122 Jlsricultural Education 
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great principles of agricultural productions, as well as the prac- 
tical means of their application. 
While the farmers are studying how to produce the best crops, 
and how they can best succeed in rearing the best stock, they 
ought not to forget that the bringing up and educating their child- 
ren in such a way as will best qualify them to discharge the re- 
sponsible duties of men and women, is of much greater importance. 
Of all the duties which devolve upon us, both as parents and mem- 
bers of society, there is none of greater importance than that of 
properly bringing up our children. The improvements which 
have been made in the science of learning and of teaching, have 
been going on and improving for many generations; we have the 
benefit of them all, which lays us under very strong obligations. 
Although we cannot pay for these benefits to those who have 
gone before us, still the obligation is none the less binding upon 
us; and the only way we can discharge it is, by educating those 
under our care, and by making preparation for those who are to 
come after us. We have set apart large funds for the support of 
academies and common schools, and declared by the constitution 
these funds inviolate; the interest only to be used. The fund to 
be annually increased, and to be perpetual. With our school 
houses and academies scattered over the whole state, we have no 
excuse for not giving all our children at least a good common 
education; if we wish to see them prosperous, intelligent and 
respectable; if we wish success to our plain republican insti- 
tutions; let us look well to the education of our children. Those 
now in our schools will soon fill our places, and as every man has 
a right to vote for all the officers -of the government, and to hold 
any office the people see fit to confer upon him, the safety and 
perpetuity of our institutions must depend upon our giving all a 
chance of at least a good common school education. If we wish 
to encourage morality and discourage vice, the most eflfectual way 
is to educate all. For the improvements made by our ancestors 
we paid nothing. We received them in the nature of a most sa- 
cred trust. It is our duty not only to preserve them unimpaired, 
but to hand them over to those who are to come after us, with our 
full share of improvements superadded; and as this must be done 
to a considerable extent by individual exertion, each one should 
look well to it, that he does his full share, and discharges faith- 
fully the responsibility, so that our course may be onward and 
upward. 
Propagation. — Many kinds of shrubs and vines maybe propagat- 
ed by cuttings or slips, and most, if not all sorts, may be propagated 
by layers, and in either case the work is to be done early in the 
fall, or in the spring, as soon as the ground will admit of it. 
