1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



245 



ly, — a text-book which might be entitled "The Sci- 

 ence of Common Life, or of Common Things" — we 

 might have considered the innovation of the 

 studj- of such a manual still more desirable, and 

 more appropriate as an introduction upon the old 

 routine of school enijiloynients. Until we get such 

 a text-book, let intdliijeid parents consider the 

 claims of '•The Manual of Agriculture," and of ag- 

 riculture as a study. 



Li all that we have written upon this subject it 

 has been taken for granted that it would only be 

 in school-districts where there were farmers oi su- 

 perior intelligence, having sons of the age of four- 

 teen years or ujjwards, where there would be any 

 attenipt made to form a class for the study of ag- 

 ricultural science, and that this study would only 

 be attempted after the common branches of school 

 education had already been sufficiently mastered 

 or attended to. AV e never, even in a waking 

 dream or reverie, had sucli a whimsical idea enter 

 our brain, as that which seems to have taken ])os- 

 session of one who has written many other strange 

 things upon this topic, — things which must have 

 surprised all sensible men — namely, that if agricul- 

 ture should be taken up as a study by some of the 

 more advanced pupils in a school, it is thenceforth 

 to be considered as a study obligatory upon all ! 

 This very strange idea is to be met with every 

 here and there throughout the whole of what he 

 has written upon the subject. For example, montlis 

 after it was plainly stated that no sensible man 

 could possiI)ly regard the study as anything but 

 elective or optional, and only likely to be taken 

 up by the more advanced pupils iclio hnppatcd to 

 have parenis or advisers of svperior inielliijamz, wc 

 find such strange language as the follov.ing, on 

 page 15 of January number, from the person re- 

 ferred to : "And the attempt would not be much 

 better in the summer, as the instruction would 

 have to be given almost exclusively by young fe- 

 male teachers in the open fields (!!!) to children 

 betv/een the ages of three and fifteen years, a large 

 proportion of whom are females."( ! ! ! ) Such is 

 a fair specimen of the lind of opposition wliich has 

 been made to tlie proposal of making agriculture 

 a study for the more advanced pupils in common 

 schools. As no one at all likely to have his chil- 

 dren educated in a sensible way, is in danger of 

 being influenced by such strange talk, mc have not 

 felt it needful to notice it. MoRic Anon. 



P. S. — In all that we have written upon tliis 

 subject we have held in view, as the persons to be 

 addressed, or influenced by what we have had to 

 say, persons and parents of sufficient intelligence, 

 wisd.m and public spirit, to make them solicitous 

 to do the best possible for their own children, and 

 the ii--ing generation generally, and to enable 

 then), uninfluenced by prejudice, whim, or estab- 

 lished customs, to judge wisely and correctly of 

 the claims and value of any pro])osed improve- 

 men', even though it should be a more daring in- 

 novu'.ion than that under consideration. As sneh 

 are the only ones likely to venture upon a trial of 

 the course of instruction in the prineiples or sci- 

 ence of agriculture such as we have advocated, 

 either with their own boys at the fireside, or with 

 their own and others, as a class, in their district 

 school, we have not felt it worth while to notice 

 or reply to the opposition which has come from J. 

 G., as nothing which he has written has seemed 

 likely to influence such persons. No such person 



could possibly be moved, save in a way we need 

 not name, by the strange extravaganzas which v.e 

 find on pages \o and 35 of current volume I That 

 would be a suitable reply to the assertion there 

 made that the study of agriculture is not practica- 

 ble in schools, Ijecause the tools and implement.s 

 are not there, and because the diflerent kinds of 

 farm work cannot be taught byexam|>le! Are 

 there any who see not the true character of such 

 opposition ? 



LETTER FROM MR. BRO"WW. 



Clarcmont, N. II., June 24, 1863, 



Gentlemen : — I came here yesterday to exam- 

 ine the working of some afpicnltural vuichincnj, 

 and one or two other secondary matters. One of 

 the machines which I saw in operation, yesterday 

 afternoon was a Revolving Ilorse-IIoe, or CuUivaior 

 which surpasses any thing of the kind I have ever 

 seen in efficiency, and in the com])leteness with 

 which it does its work. I will not enter into any 

 description of it now, because the proprietor has 

 promised to send you an engraving, which will en- 

 able me to explain it more clearly than I can with 

 the pen alone. It seems to me that its use must 

 essentially reduce the cost of raising all the crops 

 that require hoeing. Indeed, I cannot conceive 

 of any imjilement that would so thorouglily i)re- 

 pare the soil for any of the small grain crops, and 

 especially so for preparing sward laud, just turned 

 over, to be laid down to grass in August or Sep- 

 tember. I am quite desirous to see it in operation 

 on such a field. 



The name of Ilorselloe, or CuUicaior, which they 

 have given it, is not significant. It does not con- 

 vey its true character. It is clearly a lifting ma- 

 chine. It does not penetrate and push the soil 

 aside as the harrow does, or skim over its surface 

 as does the hoe, but digs into and lifts it up, and, 

 at the same moment, strikes it with its revolving 

 arras, and makes it fine. It is a EoTAiiY Sp.\DER 

 — having the precise mechanical efiect upon the 

 soil that the common spade has in skilful hands — 

 first lifting it, then dashing it to pieces with a 

 blow or edge of the spade. This is acknowledged 

 by all to be the most perfect manner of jneparing 

 the soil for any crop, — but in this country is 

 thought to be too expensive to be much employed 

 in our common farm operations, — and I suppose 

 it is. 



Another very important farm implement brought 

 into use by the same party is a lievolving Harrow, 

 a cut of which I hope they will send for your 

 columns. If they do, I shall take pains to see it 

 in operation, and speak of its merits as I find them. 



I am always interested in agricultural machine- 

 ry that has a circular or a rotary motion, as, under 

 this principle, friction is greatly reduced, and con- 

 sequently, less team or man-power required, and 

 the work is more rapidly and efficiently accom- 

 plished. This is fairly illustrated in the various 



