AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
$68 
He borrows a book on Fire Works, retires to the barn, He goes to the Druggist's for saltpeter, sulphur, and He compounds Fire Works in the barn, and makes 
and devotes himself to the study of the art of Pyrotechny. other villanous materials to make Fire Works. designs, which shall astonish the people on the 4 th. 
He would like to know if the red fire is really red, and A view of the barn some hours afterwards, by “ our The Doctor thinks that he ivill not lose his eyesight, 
he thinks he ivill try just a little in the barn. special artist, taken on the sp>ot." and with good care may get out in a month or so. 
laration did not please the English government, and they 
tried to hold the country hy force. Then followed six 
years of war, six years of which every one of you should 
read the history, and all of you who live in the older 
States should hold every place where a battle was fought, 
or where an American army was encamped, as sacred. 
There is scarcely a town or village in the States then 
concerned in the war, but had some part in this war, and 
Congress and the President have recommended that the 
history of all these should be recorded this year and pre¬ 
served for those who will come after us. It seems to me 
that the most important thing that this Declaration de¬ 
clared, is the right of the people to govern themselves, 
without the help of kings, emperors, or any other rulers, 
whose only right to rule is because they belong to a par¬ 
ticular family. This is after all the great thing that we 
celebrate, that after a trial of 100 years, the people choose 
their own rulers, and though mistakes may sometimes 
he made, they find it the best way. 
Now after you have read the Declaration on the Fourth, 
what else will you do to celebrate the day? You per¬ 
haps remember that in the spring I advised you to plant 
Centennial trees. Some of you have done so, and some 
have not, hut it is not too late, for this whole year is the 
Centennial Year, and trees can he set in the fall quite as 
well as in the spring. And though those planted in the 
spring have some months the start, those set in the fall 
will have quite as good a chance, and will be as much 
“ Centennial ” as the others. This Fourth of July will 
be a good day to fix this in your minds, and to resolve to 
plant a Centennial tree, it may be one for the whole 
family, or better, one for each member, and in some fam¬ 
ilies thus make a nice little Centennial grove. To the 
more strongly fix this upon your minds, you might 
now choose the places for planting these trees. Indeed 
there will be a chance for a clever little family celebra¬ 
tion. in going to the place and have each one select the 
spot for his or her tree, and drive down a stake to mark 
just where it shall stand. This will be a sort of promise 
to put the trees there when the proper time comes, and 
you can also have a good time over doing that. Mind 
one thing, don’t forget a tree for the baby, and for each 
little one too young to know what it means. So in va¬ 
rious w'ays, each one can make this Centennial Fourth 
of J uly a pleasant one t.o look back upon. As I suggested 
last month, let us now begin to celebrate the day without 
the help of noisy and dangerous gun-powder in all its 
various forms; let us leave the crackers for the Chinese 
to use for driving away evil spirits ; let us stop setting 
fire to stacks, barns, houses, and even (as happened a 
few years ago with Portland), a whole city, with squibs 
and rockets; and let pistols, guns, and cannon rest where 
they can do no harm. Every year the list of so-called 
accidents from the use of powder is a most sad one. fires, 
lost fingers and eyes, and even deaths, bring mourning to 
families who, on this day of all others, should he joyful 
and thankful as they think of the blessings which have 
followed the act of the day of which this is the centen¬ 
nial. Sometimes a lesson is better given by a picture 
than hy words, and one of our artists show's in an en¬ 
graving given above, what those who make too free 
with gun-pow'der may expect. There is now a talk of 
having no more fireworks in cities, but to decorate the 
houses in the day with flags and bright colored cloths 
hung from the windows, and in the evening to illumin¬ 
ate the houses, by placing lights at the windows, or 
hanging paper lanterns upon the outside and strings of 
them across the streets. Something of this kind might 
be done in the country, though a single house will not 
make a very great show if illuminated, and it is not a 
matter to he trusted to young people. But you will be 
sure to put out every flag, large or small, and if you have, 
or can make, paper lanterns, these may be hung in the 
trees around the house, where they can do no mischief and 
make a very pretty show. If you have never seen trees 
illuminated in this way, you have no idea how pleasing 
is the effect of the light shining from among the leaves. 
The lanterns and candles cost much less than fireworks, 
and besides that they last for some hours, and do not all 
go off with a whiz and a bang. 
I feel quite sure that some of the hoys who think that 
Fourth of July is only another word for fire-works, will 
say, “ The old Doctor has forgot that he was once a boy, 
and that hoys vnnt to have fun on the Fourth, and he 
would have us give up fireworks just because they make a 
noise.”—There you are very much mistaken, boys. It is 
because I do remember all about it, that I would like to 
have hoys celebrate in a different manner. If for their own 
safety only I would have them give up powder in every 
shape. I recollect too well the woundings and deaths. 
One very sad case especially -was one of my very dear boy 
friends, into whose eye there flew a piece of a percussion 
cap. The poor fellow lived in pain for years, and at last 
died from this cause. When I remember this and many 
other injuries, and several deaths, I feel that I am doing 
the boys a service in trying to get them to have a good 
time in some other way. That you may all, both boys 
and girls, have a day of pleasant and safe enjoyment, 
with lots of fun. is the wish of The Doctor. 
