262 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



For Hie Neic England Farmer, 

 AGKICITLTTJIIAL EDUCATION". 



Mr. Editor : — I hope I shall not be under- 

 stood to be opposed to the study of agricultui'e 

 itself, because I have opposed its introduction as 

 a study into our common schools and colleges. 

 There is need enough of the study of agriculture, 

 but this is no reason why it should be introduced 

 into our common schools and colleges which were 

 designed and established for the purpose of giv- 

 ing instruction in other branches which are abso- 

 lutely indispensable to the public welfare. Be- 

 sides, these institutions have already as many 

 studies as the)t can attend to and teach success- 

 fully ; and they ought not to be perverted to other 

 purposes. 



Neither our common schools, nor our colleges, 

 as at present constituted and conducted, can teach 

 agriculture successfully, because they are not 

 adapted to the purpose, and have not the means 

 of doing it. They have not the land to cultivate, 

 nor the means of cultivating it. The time and 

 attention of the pupils, in both institutions, are 

 necessarily devoted to other studies, so that any 

 attempt to introduce the study of agriculture 

 would utterly fail of success, and not only injure 

 these institutions, but injure the interests of ag- 

 riculture, also, by creaLiug a strong prejudice 

 against it, as a useless and unnecessary study. 

 No ; agriculture cannot be successfully taught in 

 these institutions. They have not the means of 

 showing the best way and manner of doing all 

 kinds of farm work. This can be taught only on 

 the farm, and under the personal supervision of a 

 good farmer, who is able to teach by precept and 

 example. And it is to be learned only by labor 

 and application, by following the instruction and 

 example of others, and by reading, reflection and 

 study. 



The only substitute for family instruction on 

 the farm, is that of farm schools, established and 

 endowed for the purpose. They are usually fur- 

 nished with all the means of teaching all the 

 branches experimentally and practically. They 

 have all the means, including the necessary funds 

 and teachers, to do it with. At home, on the 

 farm, the scholar can learn no more of farm ope- 

 rations, than he is taught by the family and by 

 the example of everyday laborers, and also by 

 reading agricultural books and papers. But at 

 the farm school he will enjoy additional advan- 

 tages. He will not only be taught how to do ev- 

 ery particular kind of farm M'ork, but also the rea- 

 son why it should be done thus and so, and not 

 in a different way and manner. He will have an 

 opportunity of witnessing all kinds of agricultvu-al 

 experiments, and of having the nature and opera- 

 tion of every process fully explained. Theoreti- 

 cal and practical lectures will be given in connec- 

 tion with every kind of farm work, so that the 

 young farmer will be made to understand his 

 business. 



But after all, it is said, that scientific lectures 

 are not adapted to the capacities of the young, 

 and are liable to be misunderstood by them. That 

 this is sometimes the case is very evident from 

 the following example : A certain boy went to 

 hear a celebrated minister lecture on the subject 

 of Peter's denying his Master. The boy was very 

 much pleased with the minister's beautiful lec- 



ture, so elegant and so eloquent ; and being urged 

 to tell what the minister said that pleased him so 

 much, "Why," said he, "the minister said that Pe- 

 ter swore three times before he crowed !" Such, 

 however, is not the effect of scientific lectures 

 when delivered in connection with farm schools, 

 because they are always accompanied with visible 

 illustrations and practical examples which make 

 them intelligible and instructive. Still, it is un- 

 doubtedly true, in some degree, that those only 

 who have prepared their minds by previous study, 

 can profit much by scientific lectures. It is non- 

 sense to think of pouring out knowledge upon 

 those who are not prepared to receive it, and who 

 make no efibrt to understand and reduce it to 

 practice. To obtain a correct knowledge of the 

 business of agriculture in its most minute details, 

 requires study, thought and reflection, and a ready 

 and willing mind to reduce to practice the lessons 

 of experience. There is work to be done, and it 

 must be done by those who would learn how to 

 do it. The work must be done scientifically and 

 correctly, as explained and exemplified by the 

 teacher. No farm school can prosper, or be use- 

 ful, which does not teach by example, as well as 

 by precept. John Goldsbury. 



Warwick, Mass., 1862. 



THE STBA-WBERRY. 



(FRAGARIA VESCA.) 



There are many varieties of this fruit, all of 

 which are more or less valuable. The common 

 native strawberry of our fields is but little culti- 

 vated, but it is nevertheless equal in value to many 

 of the foreign and "improved" varieties. Being 

 indigenous, it is necessarily more hard)', and with 

 proper cultivation, is even more prolific. The 

 fruit is not so large, but of superior flavor. The 

 plants should be set in August, in rich, mellow 

 soil, in rows two feet asunder, and about one foot 

 apart in the rows. Compost, formed of putres- 

 cent vegetable matter, house ashes and plaster 

 should be well worked in, and the plants frequent- 

 ly watered with soap suds, or water from the barn- 

 yard. A cask, filled with old muck, into which a 

 few pounds of guano has been mingled, will form 

 an excellent reservoir, by filling it with water. 

 This may be drawn into a watering-pot and put 

 upon the plants in the evening with great advan- 

 tage. The water drawn from this mass should 

 be quite weak, but if the season is at all dry, should 

 be applied every evening. 



The runners, of which many will appear the 

 following season, should be removed, and the 

 ground kept light and clear of weeds. As soon 

 as the fruit is fairly formed, the spaces between 

 the plants should be covered with straw or tan, to 

 prevent the fruit, in its ripe state, from coming in 

 contact with the dirt, and to prevent the growth 

 of weeds and excessive evaporation. This cover- 

 ing may be kept in place by sticks or stones, or 

 by throwing a little loose earth upon it, and need 

 not be removed until the next spring. These re- 



