244 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
lation, as into the establishment of a Manual Labor School, 
under that name. The object of the present article is to 
point out the causes of their failure and to give the out- 
lines of a system founded o.n better principles. 
Some who favored and patronized these schools were 
men who, having reared their sons in idleness, sent them 
to school as a punishment, and were sorely disappointed 
that bad habits were not forced out and good, huhiis forced 
in by a teacher. And that, too, at the age and under the 
circumstances, which, as common sense ought to teach 
any one, most encourage resistance to force. Ought it to 
be expected that a boy, who has grown up unmanaged, 
at home, under the absolute government of his father, with 
none to encourage him in rebellion, would submit to the 
limited, delegated authority of a teacher, especially when 
associated with boys of the same age, among whom he 
would naturally aspire to the character of a boy ofspirit — 
a hero “I 
Others, again, thought that as their sons worked for 
their board, the school should be a cheap one. They 
were not willing to pay as much money at such a school, 
as at another where no work was required of them, which 
was about as reasonable as to expect that tuition fees for 
two branches of study should be less than for one. 
Both of these were degrading their sons to the condition 
of slaves. Both were doing all in their power to excite 
their pride against manual labor. They, and the teacher 
often, and the trustees, showed an ultra-ignorance of hu- 
man nature. Proper means were not used to excite inter- 
est in the Manual Labor department, and to put it on a 
level with the literary department in respectability. How 
this is to be done will best appear by giving the sketch 
of a plan of a school that would succeed. 
The first and indispensable element ofisuccess is a Suit- 
able teacher. He should be a man who, by his talents 
and learning, would command respect. “Not a novice,” 
but one whose reputation was established. In addition 
to talents and literary acquirements of high order, plain, 
practical, common- sense should be a leading trait in his 
chai-acter. He should have much of that which gave 
Frankun his greatnesss — a disposition to make every 
principle and fact of science and knowledge bring forth a 
practical result. Of course, he should have that firmness 
and love of justice that would overawe the unruly ; that 
gentleness, sociability and aptness to teach that would 
win the love of all. 
All these qualities will not ensure succss unless com- 
bined with one more, a want of whicl^ will be a sure cause 
of failure. He must be far from like the college bred 
gentleman, who (to use the words of a distinguished 
preacher and Doctor of Divinity) “Can’t saddle a horse 
without smelling his fingers for half an hour afterwards;” 
in other words, he must not be ashamed nor afraid of 
woi’k, but willing to lead his pupils in the labor as in the 
literary and scientific departments. A man of this char- 
acter, occupying the' highest position in society, teaching 
the dignity of labor by precept and example, would not 
fail. A school conducted by such a man would succeed. 
L. 
Siimterville, Ala., June, 1855. 
[to continued.] I 
HISTORY OF INSECTS-THE CROPS, &C. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I am now engaged 
in a microscopic examination of all the insects that are 
dastructive to many of our growing crops, and* will give, 
so far as I can ascertain, their history, anatomy, habitudes, 
modes of generation, .&c., together with accurate draw- 
ings made from the camera attached to my microscope. 
Believing that this subject is of great importan,ce, and for 
the sole purpose of contributing something to our know- 
ledge, hovtlever imperfect that contribution may be, yet it 
will stimulate others to more extensive and minute inves- 
tigations of a new field of science beneficial to the agricul- 
turist, &c., if it meets with your approbation when you 
receive my first communication, you can publish it in 
your paper. I wish only to benefit my countrymen.* 
We are now engaged in cutting Wheat, and there never 
was heavier crops made; Oats are fine. Corn is very lux- 
uriant, and all garden vegetables are extra. We have 
had fine rains ; Cotton looks well ; our fruit trees are 
loaded; my vines are perfectly thick with grapes, and, 
indeed, we have cause to be very thankful for these great 
blessings. I have noticed this spring some things which 
I never saw before. Our peach trees blqomed early and 
were apparently full of bloom ; the frost came and killed 
the fruit, yet in a few days the trees bloomed again, and 
we have the greatest abundance of fruit. I have noticed 
in a great many blosoms from two to three, and in some 
few four separate cups containing fruit; this is to me 
very curious. 
I have some fourteen rows of sweet potatoes set out in 
level ground, to test the matter ; I have some two acres 
already set out, and the vines are running across the rows. 
If this desultory communication of mine will interest you 
it will repay me amply for the time. 
Yours very respectfully, George D. Norris. 
New- Market, Madison County, Ala., June, 1855. 
CORN CULTURE IN TEXAS— -HOGS— SHEEP— SEA 
ISLAND COTTON, &C. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — As your paper pro- 
fesses to be the medium through which farmers are per- 
mitted to communicate their ideas to one anether, and free 
to all who may couch their thoughts in readable language, 
and as it is your request that all write something, I have 
concluded to submit the remarks that follow to your judg- 
ment; if you think them worthy of insertion in your 
columns they are at your disposal ; if not, you can easily 
put them into the flames. 
Until about a week ago, we have had, in this country, a 
most unusually severe drouth, (having lasted from some- 
time in February) and during this time I have had occa- 
sion to notice the progress of several crops as well in my 
immediate neighborhood as on the river (Guadalupe.) 
I will here state that the land in my neighborhood is a 
loose, black, sandy land, with a white subsoil, resembling 
marl, the surface soil being from one to four feet deep — 
generally about three — the timber, what there is, being 
Post Oak, Live Oak, some Pecan and Musquit, with, now 
and then, Hackberry, Wild China, '&c.; the China, Pecan 
and Hackberry growing principally where the ants have 
Worked up the white subsoil. 
The river lands are a stiff hog wallow ; the prairie part 
sparsely covered with scrubby Musquit ; the river bot- 
tom averaging about one-quarter of a mile wide, covered 
with a fine growth of Pecan, Walnut, Hackberry, Elm, 
Box Alder, &c.; the back lands with Post Oak. 
For some time past, the' people on the river have been 
almost “mad” about their lands, and had run them up to 
the exorbitant price of from Si 5 to $35 per acre, in fact, 
one man was so “green” as to refuse $80 per acre; during 
all this time they have preached the doctrine that our 
back lands were worthless, and had the idea so deeply 
impressed upon the minds of all, that immigrants would 
never look at them until some “loggerheads” came out 
here and purchased at the nominal price of from one-half 
to five dollars an acre, and'now since this drouth has set 
in, “wise men” of the river country see the error of their 
way, and in two months past, river Idnds have gone 
down 20 per cent,, and back lands risen 50 per cent. 
* We shall be very glad to publish the articles of our 
correspondent, on this or other subjects — Eds.- 
