THE CULTIVATOR. 
11 
afforded pasture from early Sept, to Dec. Fertility 
was so far induced by this practice, that clover could 
be grown the second or third year. And when once 
in luxuriant clover, says Mr. Young, “ there is no 
farmer at a loss how to make his fields as rich as he 
pleases ; and having got them into good heart, it 
will be Ids interest to pul them in such rotation as shall 
increase the vegetable soil, and consequent fertility of his 
fields.” We beg the reader here to remark, that the 
great object of this excellent manager was, to make 
his fields grow clover—this attained, he considered 
further improvement easy. How much easier is it, 
to prevent , than to cure, barrenness ! There is much 
land in the Atlantic states, however, so exhausted by 
bad husbandry, as to be incapable of growing clover. 
Mr. Young points out a mode by which it can be re¬ 
claimed, in a practice of some years; and on fields 
where no crop would grow, he, by his mode of ma¬ 
nagement, maintained a dairy, fattened beef, and pro¬ 
duced good crops, without the aid of any extraneous 
manures. Mr. Young’s letter will be found at p. p. 
187 to 199. Those who would profit by his example, 
should consult his whole practice. Dr. Mease bears 
testimony to the correctness of Mr. Young’s state¬ 
ments, having visited his farm in 1808 and 1808. 
Sheep-hilling dogs. —“ A young dog, having wan¬ 
tonly bitten and mangled a large lamb, so that it died, 
was muzzled by one of my servants, and tied to the 
dead lamb, for a day and a night, and severely beat¬ 
en. He was entirely cured of his propensity for chas¬ 
ing sheep, and would never afterwards approach 
them.” —Judge Peters. 
The Veterinary Art. 
We have been favored with an essay on the vete¬ 
rinary art, by P. A. Brown, L. L. D., of Easton Col¬ 
lege, Pa., “ setting forth its great usefulness, giving 
an account of the veterinary colleges in France and 
England, and exhibiting the facility and utility of in¬ 
stituting similar schools in the United States,” &c. 
As it is not generally known what is implied by the 
term veterinary art, we make the following quotation 
from Dr. Brown’s essay by way of explanation. 
“The word science, in its most comprehensive 
sense, means knowledge ;—in its general acceptation 
it is “ knowledge reduced to a systemthat is to 
say, arranged in regular order, so that it can be con¬ 
veniently taught,—easily remembered,—and readily 
applied to useful purposes. 
“ An art is the application of knowledge to some 
practicable end,—to answer some ornamental or use¬ 
ful purpose. The arts are divided into the fine * and 
the useful. 
, “If the knowledge be merely accumulative expe¬ 
rience, the art is called empirical; but if the know¬ 
ledge is experience, guided by reason,—based upon 
general principles,—and brought under their control, 
it is a scientific art. 
“Veterinary comprehends a knowledge of the ex¬ 
ternal form, as well as the internal structure and eco¬ 
nomy of domestic quadrupeds, the appropriate ma¬ 
nagement of them, and the nature, causes and cure 
of their diseases. 
“ The Veterinary is “ a scientific art” in the 
strictest sense of the term. It invites its votaries to 
the folio-wing studies, viz :— 
“ 1st. The different species, and various races, of do¬ 
mestic animals ;—their different breeds ;—the uses to 
which each breed is applicable ;—the useful crossings 
of breeds; and the most economical and best me¬ 
thods of producing, raising and feeding each class 
and breed. 
“2nd. The breaking, educating, training, and fatten¬ 
ing certain domestic animals. 
“ 3rd. Commercial jurisprudence, as regards domes¬ 
tic animals ; including the uses to which can be 
applied, to the best advantage, their Jlesh, hides, offal 
of their hides, tallow, hair, wool, horns , teeth, hoofs, en¬ 
trails,blood and bones. 
“4th. The study of the outward forms of domestic 
animals, pointing out their beauties, marks of strength 
and speed, and their defects; together with the me¬ 
thods of ascertaining their ages. 
“5th. The internal structure of domestic animals ; 
their anatomy; their comparative anatomy; and the 
most humane and economical methods of making use 
of their speed and strength. 
“ 6th. The various foods used for the nourishment of 
different domestic animals ;—the different methods of 
raising, curing ■ and preserving them with the greatest 
economy, and in the greatest abundance. 
“ 7th. The various medicines required for domestic 
animals;—the most approved methods of raising, 
curing, and preserving those that are botanical; —a 
general knowledge of those that are mineralogical; 
together with the manner of mixing, preparing and 
administering both those that are botanical and those 
that are mineralogicah 
* The fine arts are architecture, painting, sculpture and 
engraving. 
“ 8th. The most effectual methods of preserving do¬ 
mestic animals from contracting diseases; and the 
most approved means of curing those that contract 
diseases; together with methods used to prevent con¬ 
tagion and infection among them. 
“9th. The most approved plans for preserving do¬ 
mestic animals from accidents and injuries, and the 
performance of all kinds of surgical operations upon 
those that require them. 
“ 10th. The most approved methods of shoeing cer¬ 
tain domestic animals ; either generally, or when dis¬ 
eased or lame.” 
Such are among the important and useful studies 
which would be taught in an agricultural school.— 
Those which appertain to mechanics, in the construc¬ 
tion and application of farm implements ;—to tillage, 
embracing the economy of manures, the adaptation 
of crops to particular soils—alternation of crops and 
root culture;—and to the department of horticulture, 
embracing the useful and the ornamental—fruits, or 
vegetables and flowers—their propagation, culture 
and preservation—all these, we say, would form 
branches of instruction in rural affairs, of perhaps as 
great importance to the individual and the communi¬ 
ty, as those that have been recapitulated as belonging 
to the veterinary art. 
In giving an account of the Veterinary colleges in 
France and Great Britain, Prof. Brown has omitted 
to notice the eminent school in Edinburgh, under Prof. 
Dick. There are three veterinary colleges in France, 
at Lyons, Altfort and Toulouse. That at Altfort has 
300 students, six professors, costs the government 
about 124,000 francs, about $22,000, per annum, in¬ 
cluding the interest on the capital of 100,000 francs, 
invested in the farm and buildings. The school yields 
an income to the government, in return, of 198,000 
francs. This school is furnished with a library, of 
three or four thousand volumes, principally veterinary, 
agricultural and natural history; a very extensive gal¬ 
lery of anatomical preparations ; an hospital for the 
reception of sick animals, and for practical instruc¬ 
tion ; a botanic garden, in which there are upwards of 
800 species of plants scientifically arranged, and a 
farm, large enough to instruct the students, practical¬ 
ly, in the culture of all the plants employed in the 
nourishment of domestic animals, as well as all those 
used as their medicines. This abstract will serve to 
give some idea of the wise provisions made by mo¬ 
narchical governments to improve the condition of their 
agriculture. We gave in our last another evidence, 
in the policy adopted by the Great Frederick of Prus¬ 
sia, who annually expended upon agricultural improve¬ 
ments more than a million of dollars, and which he 
considered as “ manure spread upon the ground,” and 
which did not fail to make him a liberal return. Will 
republics be the last to appreciate the value of these 
stimulants to agricultural labor, and the last to apply 
them! We are already seriously suffering from this 
neglect, by being obliged to import bread-stuffs from 
Europe to subsist our population. 
Prof. Brown, closes his essay with an estimate of 
the expense of establishing a Veterinary college in 
the United States, and a proposition to make such an 
establishment. He estimates the cost at $47,500, 
viz. 125 acres of land, at $100, making $12,500, 
buildings $30,000, and library and apparatus $5,000. 
He proposes to raise $50,000 by subscription, in 
shares of $50 each, and to extend certain privileges 
to subscribers. 
Dr. Ives on Horticulture. 
We have received a pamphlet, entitled, “ Extracts 
from an address delivered by Prof. Eli Ives, before the 
New-Haven Horticultural society, Oct. 1837,” em¬ 
bracing a list of the premiums awarded at the annual 
exhibition, and a list of the officers and members of 
the society. 
It is highly gratifying to see the men of the schools 
honoring rural labor, by studying to enlighten, to en¬ 
courage, and improve its condition, and to see them 
dignifying these pursuits by adding example to pre¬ 
cept. We may say, in the spirit of Cicero, when 
eulogizing Socrates—these men bring down science to 
our wants, domesticate it in our dwellings, in our gar¬ 
dens and on our farms—ruralize it, and render it more 
familiar, more useful in common life, and more in the 
reach of common capacities. 
The following extracts will serve to show, that the 
professor justly appreciates the benefits, to the mind 
as well as to the body and the appetite, of horticultu¬ 
ral pursuits. 
“GENERAL REMARKS. 
“ Horticulture, in its simplest form, treats of the im¬ 
provement of the qualities of vegetables, flowers and fruits; 
or, in other words, it is the art which comprehends the 
various methods of producing all sorts of fruits, vegeta¬ 
bles, roots, herbs and plants, for the support and luxury of 
mankind. It is the most perfect and productive mode of 
cultivation, confined, comparatively, within narrow limits. 
In its higher departments, it assumes the character of the 
elegant arts, and teaches the disposition of grounds and 
gardens.” 
“MORAL TENDENCY OF HORTICULTURE. 
“ The practice of horticulture has a happy influence on 
the morals of the community. The contemplation of what¬ 
ever is beautiful serves to refine the taste and elevate the 
mind. The beauties of the fine arts, painting and sculp¬ 
ture, may find a substitute in the forms of vegetable life 
not less curious or beautiful. The beauties of the garden 
are within the reach of the great mass of the population. 
“ It becomes the philosopher, the politician, the moral¬ 
ist; indeed it is incumbent on all classes of society to en¬ 
courage gardening in our republican country. Every com¬ 
munity must have its amusements;—those of a moral ten¬ 
dency should be preferred. The objection on the score of 
morals, brought against some of the amusements of large 
cities, cannot be urged against horticulture. It is believed 
that a public exhibition of fruits and flowers every month, 
in those parts of the year which are favorable, would have 
a good moral tendency, and excite emulation among the 
cultivators, and would be accompanied by a very trifling 
expense, if a general interest were once excited.” 
After remarking on the history and objects of the 
society, and citing instances of horticultural taste and 
industry -in eminent men, Professor Ives gives the fol¬ 
lowing illustrious example, in the late President 
Dwight, of Yale College. 
“ He had the largest garden, the best culinary plants, 
and the finest fruits in the city, and all cultivated by his 
own hands. This fact will excite surprise, when it is re¬ 
collected that he delivered a lecture to his class six days 
in a week—performed the duties of Professor (^.Divinity, 
and superintended the government of the college. He 
was the first in this city who cultivated the strawberry ex¬ 
tensively and successfully. He demonstrated that an 
abundance of delicious fruit might be cultivated at a very 
little expense. He was a minute and accurate observer 
of the habits and laws of vegetables, and delighted in 
conversation to give or receive instruction in horticulture. 
He infused into his conversation, music and poetry, and 
was listened to with delight, even when his theme was 
the cultivation of cabbages. He taught that the proper 
time to prune fruit trees, was in June, when the plant 
was in the most rapid growth; and the reason was, that 
the wound will heal most readily at that season. Dr. 
Dwight, was enabled to perform so much and so various 
mental labors, by invigorating his constitution by exercise 
in the open air. No one felt more strongly the sentiment 
of the poet— 
“ The idler is a watch that wants both hands, 
As useless when it goes as when it stands. 
Want of occupation is not rest; 
A mind unoccupied is a mind distressed.” 
Mention is made of Gov. Edwards having reared 
more than forty seedling pears, all of which may be 
denominated rich, and some of them very delicious. 
Reference is then made to Dr. Van Mons, and his 
theory and practice, in the paragraph we here quote. 
“ Slow and uncertain is the advancement of every sci¬ 
ence and art, unless aided by principles founded on induc¬ 
tive reasoning. This assertion is verified by the discove¬ 
ries of Prof. Van Mons, in relation to the causes of the 
varieties of fruits and flowers. He commenced plant¬ 
ing in a garden in Brussels, seeds of roses and other 
shrubs;—planting successive generations with a view to 
observe the variations. Afterwards he began with the 
seeds and stones of fruit. By means of a series of experi¬ 
ments with the seeds of flowers and fruit, he arrived at 
the following conclusions: so long as plants remain in their 
natural situation, they do not change, and their seeds al¬ 
ways produce the same, but by changing their climate or 
territory, they commence varying from their natural state, 
and iiever return to it, but are removed still farther by 
every successive generation. It is not so much the effect 
of climate as of cultivation. In a state of nature, seeds 
do not improve or degenerate; but he remarks that the 
seeds of old trees produce trees more like the original or 
wild plant, than seeds from a young tree. Hence he re¬ 
commends to plant the first seeds of a new variety, whe¬ 
ther fruit trees or flower, if it intended to improve a vari¬ 
ety. Another important fact for the cultivator of fruit is 
this; that the seeds of the fruit of young seedlings will 
produce trees which will bear fruit much earlier than the 
seeds obtained by planting the seeds of old trees. He al¬ 
so gives directions by which to discriminate those plants 
which may be expected to produce good fruit, from those 
which will produce bad or inferior fruit. The improve¬ 
ment in the quality of the fruit is at the expense of the 
life of the tree: Those trees which produce the most de¬ 
licate fruit are short lived. The seedling pear trees of 
Professor Van Mons, of the eighth generation, bore pears 
at the age of four years. Double flowers he does not con¬ 
sider a variety, but rather a sign of feebleness. An aug¬ 
mentation of any part of the flower, is accompanied bv a 
paucity of fruit. J 
“For almost half a century he has been pursuing his la¬ 
bors, disseminating new and healthful varieties. °He re¬ 
marks, that his intention has not been to establish a sci¬ 
ence, but to do a good act, which would be useful by the 
dissemination of good fruit.” 
Dr. Van Mons is entitled to the credit of not only 
doing good acts himself, but of causing good acts to 
be done by others. He has not only produced and 
disseminated many new and choice varieties of fruit, 
particularly of the pear, but he has awakened the zeal 
of others, who have been successful in obtaining like 
results. Among the new pears of high repute, pro¬ 
duced by Van Mons, most of which are now growing, 
and many of them have fruited in the United States, 
