200 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
AGRICULTURAL LECTURES AT YALE COLLEGE. 
We call attention to the announcement in our 
advertising columns, of the annual course of 
Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry at Yale 
College. There are but two colleges in this 
country we believe, which have courses of lec¬ 
tures of this character in connection with prac¬ 
tical operations carried on in the laboratory; and 
these have not as yet received that support 
which they deserve from the community. We 
are quite sure that, were farmers generally 
aware of the benelit to be derived from an at¬ 
tendance upon such a course of lectures, as is 
annually given at Yale College, there would not 
be room enough to accommodate the numbers 
who would every winter flock in, to spend ten 
or twelve weeks in attending the lectures, work¬ 
ing in the laboratory, and participating in the 
daily discussions that take place among the 
farmers who meet there. We spent nearly 
three years in this laboratory, and while there 
met every winter with several enterprising 
young men, some of whom had left families at 
home, and we recollect of no instance of one 
who did not feel that he had been repaid a hun¬ 
dred-fold for the time and expense incurred. 
We do not recommend any one to go with a 
view of becoming a proficient analyzer, in the 
short space of two or three months. To analyze 
well is an art acquired only by long practice, 
combined with a thorough study of chemical 
relations. But very many of the most common 
operations in husbandry are chemical processes, 
and we think any man can “farm it’’ more pro¬ 
fitably, who has some knowledge of chemical 
principles. We know no better way to acquire 
the beginnings of such knowledge, than to devote 
a short season to such a course of instruction 
and practice, as is given in the course of lectures 
founded at Yale College by the late Professor 
Norton, and continued under the thoroughly 
scientific care of Professor Porter. The gen¬ 
eral plan of this course is as follows. 
Those attending, meet daily for an hour’s 
lecture upon the principles of scientific and 
practical agriculture. After the lecture, which 
is interspersed with experiments and answers 
to questions, those in attendance spend some 
time together, or in groups, and converse about 
and discuss the subject of the lecture. The rest 
of the day is devoted to practising some of the 
simple experiments in the laboratory, and study¬ 
ing and examining various agricultural works 
in the ample libraries of the college. The daily 
intercourse between those from different locali¬ 
ties, and the constant attention given to the 
best methods of improving agricultural opera¬ 
tions, can hardly fail to yield an ample return 
to those who avail themselves of these advan¬ 
tages, to say nothing of the increased enjoyment 
every person engaged in the labor of the farm, 
must derive from an intelligent perception of the 
whys and wherefores of many of his operations. 
We say then, to those who can do so without 
too great a sacrifice, arrange 3 -our business so 
as to be present at the opening of these lectures, 
and devote a few weeks to studying and invest¬ 
igating the principles which lie at the bottom of 
the successful pursuit of your occupation or 
profession of farming. A few weeks study, un¬ 
der an acknowledged, accurate, scientific, and 
conservative instructor, will do much to shield 
both yoursejves and your neighbors from the 
impositions of the scores of scientific pretenders, 
that are just now forcing themselves into the 
field of agricultural improvement; while the 
impulse given to thought and investigation, will 
doubtless lead you to future profitable results. 
RETURN OF PROFESSOR NASH FROM EUROPE. 
build up and support American literature. It 
contains, among many other valuable illustrated 
articles, “Memoirs of the Holy Land, by Jacob 
Abbot;” “ TheVirginian Canaan, by aVirginian;” 
an article on “Plymouth,” with maps of that 
interesting locality, and illustrations of several 
buildings and other objects in the vicinity. 
We are happy to notice the arrival of Pro¬ 
fessor Nash, of Amherst, Massachusetts, at this 
port on the 3d inst. He called upon us im¬ 
mediately after landing, and we had a short but 
very pleasant conversation with him relative to 
the progress of European agriculture. He has 
been absent about eight months, on an agricul¬ 
tural tour in Great Britain, France, and Belgium. 
He is in excellent health, and much pleased with 
many things he met abroad. We shall probably 
have a continuation now of his excellent letters 
on European agriculture, three of which have 
already appeared in the columns of this paper. 
Professor Nash resumes his chair as Agricultural 
Professor at Amherst College, Mass., and we 
trust the young farmers of the country will 
throng to his lectures. They cannot but be 
highly benefitted b}- his instructions; he is a 
practical as well as scientific farmer. 
Daguerreotypes on Tombstones. —A cotem- 
porary, speaking of a practice lately coming into 
vogue, of inserting daguerreotypes of deceased 
persons in the marble headstones of their graves, 
says: “ This is a novel and appropriate method 
not only of commemorating friends, but of 
bringing them as they appeared in life to 
the recollection of acquaintances visiting their 
graves. Were it universally adopted, it would 
increase the melancholy interest of cemeteries, 
and would be an invaluable addition to the 
tombs of public and distinguished citizens.” 
This practice would, undoubtedly, increase the 
“melancholy interest” of cemeteries, but we 
cannot agree with the taste of our cotemporary. 
We have seen several instances of this kind, 
and we have turned away from them with a 
strong feeling that there is an incongruity in 
thus mingling the living with the dead. The 
beaming eye, the animated countenance, and 
dress of the living form, so faithfully portrayed 
in the daguerreotype, seem sadly out of place 
when fixed in marble over the silent repose of 
the departed. In the home circle, amid the 
active scenes of life, it is pleasant to have the 
living portrait of one who there moved, breathed, 
and participated in our labors, enjoyments, and 
festivities, but when we visit the quiet recesses 
of the dead, we love to let the mind sink back 
into itself in pensive thought, or to lose itself in 
fancying the distant scenes of transcendent 
happiness, whither the departed spirit has 
taken its returnless flight. Let the pure, plain, 
white marble stand as an enduring monument 
to indicate the last resting-place of the decaying 
body, but chain not there the remembrance of 
the departed spirit by a representative of the 
two still combined ; and especially let this not 
be done by disfiguring the stone wit 1 a minia¬ 
ture plate, which the blanching winds and sun 
will inevitably soon change to a faded or 
ghastly spectre. 
-•-e-«- 
Harper’s Magazine for December. —This 
number commences the Eighth Volume, and as 
it is entirely made up of original articles, it will 
doubtless be more valued by thoso who wish to 
Dickens’s Household W ords. —The December 
number of this valuable work is at hand, and is 
not a whit behind its predecessors. There are 
few periodicals published in the English lan¬ 
guage which convey more instruction in the 
same space, and none that treat of abstruse 
subjects, in words so plain and comprehensible. 
In the present number, the article “Air Maps,” 
is alone worth the price of the whole ninety-six 
pages. Many persons unacquainted with this 
work, have supposed it to be an American imita¬ 
tion. It is an exact reprint of the English 
edition, and the numbers are issued here by the 
enterprising publishers very soon after their first 
appearance in England. We consider this as 
the most valuable, because the most instructive, 
of all the writings of Charles Dickens. Pub¬ 
lished by McElrath & Barker, 17 Spruce 
street, New York: $2 a year, or 20 cents for the 
monthly numbers. 
To Make Yellow Butter. —An item “going 
the rounds, ” says, “ to make yellow butter in 
winter, put in the yolk of eggs, just before the 
butter comes, near the termination of the churn¬ 
ing. This has been repeatedly* tried, and it 
makes very fine butter. It is kept by many as 
a great secret, but its great value requires 
publicity.” 
We have not tried the above, and are little 
disposed to do so, because we can see no plausi¬ 
bility in the statement, except, that because the 
yolk of an egg is yellow, it will communicate a 
yellow color to butter. We think the effect of 
the egg, if it mingles with the butter at all by 
the above process, will be to injure its flavor 
and render it much more perishable. Will not 
some of those unknown persons who have 
“ repeatedly tried it,” throw aside for once their 
veil of secrecy and give us the “facts and 
figures,” and tell a host of inquirers whether 
the process is really practicable and useful; 
whether the yolk of eggs mingled with butter 
instead of destroying its rich flavor, improves it; 
whether butter prepared in this way is enough 
richer in appearance to pay the cost, and 
whether it will keep as well as without the 
Importation of Alderney Cows. —Mr. John 
A. Taintor, of Hartford, Ct., received per ship 
Helvetius, which arrived at this port from Havre, 
the 29th November, two Alderney cows from 
the Isle of Jersey. They are four years old, 
and arc considered the best of their kind. One 
is the first premium cow of the Isle of Jersey 
for the present year, and the other of last year. 
They cost about $200 each, all expenses included, 
delivered at Hartford. Although the best of 
Aldcrneys are thin and angular in the body, 
nothing can be finer than their heads, horns, 
eyes, and limbs; and if they were bred for a 
round, fat carcass, they would then lose that 
quality which makes them so desirable, namely 
the production of milk as yellow and rich as 
ordinary cream. 
