332 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
among all classes of intelligent agricultural 
farmers and horticulturists—such as are most 
likely to be recipients of premiums at agricultu¬ 
ral and horticultural exhibitions—that the giving 
of this journal, as a premium, usually results in 
no profit, to say the least, for we invariably fur¬ 
nish this paper below the regular (profit paying) 
subscription price, to societies offering it. The 
result is, that every year large numbers of per¬ 
sons are transferred from the regular lists to 
those from agricultural societies. Again: the 
actual cost of the Agriculturist , and amount of 
reading matter, is much greater in proportion to 
its subscription price, than that of any other sim¬ 
ilar journal, and we cannot, without actual loss, 
offer it to societies at so great an apparent dis¬ 
count as can others; and on this account we 
cannot enter into competition with other journals 
before some committees, who, having a dollar 
premium to bestow, for example, are often led to 
give that journal having a nominal subscription 
price of one dollar, which will be furnished to 
the society at the lowest price. Hence, when 
written to on the subject, we reply: “Here is 
the Agriculturist , which you can have at so much 
per year, which is the best we can do.” On 
this point, however, we have no occasion to 
complain, as we believe the Agriculturist, though 
held at slightly higher rates, has been already 
more largely offered than any other similar jour¬ 
nal, and we shall ever be ready to do what we 
can to forward the views of those who desire to 
place it on their premium lists. 
-— -- -- _ 
Domesticities at Tim Bunker's. 
Our readers have become so much interested 
in the affairs of Hookertown in general, and at 
Esquire Bunker’s in particular, that we feel 
obliged to keep them “ posted up ” in current 
events thereabouts, even if not in all cases strict¬ 
ly agricultural. The Squire has been so busy with 
other engagements that he has failed to send us 
the usual letter for the month, but we chance to 
he prepared to fill the gap—not so well as he could 
do of course. We had fully intended to celebrate 
Independence day at Squire Bunker’s,and since we 
have seen the bill of fare he had prepared, we 
regret more than ever that a pressure of business 
prevented our visit to Hookertown. Our Ger¬ 
man Edition, added to our other cares, has com¬ 
pletely absorbed us, so that we have not had a 
moment to think of the clover fields and the hos¬ 
pitalities of old Connecticut. Esquire Bunker will 
please accept our apologies for this seeming neg¬ 
lect, and for anything defective he may find in 
the report of the occasion. The fact is, the young 
man we sent up there, had his head turned, 
(or rather his heart) by the Hookertown damsels, 
and came back nearer addled, than any fellow we 
have seen in a twelve-month. The whole report 
had such a tint of rose color, that we have reduced 
the tone full one-half, besides throwing out lots of 
poetry, that were more appropriate to the Knick¬ 
erbocker, than to our matter of fact journal. Well 
here is 
“ OUR OWN reporter’s ” REPORT-SOMEWHAT 
GARBLED. 
Hookertown, Ct., July 5th, 1858. 
MARRIED. 
Slocum—Bunker.— At Hookertown, Ct., on Saturday 
July 3rd, in the Congregational Meeting-house, by the 
Pev. Jacob Spooner, Rev. Josiah Slocum, of Shadtown 
to Sally, eldest daughter of Timothy Bunker, Esq. of 
this place. A large loaf attests the fact to the printers. 
The above slip from the Hookertown Gazette 
of this morning will indicate pretty clearly tfje 
character of the clover fields, your reporter was 
called upon to inspect. I must say, Mr. Editor, 
that I never was quite so much taken aback as 
upon last Saturday. I had supposed, from your 
instructions, that I was simply to inspect Esquire 
Bunker’s improvements, and to report to the pub¬ 
lic how much allowance was to be made for the 
enthusiasm of your Hookertown correspondent. 
For every body understands, that these sober 
Connecticut people, when they are once waked 
up, and take to riding hobbies, are as apt to ride 
fast, as others. I had prepared myself to take 
notes upon extensive meadows, all blooming and 
ready for the scythe ; upon under-draining, sub¬ 
soil plowing, &c. I thought my Sunday dress 
was hardly needed in a short trip to the country, 
and so I came off in my every day toggery. 
Young John Bunker met me at the cars, accord¬ 
ing to agreement, and away we went up hill and 
down, for about six miles, after as handsome a 
pair of Black Hawk mares, as you can scare up 
in the pastures of Vermont. Horse breeding has 
received a new impulse in the State within a few 
years, and the annual exhibitions at the State 
Fair are hard to beat in any part of the Union. 
Gentlemen of ample means have taken hold of the 
business, and they spare no pains or money to 
secure the very best stock. John has a passion 
for horse flesh, as the readers of the Bunker pa¬ 
pers are well aware. Though a lad of fifteen, he 
is about as mature and well posted on farm mat¬ 
ter as the old gentleman himself. This team, 
which belonged to himself and Sally, were well 
broken to the saddle, and with a good road could 
do a mile inside of four minutes. We were just 
thirty five minutes coming over from the depot, 
and John said “he should have come much quick¬ 
er but father told him not to drive fast.” 
When I reached here, I found the place all 
astir, and Esquire Bunker’s lit up with such a 
glow of excitement as has not taken place since 
the horse-pond was cured. I supposed they were 
getting ready for the glorious fourth, which has to 
be celebrated this year a day behind time. But 
I soon learned that Miss Sally was a bride, and 
that Rev. Mr. Slocum, of Shadtown, was the for¬ 
tunate individual, who was this day to lead her 
to the altar. The house and garden were full of 
the country lasses, the school-mates and more 
intimate friends of the bride, coming up to sym¬ 
pathize with her in her leave-taking of home, and 
in her departure for the parsonage of Shadtown. 
Wasn’t your humble servant in a fix, to be caught 
in such a presence with his field dress of coarse 
linen on! Such a clover field as this was a good 
deal more than I had bargained for. I have seen 
something of beauty and womanly grace, as one 
has opportunity to see on the promenades and in 
the parlors of the metropolis, but I never met 
with a company so graceful and accomplished as 
were gathered to do honor to this occasion. 
This country wedding has made clear to me, 
what I never understood before, the claim of this 
State to be called “ The land of Steady Habits.'” 
It was easy to see on very short acquaintance, 
the home influences, under which these daugh¬ 
ters had come up—the thorough practical train¬ 
ing they had received in the school room, as well 
as in the kitchen, and in the parlor. Probably the 
State is better furnished than any other with the 
means of education. In almost every important 
town, there is a good academy or high school, not 
only accessible to the daughters of farmers, but 
largely patronised by them. Here they go with 
their brothers, as soon as they leave the dis¬ 
trict school, to be drilled in many of the same 
studies with them—to emulate them in the na- 
tqraj sciences, in mathematics, and in the lan¬ 
guages. The emulation is a healthful one, and 
the boys are generally put upon their mettle to 
keep out of the way of the girls. The embellish¬ 
ments of female education have this very sub- 
stantial groundwork of mental discipline. It ia 
claimed here, as sound doctrine, that a girl who 
studies geometry will make a better pudding, and 
sing a better song, than she possibly could if sne 
knew nothing of Euclid ; that Cicero and Sallust, 
German and Algebra, are only appropriate disci¬ 
pline for the wash-tub and for the cradle. Such a 
training gives breadth of mind to woman, and a 
strong, practical tendency to her maternal influ¬ 
ence Children brought up under such home influ¬ 
ences, with the usual religious training, cannot 
be otherwise than well balanced and steady. 
If you have imagined a company of simpering 
misses gathered at Sally Bunker’s wedding, you 
are greatly mistaken. There was such a charm 
about their dress, that one hardly thought of it, 
and, for the life of me, I cannot tell now what any 
of them wore, save the fresh picked flowers, which 
so became them, that they seemed always to have 
grown there. The conversation was intelligent 
and pleasing, like that of most well-bred people. 
They entered fully into the spirit of the occasion, 
and were determined to “ see Sally off” in good 
style. Not only were the parlors at Esq. Bunk¬ 
er’s appropriately ornamented, but the pulpit in 
the meeting-house had been festooned with white 
roses, as if the sanctuary, as well as the minister, 
was to receive a bride. That is the way they do 
things out here. The minister’s wife is married to 
the parish as well as her husband, and is as legit¬ 
imately a subject of criticism and jealousy She 
must do duty, fill her place, conduct prayer meet¬ 
ings, and be an ensample to the flock, as much as 
the shepherd himself. No one can quarrel with 
this demand, for it is a legitimate fruit of the sys¬ 
tem of female education. Woman fills a large 
sphere out here. She is a man, and something 
more. The vocation of “ the Women’s Rights 
orators ” would be gone in Hookertown, and 
they would be set down as vain babblers. 
Now, I shall not tell you of the wedding cere¬ 
mony, which came off in the crowded church at 
eleven, A.M.; of the entertainment at Esquire 
Bunker’s, got up, I suspect, as much for your 
benefit as for his daughter’s ; of the notabilities 
of Hookertown there assembled ; of the agreea¬ 
ble things there said and done, touching agricul¬ 
ture, and culture of other kinds; of the dance 
got up by a few of the young folks very slyly, on 
a green patch of turf in the garden—an affair that 
was not laid down in the programme ; and of di¬ 
vers other matters that would be appropriate to a 
work of fiction. 
Suffice it to say, that the whole thing went off 
in the happiest manner, and the jollification of to¬ 
day, the firing of cannon and the snapping of 
fire-crackers, the shouting of the boys and the 
gala dresses of the girls, the holiday aspect of 
old and young, might be taken as a little outbreak 
of Hookertown enthusiasm at the marriage of 
Sally Bunker. At the next country wedding, may 
I be there to see. Your Reporter. 
Dull Tools. —Said one student to anothei, 
whom he caught swinging a scythe most lustily in 
a field of stout grass, “ Frank, what makes you 
work for a living 1 A fellow with your talent 
and ability should not be caught engaged in hard 
labor. I mean to get my living by my wits.” 
“ Well, Bill, you can work with duller tools tha 
I can,” was the reply. 
Merit begets emulation among the noble, bat 
envy among the base. 
