404 
THE FARMERS* SONS’ EDUCATION. 
could be given only at schools. Grown men scarcely ever have 
resolution enough to carry them through the fatigue of studying 
fresh sciences. Either distinct schools might be established, or 
the existing schools might be modified. An intelligent farmer, 
who is already in the habit of taking pupils, might be provided 
with a scientific tutor. In the morning the boys might employ 
themselves, as they do now, in personally observing and assist¬ 
ing in the affairs of the farm ; and in the evening they would re¬ 
ceive from their tutor instruction in chemistry, botany, the struc¬ 
ture and diseases of cattle, the knowledge of insects, and of the 
weather, natural philosophy, and book-keeping. I suppose a 
couple of years well employed would be sufficient to give a young 
man a competent knowledge of these matters. A difficulty 
might present itself, in the first instance, in finding tutors pro¬ 
perly qualified ; but that would be at the beginning only, for the 
pupils of this year would be the tutors of the next; and so a per¬ 
petual succession would be provided. People are shy of new 
things; but a father, in choosing a school for his son, would na¬ 
turally say (if the charge was not increased), Whether these 
things be of any use or not, we shall get them for nothing; 
the boys will receive the usual instruction and this besides , be it 
worth little or much ; and, therefore, by all means let us have it. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
B.—There is no “ Veterinary Botany.” We have long been thinking of 
making some arrangements, in order to supply this important desideratum. 
Mr. Morton, in his Pharmaceutical Lectures at the Veterinary College, 
gives, we understand, a pleasing outline of that which undoubtedly should 
form a part of the student's education. 
We have received the Polypus , and return Mr.— many thanks. It could 
not have been extracted. If he w ill furnish us with a more detailed account 
of the symptoms, we will take up the subject. 
The course of “ Studens” and his companions is plain enough. Let them 
remonstrate respectfully, but firmly. Such operations ought not to be per¬ 
formed in secret. It is a flagrant breach of faith betw een the instructor and 
his pupils. 
Should that not succeed, let him furnish us with a statement of the 
grievance, sanctioned (to us) by his name, and he shall find that he does us 
justice when he terms our periodical “ the student’s friend.” 
If “A member of the Veterinary College” will send us some of his balls, 
we promise to put them fairly to the test, and not on such subjects, and in 
such a way as “ the very pretty grey mare that stood in the farthest glan- 
dered box, and was killed by repeated doses of prussic acid—most barba¬ 
rously.” We will also send a portion of them to the quarter to which he al¬ 
ludes : but really w e cannot insert a long list of cases, when we do not 
certainly know our correspondent (w e suspect, how ever, that he is no great 
stranger to us) nor the medicine he uses. Why does he not come forw r ard 
at once in propria personaP He “ would not be laughed at.” We shall, at 
all events, hold him to his conditional promise, he may depend upon it. 
The Letter of Lieut. James shall appear. 
