154 



NEW BNGITAKD FARMER. 



April 



he turns up the fresh earth, plants his seed, and 

 watches the little germ which is to appear on his 

 table in the shape of corn, beans and potatoes, 

 by-and-by. Others may enjoy the ojiening life of 

 .'vegetation, but none can regard it with the same 

 interest as he who claims ownership, and has the 

 ^ whole training in his own hands. It is all the dif- 

 ference between the parent of a fine family of 

 boys, and the good neighbor who looks indulgent- 

 ly on, and thinks they are as well as could be ex- 

 pected of boys, but must be a deal of trouble. 



Exclaimed one of the farming gentry from the 

 limb of a tree which ho was pruning — "Would I be 

 President of the United States, when I can stay 

 up on this tree !" 



Such is the depravity of the human heart, that 

 perhaps, if a deputation of his fellow-citizens had 

 at that moment appeared, and invited him to come 

 down from that tree, and go to Washington, he 

 would have obeyed at the first summons, without 

 waiting for grass or stones to "fetch him down," 

 like the boy in the spelling-book ; but this we will 

 guarantee, that from his presidential chair, he 

 would often look back Avith longing, to iiis former 

 more humble elevation. It should require a strong 

 sense of duty to his country, to call a Cincinnatus 

 from his plow, or a Harrison fi-om his log cabin. 

 "Uneasy lies the head that wear's a crown." 



There is something in the "sweet influences" of 

 Nature, and in the society of domestic animals, 

 which love us without envy or malice, that is very 

 soothing to one tired of the world's unceasing 

 strife. To be sure, there is much that is hard, and 

 some things not of a very elevating tendency in 

 farm work ; but hear what our good neighbor says : 

 "I don't know but it is as dignified an employ- 

 ment to rub my pig's back for him, as to smooth 

 the asperities of a restless politician ; to teach 

 my young steers to pull together, as to teach re- 

 fractory 'Young America' to navigate the ship of 

 State, without running her on to rocks. There 

 are my bees," he says, "they will sting sometimes, 

 but not so cruelly as man's ingratitude." 



There is certainly some truth in these remarks. 

 Many young men are kept from becoming farmers, 

 because it is not the way to become suddenly rich, 

 or generally speaking, famous, but it is a sure Avay 

 to secure peace of mind, Avhich is, at least, worth 

 considering. .^ 



As to the nobility of the calling, Adam was its 

 founder, and we can't go much farther back than 

 that. To be sure, at that early period of the world's 

 history, the choice of profession was somewhat 

 limited, so that some people may say, Adam 

 hardly had a chance to indicate his own feelings 

 on the subject, but if this was the only calling of- 

 fered him, it would seem to be the design that he 

 should pursue it. The firstlawyer was undoubtedly 

 in the garden. This we shall have to admit, for 



with what skill at "special plQadlng," he presented 

 the "case" to Eve, and won it too, sad to relate. 

 We all know what an extensive practice he has had 

 ever since. 



Although many turn fi'om the business of farm- 

 ing as not aSbrding suSicient scope for ambition^; 

 or because they think it does not pay well, yett 

 most men look to its pleasant retirement, as the* 

 hope and dream of old age. 



"Give fuols their gold, and knaves their power, 

 I.et fortune's hubbies rise and fall ; . — - 



Who sows a field, or trains a flo\ver,_ —__-_«_..._ 

 Or plants a tree, is more than all." 



AGRICUIiTTJHAI. EDUCATION. 



The Massachusetts- Society for the Promotion 

 of Agriculture has in press, under the direction of 

 its accomplished Secretary, RlCHARD S. Fay, 

 Esq., a new volume of its Transactions. It will 

 contain, among other useful matter, an essay upon 

 Agricultural Education, by Judge French, from 

 advance sheets of which we give below some ex- 

 tracts. The writer advocates the establishment 

 of a School of Agriculture, in each of our counties. 

 Coming at a time when this subject is attracting 

 much attention, we are sm-e our readers will be 

 interested in the proposed plan, whether they con- 

 cur in all its details or not. 



^^ Secondly, — What is to be Taughi'? 



To this question we may reply, in general terms, 

 that we desire to teach the future farmers of the 

 State how to increase their crops, without impair- 

 ing the fertility of their soil, and how, at the same 

 time, to cultivate to their fullest capacity their 

 farms, their intellects, and their hearts, not neg- 

 lecting their physical powers. There are higher 

 aims in life than to raise corn, or to spin cotton, 

 or to make money. A perfect system of education 

 should have regard to the full development of all 

 our powers. The education of the farmer should 

 give liim strengtli of body, vigor and manliness 

 of soul, with refinement and taste to appreciate 

 what is noble, and love what is lovely, as well as 

 skill in the cultivation of his fields, and knowl- 

 edge of the points of his cattle. To understand 

 clearly what we want, we must fii-st know what we 

 possess, and then, looking abroad for standards 

 of comparison, we may form some estimate of our 

 possible attainments. 



STATISTICS. 



A glance at a few statistics will show us what, 

 practically, we are doing in the production of the 

 principal crops, and at the same time indicate 

 whether improvement is demanded and is possi- 

 ble. 



We give below, the average product per acre 

 of the leading crops in Massachusetts, and in the 

 whole United States, for the year 1849, as given 

 in the Compendium of the United States Census 

 of 1850, at page ITS ; also the average product of 

 Massachusetts, for 1855, as given by the Board of 

 Agriculture, in the report of their Secretary. 



The cDn-cs])ondence of the two returns for Mas- 

 sachusetts, the one being made under the author- 



