MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER; AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
(fbacational Ifjiattrarat 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
BOTANY. 
The natural world is separated by the 
student of Natural History, into three de¬ 
partments, called the Mineral, the Vegeta¬ 
ble, and the Animal Kingdom. No one 
during this short life, not even an Agassiz, 
can acquire a complete knowledge of these 
three great and comprehensive divisions of 
the history of the world; and there is no 
one, whether high or low, rich or poor, bond 
or free, that can well get along through this 
life Avithout some knowledge of these de¬ 
partments of nature. Practical utility 
prompts some to study these subjects, plea¬ 
sure, others; yet the great mass even in our 
own highly favored country, live and toil on 
through life’s busy day with little else than 
a false traditional knowledge concerning 
these highly important and interesting sub¬ 
jects. 
To no other class of our citizens, is a cor¬ 
rect and thorough methodical knowledge of 
these kingdoms so absolutely important as to 
the farmer. It is no more important for the 
king! to know the wants and necessities of 
his subjects throughout the realm, and to 
provide for them, if he would enjoy a peace¬ 
ful reign, than it is for the tiller of the soil 
to know the elements of it in order to se¬ 
cure the greatest good from the labor and 
money expended. Knowledge, sufficient to 
gain this end, is within the reach of every 
farmer. He has but to hunger for it and 
it is his. And when possessed, it is his best 
and most productive capital. It is better 
than money at two per cent a month, even 
here; for the consciousness of possessing 
that skill which knowledge alone can fur¬ 
nish is an enjoyment which no amount of 
money can purchase for him who is desti¬ 
tute of it It is true, that the products of 
the most skilful labor can be purchased for 
money, aye, that money it may be, accumu¬ 
lated by the skill and industry of a former 
generation, now purchance in a parasites 
possession; but the dignity and pleasure, 
which knowledge furnishes its possessor are 
among the few things that cannot be bought 
for money—if possessed at all they are the 
result of personal effort. 
Botany, which constitutes the middle 
kingdom, is the science that treats of vege¬ 
tables. These are among the chief produc¬ 
tions of such as cultivate the soil; and who 
among us have a nobler vocation, provided 
the hand is guided by that skill springing 
directly from knowledge and experience.— 
Everybody should know something of the 
science of Botany—that is, every one should 
learn the names of common plants and 
trees; also, the habits, properties, uses, and 
the modes of cultivation, &c., <fec.; and no 
one at the present day can plead in exten¬ 
uation for ignorance in this branch of science 
the destitution of the means requisite for the 
attainment of the knoivledge now urged. 
The rural population enjoy peculiar ad¬ 
vantages for pursuing this useful study.— 
Let the enterprizing and intelligent farmer 
who has devoted neither time nor attention 
to this subject procure a work like Wood’s 
Botanical Class-Book of Botany—and we 
knoAv no better treatise of the kind—and let 
him read and study it carefully a few sea¬ 
sons and he will acquire much useful infor- 
■’’mation concerning the habits, growth, phy- 
iology, re-production and uses of plants, 
which wUl be of great service and pleasure 
to him in his high vocation. 
We cannot see how farmers can afford 
to be without tliis knoi^edge. Every child 
12 years of age that can read and spell well, 
shoidd learn the elements of Mineralogy, 
Botany and Zoology. How much better to 
educate and instruct the boys and girls in 
.the elements of these kingdoms than to 
compel them to labor upon abstract subjects, 
which have little or nothing to attract and 
interest. You can hardly find a young per¬ 
son 12 years of age that is an intelligent 
reader, who by the aid of a competent teach¬ 
er might not become deeply interested in 
these departments of science. How long 
do you suppose it would require to make 
the children that attend the common schools 
in the Rural Districts of this State familiar 
with the names, habits and uses of every an¬ 
imal and plant within the compass of the 
school district? Not long we assure you, 
if the teacher be awake. Children Avould 
soon learn to love plants and flow'crs, birds 
and butterflies, frogs and squrrels—they 
would learn also to preserve and protect 
them. 
How easy to tell and demonstrate to the 
young learner that all plants called annuals 
come to maturity and perish within the year 
—that biennials flower the second year and 
perish—that perennials survive many years 
—that the embryo plant is in the seed 
which, if put into the earth at the right time, 
soon opens and lets out its prisoner who 
takes radicle hold of the soil for support and 
sends up a stock with branches decked Avith 
leaves and flowers to gladden the heart of 
the planter. It seems to us that every child 
brought up in the country might be made 
a skilful Botanist, an intelligent Mineralo¬ 
gist and a good Zoologist, by the time he is 
16 years of age. If he be not so, it is not 
for the want of capacity, for this is abund¬ 
ant The fault then must rest on those who 
have the direction of his education. Shall 
this state of things be perpetual, or will 
you labor to remove it ? 
NEW PTJBXICATIONS. 
Lectcrks on Art, and Poems. By Washington 
Allston. Edited by Richard Henry Dana, Jr., 
New York: Baker & Scribner. 1850. 12 mo. 
pp. 380. 
This long looked-for volume of Alllton 
contains his Lectures on Art, and his Poems. 
Following the Introductory Discourse are 
three Lectures—one on Art, one on Form, 
and one on Composition —then follow Aph¬ 
orisms, written by Mr. Allston on the walls 
of his studio. We select the following: 
“ The most intangible, and therefore the 
worst kind of a lie is a half truth. This is 
the peculiar device of a conscientious de¬ 
tractor. 
Selfishness in Art, as in other tilings, is 
sensibility kept at home. 
The Phrenologists are right in placing 
the organ of self-love in the back of the 
head, it being there where a vain man car¬ 
ries his intellectual light; the consequence 
of which is, that evety man he approaches 
is obscured by his shadow.” 
From the same work Ave copy the follow¬ 
ing Sonnet on the late S. T. Coleridge ; 
“And thou art gone, most loved, most honored 
friend 1 
No, never more thy gentle voice shall blend 
With air of Earth its pure ideal tones, 
Binding in one, as with harmonious zones. 
The heart and intelleot. And I no more 
Shall with thee gaze on that unfathomed deep. 
The Human Soul,—as when pushed off the shore, 
Thy mystic bark would through the darkness sweep 
Itself the while so bright! For oft we seemed 
As on some starless sea,—all dark above. 
All dark below,—yet onward as we drove, 
To plow up light that ever round us streamed. 
But he who mourns is not as one bereft 
Of all he loved; thy living Truths are left.” 
The writings of Allston, whom Samuel 
Taylor Coleridge, from personal acquaint¬ 
ance, (Mr. A. hating spent many years in 
England,) called “ a man of genius,” are 
destined to take a high rank in the Litera¬ 
ture of our country. 
For sale at Darroav’s Bookstore, comer 
of Main and St Paul sts., Rochester. 
The Elliott Family; or the Trials of New York 
Seamstresses. By Charles Burdett, author 
of, “ Never too Late,” “ Trials and Triumphs,” 
“The Adopted Child,” “Emma, or the Lost 
Found,” etc. New-York: Baker & Scribner. 
1850. 
The author was prompted to Avrite this 
little volume from his knowledge of the suf- 
j ferings, and wretchedness of seamstresses in 
the cityofNeAV York—resulting from fraud 
! and ill-requited labor. No one, unless de¬ 
void of human sympathy, can read this 
thrilling narrative of facts Avithout feeling 
that 'something should be done to relieve 
this class of female operatives, who arc sub¬ 
jected to the lowest pittance of human sub¬ 
sistence. We commend this book to all 
who sympathize with the poor. Let it be 
read, and, means be devised for the rehef 
of this unfortunate class. 
For sale at Darrow’s. 
Atheism among the People. By Alphonse Dk 
Lamartine. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co, 
1850. 
Lamartine, in this essay, sets forth in a 
clear light the Atheistical tendencies of the 
French people. Without a God, he says, 
there can be no permenent basis for govern¬ 
ment—no Republic—no Religion—no Fam¬ 
ily—no Society. We extract the following 
on “ new sects”: 
“ For eighteen years, new sects, or rath¬ 
er, posthumous sects, have disputed for the 
soul of the People, under the names of 
Fourierism, of Pantheism, of Communism, 
of Industrialism, of Economism, and, final¬ 
ly, of Terrorism. Look at them, listen to 
them, read them, analyze them, sift them, 
handle them; and say, if, the exception of a 
vague deifying of every,—that is to say, of 
nothing, by the Fourierites,—there is a sin¬ 
gle one of these philosophical, social, or po¬ 
litical sects, which is not founded on the 
most evident practical Atheism; which has 
not matter for a God; material enjoyments 
for Dtforality; exclusive satisfaction of the 
senses for an end; purely sensual gratifica¬ 
tions for a paradise; this Avorld for the sole 
scene of existence; the body for the only 
condition of being; the prolonging of life for 
a few more years for its only hope; a sharp¬ 
ening of the senses to material appetites for 
a perspective; death for the end of all things; 
after death, an assimilation Avith the dust of 
the earth for a future; annihilation for jus¬ 
tice, for reward, and for immortality.” 
This is a common-sense and truthful vieAV 
of French isms by one who knows them 
well. Procure the pamphlet and read it. 
For sale at Dewey’s, Arcade Hall. 
MONROE COUNTY TEACHER’S ASSOCIATION. 
The Association met at school house in 
District No. 1, on Saturday, Apiil 13, and 
was called to order by the President at 10-J 
o’clook, A. M., and W. Watson Avas appoint¬ 
ed Secretaiy pro teiji. The minutes of the 
preceding meeting Avere read and approved. 
Mr, L. R Satterlee presented a report on 
the subject of Mathematics, which elicited 
spirited remarks from various members of 
the Association, and on motion, the furtlier 
discussion thereof was deferred till the af¬ 
ternoon. Mr. L. Wctherell also presented 
a report on the subject of Language, which, 
after some discussion, was adopted. 
Mr N. A. Woodward, from a select com¬ 
mittee, reported a series of resolutions in 
relation to the Free School Law recently 
enacted by the people of this State, which 
after a protracted discussion, was adopted 
as folloAvs: 
Resolved, That we still consider the pas¬ 
sage of the Free School Law by the peo¬ 
ple of tills State, as a step of real progress 
in the cause of education. 
Resolved, That by bringing into our 
schools during the past Avinter a large num¬ 
ber of scholars who Avould not otherAvise 
have attended, and by an increased punctu¬ 
ality on the part of scholars, the Free 
School Law has, in these respects, at least, 
fully answered the expectations of its ad¬ 
vocates. 
Resolved, That Ave are decidedly in fa¬ 
vor of the Free School principle, and be¬ 
lieve that the same is true of nine-tenths of 
the voters in Western New York. 
Resolved, That Ave consider the details of 
that laAv objectionable, particularly that part 
of it which makes the length of time schools 
are to be taught, and the amount of funds 
devoted to school purposes dependent upon 
a vote of the several districts, as the ten¬ 
dency of such provision is to produce ine- 
quaUty of taxation, hostility to schools, and 
cause dissension, back-biting and strife, 
throughout every neighborhood in the State. 
Resolved, That in our opinion, public sen¬ 
timent in Western Ncav \ ork demanded 
the amendment and not the repeal or the 
re-enactment of the present Free School 
Law. 
Resolved, That we consider the jeopar¬ 
dizing of the Free School principle, before 
it has had a fair trial, by submitting so soon 
again to the people, a laAv, that, although 
highly objectionable in detail, Avas passed 
by an overwhelming majority, as a hitherto 
unheard of species of demagogueism, and 
deserving the censure of every friend of ed¬ 
ucation and free government in the land. 
AFTERNOON, 
Mr. C. C, Meserve offered the following 
resolution which was referred to a select 
committee, consisting of Messrs. Wctherell, 
Fegles, Meserve and Jones, Avith instructions 
to report thereon at the next meeting of the 
Association. 
Resolved, That Avhile we feel the impor¬ 
tance and the necessity of moral and reli¬ 
gious education for youth, Ave are decidedly 
opposed to all sectarian or parochial schools 
for that purpose, feeling that such schools 
have a direct tendency to divide society, to 
produce controversy, discord and disunion 
in communities, and from their nature cal¬ 
culated to produce incalculable injury to 
morals and the religious principles of the 
people. 
Mr. Meserve also offered the folloAving 
resolution Avhich was laid on the table: 
Resolved, That Ave do disapprove of 
Swan’s series of School Books, believing 
them in no way adapted to the wants of our 
schools. 
Mr. C. C. Meserve also offered the fol¬ 
lowing resolution to amend the constitution 
of the Association: 
Resolved, That the word “ quarterly ” be 
struck out and the word “ monthly ” be in¬ 
serted, and also the words “March,” “June” 
and “ September,” and the words “ of each 
month ” be inserted in Art 9th of the Con¬ 
stitution. 
Mr. Barnes offered the following resolu¬ 
tion, which was adopted: 
Resolved, That the officers of the State 
Association on Avhom the duty devolves, be 
requested to call a meeting of that Associ¬ 
ation on the 1st Tuesday of August 1850, 
at the city of Rochester. 
The Association then adjourned to meet 
at the School House in District No. 1, in 
Rochester, on Saturday the 11th day of 
May next at 10 o’clock A. M. 
W. Watson, Sec. pro tern. 
Ages of activity are required to raise an 
empire; a single day is sufficient to over¬ 
throw one. 
IflWHllDmj. 
THE BLOOMING VIOLETS. 
BY THE REV. JAMES GILBORNE LYONS, LL. D. 
Ay ! cast those gloomy thoughts aside ; 
The genial Spring is here. 
She comes with all her violets 
To bless another year, 
1 , 0 1 rising at her welcome voice. 
They steal in gladness out; 
And, wish’d for long, the light warm south 
Is harping all about. 
By garden walk and rustic fence. 
Fair bush and rude grey stone, 
They laugh among the leaves and grass, 
In starry clusters strown ; 
Retiring from the gaze of men, 
They lurk—a bashful race ; 
But every breeze that wanders by 
Reveals their hiding place. 
While heedless of their own sweet worth, 
They quaff the chining dew. 
Or catch, from God’s eternal arch. 
Its deep and stainless blue. 
Go : mark thou well the scents and dyes 
To them so freely given, 
And own that weak and lowly things 
Are yet most loved of Heaven. 
Then drop this weary load of care. 
Be meekly glad as they. 
Nor fear to live on earth unseen — 
To pass unseen away. 
Learn thou with joy to stand or fall 
Where sacred duty lends ; 
And prize, above renown or gold, 
Pure faith and holy deeds. 
CAN A MAN BE ALWAYS HAPPY ? 
Perhaps it is a truth that one’s mind 
takes much of its coloring from surrounding 
objects and circumstances, for Avhen every 
thing is clothed in a smiling sun light, and 
has a lively, joyous aspect, we are apt to 
catch the spirit, and be happy and joyous 
too. And if the scene be changed to one 
of melancholy and gloom, a change is sure 
to come o’er the spirit of our dreams, chill¬ 
ing all the gushing hilarity Ave might have 
possessed. 
Yet for all this, I conceive such a condi¬ 
tion of mind may in a great measure be ob¬ 
viated. We are too prone to view things, 
looking through the wrong end of the tele¬ 
scope, or our org-ans are so diseased they re¬ 
flect our own feelings, which we attribute 
to the innocent circumstances around us,— 
just as objects take for the time being the 
same color that is possessed by the glass 
which Ave hold to the eye. 
There is, fortunately, nothing created with¬ 
out its sunny side, and it should be our en¬ 
deavor to vieAv that side most—to attune 
our hearts to look wisely on aU things. If 
the heart is right, it is possessed of a sun¬ 
shine that radiates its cheering beams on all 
that surrounds it. This sunshine has its 
origin in a right cultivation of the disposi¬ 
tion, and in the firm belief that an All-wise 
Providence has ordered all things justly.— 
The heart imbued with it sees and feels the 
wisdom of God working in the minutest cir¬ 
cumstance of its life—sees it alike in the 
flower and the blade of grass—hears it in the 
bird-songs and the rippling waters—in the 
soft wind and the mighty cataract—in the 
A'oiceless eloquence of night Avith her myriad 
of star gems, and the silent teachings of rock 
and shrub, of cloud and vapor, of things 
animate and inanimate. 
To him who possesses this fountain of ■ 
pleasure Avelling up Avithin, the earth and 
every thing thereon is beautiful and full of 
harmony—and though he dAvell in solitude 
far aAvay from the SAveet converse of cher¬ 
ished friends, still he can drink the full cup 
of happiness proffered by the bountiful hand 
of Providence. Hence it may be that a man 
can be always happy, for the adage that he 
is the architect of his OAvn fortune is no less 
a truth, than that he is the maker of his OAvn 
happiness. t. e. av. 
Wilson, N. Y., 1850. 
WASHINGTON AND HIS OFFICERS. 
The hour noAv approached in which it 
became necessary for General Washington 
to take leave of his army, Avho had b^een 
endeared to him by a long series of common 
suffering’s and dangers. The officers hav¬ 
ing previously assembled. General Wash¬ 
ington thus addressed them: 
“ With a heart full of love and gratitude, 
I noAV take leave of you; I most devoutly 
Avish that your latter days may be as pros¬ 
perous and happy as your former ones have 
been glorious and honorable.” 
The officers came up successively, and 
he took an affectionate leave of them. The 
General then left the room and passed 
through the corps of light infantry to the 
place of embarkation, the officers all follow¬ 
ing him. On his entering the barge to 
cross tlie North river, he turned tOAvards 
the companions of his glory and by waving 
his hat, bade them fareAvell. Some ansAver- 
ed this last signal of respect and affection 
with tea'-s, and all eyes Avere kept upon the 
barge which conveyed him from their sight, 
till they could no longer distinguish in it 
the person of their beloved commander.— 
Ramsay's America. 
HABITS OF COURTESY. ) 
- ) 
Refined and intellectual people, or rath- ) 
er those who pretend to compose that class, ) 
have placed too great a value on the man- | 
ners—the etiquette of society—basing there- ; 
on so rigid an estimate of worth and im- ^ 
portance, that a greater part of those who ^ 
are too independant to inutate, despise such 
courtesies altogether. In this way perhaps, ' 
it has come, that the influence of refined ' 
manners upon the feelings and character | 
have been undervalued and disregarded.— | 
Though a swindler may be a finished gen- ■ 
tleman in appearance, and a lady of ton both 
morally and mentally deficient, it cannot be { 
said that their manners have made them ^ 
vicious, or that they are in reality, so as not ^ 
to be easily detected—refined in character j 
and principle. > 
To form habits of courtesy should ever ^ 
be a part of the education of the young.— ^ 
Let them be taught while children to use ^ 
each other and all around them with true } 
politeness, and they will gain a habit of - 
kindly acts, and like feelings will be gener- ' 
ated—making the intercourse of mankind ' 
as happy and agreeable as it is polite that ^ 
everything should appear to be. j 
It may be urged that this course is the \ 
best calculated to furnish hypocrites — to ! 
train children to assume a character foreign 
to their own, with an ease and naturalness 
Avhich defies detection—but if the morals 
of refinement are attended to, this result is 
no more to be feared, than that every ac¬ 
complished penman, Avill also be a counter¬ 
feiter or forger. j. h. b. 
A PLEAS ANT S URPRISE. 
A YOUNG man of eighteen or twenty, a 
student in a university, took a walk one day 
with a professor, who was commonly called 
.the student’s friend, such was his kindness 
to the young men whom it was his office to 
instruct 
While they were now walking together, 
and the professor was seeking to lead the 
conversation to grave subjects, they saw a 
pair of old shoes lying in the path, which 
they supposed belonged to a man who was 
at work in the field close by, and who had 
nearly finished his day’s work. 
The young student turned to the profes¬ 
sor saying: 
“ Let us play the man a trick; we will 
hide his shoes and conceal ourselves behind 
tliese bushes, and watch to see his perplex¬ 
ity when he cannot find them.” 
“ My dear friend,” answered the profes¬ 
sor, “ we must never amuse ourselves at the 
expense of the poor. But you are rich, and 
you may give yourself a much greater 
pleasure by means of this poor man. Put 
a dollar in each shoe, and then we will hide 
ourselves.” 
The student did so, and then placed him¬ 
self with the professor behind the bushes 
hard by, through which they could easily 
watch the laborer, and see whatever won¬ 
der or joy he might express. 
The poor man soon finished his work, 
and came across the field to the path where 
he had left his coat and shoes. While he 
put on his coat he shpped one foot into one 
of his shoes; but feeling something hard, 
he stooped down and found the dollar.— 
Astonishment and Avonder were upon his 
countenance; he gazed upon the dollar, 
turned it round, and looked again and again; 
then he looked around on all sides, but 
could see no one. Now he put the money 
in his pocket, and proceeded to put on the 
other shoe; but hoAv great Avas his astonish¬ 
ment when he found the other dollar! His 
feelings overcame him, he fell upon his 
knees, looked up to heaven, and uttered 
a loud and fervent thanksgiving, in which 
he spoke of his Avife, sick and helpless, and 
his children without bread, whom this 
timely bounty from some unknown hand 
Avould save from perishing. 
The young man stood there deeply af¬ 
fected, and with tears in his eyes. 
“Now,” said the professor, “are you not 
much better pleased than if you had play¬ 
ed your intended trick ?” 
“0, dearest sir,” ansAvered the youth, 
“you have taught me a lesson noAV that I 
will never forget I feel now the truth of 
the words which I never before understood, 
* it is better to give than to receive.’ ” 
We should never approach the poor but 
with the wish to do them good. 
Women. —It seems as if Nature connect¬ 
ed our intelligence with their dignity, ^as 
Ave connect our happiness with their Aurtue. 
Tliis, therefore, is a law of eternal justice 
—^man cannot degrade woman Avithout him¬ 
self falling into degradation; he cannot 
raise her without becoming better. Let us 
cast our eyes over the globe, and behold 
two great divisions of the human race, the 
east and the west. One half of the ancient 
Av'orld remains without progress, without 
thought, and under the load of a barbarous 
civilization; Avomen there are slaves. The 
other half advances toAvards freedom, light 
and happiness; the women there are loved 
and honored. 
