1863, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEIL 



13 



musicians strummed on instruments resembling 

 banjoes, and a "sing song girl" screeched in loud 

 falsettoes, making together tlie most diabolical 

 noises I ever heard. It is hardly necessary to add 

 that these boats or places of amusement ibrm the 

 demi-monde of Cliina. 



Any ordinary description of a Chinese city or 

 of Chinese life will convey to the reader but an 

 im])erfect idea of either ; but I am told that by 

 seeing one city, a very accurate impression may be 

 formed of every other. F. E. V. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 

 AGRICULTURE IN COMMON SCHOOLS. 



Mu. Brown : — For more than twenty years we 

 have been the advocate of introducing agriculture 

 as one of the branches to be tauglit in common 

 schools. Our reasons for assuming this position 

 are, that all agricultural operations are performed 

 on principles of science, whether farmers will ad- 

 mit the fact or not, and are successful just in pro- 

 portion as these principles are carried out. Sci- 

 ence is truth, nothing more or less, and the better 

 truth is understood, the more easily we can follow 

 out its dictates. 



It has been a pleasure to us, to read the discus- 

 sions that have been going on in your iKi])er for a 

 few months past, on this subject. They have 

 shown that the minds of individuals, at least, are 

 waking up on this subject, and this waking up we 

 consider a bright herald of a noble future action. 

 AVe are glad that those who see lif)ns in the way, 

 whether those lions are real or imaginary, have 

 the generosity to show the danger. 



It was said, by one of the ancients, when asked 

 what were the most proper things for boys to 

 learn, * Those things they are to practice when 

 they become men," and this saying has been held 

 in so high estimation, that it has been regarded as 

 a proverb ever since. Admitting it to be true, ag- 

 riculture and its kindred sciences are among the 

 studies which have a demand on the attention of 

 young farmers. How are a majority of them to 

 obtain this knowledge, if they do not acquire its 

 rudiments in common schools ? 



In the discussions alluded to, in the commence- 

 ment of this article, Mr. Goldsbury very honestly, 

 we have no doubt, brings three reasons, which to 

 his mind are conclusive, to show that it cannot be 

 introduced without doing more harm than good ; 

 we differ from him in opinion, and give our rea- 

 sons for doing so. His objections are : 



"First, It would injure the schools by diverting 

 the attention of the scholars from their other ne- 

 cessary studies." Here we should have been 

 obliged to Mr. G. if he had defined what those 

 other studies are, for, as the case now stands, he 

 has ta'»^n a wide field, bearing a variety of crops. 

 Some hold one study important to education, while 

 others differ in opinions, and give preference each 

 to his favorite. We once knew a teacher who con- 

 sidered Latin and Greek the two essential studies 

 to be pursued to secure all needful knowledge. 

 And we have heard a learned professor of geology 

 remark, that if he were to commence his education- 

 al course again, he would pass over those very 

 studies ; that he could acquire enough knowledge 

 of them for his purpose, without spending months 

 of toil to obtain it. Which was ritrht, or whether 



either, we don't decide, nor do we know what Mr. 

 Goldsbury's "necessary studies" may turn out to 

 be. He has left the game in the dark, and invites 

 "More Anon" to shoot at it. Indeed, he seems 

 to claim victory until "More Anon" does so. We 

 don't know as we blame "More Anon," if he does 

 not waste his ammunition until he sees something 

 to shoot at. 



For ourselves, we are not in search of game ; 

 Mr. Goldsbury has set forth his opinion, in his 

 own way. We differ from him, and will give our 

 reasons, which if we are wrong, it will be our 

 pleasure to have Mr. G. correct. 



U'hat are the necessary studies of the common 

 school ? Those of first and greatest importance, 

 (as we view the subject,) are reading, siielling, 

 M-riting, arithmetic, and a knowledge of our lan- 

 guage. Tliese, the fathers of New England held 

 to be important, and each successive generation of 

 their sons has added new seals to their testimo- 

 ny, and it is with regret, that in our day we have 

 seen them gradually growing out of the" repute in 

 which they once were held. Our oljservation is 

 limited, we admit, but we question whether New 

 England can furnish a larger number of good read- 

 ers, correct spellers and finished penmen now, 

 than it did twenty-five, or even fifty years ago ! 

 But we hold these to be the necessary studies, the 

 corner-stones on which the progress of the scholar 

 in all other studies rests. What next ? Geogra- 

 phy. An excellent study, and one that can be 

 made very useful, even in agriculture, but not as 

 necessary as many topics that come directly in the 

 sphere of the practical operations of the farm. It 

 is of small consequence when the rivers of Siberia 

 freeze, compared with the adaptation of crops to 

 our soil and climate. Algebra has become so pop- 

 ular a study in schools, that scholars almost leave 

 their abs to go into it. Yet of what use is it in 

 practical life ? Where is the iiulividual who 

 adopts it in preference to common arithmetic in 

 business operations ? How many leave it in the 

 school-room where they found it, or take it away 

 only to forget it. Some of our common schools 

 glory in their Latin classes ; we have heard chil- 

 dren going over with their hie, hoc, dec, who did 

 not read plain English so as to make it intelligi- 

 ble, much less effective, across the school- room. 

 Of what possible use can the smattering of Latin, 

 so acquired, be? But, for argument's sake, we 

 will give these studies, and any others Mr. Golds- 

 bury may claim as necessary, a place in the school- 

 room, and we have one nook left which agricul- 

 ture may occu]n' as a study in the school, without 

 interfering with these necessary studies, (if he 

 holds them as such,) to wit, wliat better or 

 more interesting reading books can be found 

 than the "Manual of Agriculture" l)y .Mr. Flint, 

 or the series of "Family Readers" by Marcius 

 Willson ? If he can give us no wider berth, we 

 hope he will allow us to introduce them as read- 

 ing books, and our scholars will, without interfer- 

 ing with other studies, be on the high road to ag- 

 ricultural knowledge, and before he is aware of it, 

 there will be an elbowing for room to introduce 

 something more of the same sort of knowledge. 



'^Second, Our teachers are not qualified to teach 

 it, and have no means of exjjlaining it." Within 

 our remembrance it has been said a railroad could 

 not be built to connect the harbor at Boston with 

 the Hudson. There were no men qualified to car- 



