashions at that period did not reach any 

 place fifty miles from London, until they were 

 nearly out ; now they travel down in coaches, dil- 

 igences, &.C. in a few hours. Coaches were then 

 two days and two nights going to Dover ; they 

 now perform the same journey in about a quartei 

 the time. In 1727, meat was only three pence 

 • cr pound ; now it is ten pence or a shilling. 

 Servants' wages then varied from two pounds to 

 four ; now, ten pounds to thirty. — London Sun. 



Mineralogy. — We are hi'ppy to learn that Pro- 

 fessor Clcaveland of Brunswick (-ollege, is about 

 publishing a third edition of his excellent treatise 

 on mineralogy. It is the mo.st copious work which 

 we have upon this subject, and has been adopted 

 as a text book by the professors of mineralogy in 

 Yale, Cambri Ige, and we believe Amherst Col- 

 leges. He solicits from scientific gentlemen, gen- 

 erally, the communication of such facts concern- 

 ing localities and peculiarities both mineralogica' 

 and geidogical, as may be within their reach, and 

 of value in the new edition of his work. 



Mammoth Pumpkin. — A Pumpkin, of unusual 

 size, grew on the farm of John Reynolds, Esq. a 

 few miles from Clarksburgh, Va. this season ; it 

 weighed 320 lbs. and measured round the middle 

 feet. All that grew on the same vine weigheu 

 840 lbs. 



Grape Vines. — The quickest method of prociir 

 ing grapes, is to graft into the body (near the 

 ground,) or which is preferable, into the roots of 

 large vines. In the followinff year, if the graft 

 has taken, fruit will be produced. Thus every 

 farmer who has wild vines growing on his grounds 

 may, by procuring cuttings of hardy foreign or 

 native kinds, and paying a little attention to the 

 grafting and training, be soon and amply supplied 

 with grapes for market or wine making. — Eng.pa. 



The child that is permitted to act habitually, 

 from temper, is in the prospect of ungovernable 

 pa:^sions. and the swing of the gallows, and its 

 blood will be required at the hands of its impru- 

 dent parents, whose folly and wickednes.= are 

 equalled, in magnitude, only by the momentous 

 consequences, 'hat ensue, and the awful responsi 

 bility which the parents incur. The greatest cala- 

 mity that ever befel a child, is an indiscreet pa- 

 rent who knows nothing of family discipline. — U- 

 iMore. 



A shrewd observer once said, "that in walking 

 the streets of a slippery morning, one might see 

 where the good natured people lived, by the ashe? 

 [thrown on the ice before their doors." 



