AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
389 
and is in general demand. There are many 
fine trees of the fir tribe, which are well 
adapted for the pleasure ground; but there 
is a want of taste and discrimination on the 
part of the public, which leads them to look 
on the more rare species as nothing more 
than a fir tree, ranking a fine specimen of a 
Norfolk island pine, which may be located on 
the lawn during the summer season, with the 
white pine or Norway spruce. Fortunately 
there are individuals who are not so much 
given to generalization, who are gradually 
drawing attention to these particulars in ru¬ 
ral decoration, and a visit to some of the 
nurseries now scattered over the country has 
the effect of stirring up the latent taste for 
such objects, and emulation among individu¬ 
als aids in spreading it. 
The deciduous trees are almost stripped of 
their foliage, a few will retain their verdure 
for a few weeks longer. Several species of 
the ash, a tree not very commonly planted, 
are still clothed with foliage. The walnut¬ 
leaved ash is a very desirable tree, its leaves 
are much broader than those of the Ameri¬ 
can species, and continue on the tree till a 
much later period. The European alder is 
still quite green and fresh. This tree is also 
rare on plantations, though very desirable 
where the place is of sufficient extent to re¬ 
quire a large assortment. The poplars are 
already well known; they are still planted 
to a great extent, though many objections are 
urged against both the white poplar and the 
Lombardy. They and the weeping willow 
retain their leaves longer than most other 
trees. The best remedy however against 
the effects of a severe autumn and the naked¬ 
ness of winter, is the choice of coniferous 
trees and shrubs, sufficiently hardy to suit 
our climate; these give a character to the 
pleasure ground which can not be secured by 
any other means. Unfortunately the custom 
of deserting the rural residence as soon as 
the first breath of chill air is felt, prevents 
the progress of this branch of landscape gar¬ 
dening ; and so long as this practice contin¬ 
ues will the country seat remain incomplete. 
November, 1854. S. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
SHOULD THE FARMER BE EDUCATED? 
/• ' ■* 
This question has long been agitated by the 
agricultural journals and book-farmers as¬ 
suming the affirmative and the plow-jaggers 
the negative, in a manner that speaks vehe¬ 
mently of the enthusiasm and confidence en¬ 
tertained by both parties. The affirmative 
have argued that the farmer should be a man 
of reading, observation and study ; that his 
vocation involves as great a degree of scien¬ 
tific inquiry as any other ; that he is the re¬ 
cipient of education and mental discipline 
equal to those engaged in the professions, 
and that he can claim as high a rank in liter¬ 
ature with the same facility. The negative 
contends that the requisite qualifications for 
a farmer consists, in following out the instruc¬ 
tions handed down by tradition from an¬ 
tique ages; to be able to legibly write his name; 
to compute interest; to read indifferently; 
to shun an agricultural paper as if it was a 
bane to their prosperity, a deadly poison to 
their morality, and to extract from the soil 
by injudicious management, that indispensa¬ 
ble aliment for the growth of plants, and to 
leave mother earth so sterile that future 
generations will have to shirk for themselves 
as best they can. It is my attempt to sub¬ 
stantiate the affirmitive, and I affirm that for 
any man to be a good practical farmer he 
must be educated. 
Agriculture is and was intended to be the 
chief and most honorable pursuit of men. 
One of the purposes for which reason was 
conferred on man, besides distinguishing him 
from and exalting him above animals was 
for properly cultivating the ground, which 
was the first gift of God to man. The utili¬ 
ty and honor of any vocation should corre¬ 
spond to the intellectual and moral dignity of 
its devotees. Those who are ignorant 
should not be engaged in occupations that 
much taxes the mental organs ; that requires 
power of mind ; and as there is dignity and 
scientific intricacies involved in agriculture, 
the agriculturists should be men of energy 
and erudition, so that the original gift may 
not be depreciated, but improved. The farm¬ 
er is so situated that, every day, he comes 
in contact with much to expand his mind, if 
he has only imbibed the taste for learning, 
and by giving him that taste, we confer a 
better bequest than money. He will be ena¬ 
bled to contrive, to invent, to perfect and to 
accomplish his ends in higher and still higher 
degrees. While occupied in the healthy 
proceedings of his calling, inhaling the pure 
and invigorating air, and familiar with the 
principles of nature and the intricacies of 
science, he is more amply prepared for in¬ 
tense thought, than the most laborious stu¬ 
dent, whose enervated limbs and weakened 
organs unfit him for the same ability to 
which he ardently aspires. 
Farmers have not yet appreciated the 
utility of cultivating their thinking faculty, 
so as to make it subservient to some valua¬ 
ble purpose. This error has long bound 
their pursuit to degradation, and made it the 
contempt of enlightened men. Who has 
more conveniences for reading and medita¬ 
tion than the farmer 1 The long evenings of 
winter and the stormy days of every season, 
proffer ample opportunities for improvement, 
and if they are not beguiled, in an instruct¬ 
ive and entertaining manner at home, some 
public place of amusement is resorted to, 
where, coming in contact with men of cor¬ 
rupt principles, they are liable to become the 
victims of dissipation and debauchery. 
Knowledge united with virtue constitutes the 
basis on which rests the system of this re¬ 
public, which will be permanent in propor¬ 
tion to the ability of the rural people. When 
we reflect on the rapidity with which our 
population is increasing and the extent of 
territory annually settled, thoughts arise 
whether we shall maintain our patriotism 
and philanthropy, or whether discord and 
conflicting interests may not arise to inflame 
partizan zeal, and our country eventually 
be crushed by the ponderous weight of faction, 
we become impressed with the necessity of 
educating the laity of mankind ; to have our 
farmers become men of strong minds and 
honest hearts, in order that the mainspring 
(agriculture) of all prosperity may be super¬ 
vised by men of intellect and ability. Farm¬ 
ers, collectively, are the power of the na¬ 
tion, and every year their importance is 
more and more appreciated. The results of 
their experiments are now transmitted to the 
agricultural journals, through which other 
farmers at their dwellings learn of the new 
principle of agriculture, and the progress of 
every science. To plow, to sow, and to reap, 
by the old and new of the moon, is now gen¬ 
erally only a reminiscence of whimsical su¬ 
perstition of former days, and farmers are 
now more dictated by realities, than by any 
of the pretended indications of any of the 
planets or celestial orbs. 
St. Johnsville. E. UNDERHILL. 
Crimean Dogs. —In the Champs Elysees 
yesterday, an elegant sledge, drawn by two 
large dogs, was driven up and down several 
times, and attracted great attention. The 
dogs have been brought from the Crimea by 
an officer on sick leave. They have long 
ears like the Danish dog, and a sharp muzzle. 
They carry the head high, have large eyes 
full of fire, and seem very intelligent. One 
of them is a male and the other a female— 
the former is almost entirely white, and the 
latter has large brown spots. 
Calomel for the Pip. — I had some Dork¬ 
ing cockerels, and hoping to turn them to 
some account, I was very sorry to find the 
pip manifested among them in the most un¬ 
mistakable manner; and finding my book 
learning as above grievously at fault, I had 
no help, as the case was pressing, but pre¬ 
scribe and administer with my Sunday 
clothes on that very day, for I feared it 
would be his last. Mercury, that mighty 
agent in loosening a cough, and in killing 
worms, men, and trees, occurred to me as 
the likeliest agent to loosen these lodgers in 
the trachea of the bird ; and as the case was 
desperate, the remedy must needs be so too, 
and immediate. Accordingly, I got a piece 
of boiled potato, and used that as the me¬ 
dium to convey the mercury into the craw 
of the bird, in such pellets as the bird could 
readily swallow; into these pellets three 
grains of grey powder and five grains of 
rhubarb were placed, and thus administered 
to the patient, with a little cold water to wet 
his whistle and swill down the medicine ; 
the result was a perfect cure, and the bird is 
now in high feather. Here, then, is a cheap 
remedy for the pip, whose action is imme¬ 
diate ; the quantity given, and the manner 
of applying the remedy simple and easy. 
For younger birds a smaller dose might be 
sufficient; these birds were half grown and 
nearly three months old. A. Forsyth. 
Farmers' Herald. 
Jenning’s Process for Improving Quality 
of Flax Fiber. —The process is very simple, 
and consists in throwing down upon the flax 
a small quantity of oil, say about half an 
ounce to the pound of flax; this is done by 
boiling the flax in an alkaline soap ley, wash¬ 
ing with water, and then boiling it in water 
slightly acidulated witlFsome acid, for which 
purpose acetic acid is, perhaps, the most 
suitable, from its exerting no injurious action 
upon vegetable fiber. The acid decomposes 
the soap, the fatty constituent of which is 
left in the fiber, or, perhaps, a mixture of an 
acid soap and a small portion of free oil. 
These enter into and through every part of 
the fiber. After this treatment it is washed, 
and is then found to be soft and silky, its 
spinning quality being thereby much im¬ 
proved, and its value being very considerably 
increased ; and, while the fiber is not weak¬ 
ened, this process gives to it what is known 
in the trade as “ nature.” The improve¬ 
ment in quality may be estimated at from £8 
to £10 per tun, and is capable of being made, 
with ease, probably double .—Dublin Journal 
of Industrial Progress. 
Value of Printing. —In 1274 the price of a 
small bible, neatly translated, was £30, a 
sum equal to at least $150 of our money. 
A good and clear printed bible may now be 
had for two or three shillings. It is related 
that the building of the two arches of Lon- 
don-bridge cost only $75, so great was the 
value of money then, which is $75 less than 
what a copy of the bible sold for many years 
afterwards. These facts afford a curious 
commentary on the changes and advantages 
produced by the extraordinary invention of 
printing, which has done so much to alter all 
the institutions of the world wherever the 
press has appeared. 
A contemporary describing a dance at a 
country village in his neighborhood, says : 
“ The gorgeous strings of glass beads glis¬ 
tened on the heaving bosoms of the village 
belles, like polished rubies resting on the sur¬ 
face of warm apple-dumplings.” Did you 
ever! 
