THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



149 



up so as to admit of moving on, measure the . 

 utmost capacity forward of your scythe, take a 

 quick easy gait, moving your right foot well up 

 towards the standing grass, and your body w'nh ! 

 it, though leaning back, by bending the knees 

 a little forward, so as to bring your whole weight | 

 to bear upon the scythe, without twisting the! 

 body from right to left, (as many do;) thus giv- S 



ing ease to each clip, and ability to repeat in an 

 advanced position, without fatigue. 



Note. — If you swing six inches too far back, 

 and six inches too far in pointing out, ii makes 

 twenty-four inches loss! Then apply the same 

 strength to a scientific forward motion, and you 

 will find it difficult for ordinary mowers to keep 

 up. John R. Pitkin. 



BUCKINGHAM CO. VIRGINIA. 



Richmond, May 20, 1845. 



To the Editor of the Southern Planter: 



Sir, — I find you have published in your last 

 number of the Southern Planter the loose re- 

 marks I made before the Farmers' Club of the 

 American Institute in reference to the oiganiza- 

 tion of a Collegiate and Agricultural Institute 

 in Buckingham county, Virginia. I stated at 

 the time, (but which was not reported in the re- 

 marks as published,) that I had made a provi- 

 sional contract to take the premises known as 

 the Female Collegiate Institute of Buckingham, 

 which it was optional with me to close or not 

 any time previous to the first of June ; and if 

 so, that I would hereafter publish my plan for 

 the organization of the Institute, and the course 

 of instruction to be adopted. Although I have 

 finally concluded not to undertake the task of 

 establishing it, 1 will, nevertheless, give you an 

 outline of what I think such an Institute ought 

 to be, and of the plan and course I intended to 

 adopt, and to carry out the same, as far and as 



fast, as my own resources, and the patronage of 

 a generous public would enable me to accom- 

 plish it. 



Such an Institute ought in the first place to 

 be provided with a select library of books in 

 every department of science and literature, and 

 of all the class books used by the students of 

 the Institute, and with which they should be 

 supplied from the classical library. It should 

 also be supplied with a complete philosophical 

 and chemical apparatus, with a phantasmagoria 

 lantern, and illuminated diagrams, on every sub- 

 ject of their studies as far as practicable, so as 

 to teach all that can be taught by the eye. Also 

 a reading room supplied with the best maga- 

 zines, periodicals, and political papers of the 

 country, to which the students should have free 

 access, at all times, other than study hours, until 

 the hour of retiring for the night arrived. The 

 person who had charge of the library to take 

 and note regularly meteorological observations. 



In the Collegiate Department the same course 

 of studies ought to be adopted which are pur- 



