SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
their efficiency, and numbers, it will apply to all progress 
whatever. >Iany ask no cliange for the better; little 
dreaming that without an elfort to advance in knowledge, 
in virtue and wealth, society inevitably retrogrades in 
each. Its property is consumed by c.nimal appetites and 
passions, while its wisdom and- virtue, shaded by the 
rank weeds of isensualism, soon perish from the lack of 
cultivation. No sensible person will agree that Christian- 
ity is valuless to the human family, because mankind, un 
cultivated, untaught, do not want it. The more the peo- 
ple fail to see and feel ttie need of common schools, the 
greater is their necessity among them, lest their children 
grow up with understanding still more darkened than 
those of their parents. Neither the opposition to be over- 
come, nor the evils and difficulties to be surmounted 
will ever be less than tiiey now are. It may take 
years to establish our a permanent basis a prosper- 
ous school system, from the lack of popular sympathy 
and favor. IMuch, however, depends on tJie prudence 
and good management of the friends of universal educa- 
tion. They may fail at the beginning by attempting 
more than tiie condition of public sentiment, and the very 
sparse population will warrant. Let something, however, 
be done by the next Legislature for the j^rofessional edu- 
cation of common-school teachers, that every neighbor- 
hood may have the services of a really competent ins'ruc- 
tor, ifable and willing to give one employment Thorough- 
ly qualified teachers are scarce ; and the calling does not 
Jiold so high a place in the public esteem as it deserves. 
Much has been written on the art and science of impart 
ing rudimentary knowledge to the youthful mind ; and 
Normal Schools, designed especi.illy to drill .school teach- 
ers in the practice of hearing recitations and the science of 
teaching classes, have done good service to popular edu 
cation by training up pupils of botii sexes to this most re- 
sponsible and arduous profession. There is no reason 
why Georgia should not take the lead in providing her- 
self with the best possible school teachers, who are alto- 
gether the most profitable in the end. Incompetent teachers 
are nuisances, of whom the bouth has liad its full share. 
To drive these out of employment in a profession which 
they serve only to bring into discredit, truly competent 
persons should be liberally patronized and promoted. A 
rigid system inspection should be adopted, as in New 
York, where the writer has acted as School Inspector 
twenty 3 /ears. 
The close and systematic examination of both schools 
and school masters confers advantages not to be attained 
by any other means. It prompts alike instructor and 
pupils to diligence in their respective spheres of action. 
It is the general neglect of common schools that really im- 
pairs their usefulness, and degrades them in the public 
esteem. The whole attention of a suitable man, as Su 
perintenderit, may be profitably given to the schools of a 
State and report annually to the Executive or Legislature. 
Direct responsibility tends greatly to secure efficietic.y in 
any system of a public nature. At present, our schools 
are deprived of the benefits that accrue from official inspec- 
spection and accountability. There is reason to believe, 
that many of them are taught in the most defective man- 
ner by incompetent persons. To expose evils of this kind 
is a thankless task, but somebody should try to lemedy 
them. No other public service is more needed, for it af- 
fects the permanent and highest interests of the Common- 
wealth. It is the people at large who give character to a 
State, whatever some writers may say to the contrary. 
Their colleges are infinitely moie important than the very 
few designed to teach perhaps a thousand youth where one 
hundred thousand equally need and deserve public in 
struction. No such favoritism and discrimination should 
be shown. Make the educational facilities of the State 
adequate to the proper instruction of all, showing no par- 1 
3 47 
tiality, anh no stinting of schools where they are needed, 
Such a policy will redound incalculably to the honor of 
Georgia, and give her at once the lead of all the South in 
every industrial pursuit. Neither her agriculture, her 
manufactures, nor her commerce can take the first i-anlt un- 
til she widely cultivates the good Common Sense of her citi- 
zens. We have notone word to say in disparagement of 
uncultivated common sense; but like a wild swamp mea- 
dow, the crop though valuable, is far less so than one 
formed of tlie best cultivated grasses. If it is {noper to 
cultivate the earth, it is vastly more profitable to cultivate 
man who is the noblest product of the soil. His culture is 
now deplorably lost siglit of by the rank and file, who are 
ever in one prolonged engagement fighting the battle of 
hffi. L 
fBcrtictiituial Stjiflitmtnt. 
VINE GROWING IN FRANCE-NO. 3. 
Toulolsk, FR.ixcK, IMay 2nd, 185(3. 
Finding myself blockaded for the afternoon by the bad 
weather, I seize the occasion to finish the chapter which 
1 have commenced on the vines of the Bordelais. The 
vineyards whicli I visited were situated in the Department 
ofthe Gironde which gave its name to the celebrated 
Girondist faction and formed parr of the old province of 
Gascony In 18 18 there were 140,000 hectares plaut-d in 
vines, which produced that year 2,500,000 hectolitres of 
wine. Since titatiime, however, and during the last three 
years, the produce h-is been very much less, owing to the 
disease among the vines which has prevailed everywhere. 
The nature of (he disease is unknown. It makes its ap- 
pearance in June in the foim of a white power on the 
leavesand flowers ofthe vine, and causes the dropping of 
the ymung grapes This powder has the smell of mush- 
rooms, and some have suftposed it to be a parasitic plant. 
Others maintain that it is an insect. A great deal has 
been written on the subject, but as in all this class of dis- 
eases, neither its nature, causes, nor cure has been detect- 
ed. 
M. L )MJKT told me that the same vineyards that made 
him 140 tuns before the prevalence of die disease, had not 
brought ovtr 10 since its appearance; and so great iiave 
been its ravages that if you enter a cafe at Bordeaux, you 
will find everbody drinking beer, owing to the scarcity 
and high price of wines. The Giiotide is divided in re- 
spect to the different kinds of wines it proJuces into from 
four districts : 
1st “Mfidoc,’’ which 1 have de'Cribed. 
2nd. 4'he|“Graves,'’ lying on the same side of the river 
and around Bordeaux. 
3rd. '• Kntres deux rners,” lying between the Garonne 
and the Dordogne. 
4th. The white wine district, comprising the celebrated 
Commune of 8 auterne, lying 011 the Garonne, nbove Bor- 
daux and on tliesame s'de. 
JJiere are other (li.stinctions observed among the vine- 
yards, as tliis : all those where the laud is marshy, whetli- 
er in the Jledoc, Entres deux Jleres, or elsewhere, pro- 
duce what are called -‘Vins des Palus,''" which are of deej> 
color and much stronger than the other wine.s. I’he}^ 
lack flavor, and are ranked among the “vins d’ ordnaire ” 
Again the wines are known as “ vins fins,'’ or “ vine 
classis,” the “vins d’ ordinaire,” and last, “vins com- 
mons” The “vins fins” or “classis” are divided again 
into fine qualitie.s, known under the names ot ifie premier, 
seconde, die., to the cinquicome cens or growths. Besides 
these differences, there is another, occasioned by i(,e sea- 
sons. In a good year the same vineyards produce wine 
that brings a much larger price than ordinary. Thus M. 
■ LoM-ikt told me that in the Commune Sauterne (wliere. 
