114 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
philosophy than was absolutely necessary ; but 
at the same time it must be strictly correct. He 
would advise them to confine themselves to 
facts — not to announce the principles. Be 
would also press upon them, in endeavoring to 
fix facts on the boy’s mind, to call to aid all his 
senses— his sense of sight, fcr instance. Then 
as to smell, ammonia might be used; and for 
taste, common salt, alum, and soda, which were 
perfectly harmless. As to touch, sal-ammoniac 
would be of use. They would observe that the 
little piece which he had just broken off, bent; 
and he knew of no other substance which a boy 
was likely to meet with that would bend in like 
manner. The Professor then directed attention 
to a set of tables which he recommended for the 
use of elementary schools — one of them, to 
which he specially called the observation of the 
meeting, was an exposition of the ash of the 
different kinds of grain, namely, potash, soda, 
lime, magnesia, oxide of iron, oxide of mag- 
nese, phosphoric acid, staliphuric acid, silicia, 
and chlorine. He remarked that such a table 
as this would tend much to fix the words used 
by chemists in the memory ol the pupils ; and 
also to impress principles upon their mind : as, 
for instance, that in the ash of all the different 
kinds of grain, there was more phosphoric acid 
than any other substance. As to the means of 
information for themselves, it was a great con- 
venience to him, in bringing the subject for- 
ward, both here and elsewhere, that he could of- 
fer them his own books; a lew months ago, and 
he could not have told them where the know- 
ledge they required could be obtained. As to 
the expense ol making the experiments, it would 
not amount to more than five shillings a-year, 
as the materials could be procured at a very 
cheap rale. With regard to the apparatus, all 
that was necessary could be got for thirty shil- 
lings from Messrs. Griffin of Glasgow, who had, 
at his request, prepared a set of apparatus. 
Then, as to the time it would occupy to teach 
the science, why, that was a point on which some 
misapprehension might readily arise. The 
boys who attended school generally did so for 
three or four years. Now all that he asked was 
one hour a week — that was enough to learn all 
that was necessary to be taught on the subject ; 
but if they could give him two hours he should 
like it better, as then there would be time 
to spare. The children also would learn 
much without teaching, from seeing the tables 
he had alluded to, and also from, experiments. 
He did not wish that this one hour a-week 
should interfere with the usual course of instruc- 
tion, although it might not necessarily be new 
or additional to what was now given to leach- 
ing. In fact, he did not wish any of them to 
teach in one particular way or another; he left 
that to themselves, merely taking the liberty of 
giving his opinion in the matter. As to the 
practical teaching of the science, that could be 
done in various ways. For instance, they might 
on a Saturday afternoon go with the boys to a 
farm in the neighborhood, and describe the ope- 
rations of the farmer. After telling them all 
about the rotation of crops— that a green crop 
followed after grain, and so forth, the teacher 
might then say, let us go now and see how the 
farmer works. This, he thought, might be of 
great benefit to the scholars. As to school 
farms, the system of attaching pieces of land to 
schools had been adopted in reference to the 
Irish National Schools; it was also done in the 
schools which had been esiablished in England ; 
and it had been proposed to adopt a similar prac- 
tice here. But this he did not hold to be indis- 
pensable. If he were asked the question, 
should the schoolmasters have a five acre glebe, 
he would say that in no case of a parish school 
did he eontemplate that the master should work 
so many hours a day in his farm, and superin- 
tend the labor of the boys. But he had no crot- 
chet in his head on this point — his mind was not 
made up on the subject; and although he might 
afterwards recommend it, at present his opinion, 
if asked, was. “ as a general rule no, at least at 
first.” But if they differed from him, he left 
them to do as they liked— niakingonly these two 
conditions, viz., that they did not lower them- 
selves in station — that they neglected none of the 
other important branches of education. There 
were two objections to the proposal. In tlie first 
place, there was a jealousy on the part of the 
schoolmasters themselves that it would lower 
them in public estimation to cultivate land, 
at the same time that they were engage.! in the 
cultivation of the youthful mind. Then there 
was a jealousy on the part ol those interested in 
the proper teaching of the scholars, lest the 
master, finding it profitable to cultivate, should 
take more than he could properly cultivate, and 
thus neglect other and more important matiers. 
But no general rule could be laid down in this 
respect, as all the schools were differently cir- 
cumstanced. The same mode would not suit 
tor ail, as the same necessity did not exist in 
every case for having pieces of land attached to 
the parish schools. As an inducement to them 
to pursue a course of agricultural education, 
he might remark, that they would have the satis- 
faction of contributing towards a great nation- 
al good, and they would also maintain the parish 
schools in that position and pre eminence which 
it was desirable they should ever be in, and 
thus neutralise rivalry. The Government of 
the country took an interest in the subject— they 
had shown that they did so, by decl? ring them- 
selves in favor of a course of agricultural elu- 
cation, and establishing schools for that purpose. 
Now, the parochial schoolmasters, many of 
whom he now addressed, were at present, 
through their friends, making an application to 
parliament for an increase to their allowance, 
which was allowed on all hands to be too small ; 
and he held in his hand a leller from a gentle- 
man who took a great interest in the rnaiier, 
which Slated that it the schoolmasters showed 
an interest to promote the fundamental wellare 
of the country, as, for instance, the improvement 
of agriculture, it would have great weight with 
Parliament. Another point was, that as indi- 
viduals they would have an opportunity ofbring- 
ing themselves into notice, and new means of 
rising presented to them. It would increase 
thei." consideration in the locality where they 
resided. For instance, a schoolmaster might go 
to a farmer and talk to him about Latin, which 
he would not care about, as he did not under- 
stand it; but it he could hold the plow, then he 
would think him a better man. As an illustra- 
tion of this feeling, he might mention what the 
schoolmaster ol Eyemouth had said, “if 1 
could leach fishing, the parents would take more 
interest in the school.” (Laughter.) They 
would, he repeated, render themselves of more 
importance in the district where they resided, 
and be thought more of by the farmers and oth- 
ers with whom they came in contact. They 
might find indifference, and might meet with op- 
position ; but their hands .might he strengthened 
by the establishment of chibs; and he would 
therefore recommend them to meet occasionally 
and consult with, one another regarding the mode 
of teaching; and by doing so, he had no doubt 
they would overcome many local difficulties. 
The way to gain over the old farmers to their 
views— to remove their pfejudices— was not hy 
opposing and railing at them, iiiit bv becoming 
in appearance their pupils; not by propounding 
hastily formed and positive oninione, but bv 
calmly and dispassionately conversing with 
them on the subject. The subject, he nii?ht 
a.ld, was interesting to all parties in Parliament. 
The Field Gardens Bill, was an evidence ol 
that on the part of one section of the House, 
and was not unfavored by Government. An- 
other section proposed to join with it an Agri- 
cultural School Bill. In conclusion, the Pro- 
fessor said that if twenty of the gentlemen pre- 
sent would like to hear an address on the .science 
itself, in order that they might have an opportu- 
nity ol understanding some ol its beauties, he 
vyould be happy to meet them next forenoon in 
the same place. 
The offer of Prof. .Tohnston was at once ac- 
cepted, and a Committee named to make the ne- 
cessary arrangements. 
The meeting then sepiraied. 
GOV. MAinaiO.VB’S KEPOit'V. 
From the South Western Farmer. 
We give at the conclusion of this notice, the 
Report of a Committee of which our friend, J. 
H. Hammond, was chairman. We congratu- 
late him on the knowledge of farming that he 
displays. We see how readily the educated 
and intelligent can learn the business of farm- 
ing. But a short lime since, our old school-male 
was up to his eyes in politics — he now rttires 
to the field — Ihei e to live a quiet, peaceable lile. 
We rejoice at it, and can but repeat the lemaik 
w’e made to him, before he was elected Govern- 
or — “ You are wrong — you have no business in 
that sphere — seek your ease and peace — it suiis 
you better and will give you saiislaciion.” His 
answer was then, as his works answer now : 
“I will do so as early as the force of circum- 
stances will permit” — or to this purport were 
both. 
We again congratulate him, and also our 
counirjq in the success of our friend — we also 
press on all agriculturists any an ides from the 
pen of Hammond; he will, we feel assured, give 
all matiers that he writes on, his minule ard 
particular attention. We have known him 
from both ol our boyhoods, and know' him to he 
talented and observing, and more than all, wfiien 
he does apply himself, it is an application de- 
serving and insuring success. 
As we are his senior in planting the cotton, 
especially in personal attention to it, we beg to 
give him a hint or two. We may err in our no- 
tions ; and v.'hy we say so, is, that we i iffer ma- 
terially from so large a number of faimeis. 
We think that very early planting is disadvan- 
tageous ; and to define early planting, we think 
the la.si week in .March is eailv enough at any 
time, even for this year, when, it w ill be borne in 
mind, the fruit trees were quite green at that 
time; to plant as early as the 15lh or 20th ol 
March is “ very early.” We generally judge 
it to be time to plant corn when the “ leaf of 
the oak is as large as the squirre.’s ear,” many 
of our planters have planted cotton as early. 
We think cotton planted from the Isi to the 10th 
of April is early enough for old land, and have 
known '»y several crops that the later planting, 
say lOih, was considerably better than the eaily 
— we know- this not only by our own weights 
and measures, but also by others. 
We would make an exception to early olant- 
ing. New ground and lich fresh lanflpfEl? such 
a tendene 3 ' to make weed, that it is necessary to 
plant as early as a stand can be had — so all 
think; we would not object, but think that judi- 
cious culiure would make a different result. 
We would act precisely as with the tree that 
produced wood instead of fruit — amputate the 
roots. We tiiink that if the land has been bro- 
ken up very early, and left to be consolidated by 
rains, then plant about the 5th to the lOih of 
April, thinned out as early as it was up, culti- 
vate 1 deep and late, that the stalks would set the 
fruit and ripen in time. Do we not thus with 
Iruil trees, Irish potaioe aiulsweet poiatoe— the 
latter too, by either cuiting off tops, or feeding 
with calvjsl And why not a similar practice 
with the cotton plant ? 
The cotton plant is a very tender plant ii treat- 
ed as it 'vas some ten or filteen years since — 
some three to six bushel ol seed sowm per acre, 
and not thinned out until the third leaf had ap- 
peared — it has been raised in a hot bed, and bo 
wonder it is tender ; bif rf sown thinly, and then 
thinned out to single stalks, we think it a hardy 
plant. There is no use in trying the hardihood 
of the plant. It is unlike corn — it has a tap 
root, gro-ivsindry weaihe'', and unless the Ir nd 
has not been properly prepared, orremaikably 
dry, it will improve by hot or dry weather- but 
corn having superficial root.s, should be planted 
early as possible, that it may ripen before drought 
sets in. If cotton will make 1000 lbs, per acre 
w'hen planted late in May there can be no f- ars 
to plant 10th April. The farmer can place his 
laud in e.xcelient order — have hi.s ci-m cleaned 
h-ind-'orn^ly, and when cotton is up, lie can yush 
it to the utmost. We request our friend H, to 
