MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL, 
it cut ion a 
BY L. WETHER ELI.. 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE AD¬ 
VANCEMENT OF EDUCATION. 
The third Meeting of this Association 
was held in Cleveland, Ohio, August 19th, 
1851. 
Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, D. D., L. L. D., 
President of the Association, was present 
> and presided. The number ff delegates in 
attendance, consisting of distinguished ed¬ 
ucators, both Collegiate and Popular, was 
very large. 
After Prayer by Rev. Dr. Duffield, the 
President made the following excellent ad¬ 
dress, descriptive of the Association, its ob- 
) jecls, Ac., Ac., which we copy from the 
Ohio Observer: 
/ I venture without preparation to present 
) a few remarks to this Association. The 
Association which we venture to organize 
is not limited by geographical boundaries. 
It is in truth an American Association. It 
embraces the entire continent of North 
America. It recognizes no sectional dis¬ 
tinctions—no dividing lines between the 
$ East and the West, the North and the 
South. It recognizes in truih but one 
country aud one kind. Man, as man, in all 
his higher capabilities, is the being tor whom 
) we propose to labor together. 
The period has arrived in which reunions, 
consultations and calm deliberations become 
important. It has been proposed to make 
this Association migratory. It was first 
cradled on the shores of the Atlantic—had 
\ its birth where the charter of our liberties 
was signed, and where the compact of our 
Union liad its origin, and oh, but we might 
be permitted to hope that the same pros¬ 
perous career may attend this Association 
that has attended both those instruments. 
We meet to-day on the shores of this 
beautiful “inland sea;” we look towards 
the mighty valley that pours its waters into 
the Gulf of Mexico, and follow up these 
' same waters to their source, and they carry 
us to the North and West where a mighty 
people are congregated. We stand at what 
may be regarded as a great moral and so¬ 
cial centre, to proclaim the catholic charac¬ 
ter of the auspices under which we live— 
catholic as regards principles, institutions 
and men. The great object is the advance¬ 
ment of Education—education for all clas¬ 
ses and conditions of men, from the hum¬ 
blest district school to the tallest universi¬ 
ties or colleges of the land. We recognize 
no privileges, no classes, no prescribed in¬ 
stitutions. We would interrogate every 
system by its fruits, and by that test let it 
stand or fall. 
The education which we desire to pro¬ 
mote, has its foundation in the family, and 
is carried forward in the school, the acade¬ 
my, and college. 
We have met to proclaim the progres¬ 
sive spirit that should animate the Associ¬ 
ation, which we have organized. We stand 
where, fifty years ago, no voice was heard 
proclaiming the progress of the race. It 
was a pathless wilderness, with nothing to 
denote the presence of man, but the Indian 
canoe and die Indian wigwam. It was only 
occasionally that a humble sail wa* seen on 
these lakes. Then there were not forty 
thousand people in this State. 
Now there are about two millions; and 
instead of a wilderness, we are in this beau¬ 
tiful city with its twice ten thousand souls. 
Then the emigrant felt that he was on the 
border of civilization; now, where shall we 
put our finger on the West, and say, there 
is the border of our boundless progress ? 
We come to proclaim that the founders 
of this Association have hearts beating 
high with progress. But when we come 
in this spirit, we stand also to vindicate our 
interests in the cause of conservatism.— 
What is this confederation of our mighty 
Republic? Is it the creation of the last 
few years? or has it come down to us as a 
precious legacy of the past? Is it a child 
without a parent ? There is no civilization 
) of that kind. Rather should we say that 
we are what the past has made us. And 
thanks to that Past, for the precious-lessons 
of instruction which we have received at 
their hands. We can trace back the prin¬ 
ciples of glorious liberty to our fathers — 
Our security is that we sprang from the 
distant past. As we come, then, full of the 
spirit of Progress, let it not be supposed 
that we ignore the Past. When I look up¬ 
on Greece and Rome—upon their philoso¬ 
phers and statesman and orators,—I shall 
not be guilty of too much reverence for 
the Past, when I say that we are dependent 
for our present position, on the knowledge 
and energies of the Past 
I have spoken of the place, I cannot for- 
I jbear an allusion to the time. It will be 
remembered that there is assembled at this 
time at the capital of the “Empire State,” 
an association for the purpose of advancing 
more particularly the study of Natural 
Science. W-g have assembled at the same 
time in an adjoining State, to advance an¬ 
other great Science, and I may add, an art 
as well as a science. And we shall labor 
well and wisely, when we learn that this is 
an improving art. True, we have learned 
much, but very much remains to be discov¬ 
ered. A perfect system shall never be dis¬ 
covered until we have a perfect system of 
man. Our labors in this cause, will be 
general, healthful, and successful just in 
proportion as we come as Learners. If we 
come full of the vain-glorious thought that 
we come to utter the last words of wisdom, 
it will be vain that we have met together. 
Our meeting should be characterized by 
inquiry, free from all prejudice and all dog¬ 
matism. 
Contemporaneous also with our meeting, 
there is another Congress assembled — a 
Congress pregnant with great and noble 
purposes—its representatives are there from 
the entire civilized world—they are there 
as the representatives of industry and Arts, 
which, thank God, are the arts of Peace! 
And may we not hope that the delibera¬ 
tions of this Association may produce a 
sentiment of Peace. I trust that the day 
is speedily coming when there shall be an 
alliance between Education and Peace.— 
When army and arsenals are opened, then 
schools and colleges are closed. 
We commence to-day the deliberations 
of the American Association for the ad¬ 
vancement of Education. As our title 
would indicate, we are prepared to do a 
great work. High promises we send for¬ 
ward to greet the coming future. vV hat 
shall be said at the distance of ten, twenty, 
or thirty years, of the promises of this in¬ 
fant Association ? Shall it be written the 
history of failure, or of proud and ever¬ 
growing success? The answer lies with 
you—with you who labor in the common 
school and the academy—with Presidents 
and Professors of colleges; and if they come 
not to our help, we must lay the reproach 
at their feet. 
On the great subject which has called us 
together we can never deliberate too much. 
But we may act too hastily and unwisely. 
We should remember the homely but truth¬ 
ful maxim—“ See first that we are rignt, 
then go ahead.” The infirmity of the 
American mind leads too often to the re¬ 
versal of this. We are apt first to go ahead 
and then often see that we are not right. 
But if we labor kindly, firmly and energet¬ 
ical ly in this work, and it then fails, our 
skirts will be clear of the blood of the 
abortive experiment. 
Evening Session. The lecture of Mr. 
Bates, of Boston was a masterly production. 
He maintained that Education had been at 
all times regulated by the spirit of the 
times; and in proof of his position drew 
largely on the records of history. He gave 
a succint account of the various systems 
of education of antiquity; and on coming 
down to the present, presented the charac¬ 
teristics of the two classes of mind of our 
country—the Conservative and Reformer. 
Prof. Agnew, of Mich. University, with 
others, followed in extemporaneous remarks. 
Among which we quote: 
Contrary to the lecturer, he should con¬ 
tend that a Republic is the very school of 
deep scientific attainments; the lecturer 
himself had admitted this, in the high en¬ 
comiums he had bestowed on the learning 
of Greece and Rome; for at the very period 
when their scholarship shone brightest, 
they were Republics. The apparent su¬ 
perficiality of American learning arose from 
the very fact that our civil and social insti¬ 
tutions invite all to scientific and literary 
culture, and furnish the great visible mass 
with the rudiments of a sound education; 
it is at this mass we are apt to turn our at¬ 
tention. and not search out those quiet yet 
studious scholars, who have “trod all the 
paths of knowledge.” What country had 
given stronger evidences of brilliant schol¬ 
arship than America? 
Prof. Brand, of Ind. He could not agree 
with Mr. Bates that the Spirit of every Age 
has affected the Education of that Age, 
and vice versa. He would give several in¬ 
stances. The Spirit of the Age incited 
Newton to those investigations which have 
resulted so gloriously to the world, and in 
turn, those results affected the Age. He 
could say the same of Galileo, Franklin, 
Fulton, and many others. 
Mr. Pierce, of Oneida, N. Y. He did 
not like to hear the lecturer declare so 
sweepingly that America had nothing but 
second and third rate men. It sounded 
too much like the cant of other times.— 
Galileo was always considered, by the un¬ 
thinking herd around him, a second, fourth, 
or fourteenth rate man, as was Newton, 
Harvey, Franklin, Fulton, and nearly all 
others who have ever benefited the world 
,by their researches. How are we to deter¬ 
mine the rate or grade of men, except by 
what they do, and judging by this standard, 
what country has furnished more great men 
than America? 
It is no sin against our mother tongue to 
use words not to be found in the dictiona¬ 
ries, provided they are necessary, and are 
manufactured barbarously. Every word 
must have had a beginning, and if our fath¬ 
ers had no inventive genius we should have 
had no language. 
He who takes advice is sometimes supe¬ 
rior to him from whom it is received. 
Srimfific. 
THE WATER-SPOUT. 
This singular phenomenon has puzzled 
philosophers for ages, and even now the 
sage finds a difficult undertaking when he 
endeavors to explain its causes. Our latest 
authors on meteorology acknowledge them¬ 
selves at fault on this subject. The theory 
of Franklin, although ingenious, has been 
exploded; and there now remains no ac¬ 
cepted theory before the scientific world. 
The water-spout being of rare occurrence, 
its study is thereby rendered more difficult 
and uncertain. There has been much dis¬ 
cussion about the appearances which wa¬ 
ter-spouts present when seen—this discus¬ 
sion, though apparently idle, has resulted in 
determining conclusively, the natural his¬ 
tory of this phenomenon. “A water-spout 
usually presents the following successive 
appearances. At first it is seen as an in-' 
verted cone,either straight or slightly curved, 
extending downward from a dark cloud, to 
which it seems to be attached. As the cone 
approaches the surface of v the water, the 
latter becomes violently agitated, and, ris¬ 
ing in spray or mist, is whirled round with 
a rapid motion. As the cone descends, low¬ 
er the spray rises higher and higher, until 
both unite, and a continuous column is form¬ 
ed extending from the water to the clouds. 
The spout is now complete, and. appears as 
an immense tube, possessing both a rotary 
and progressive motion, bending and sway¬ 
ing under the action of the wind, as it ad¬ 
vances on its course. After continuing a 
short time, the column is disunited and the 
dark cloud gradually drawn up; for a while 
a thin, transparent tube remains below, but 
this at last is also broken, and the whole 
phenomenon then disappears.” The above 
extract, from Brocklesby’s “ Elements of 
Meteorology,” gives a general description 
of the phenomenon as usually seen. 
I have succeeded in producing artificial 
water-spouts at pleasure,by arranging an ap¬ 
paratus connected with an electrical ma¬ 
chine in such a manner as to fulfil the con¬ 
ditions supposed in theory following :-A wa¬ 
terspout appears when the atmosphere is 
electrified differently from the earth; i. e., 
either positive or negative, the earth being 
charged with the contrary electricity. A 
stratum of air between the earth and high¬ 
er atmosphere will differ but little from 
either, (being the medium through which 
a slow process of restoring an equilibrium 
is being carried on.) Now a tension is cre¬ 
ated, the ‘object of which is to restore an 
equilibrium between the two contending 
bodies. This tension is greatest in the cen¬ 
tre of the electrified region. Here will the 
electric forms centre, and the earth and air 
will be attracted towards each other. But 
as the air possesses the greatest mobilit}- it 
will be brought towards the earth, vapor 
will be collected and a cloud formed which, 
acting as a conductor, descends and in¬ 
creases rapidly. Soon a vapory communi¬ 
cation is formed with the earth, and then if 
the disturbance is sufficiently great to pro¬ 
duce powerful currents of electricity, solid 
columns of water will displace the vapor- 
The phenomenon will be the same if the 
electricities are reversed. If now we place 
a dish of water on the prime conductor of 
an electrical machine to represent the earth, 
and a plate of metal or a brass knob be 
suspended over the water at a distance of 
one or two inches, connecting the knob with 
an uninsulated body, we shall on charging 
the water produce a miniature waterspout. 
On practically testing this theory by ma¬ 
king the experiment, I was much pleased 
to find it verified by the formation of a wa¬ 
terspout one and two-thirds inches in 
height, one-twelfth of an inch in diameter 
at the middle, gradually and beautifully 
widening towards either end. On turning 
the machine, previous to the formation of 
the spout, the water formed into a series of 
waves, centering under the middle of the 
knob, soon the water became calm and el¬ 
evated under the knob, a drop of water 
then appeared on the knob directly over the 
highest part of the elevation, this drop in¬ 
creased by means invisible; at the same 
time the elevation rose higher and became 
more pointed, suddenly a thin column drop¬ 
ped down from above and again arose; in an 
instant after, however, it was followed by 
another and the water-spout was complete, 
and continued as long as I kept the ma¬ 
chine in action. 
I have repeatedly tried the same exper¬ 
iment since, and have seldom failed in pro¬ 
ducing the spout. Sometimes there will be 
several spouts at the same time. They are 
not invariably perpendicular but often sway 
and bend “ as though by the action of the 
wind,” when there is not a breath of air 
stirring sidewise. I first succeeded in pro¬ 
ducing this appearance in June, 1850. 
Since then I have found that a French phi¬ 
losopher, M. Pettier, had attempted to pro¬ 
duce them artificially by nearly the same 
means which I employed, though with a 
different theory. He failed, I believe, in 
producing the phenomenon, although he 
succeeded in producing a depression in the 
liquid by means of an electrified j^oint. By 
the use of a smooth ball of metal an ele¬ 
vation was produced and vapors rose under 
the ball, but with no further result save ar¬ 
riving at a conviction that water-spouts owe 
their existence to electrical attraction. On 
repeating my experiment with spirits, I 
found that the column was much finer and 
of greater length. Oil (linseed,) gave a 
thick column of the same length as water; 
its increased diameter with the same length 
was owing probably to the viscidity of the 
oil. Charles H. Strowger. 
Penficld, N. Y., Oct., 1851. 
LIGHT.-SOLAR SPECTRUM. 
There are two theories respecting the 
nature of light: one supposes it to be par¬ 
ticles of luminous matter emitted, or thrown 
off by luminous bodies. The other sup¬ 
poses the existence of a substance called 
ether, which pervades all nature, and is put 
into a vibrating or wave-like motion by all 
luminous bodies. 
Rays of light proceed in straight lines 
from luminous bodies, unless interrupted by 
some intervening medium. Light moves 
with the astonishing velocity of 200,000 
miles in a second of time. When a ray of 
light falls on a plane surface, it is disposed 
of in one of three ways: when the plane is 
black, the ray is all absorbed: when it is 
polished, the ray is partly absorbed and 
partly reflected: when the plane is trans¬ 
parent, as glass or water, it may be partly 
absorbed, partly transmitted and partly re¬ 
flected. The law of reflection of light is the 
same as that of sound: when a ray of light 
falls obliquely on a reflecting surface, it is 
reflected in the same angle as the one in 
which it approached the surface; thus the 
angles of reflection and incidence are equal. 
When a ray of light passes from a rarer 
to a denser medium, it is refracted, or turn¬ 
ed out of its course: when it passes from a 
rare to a denser medium, as from the air 
into water, it is bent towards the perpen¬ 
dicular: when it passes from a dense to a 
rarer medium, it is turned from the per¬ 
pendicular. 
[This cut shows the solar spectrum in the or¬ 
der of its.seven colors, violet commencing at K. 
11 is a hole in a shutter, admitting S, a ray of so¬ 
lar light, and ABC, the prism, in passing through 
which the light is decomposed as shown at G. A 
spot of white light is shown at /?.] 
Light is a compound of seven colors, viz: 
violet,indigo, blue, green, yellow,orange aud 
red. The colors can be separated by a tri¬ 
angular piece of glass, called a prism: they 
possess different degrees of refrangibility, 
as will be seen by the figure. 
There are also heating rays, which at¬ 
tend the luminous ones: the calorific, or 
heating powers of the red rays, are the 
greatest: these powers diminish in the 
order of the spectrum, from the red to the 
violet, which possesses the least of all. — 
Light is a powerful decomposing agent: 
many chemical compounds, as the salts of 
silver, are decomposed by the agency of 
light alone.— Rodgers' Scientific Ag. 
The Rose. —The following facts were 
given Professor Agassiz, as remarkable in 
regard to the family of the rose, of which 
he says, that it includes among its varieties 
not only many of the most beautiful flow¬ 
ers which are known, but also the richest 
fruits, such as the apple, pear, peach, plum, 
apricot,cherry, strawberry, raspberry, black¬ 
berry, &c.; namely, that no fossils of plants 
belonging to this family have ever been dis¬ 
covered by geologists! 
A Geological Curiosity.— Mr. James 
Robinson, of New Bedford, Mass., recently 
discovered in Fairhaven, near the fort, a 
large stone of very remarkable formation, 
specimens of which he has sent to several 
distinguished geologists. Prof. Hitchcock, 
of Amherst, says the rock is coarse, phor- 
phyritic granite. It contains large and per¬ 
fect crystals of feldspar, a portion of which 
is graphic granite, which is remarkable. 
For the Rural New-Yorker. 
WHEN WOULD YE DIE? 
BY IDA FAIRFIEI.D. 
Wodi.d ye die, when the Winter’s wild winds blow, 
Tossing on high, the untrodden snow, 
When the flowers have withered, one by one, 
And the birds to a sunnier clime have gone— 
When the tempest howls, as it hurries past— 
And the mourners shrink, from the biting blast ? 
Oh no! not then—too dark is the gloom, 
Which Winter sheds o’er a loved one’s tomb. 
Would ye die in Spring, when the air is rife, 
With the sights and sounds of awakening life. 
When the violet lifts her dewy head, 
In its shaded nook, by the streamlets bed, 
When the glad green earth, and the changing sky. 
The human heart, with hope fills high ? 
Oh no! not then—life seems too bright. 
To close the eyes, in an endless night. 
Would ye die, in the Summer’s hour of heat, 
Its glare and light, its splendor fleet— 
When the golden grain is waving bright, 
And fruit and floweret tempt the sight— 
When a brilliant gleam, is glancing back, 
From the butterfly, on bis sunny4rack ? 
Oh no! for the Summer’s regal wreath. 
Would as ill befit the brow of death. 
Would ye die, in the Autumn’s glorious day. 
When the blue sky wears its softest haze— 
When the fading flowers, and the falling leaves, 
A garland fit for beauty, weaves— 
When the air, with a saddened bliss o’erflows. 
And the garnered grain, bespeaks repose ? 
Oh yes! in the Autumn’s peaceful time. 
Bear back the sou], to its Heavenly clime. 
Wyoming, Oct., 1851. 
GOOD DESIRES. 
There are none so degraded that good 
desires may not sometimes thrill through 
their inmost hearts, causing thoughts of re¬ 
morse for the past— and, perhaps, resolu¬ 
tions of amendment for the future. Yet, 
our purest aspirations avail us nothing un¬ 
less we earnestly use the means for the at¬ 
tainment of their object. 
Good desires are by some confounded 
with prayers, but they are not such, else 
prayer rises from the spirits of the lost.— 
The desire for happiness is a good one— 
one coexistent with the immortality of the 
soul. The pangs of eternal misery cannot 
extinguish it, the pleasures of eaith cannot 
satisfy it. The and vicious degraded feel it 
amid their wrong doing at times, yet it is not 
prayer, nor does it lead them to happiness. 
Prayer is the ardent desire of the heart ex¬ 
pressed in words audibly or inaudibly,—the 
panting of a soul active and earnest in the 
race of life. 
Implanted in the heart are these desires 
for good, these longings for something high¬ 
er aud better than earth can afford, some¬ 
thing purer in its nature and enjoyment.— 
Hath not God given these to lead man to 
Himself, to incite him to prepare for the life 
which is to come*? Man seeks for happi¬ 
ness and finds it not in the vain round of 
earthly things,— finds it nowhere save in 
the ways of wisdom—in following the re¬ 
quirements of the Gospel. All other paths 
are but broad roads to destruction — all 
treasures else but glittering bubbles that 
vanish in the grasp— and all other enjoy¬ 
ments but the fruit that turns to ashes up¬ 
on his lips. Disappointed everywhere — 
burdened, weary and sorrowing, he turns for 
ease, rest and consolation to the Savior so 
long forgotten, to Religion so long neglect¬ 
ed. And in the service of God—in relig¬ 
ion— he findeth happiness. “Her ways 
are ways of pleasantness and all her pat^s 
are peace. In her left hand are the joys of 
earth, in her right are the felicities of heav¬ 
en. Be her follower and she shall endow 
thee with the precious thingsof both worlds.” 
Cherish then every good desire,— let 
them lead to action— prayerful, energetic 
hopeful action. So shall thy life prove one 
of blessing to the world and to thyself, and 
the seed-time of the harvest of eternal bless¬ 
edness. J. ii. b. 
TEE WORD OF GOD. 
The mother of a family was married to 
an infidel, who made jest at religion in the 
presence of his own children ; yet she suc¬ 
ceeded in bringing them up in the fear of 
the Lord. I one day asked her how she 
preserved them from the influence of a fa¬ 
ther whose sentiments were so openly op¬ 
posed to her own. This was her answer: 
“ Because to the authority of a father, I 
did not oppose the authority of a mother, 
but that of God. From their earliest years, 
my children have always seen the Bible 
upon my table. This Holy Book has con¬ 
stituted the whole of their religious instruc- 
tiion. I was silent, that 1 might allow it to 
speak. Did they propose a question—did 
they commit any fault—did they perform 
any good action, I opened the Bible, and 
the Bible answered, reproved or encourag¬ 
ed them. The constant reading of the 
Scriptures has alone wrought this prodigy 
which surprises you.— Adolphe Monod. 
