108 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL 
(£l)lUCUti0Wnl. 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
TRAIN GHILDREN- 
This is an age of intellectual excitement 
—not one of true intellectual discipline, and 
moral training. That children are trainable 
none will deny. A French infidel once 
said, that, if he could have the exclusive 
control of a child during the first five years 
of its life, he could teach it to violate every 
law of God and man without compunction, 
ever after. If an infidel have such faith in 
the ability and power of a reprobate to 
mould and fix forever the character of a 
I child within the very limited space of five 
years, can the believer in the Divine reve¬ 
lation have less ? If not, where then, rests 
the accountability, that is primarily, if the 
children of Christian parents turn out to be 
> vicious persons? Is it not where the re- 
! sponsibility of training is placed ? If not, 
> where is it ? 
> 
| The Creator of all worlds and the Former 
of man has declared for the encourage¬ 
ment of all parents, “ Train up a child in 
the way he should go, and he will not de¬ 
part from it;” not that he may not —and 
probably will not—but a plain, clear and 
positive declaration, “he will not depart 
from it.” Now what is the inference when 
we see a child, or an adult, walking in the 
way he should not? Is not one of two 
conclusions certain, to wit, that either the 
promise of God has failed, or that the child 
or person has not been trained in the way 
ho should go? 
What, in view of this Bible doctrine, must 
be the remorse of parents who have failed 
to train their children to walk in the right 
way ? Failing to accumulate wealth and 
honor and fame, can be borne; but who can 
endure the conscious reflection, that there 
is a man or woman abroad in the world^ 
unfit for good society —an outcast—a prof¬ 
ligate—because I, as a father, a parent, 
did not train him or her in the right way? 
If parents were only as anxious for the 
moral and spiritual culture of their children 
as they are to secure for them temporal 
advantages, we should soon see an entire 
revolution in society. Would that this 
change might be brought about Then we 
should see parents anxious concerning the 
future character of their children, while they 
would show little anxiety as to their world¬ 
ly position—remembering that the prepara¬ 
tion for that life which is to come, secures 
the things for the life that^iow is. 
Instruction and training should always 
go hand in hand. It is not enough to tell 
the child what and how he shall do—this 
Eli of olden time did. You must do more 
—you must restrain him if need be—you 
must see that he does what you require 
should be done, and as you direct it, and see 
also, that he leaves undone what you com¬ 
mand him not to do. In other words, re¬ 
quire full and exact obedience in all things 
—for this is right 
If in educating your children you have 
occasion, as most parents do, to seek aid, 
always seek such, and only such as you 
have the most implicit confidence in. When 
you have found such aid, seek to co-operate 
in every possible way with the teacher, in 
order that the teaching and training may 
be so faithfully done, that your children 
shall never be found departing from the 
way in which they should go. 
The surest way to accomplish this end is 
to employ such aid as you need in your 
own family. But if you cannot do this, 
then, perhaps, the next best way is to unite 
with your neighbors and employ a teacher 
of your choice, and have a school so near 
home that your little ones may return from 
school and spend what time they are out of 
it with their parents—the best placo for the 
children. After they have grown up to 
mature age, and wish to enjoy advantages 
beyond your ability to furnish at home, then, 
if well trained in the principles and prac¬ 
tices of good living, they may be sent abroad 
with safety, and not till then. 
Train your children to walk in the way 
of truth, honesty and all right moral action, 
and you will never have the painful sight 
of seeing them pursuing any other. What 
more would any parent ask ? The promise 
of success is enough to secure diligence on 
the part of all. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Tux Normal Song Book, or Musical Reader for 
Grammar and District Schools. By Johnson & 
Osgood, Editors of the “ Bay-Stale Collection 
of Church Music,” “Juvenile Oratorios,” etc. 
Boston: Wilkins, Carter & Co. 1851. 
The best way to learn to sing, is to sing; 
the best time to learn, is in childhood; the 
best place, is the school-room ; the best book 
to be used, so far as we have examined, is 
the “Normal Song Book;” and the best 
teacher—provided always that he be a 
good singer—is the Principal of the school 
where the children attend. Mr. A. N. John¬ 
son, one of the authors of this work, is well 
known in Western New York. This fact 
will attract the attention of Mr. Johnson’s 
friends to the work, while at the same time 
it will be a guarantee to all who know the 
author’s reputation, that it is in harmony 
with the principles of musical science. The 
music is arranged with one part, only, on a 
staff, enabling pupils to sing by note more 
readily. We would call the attention of 
such as are interested in the subject to this 
Text-book. For sale at Darkow’s. 
Harper’s New Monthly.— The April 
number of this new and popular Magazine 
is received. The best evidence that can be 
given of its popularity, is the fact, that its 
circulation is now 60,000 and regularly ex¬ 
tending. The present number is embel¬ 
lished with the portraits of Irving and 
Bryant, and a view of their residences, ac- 
copanied with sketches of character. Chrys- 
tal Palace—and Voyage in search of Sir 
John Franklin are accompanied with fine 
illustrations. 
The variety of its contents as heretofore 
is great. For sale at D. M. Dewey’s. Price, 
25 cents. 
OUR ACADEMIES AND COLLEGES. 
The Regents of the University of this 
State, have this year received reports from 
eleven colleges, two of them including the 
medical branches of the institutions. The 
students in these are as follows: 
LITERARY COLLEGES. 
Columbian College,. 113 
Union College,. 240 
Hamilton College,. 151 
Geneva College,. 42 
University, City of New York,. 115 
Madisofi University,. 75 
St. John’s College,... 68 
Genesee College,. 48 
Total,. 892 
Total number reported in 1850,. 958 
MEDICAL COLLEGES. 
College of Physicaians and Surgeons, 
Now York,. 280 
Geneva Medical Institution,. 101 
University of the City of New York,. ..411 
Albany Medical Collego,. 92 
Medical Department, University of Buf¬ 
falo. 115 
Total,. 949 
Total number reported in 1850,. 848 
The whole number of academies at the 
date of the reports, subject, to the visita¬ 
tion of the Regents, was 204. Of these, 7 
had been incorporated since March 1, 1850, 
by the Regents, and 2 by the Legislature; 
of these, 196 had reported. The number 
of students for the term ending nearest to 
January 1, 1851, was 15,447, while at the 
same time in 1850 it was 15,000. The 
whole number attending during the year 
had been 31,850, while that of 1850 was 
28,941. The number claimed as classical 
students, or students in the higher branch¬ 
es of English education, or both, was 
17,993. 
The total amount of fixed capital, in lots, 
buildings, libraries, philosophical apparatus, 
and in other property set apart for the 
support of the academies was $1,694,660, 
while that reported for 1850 was $1,606, 
064. The debts had, however, increased 
from $104,740, in 1850, to $169,718, in 
1851. _ 
The Power of Kindness. — There is no 
greater power than that of kindness. Ta¬ 
ken in any of its manifestations it has a 
force almost resistless—but it is one of at¬ 
traction, not of repulsion. It moves not 
by placing itself in opposition, but by join¬ 
ing with its object— by entering into and 
making itself one with it—by imbuing it 
with its own spirit Hatred throws obsta¬ 
cles in its own way, it arouses the like 
spirit in its opponent; but kindness will 
subdue even indifference itself. It strikes 
the key-note of our natures and all around 
vibrate at once and in unison. 
Speak with calmness and deliberation on 
all occasions, especially in circumstances 
which tend to irritate. 
Batumi 
FACTS IN NATURAL HISTORY. 
the motions of the tendrils of plants. 
The efforts apparently made by the ten¬ 
drils of plants to approach and attach them¬ 
selves to contiguous objects, have been 
supposed by many naturalists to originate in 
some degree of sensation and perception; 
and though others have rejected this hy¬ 
pothesis, few experiments have been made 
to ascertain with what propriety the various 
motions of the tendrils of different plants 
may be attributed to peculiarity of organi¬ 
zation and the operation of external causes. 
In the Transactions of the Royal Society 
for 1813, Mr. Knight communicates the 
result of some curious and interesting ex¬ 
periments to illustrate this subject, which 
are substantially as follows: — The plants 
selected were the Nirginia Creeper, (Am- 
pelopsis quinquefolia,) ■ the ivy, and the 
common grape-vine. 
A plant of the first named, which grew 
in a garden pot, was removed to the forcing 
house in May, and a single shoot from it 
was made to grow perpendicularly upwards 
by being supported in that position by a 
very slender bar of wood, to which it was 
bound. The plant was placed in the mid¬ 
dle of the house, and was fully exposed to 
the sun; and every object around it was re¬ 
moved far beyond the reach of its tendrils. 
Thus c : rcumstanced, its tendrils, as soon as 
they were nearly full grown, all pointed 
towards the north or back wall, which was 
distant about eight feet; but not meeting 
with anything in that direction tc which 
they could attach themselves, they declined 
gradually towards the ground, and ulti¬ 
mately became fastened to the stem be¬ 
neath, and the slender bar of wood. 
A plant of the same species was placed 
at the east end of the house, and was 
screened from the perpendicular light; when 
its tendrils pointed towards the west or 
centre of the house, as in the preceding in¬ 
stance they had pointed towards the back 
wall. This plant was then removed to the 
west end of the house and exposed to the 
evening sun; and its tendrils in a few hours 
changed their direction and again pointed 
to the centre of the house, which was par¬ 
tially covered with vines. The plant was 
then removed to the centre of the house 
and fully exposed to the perpendicular light, 
and to the sun, and a piece of dark-colored 
paper was placed on one side of it, just 
within reach of its tendrils; and to this sub¬ 
stance they soon appeared to be strongly 
attracted. The paper was then placed upon 
the opposite side, and there it was soon fol¬ 
lowed by the tondi ils. It wits then removed 
and a piece of plate glass was substituted; 
but to this substance the tendrils did not 
indicate any disposition to approach. The 
position of the glass was then changed and 
care was taken to adjust its surface to the 
varying position of the sun, so that the 
light reflected might continue to strike the 
tendrils, which then receded from the glass 
and appeared to be strongly repulsed by it. 
The claws or claspers of the ivy were 
next subjected to experiments nearly simi¬ 
lar to the preceding; but it was found ne¬ 
cessary to place the different substances to 
which it was proposed that the claws should 
attach themselves, almost in contract with 
the stem of the plant It was observed 
that the creepers of this plant evaded the 
light just as the tendrils of the Virginia 
creeper had done; and that they sprung 
only from such parts of the stem as were 
fully or partially shaded. Thus it appears 
that not only the tendrils and claws of these 
creeping plants, but their stems also, are 
made to recede from light, and to press 
against the opaque bodies which nature in¬ 
tended to support and protect them. 
A few other plants of ivy and some grape 
vines, were trained in each of the preceding 
methods; but proper objects were placed in 
different situations near them with which 
their tendrils might come in contact; and 
by these means the difference in the motions 
of these and the Virginia creeper, was ac¬ 
curately observed. The latter almost im¬ 
mediately receded from the light by what¬ 
ever means that was made to operate on 
them; and they did not afterwards show 
any disposition to approach the points from 
which they once receded. The tendrils of 
the vine, on the contrary, varied their posi¬ 
tions at every period of the day, and returned 
during the night to the same situations they 
had occupied the preceding morning; and 
they did not so immediately bend towards 
the shade of contiguous objects. 
The tendril of the vine in its internal or¬ 
ganization is apparently similar to the young 
shoot and leaf stalk of the same plant; it is 
as abundantly provided with vessels or pas¬ 
sages for the sap, and is capable of feeding 
a succulent shoot or a leaf when grafted 
upon it. It appears therefore not improb¬ 
able that a considerable quantity of the 
moving fluid of the plant passes through its 
tendrils; and there is a close connection be¬ 
tween its vascular structure and its motions. 
An increased extension of the cellular sub¬ 
stance of the bark upon one side of the 
tendrils, and a corresponding contraction on 
the opposite side, occasioned by the opera¬ 
tion of light, or the partial pressure of a 
body in contact, appears in every case the 
obvious cause of the motions of tendrils; 
and therefore I shall venture to infer that 
they are the result of pure necessity only, 
uninfluenced by any degree of sensation or 
intellectual power. w. P. f. 
THE FISHES OF IRELAND. 
If fish could make a country happy.— 
Ireland would be a “Happy Valley,” or a 
Garden of Eden, or a Utopia, or any thing 
else of which poets or philosophical roman¬ 
cers have dreamed when fresh from con 
templating the state of man. There are 
fish enough in and about the island (appro¬ 
priately named the green) to feed all her 
people, on least days as well as last days, 
lor countless generations. There is hardly 
a member of the finny race proper to 
northern waters which cannot be found 
either in the rivers or lakes or brooks of the 
country, or on the coast, in the waters 
which encompass it about one side. The 
sea fairly swarms with cod, haddock, her¬ 
ring, mackerel, soles, halibut, eels, ling, 
plaice, dores, whiting, pollock, pilchards, 
hake, sprats, skate, bream, &c. Then there 
are salmon, turbot, trout and mullet in abun¬ 
dance. Oysters and lobsters are theie, and 
might be made to yield great returns. 
Among the larger fish is the basking- 
shark, or sail-fish, which yields a valuable 
oil, and which grows to the length of almost 
50 feet. Shark as it is, however, “ the 
monster is a very harmless monster, and 
lives to lie lazily stretched out on the sur¬ 
face of the sunny sea, now on his shining 
white belly, and anon, like a tired swimmer, 
on his broad, dark lead-colored back, and 
apparently unconscious of guile, will suffer 
himself to be approached, and sometimes 
even stroked with the hand; but when he 
feels the harpoon, down he dives into the 
deep blue depths, at first rolling in agony 
upon the ground to detach the deadly steel, 
which is often bent by the exertions of the 
victim, and then, when he finds his efforts 
unavailing, rushing a-head with a velocity 
and power that has been known to tow a 
vessel of 70 tons against a fresh gale. On 
ordinary occasions, however, the fish swims 
leisurely with the back fins out of the water 
(whence the name of sail fish.) They some¬ 
times disport themselves on the surface, 
leaping high above the waves, and falling 
back with a loud crash.”— Boston Rambler. 
THE GARSE TREE. 
Mr. Acton Warburton, in his account 
of the expedition of Betnencourt to the 
Canary Isles, has a note in which he gives 
a description of the garse, or water-tree, 
which grows on the island of Hiero, one of 
the group. It was, he says, “ tin evergreen 
growing in the middle of the island. There 
was a great scarcity of spring-water, but 
this tree alforded abundance for all the 
islanders and their cattle. The water does 
not exude from the tree, but is produced in 
this manner. Every morning a mist rises 
from the sea, which is borne by the east 
winds (blowing here constantly) against the 
steep rock where the tree stands; there it 
stops, and settles upon the leaves, which 
are of an enormous size, whence it distils in 
drops during the day. The drops are re¬ 
ceived in large troughs, which are guarded 
by people living near the place, and whose 
duty ity is to distribute it to all who come. 
The Hierians are still supplied with water 
in this manner.”— Boston Rambler. 
In pedestrian agility, and power of long 
endurance, many Hindoos are scarcely be¬ 
hind the natives of North America. A set 
of bearers will carry a palanquin, heavily 
laden, forty miles between the setting and 
rising of the sun, returning with the same 
the following night 
Park, the African traveler, speaks of a tree 
growing in the interior of Africa, and which 
he calls the Butter tree, whose seeds by 
pressure afford a white, firm rich butter, 
which even in that climate, will keep well a 
year without salt. 
A disembowelled frog, strange and 
shocking as it may seem, will continue to 
leap about for hours, without a heart, with¬ 
out blood, and with lacerated nerves and 
muscles, apparently just as well as when in 
its most perfect condition. 
THE SILENT TEACHER OF HUMILITY. 
As evening clothed the world again in shadows, 
A sultan walked with proud and stately pace, 
And ’midst his groves of palm, and vines, and aloes, 
Look’d suddenly a dervish in the face; 
Who calmly sat in earnest contemplation 
And lost in thought, upon the mossy ground; 
It seem’d to be his only occupation 
To turn a human skull around and round. 
The sultan at this meeting was surprised 
And coldly ask’d, with an expressive mien, 
As if the human thinker he despised, 
What in the empty bone was to be seen! 
“ I found, my liege, when day was scarcely breaking,” 
Replied the priest, “ the skull you here behold, 
But howsoe’er my brains I’ve since been raking, 
Cannot succeed its problem to unfold. 
What, spite of all my thoughts and calculation, 
I cannot fathom, sire, is simply this: 
Did a proud sultan own this decoration, 
Or a poor dervish only call it his?” 
1 From the German of Frat/.cl. 
DISAPPOINTMENTS. 
The best of people will now and then 
meet with disappointments, for they are in¬ 
herited by mortality. It is however, the 
better philosophy to take things calmly and 
endeavor to be content with our lot We 
may at least, add some rays of sunshine 
to our path, if we earnestly endeavor to 
dispel the clouds of discontent that may 
arise in our bosoms. And by so doing, we 
the more fully enjoy the bountiful blessings 
that God gives to his humblest creatures. 
It is far more noble to improve each hour 
in cultivating the mind, and attuning it to 
the glory of the Creator. For this end it 
matters not so much whether we spend our 
time in study or toil; the thoughts of the 
mind should go out and reach after the 
higher good. In this manner we may im¬ 
prove ourselves, till our thoughts come to 
be sweet companions that shall lead us along 
the paths of virtue. Thus we may grow 
better within, whilst the cares of life, the 
crosses and losses and disappointments lose 
their sharp thorns, and the journey of life 
be made comparatively pleasant and happy. 
t. e. w. 
IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 
Among various excellent arguments for 
the immortality of the soul, there is one 
drawn from the perpetual progress of the 
soul to its perfection, without a possibility 
of ever arriving at it. 
How can it enter into the thoughts of 
man, that the soul, which is capable of such 
immense perfections, and of receiving new 
improvements to all eternity, shall fall away 
into nothing, almost as soon as it is created ? 
Are such abilities made for no purpose ?— 
A brute arrives at a point of perfection 
that he can never pass; in a few years he 
has all the endowments he is capable of; 
and were he to live ten thousand more, 
would be the same thing he is at present 
Man does not seem born to enjoy life, but 
to deliver it down to others. This is not 
surprising to consider in animals, which are 
formed lor our use, and can finish their 
business in a short life. The silk-worm, af¬ 
ter having spun her task, lays her eggs, and 
dies. But a man can never have taken in 
his full measure of knowledge, has not time 
to subdue his passions, establish his soul in 
virtue, and come up to the perfection of his 
nature, before he is hurried off the stage. 
Would an infinitely wise Being make 
such glorious creatures for so mean a pur¬ 
pose? Can he delight in the production 
of such abortive intelligences, such short¬ 
lived reasonable beings? Would he give 
us talents that are not to be exerted?—ca¬ 
pacities that are never to be gratified? 
How can we find that wisdom, which 
shines through all His works, in the forma¬ 
tion of man, without looking on this world 
as only a nursery for the next, and believing 
that the several generations of rational crea¬ 
tures, which rise up and disappear, in such 
quick successions, are only to receive their 
first rudiments of existence here, and after¬ 
wards to be transplanted into a more friend¬ 
ly climate, when they may spread and flour¬ 
ish—to all eternity ?— Addison. 
A SALUTARY THOUGHT. 
When I was a young man there lived 
in our neighborhood a Presbyterian, who 
was universally reported to be a very liberal 
man and uncommonly upright in his deal¬ 
ings. When he had any of the products 
of his farm to dispose of, he made it an in¬ 
variable rule to give good measure, over 
good, rather more than could be required 
of him. One of his friends, observing his 
frequently doing so, questioned him why 
he did it, told him he gave too much. Now 
my friends, mark the answer of this Presby¬ 
terian:—“God Almighty has permitted me 
but one journey through the world, and 
when gone I cannot return to rectify mis¬ 
takes.” Think of this, friends; only one 
journey through this world.— J. Simpson. 
There is no grief without some benefi¬ 
cent provision to soften its intenseness. 
