disgrace — the penalty. Can we claim the title of 
moralist, and still continue to be careless and neg¬ 
ligent in our most important duties'? Let him who 
thus thinks, grovel on, bear the inevitable conse¬ 
quences, and become wise by experience. 
It is too true that the manifestations that should 
come from the people, indicating this trait of char¬ 
acter to bo strong and vigorous, have but little 
power as an example to reform the young. Pa¬ 
rents, if you would begin the work of revolutioniz¬ 
ing society—of inculcating great moral principles, 
make yourselves examples such as you would that 
your children should be. If you would teach your 
children morals, begin by being yourself in season 
in every duty, for your acts far surpass your pre¬ 
cepts, in making impressions upon the minds of 
your little ones. We should see to it that we have 
exemplary teachers in our schools, in this respect. 
This is absolutely necessary, for scholars have 
much confidence in their teachers and will, in a 
measure, become what their teachers are, from ex¬ 
ample. If we have teachers to govern and instruct 
our children who are dronish and loose in their 
mode of life, what more can we expect, than that 
our children will partake of their natures in cus¬ 
toms and habits. Therefore, practice and precept 
in our homes, and in our schools, should be such 
as we would be proud to sanction in the characters 
of those we love. 
The great responsibility of leading and influen¬ 
cing mind in that direction, which will ultimately 
result in the good and well being of the possessor, 
and tell upon the happiness of the world sooner or 
FERTILITY OF THE HOLY LAND. 
PASS THE PEPPER. 
enjoying the smiles of Jehovah, it was not un* 
worthy of the glowing rhapsody of Dr. Hamilton, 
the emphatic terms of which are almost all from 
the Bible: 
“ A better country than this, earth did not con¬ 
tain. It was ‘a delightsome’ and ‘a pleasant 
land * a goodly heritage of the host of nations.’ 
It was variegated and intersected with all the ele¬ 
ments ot sublimity and beauty—with whatever was 
bold and gentle. It was a wealthy place. Aro¬ 
matic herbs covered its hills, and the fairest flowers 
decked its glens. The rose was in Sharon, and the 
lily in the valleys. The voice of the turtle was 
heard in the land. There roamed the vine, and 
there clustered the date. And there hung the 
pomegranate. The cedar towered on the mountain, 
and the myrtle skirted their sides. No human 
hand could raise the clusters of Eshcol. The south 
winds passed over the gardens, causing the spices 
thereof to flow out. The seasons revolved in their 
variety, but with a blended sweetness. There was 
the upland breeze, in which the fir could wave its 
arms, and the softer air, in which the olive unfold¬ 
ed its blossom. The sun smote not by day, nor 
the moon by night. The birds sang among the 
branches. There was balm in Gilead. The lign- 
aloe drooped from the river bank. Lakes glistened 
in the landscape, and cooled the drouth. Beauti¬ 
ful for situation was Mount Zion. The cattle 
browsed on a thousand hills. The excellence of 
Carmel and the glory of Lebanon set their pinna¬ 
cles against the deep azure of Canaan’s sky. The 
barns were filled with plenty—the vineyards dis¬ 
tilled the pure blood of the grape. The fountain 
of Jacob was upon a land of corn and wine. The 
granaries were filled with the finest wheat. It 
flowed with milk and honey. Its heavens dropped 
fatness. At stated periods fell theeurly and latter 
Written for Moore’s Rural Now-Yorker. 
OUR SCHOOL LAWS. 
THE PEOPLE’S COLLEGE. 
Of all the aromatics which are partaken of by 
man as flavorers to his food, there is none more 
common than pepper. The three important pep¬ 
pers commonly found on the dinner tables, are 
white, black, and cayenne, all natives of the trop¬ 
ics. They are much used (to stimulate digestion) 
by their human brethren — those hot and choleric 
old nabobs who confer a benefit on the world by 
living in hot climates, far removed from the haunts 
of civilized life. Thus the “ chow-chows,” “ cur¬ 
ries,” and other dishes so relished by your yellow¬ 
faced East and West Indians, owe their flavor and 
pungency to the amount of pepper they contain. 
There is one variety of the genus Piper to which 
the white and black peppers belong, (cayenne 
being a member of the genus Capsicum —called so, 
bye the bye, from a Greek word which signifies to 
bite;) which variety is a great favorite with house¬ 
keepers and cooks, and has received from them the 
flattering name of “allspices,” as it combines in 
itself the flavors of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. 
It grows plentifully in Jamaica and other Ameri¬ 
can islauds, where it was first discovered by the 
Spaniards, who gave it the name of Pimento de Ja¬ 
maica. The French call it the “ round clove.” 
Black pepper is cultivated in large quantities in 
Malacca, Java, and especially at Sumatra, the 
trade of those places being almost exclusively in 
these spices. A pepper garden during the ripen¬ 
ing of the pod is a lovely sight, being a large plot 
marked out into regular, squares of six feet, in 
each of which are planted young trees, called 
chinkareem, that serve as props to the pepper 
vines. When the prop has reached twelve feet 
high, it is cut off and the vines planted, two to 
each prop. A vine is three years in coming to 
maturity, and the fruit, which grows in long spikes, 
is three or four months in ripening. The berries 
are plucked as soon as ripe, and spread on mats 
upon the ground to dry, by which process they 
become black aud shriveled and are imported here 
as black pepper. In this city, and distributed 
throughout the States, are many mills where pep¬ 
per is ground, and we are sorry to say, it is often 
sophisticated with burnt crusts of bread and other 
adulterations. 
The Sumatrans once did a Yankee trick in con¬ 
nection with pepper, which is worth recording. — 
They steeped the pepper corns in water until 
the shells, or outer coat burst, and then drying 
them without it, sold for three times the price of 
the black, as a different species, to the East India 
Company, who then monopolized the pepper 
trade. The company, having swallowed the story, 
made the buyers swallo'afit, too, and ever since 
we have had the two fcrfne?s, white and black, 
both coming from the sJs^/Jlant, but one possess¬ 
ing its coat, and the olrH^fcig deprived of that 
useful appendage. atll f _^R.- < ikeued in its pun¬ 
gency. 
Cayenne was first noticed on the coast of Guinea, 
and has been generally used by the natives of 
those climates in which it grows as a strengthenor 
for the stomach. It is an extraordinary fact, but 
still true, that although savages may be unac¬ 
quainted with the polite arts, they are generally 
Editors Rural :—Within the last few months, 
much has been said in your valuable paper, about 
the recent change in the School Laws. Some of 
your correspondents have lauded it to the skies, 
seeming to believe that all the improprieties in our 
schools would vanish, and the schools would be¬ 
come examples of perfection under the new mode 
of Superintendence; while others have zealously 
condemned the new law as impolitic, unj'ust and 
wasteful of the public money. I believe the new 
mode of management is far the best, but I do not 
think the chief faults in our schools can be charged 
to any particular feature in the School Law. 
Our State has altered and improved its laws, 
established a Normal School to educate its teachers, 
made ample appropriations, and seemingly left but 
little to be done to place a good practical education 
within the reach of every child in the State. But 
the best laws will be useless, unless they are 
properly executed. It is impossible to legislate 
idle children into good scholars—careless boys and 
teachers — or poorly 
Eds. Rural My object in writing to you is to know 
if you con tell me of a school that I could attend for 
two or three years, in which I could work enough to 
pay my way ? I wish to attend school about that length 
of time, but am unable to do so, unless I work out long 
enough to procure means to attend school one term, and 
then work again for more funds, which would take a 
long time to finish an education, and I would spend the 
best part of my life before I could reap any benefits 
from my labors. Do you know of a school in which I 
can work enough at something to pay my way ? I can 
do the work of a man. If I- could sell myself, or be put 
under some binding obligations to some one that would 
help me to school, and bo at their service to act in any 
capacity for them, or for which they might receive the 
profits until they were well paid for their trouble, I 
would be willing to perform faithfully all that devolved 
upon me to do. Will you please give me some informa¬ 
tion or advice as to what I' ought to do in order to ob¬ 
tain a good English education? Do they calculate to 
give a student a chance to work his way through The 
People's College? When will they be ready to receivo 
students? Will you please condescend enough to re¬ 
ply ?—E. Littebrant, Ft. Edward, W. T., 1859. 
Tub People's College, at Havana, N. ,Y., if wo 
understand its design, is intended to meet just 
such cases as this, and we know of no other to 
which we can refer the inquirer. When it will bo 
ready to receive students, we cannot say. Will 
not some of the officers give us the facts ? The 
following in regard to its objects, &c., we take 
from the Gincinnatus : 
“ The name, as used by the founders of the Col¬ 
lege, intends nothing boastful or reproachful; it 
is meant to suggest only, what most reflecting 
persons concede, that some modification of the 
prevailing systems of College education in this 
country is demanded to enable them better to sub¬ 
serve the wants of the people. The title is intend¬ 
ed to be significant, 1st, because it is expected that 
the College will, on pecuniary grounds, be more 
easily accessible to young persons seeking an edu- 
girls, into thorough-going 
managed schools into fountains of knowledge, from 
which will emanate rivers of intellectual improve¬ 
ment. Our Legislature may alter, and improve its 
school laws, as long as improvement is possible; 
but if public opinion does notfavortheir execution, 
we shall still have poor, inefficient teachers, worse 
than useless schools, and ignoramuses among our 
scholars. 
The simple reason why our schools are not what 
they ought to be, is because public opinion has 
decided that they shall be just what they are. Our 
people are not awake to the great importance of a 
thorough education. Men will willingly admit that 
education is necessary; but, if we may judge by 
their actions, many deem it a matter of but little 
importance. They are prompt in trade, and other 
matters of business — willing to spend their time 
and means to advance their pecuniary interests — 
even when there is but a slight hope of success — 
but if they have to pay a few dollars for the educa¬ 
tion of the immortal minds of even tlieir men child¬ 
ren, we too often hear them complain of hard laws 
and high taxes, seeming to think their money has 
been wrested from them by the tyrannical hands of 
a selfish public. 
It is sometimes said that the teacher makes the 
school —it might be as truly said, that public 
opinion makes the teacher ; for if the public will 
accept none but thoroughly qualified teachers, 
others will be excluded from this responsible office. 
On the other hand, if teachers do not receive that 
appreciation and reward which their services de¬ 
serve, the most talented and energetic will leave 
teaching for some business more properly reward¬ 
ing their exertions. The difference between a 
good and poor teacher does not seem to be duly 
appreciated. School officers are about as apt to 
engage a poor teacher as a good one, if the former 
will teach a little cheaper. If we can draw our 
conclusions from appearances, it would be a dan¬ 
gerous undertaking for a district to pay a few 
dollars more than they were in the habit of paying, 
in order to get a good teacher; but if the minds of 
half the children should be made forever dull aud 
inactive, by the mismanagement of a poor teacher, 
it would be a trifling matter. It is right that men 
should be very profuse with their money when 
they are satisfying their own appetites — ruining 
themselves by useless indulgence —but they must 
use it very sparingly when they are buying intellec¬ 
tual improvement—the inestimable treasures of 
knowledge, and storing their gettings in the heads 
of their children. Such senseless logic as this has 
ruled our country far too long. It is time that 
people were awake to their true interests — that 
parents were energetic and liberal in educational 
matters — that well-educated and thorough-going 
men were appointed Commissioners — and that 
none were allowed to teach except those who would 
inspire in the minds of their pupils an intense 
longing after knowledge, and an unflinching per¬ 
severance. Then we might expect to see the bright 
rays of the sun of intellectual progress shine in 
upon every mind, driving away the dark clouds of 
ignorance, and arousing every soul to noble and 
fearless action. ir. n. b. 
North Lawrence, N. Y., 1859. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
THE PROPER IMPROVEMENT OF OUR TIME. 
The proper improvement of our time should 
claim our earnest attention. 
When we see hun¬ 
dreds around us squandering the time allotted to 
them, which should be used in the improvement of 
their mental faculties, we should be led to in¬ 
quire, for what purpose do we exist? for what end 
have we been created ? The time which our benevo¬ 
lent Creator has given us, should not be lost in 
idleness. Gon, in creating us, did not intend us to 
be mere nothings in society, but He created us with 
a wise purpose in view — to do good to our fellow- 
men around us. If we do not improve the time 
given us, then we disobey the direct command of 
our Creator, for the Scriptures say, “ Whatsoever 
thy hand findeth to do, do with all thy might.”— 
placed opposite to one another, as parallel walls 
for example, which reflect the sound successively. 
At Adrnath, in Bohemia, there is an echo which 
repeats seven syllables three times. At Wood- 
stock, in England, there is one which repeats a 
sound seventeen times during the day, and twenty 
times during the night. An echo'in the villa 
Smionetta, near Milan, is said to repeat a sharp 
sound some thirty times audibly. The most cele¬ 
brated echo among the ancients, was that of the 
Metelli, at Rome, which, according to tradition, 
was capable of repeating the first line of the 
YEneid, containing fifteen syllables, eight times dis¬ 
tinctly. 
Dr. Birch describes an echo at Rosebeath, Argyle- 
shire, which, it is said, does not now exist. When 
eightorteu notes were played upon a trumpet, they 
were returned by this echo upon a key a third low¬ 
er than the original notes, aud shortly after upon 
a key still lower. Dr. Page describes an echo in 
Fairfax county, Virginia, which possesses a simi¬ 
lar curious property. This echo gives three distinct 
reflections, the second much the most distinct.— 
Twenty notes played upon a flute are returned with 
perfect clearness. But the most singular property 
of this echo is, that some notes in the scale are not 
returned in their places, but are supplied with 
notes which are either thirds, fifths, or octaves. 
There is a surprising echo between two barns, 
at Belvidere, Allegany county, N. Y. The echo re¬ 
peats eleven times a word of one, two, or three 
syllables; it has been heard to repeat thirteen 
times. By placiug oneself ir. the centre between 
the two barns, there will be a double echo, one in 
the direction of each barn, and a monosyllable will 
be repeated twenty-two times. 
A striking and beautiful effect of echo is pro¬ 
duced in certain localities by the Swiss moun¬ 
taineers, who contrive to sing their Rans des 
Vaches in such time that the reflected notes form 
an agreeable accompaniment to the air itself. 
The Killarney notes are quite famous, and re¬ 
sound with marvellous clearness to the notes of a 
bugle, as the traveler rows from point to point in 
the beautiful lake.— Prof. Silliman. 
READING AND DEFINITION. 
I do not propose to speak of rhetorical excellence 
in reading, but of the importance of being able to 
do it with correctness and fluency. A child should 
be able to read mechanically well, before he is re¬ 
quired to recite a lesson learned from a book. I 
believe every child can become a fluent and correct 
reader; and the importance of it grows out of the 
fact that most of our knowledge is gathered from 
books. Before the art of printing was known, 
those who desired to add to their stock of knowl¬ 
edge, were obliged to travel from city to city, and 
from one country to another, to converse with 
those who knew what they did not. This was a 
long and expensive method of acquiring knowledge. 
Now we can ren ain at home, and learn from books 
all that is known mi any given subject. 
But the boys and the girls that read hesitatingly, 
do not read much. They never undertake to read 
a volume through, because it is a slow and tedious 
process. They may as well not read at all, as not 
read with readiness and care. I speak of this be¬ 
cause I find that many children pass through the 
common school course without being able to read 
mechanically well. 
It is quite important that they never miscall, or 
mistake one word for another which resembles it 
in appearance; as conduit for conduct, or troth for 
truth. I frequently hear mistakes in recitations 
which were occasioned by thus mistaking the 
word. But of what use is it to read fluently and 
correctly, if we know not the meaning of the 
words? We shall either get no idea, or a wrong 
one. It by no means follows that we understand 
a sentence which we pronounce fluently. 
Special pains should be taken to teach children 
the meaning of words. Some attention should be 
given to it in every recitation. It i3 not enough to 
refer the scholar t» the dictionary; the definition 
there given is general, and does not meet the wants 
of the child. If he can be shown the thing defined, 
nothing more is necessary. But this cannot always 
be done. It is useful to explain the difference be¬ 
tween one word and others that resemble it; as 
between meat and flesh, lie and lay , single and sing u¬ 
lar, freedom and liberty, etc. It is a very useful 
discipline for children to be able to point out the 
difference of allied words and things. It cultivates 
a habit of observation and discrimination; as, what 
is the difference between stationary and stationery, 
or a ship aud a sloop, or patience and hope. I 
trust every teacher who may read this, will do all 
he can to make his pupils fluent and intelligent 
readers.—E. D., in Massachusetts Teacher. 
to suit, tneir sometimes peculiar tastes, they gener¬ 
ally discover all the edible good things which 
their native soil affords. It cannot be denied that 
hunger and the palate are great equalizers, and 
the stomach, much as we abhor gluttony, does 
much for civilization ; in fact, his stomach and its 
wants distinguish man from toe brutes, for, as Dr. 
Kitchner correctly observed, “ Man is the only 
cooking animal.” 
The cayenne of commerce is the grain or seed of 
the capsicum, ground and mixed with flour and 
then baked into little cakes in an oven; these are 
again broken up and mixed with more flour and 
placed in jars for sale. The tree or plant is very 
beautiful, and forms a great ornament to a garden, 
but it is very tender aud requires much care. It 
is more pungent than either white or black pep¬ 
pers, and is often adulterated with logwood and 
mahogany, sawdust, aud red lead ; this latter can, 
however, be easily detected by placing a spoonful 
carefully in a glass of water, when, should it con¬ 
tain any red lead, it will, from its specific gravity, 
quickly drop to the bottom, while the cayenne will 
sink but slowly. A very pleasant drink may be 
made for cold nights, and one that is healthy, too, 
from pepper. Here is the recipe:—Place three or 
four lumps of sugar, with half a teaspoonful of 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
PUNCTUALITY. 
Tins trait of character is one of the most promi¬ 
nent in all such persons as are called “ lucky,” or 
successful in their undertakings—whether it be 
in honorable attainments in science and morals, 
or in the more paltry things of earth — riches and 
popular approbation. 
We find as a rule, that those who excel — those 
who make rapid strides in ascending the rugged 
steep of science, and accomplish great works, are 
among those who possess much of this noble char¬ 
acteristic. It is true, that the man who is ever in 
season in fulfilling his obligations and duties in 
the many relations of life, will have the confidence 
of all the people who have formed his acquaint¬ 
ance, and this secures to him a treasure in itself; 
besides he saves time, anxiety, and unnecessary 
expense, naturally incurred by indifference and 
laxness. 
There is economy in being prompt — in being in 
season in our business transactions. Pecuniarily, 
we economize, and not only so, but we cancel 
many of the perplexities of life, so wearing upon 
human nature, and antagonistic to harmony and 
happiness. When we fail to be punctual — when 
we neglect to fulfill to the letter our promises and 
agreements—then we most certainly fail to fulfill 
the great moral command, “ Do unto others, &c.” 
Who thinks of this? Who realizes that this is in¬ 
deed a moral wrong ? aud that he who violates the 
moral law, most certainly brings upon himself the 
more effectually and quicker than any spirits. — 
Those of our readers who try our recipe once, will 
often, during the winter, when the fire bums low, 
and they feel chilly, generally exclaim in the lan- 
of our caption, “Pass the pepper.”— Sci. American. 
Air. —Air is an exhalation of all the minerals of 
the globe; the most elaborately finished of all the 
works of the Creator—the rock of the ages disinte¬ 
grated aud fitted up for the life of man. All classes 
of men affirm this. Sidney Smith says to public 
speakers, that if they would walk twelve miles be¬ 
fore speaking, they would never break down.' In 
English Universities, boat races, horse-back rides, 
and ten mile walks are a part of the educational 
means for physical development. Plato says a 
walk in the open air will almost cure a guilty 
conscience. 
Well and Spring Cleaning. —As spring is ap¬ 
proaching, we earnestly advise all persons who 
use well water and spring water to have both wells 
aud springs thoroughly cleaned out, and then 
washed out in early May and also during October, 
as there is strong reason to believe that the set¬ 
tlings which have accumulated, including decayed 
vegetation, impart their disease-engendering quali¬ 
ties to the water, and thus originate some of the 
most dangerous forms of low or typhoid fever at 
a time of the year when the weather is so cool as 
to preclude the idea of their arising from vegeta¬ 
ble decomposition. The stench of the debris at the 
bottom of wells should induce all cleanly persons 
to expurgate them thoroughly, aside from consid¬ 
erations of health.— Hall's Journal of Health. 
Very touching and beautiful were the words of 
the old schoolmaster, as life passed away. “ It is 
growing dark—the school may be dismissed.”— 
Down to the very gates of an unseen world he car¬ 
ried his love and regard for the children whom he 
had trained. 
Calmness Under Pro vocation.— Socrates having 
received a blow upon the head, observed, “ That it 
would be well if people knew when to put on a 
liemlet.” On another occasion, being attacked with 
opprobrious language, he calmly observed,—“ That 
man has not been taught to speak respectfully.” 
Many Christians might learn from this heathen. 
The Foundation of Character. —Integrity is 
the foundation of all that is high in character 
among mankind; other qualities may add splendor, 
but if this essential requisite be wanting all their 
lustre fades. 
Eloquence consists in feeling a truth y 
and making those who hear you feel it too. 
Learning makes a man fit company for himself. 
