THE SOUTHERN CUUTIVATOR. 
44 
pursuits, must soon find themselves driven to 
agriculture for a subsistence; and that, instead 
m every man who can command the means, 
sending his sons to fill the classical schools of 
the day, uncertain what they must do when they 
attain to manhood, they should be (or a large 
majority of them) trained in schools 6f agidcul- 
ture, which the public voice should compel the 
L;egislati)Te to establish. 
“Agricultural schools should be alike acces- 
sible to rich and poor, and in the vicinity of 
flourishing towns, might, as you have suggest- 
.ed, to a considerable extent, support themselves. 
To the rich they would be scarcely less valuable 
than to the poor; as the first would be taught how 
to improve and preserve his inheritance, whilst 
the last would learn how to acquire indepen- 
dence for himself and an inheritance for his 
children. Many farmers are most anxious to 
give their sons such an education; and eveq 
among the poorest and most ignorant, scarcely 
one could be found who would not cheerfully 
surrender the labor of his son for the advantage 
of placing him in an agricultural schcol. A 
very poor, but most respectable man applied to 
me early this year to take his son, a stout youth 
Qf sixteen, for five years, stating that he wished 
jo make hiih a farmer — not to expose him to the 
vices of a town life— that he had nothing more 
to give him than he had already given, a plain 
English education — and as he hoped, good prin- 
ciples and good habitsl It was not in nxy pow- 
er to take the youth, and especially because I 
knew myself to 1 e incompetent to teach him 
what his father wished him to acquire. Now, 
the labor of his son was worth something to the 
father, (a feeble man,) but he was most willing 
and anxious to give that up, and even to permit 
him to labor on my farm with my negroes, for 
the advantage he supposed would be derived 
from my instruction. It was an over-estimate 
of rhy qualifications— but serves to show the 
infinite importance to a large majority of our 
j^ple, of agricultural schools. 
“The press is the most powerful engine that 
can be brought to bear upon this important sub- 
ject. I rejoice that you have taken it up, and 
hope that it will be pressed with youi accus- 
tomed zeal. '* * * * 1 trust too, that it 
will be taken up by the press universally. Half 
the devotion to this great cause, that the political 
press bestows upon the party politics of the day, 
would do more lor the best interests of Virginia, 
i verily believe, than any thing besides. Our 
Society, there can be no doubt, will do its part. 
“This is not written for publication. I am 
not qualified to discuss the subject in the public 
prints, and therefore, t’.o not wish to appear vain 
enough to attempt it. Abler pens and more 
.distinguished names than mine must do the 
work; and it is time that work was in hand.— 
Let the word be onward.” 
Industry. — Every young man should remem- 
ber that the world always has and alwmys will 
honor industry. The vulgar and useless idler 
whose energies of mind and body are rusting for 
want of exercise — :the mistaken being ^yho pur- 
sues amusement as a relief to his enervated 
muscles, or engages in exercises that produce no 
useful end, may look with scorn on the smutty 
laborer engaged in Ms toil. But his scorn is 
praise. His contempt is an honor. Honest in- 
dustry will secure the respect of the wise and 
good among men, and yield the rich fruit of an 
easy conscience, and give that hearty self re- 
spect which is above all price. 
Toil on then young men. Be diligent in bu- 
siness. Improve the heart and the mind and 
you will find the well-spring of enjoyment in 
your own souls, and secure the confidence and 
respect of all those whose respect is worth an 
effort to obtain. 
^cQURS IN CALVES.-r^We have never, says 
the editor of the Southerd Planter, found any re- 
medy for the scours preferable to boiled skim- 
med milk.' This should be giyep warm, apd ft 
is more safe'than poisons of any kind. 
DUTIES OF FARMERS. 
Among the many duties which devolve upon 
farmers, there is nope ,of higher importance or 
to which is attached a greater share of responsi- 
bility, than that of affording to the rising gene- 
ration the means of instruction, and the facili- 
ties for cultivating the mind. It is in vain we 
talk of improving the soil and elevating the 
standard of agriculture in this country, while the 
youth, the sons and daughters of farmers, are 
denied the privileges of education and moral 
culture, w'hich eveiy sound and thinking mind 
will admit are necessary to enable them to pur- 
sue tfieir avocations with pleasure and profit, 
and to discharge in a proper manner their duty 
in the various relations of life. 
The subject of education in schools is of vast 
importance to farmers, and may with propriety 
be discussed in an agricultural journal; but we 
intend in this article only to point out some of 
the errors and omissions of duty with w'hich 
many farmers are chargeable in the education 
and training of those who are soon to enter up- 
on the stage of action, and to w'hom the agricul- 
tural interest must look for its friends and advo- 
cates. Education does not consist solely in the 
knowledge gained at schools. The history of 
some of our most eminent men shows that in- 
dividual exertion, when aided and encouraged 
by parental advice and aid, may be the means of 
acquiring a degree of knowledge and of reach- 
ing a position which the mere advantages of 
school could never afford. We here repeat, 
what we have often in effect said, that self cul- 
ture is more neglected among farmers than any 
other class of persons. It is time that there was 
a reform in this respect, and we are happy in 
being able to say that there is evidence of its 
commencement, in the desire of agricultural 
reading, which pervades to some extent the 
youth of this country. It is the duty of those 
having the care of youth, so to encourage the 
first appearance of these desires, as to form per- 
manent habits, and a disposition for investiga- 
tion, which always leads to valuable results. — 
That father who, when his son discovers evi- 
dences of a fondness for agricultural pursuits, 
and an inclination to store his mind wdth that 
information which may be derived from the ex- 
perience and writings of others, withholds the 
means of gratifying these inclinations, places 
himself in an unenviable position and can blame 
no one but himself, if his son does not pursue 
that course of conduct which he could desire. — 
The youthful mind is never inactive, and if it is 
thwarted from its laudable inclination, will be 
very likely to engage in the pursuit of objects 
which it would be wiser to avoid. There is no 
subject on which the. naind of yoqng men can 
with more promiety be employed than in the 
improvement of agriculture, and we think the 
judgment of our readers will coincide with ours, 
when we say that the surest means of leading 
the mind to an investigation of agricultural sci- 
ence, and the best means of acconiplishing ob- 
jects or improvement, is to place before them 
publications which have for their aim the good 
of agricultural interest. Often have we heard 
the boy of twelve or fifteen years, urge his la- 
ther to subscribe for an agricultural paper, which 
could be had for fifty cents or a dollar a year, 
promising to read it attentively, and in some 
instances to work out apci earn the subscription 
money, while the father wquld utterly refuse to 
allow him the privilege of storing his mind with 
information, which might be the means of add- 
ing greatly to his usefulne.ss, pnd prevent him 
from acquiring habits of dissipation and idle- 
ness. And why is this refused? Simply because 
it will cost a few shillings a year, while as many 
dollars would perhaps be freely expended on 
objects which cart be qf no possible advantage 
to the youthful miqd. There are hundreds of 
such cases even iii this enlightened community, 
and we wish in a respectful manner to call the 
attention of such individuals tq the subject, and 
to show them the nature ' of the responsibility 
which they have thqs voluntarily assumed. If 
we would elevate the character of the farmer, 
we must enlist the feelings of the youth, thus en- 
abling, them well to act their part in the duties 
to which they will be called. Were is the man 
who is willing to stand in the way of improve- 
ment, by keeping as far as his influence' goes, 
the sons and daughters of farmers, ignorant of 
the means of improvement which shall be ex- 
tended to them in their yoirth. Every opportu- 
nity should be embraced tp impress ppon young 
persons the advantages, as well as the respecta- 
bility of agricultural pursuits. 
When we hear a young lady, and the daugh- 
ter of a farmer, say with an air of confidence 
that she cares nothing for the interests of agri- 
culture, and that she feels far greater interest in 
attending balls, and dancing schools, than in 
reading publications devoted to the improve- 
ment of the business in which her parents have 
obtained an honest living, and perhaps amassed 
a fortune, we generally conclude that although 
the parents may know very well how 1 1 fake 
care of dollars and cents, they must have ne- 
glected the education of their children, and are 
accountable for a violation of duty not only to 
their family, but to the eircle in which the chib 
dren are to move. We have heard young ladies 
openly avow the above sentiments, and have 
felt pained on account of their ignorance, while 
they supposed themselves well informed and 
well educated. We are happy, however, to say 
that a very great portion of the females among 
the agricultural portion of the community, exert 
all their influence in favor of rural pursuits, 
and that mitch of the spirit of imprbvement, 
w'hich is now every w'here witnessed, as well as 
a great proportion of the interest which is mani- 
fested in agricultural exhibitions, may be lairly 
attributed to the influence of females. Let fa- 
thers and mothers discharge their duty in a pro- 
per manner, and educate their children so as to 
encourage rather than repress a fondness for 
agricultural pursuits, and the time will soon 
come when agriculture, instead of being looked 
upon with disdain, wdll engage the attention of 
the young and hold a high place among the oc- 
cupations of life. 
It is too often the case in this country, that 
young men instead of relying on their own pow’- 
ers of mind to investigate the different and vari- 
ed subjects connected with agricultural pursuits, 
rely solely on the knowledge which their father 
can impart, and never dream of turning aside 
from the track w^hich others have pursued be- 
fore them. 
We recollect on one occasion meeting with a 
farmer whom we invited to subscribe to our 
journal, and inquiring the price and the objects 
of the paper, he inquired of his son, a young 
man of perhaps sixteen or eighteen years, if he 
would like to have an agricultural paper, tp 
W'hich he replied that he wanted a paper that had 
funny stories in it. On our remarking that a 
knowledge of agricultural pursuits was of far 
greater consequence to a young man than a pe- 
rusal of funny stories, he very promptly answer- 
ed, “1 can learn enough about farming from 
dad.” We fear that this opinion is far too pre- 
valent among the sons of farmers in this coun- 
try, and that they rely more on Dad than on their 
own exertions. W e ask farmers, and the friends 
of agriculture, to think of these things, and see 
whether their duty does not require that they 
place within the reach of the youth in their 
charge, information which shall enable them not 
only to make a proper choice of business, but 
which will qualify them for the proper discharge 
of the busipess of their choice. 
Central New York Farmer. 
Lice on Fowls. — In your October number, t 
observed some remarks on using sulphur to de- 
stroy lice on fowls, ^his I have tried in former 
years with entire success. Mixed with Indian 
meal and water, and fed in the proportion of 
1 lb. of sulphur to 2 doz. fowls, id two parcels, 
a few days apart, I have found that it would 
soon exterminate the lice, and produce a re- 
markably healthy and glossy appearance in th« 
fowls. They should at the same time be sup* 
plied lyith proper dusting places-"-Ali. Cult. 
