1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



221 



For the Nezc Ensland Farmer. 

 AGRICUIiTURE. 



Mr. Editor : — Perhaps there is notliing in ac- 

 tion or language that more unmistakably disclos- 

 es to the discerning mind the corruptness of taste 

 than our great diversity of employments. We 

 would countenance a limited variety of occupa- 

 tions, providing each be subservient to the true 

 one. 



Poets have sung in flowing numbers the beau- 

 ties of agriculture. The pen of genius has con- 

 tributed its influence to the praise of husbandry, 

 and history carries along and aloft the charms of 

 farming ! 



Now, why does each succeeding generation 

 more and more shun the plough and leave the la- 

 bor of the field neglected and despised ? Is it be- 

 cause the poet and orator lie, and history is blind? 

 No ! It is the lamentably mistaken sentiment of 

 the age. Fashion and pride make wants that ag- 

 riculture never bows to supply. Therefore it is 

 left as a second, or third, or fourth calling, by 

 which the worldling seeks to make up his mistak- 

 en blessedness. 



Young reader ! yo\xx first and life-long question 

 is — or should be — how can I be happy ? In the 

 pursuit of what occupation shall I be the happiest ? 

 I answer, you will be happiest following agricul- 

 ture as an occupation. The labor of the farmer is 

 most conducive to a happy life, because it is best 

 suited to the normal and natural condition of our 

 organization. We are endowed with a triple na- 

 ture, each dependent on the health and harmony 

 of the others. The great end to which the ener- 

 gies of our life should be directed, is the cultiva- 

 tion and development of the hidden being, the 

 inner man. To attain this glorious object, the 

 body must be in a good, active condition. The 

 labor of the field exercises the greatest number of 

 muscles, and in such a conformity to the great de- 

 sign, the lungs swell copiously to inhale the pure 

 vital air, and the stomach distends to receive the 

 proper supply of aliment to renew expended 

 strength, and balmy sleep comes to refresh and 

 invigorate. 



Thus, as the body invigorates by obeying na- 

 ture's laws, the mind grasps for culture and ac- 

 quires it in reading books of truth, in agricultu- 

 ral experiments and farm calculations ; and as the 

 mind improves so does the heart. The words of 

 Shakspeare become a living reality in the true farm- 

 er's mind. 



"And this our life, exempt from public haunt. 

 Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 

 Sermons in stones, and good in everything." 



The book student may acquire a marvellous and 

 disproportionate develo])ment of the brain, but he 

 does it at the expense of disease and premature 

 death of the body, and often of the soul, for it is 

 a sin to overtask the brain and leave the body and 

 moral faculties to become efi'eminate by neglect 

 and inaction. 



The farmer, while obeying nature's dictates, in 

 proportionally expanding the mind and invigorat- 

 ing the body, walks forth among beauties of col- 

 ors and fragrance of flowers, surrounded by ani- 

 mated nature, singing God's goodness to his soul, 

 to read the unwritten books of the universe, that 

 the soul may be strengthened and lifted up by the 

 hidden fires of nature. He sees design and the 

 divine idea in everything, and from an overflow- 



ing heart of felicity, pours out depths of gratitude 

 to Ilim who made us with few wants beyond the 

 wants of the inner being, and for which He has 

 produced more than enough. Nature points to 

 immortality as plainly as the Bible, to him who 

 loves her, is with her, and reads her. 



To him wlio seeks happiness : let a farmer's sun 

 warm and tan you ; let the pure air of growing 

 fields expand your lungs, and temperate exercif=e 

 unite to give you a sound body and a clear head. 

 To him who would be intelligent, and I may add 

 learned: follow the courses of history and dwell 

 over the lives of good men. Read logic and rhet- 

 oric, and freely use dictionaries and maps. For 

 your spiritual good, admit the truths of nature and 

 receive the spirit of God around you, follow 

 righteous ordinances, and you will receive the ap- 

 probation of conscience and the smile of Heaven. 



Fur tlie Netp England Farmer. 

 AGRICULTURE IN" SCHOOL. 



The discussion whicli occupied a portion of vour 

 columns some time since, concerning the proprie- 

 ty and utility of introducing the study of agricul- 

 ture into our common schools, has proved this, if 

 nothing more : that it is a subject, like many oth- 

 ers, upon which vukJl can be said on both sides. 



The substance of the arguments which have 

 appeared, amounts to this : one party tries to con- 

 vince his hearers that the study of agriculture in 

 school would do no good, but much harm ; the 

 other, that it would do much good and no harm. 



Now this is all very well so far as talk is con- 

 cerned, but would it not be better to reduce the 

 advanced theories and ojjinions to practice, and 

 thus prove their soundness ? In other words, let 

 those who feel enough interest in the matter, be- 

 gin now to introduce the study of agriculture into 

 our schools. Let them procure suitable text- 

 books, and find scholars who are desirous of mak- 

 ing the art a subject of study. We should then 

 soon learn how many of our teachers are qualified 

 to teach agriculture ; whether the minds of the 

 people are ready, or at all desirous of having it 

 become a part of their children's studies ; and as- 

 certain the amount and kind of opposition which 

 might be in the way of its becoming a permanent 

 branch of study. Burnside might have sat and 

 talked until doomsday about taking the heights of 

 Fredericksburg, and listened to plausible argu- 

 ments both for and against the undertaking, but 

 he would never have known whether or not he was 

 equal to the task, if he had not crossed the river 

 and made the attempt. I believe it would be well 

 to make a fair trial of the project under consider- 

 ation, whatever the result might be ; and, although 

 it is very probable that the result would not be 

 so disastrous as the engagement of our brave 

 Burnside, yet it is my private opinion that the en- 

 terprise would be about as successful. 



Among those who have expressed their views 

 upon the subject, none have marked out any defi- 

 nite course to be pursued by the teacher or schol- 

 ar, while endeavoring to impart and receive a 

 practical knowledge of agriculture in scliool. Is 

 the knowledge to be derived solely from books 

 and the verbal instructions of the teacher, (provid- 

 ing he or she should happen to know anything 

 about the study,) or is the art to be learned from 

 books in connection with a suitable apparatus, and 

 actual experiments ? If the latter course is to 



