JUNE 26 
209 
Written for Moore's Rnra) New-Yorker. 
SKILL IN COMPOSITION. 
Hav has chiseled from the solid rock,—so invin- 
cib’a to decay,—statues and monuments, erected 
magnificent edifices, built vast pyramids, and 
mighty cities; but these are not the wonders of ike 
world, or the most lasting productions of mankind. 
The emanations of the mind are far more worthy 
of admiration. Which is the most lasting evidence 
of true greatness, the splendid temple, erected by 
Solomon, or his Proveibs and words of wisdom? 
The former long since passed away, but the latter 
will exist as 1 mg as men can read and think.— 
What gave to this great king the name of being 
the wisest man that has ever lived? Not the 
wealth and splendor of his court, or the popularity 
of his reign, but ihe deep searching and almost 
superhuman power of his mind, as exhibited in his 
writings. Who supposes that the victories of an 
Alexander have as high a claim to excellence, as 
the inspiring lines of ihe first, and probably great¬ 
est of all poets— Uomkr? Why is the genius of 
this man so universally admired, and why is every 
one who can wiite two lines in thyme, trying to 
imitate, and perhaps vainly hoping to equal him; 
while we look with horror, upon the accounts of 
great battles, and the deeds of noted warriors.— 
While we mourn that Napoleon ever became so 
powerful, fought so many battles, and made all 
Europe tremble; why do we instinctively grow en¬ 
thusiastic in our respect and admiration for such 
men as Dkyden, Porn and Milton, or our own 
Ikying, Whittier, Longfellow and Bryant?— 
Because the former exerted only physical power, 
and secured only the subjection of the body on 
the field of battle, but the latter find their way to 
every fireside, speaking soothing words of wisdom 
to the weary aud care-worn, and influencing and 
instructing the immortal mind itself. 
If the term “ great men” can ever be used, it 
must be applied to those who wield the pen, and 
whose sublime writings stir the slumbering powers 
of the inmost soul. Mighty armies may conquer 
nations and establish powerful empires, but the 
every-day and everlasting influence of the author, 
will work out far greater and better results—the 
civilization and refinement of the world. Then 
skill in composition is a great accomplishment— 
He who can express his thoughts clearly and for¬ 
cibly, possesses a rare gift of which he may well be 
proud, and, still more, if he can clothe his 
thoughts, in beautiful language,—in all the glow¬ 
ing charms of pootry, tie may truly consider him- 
(iotf ci favored being, for, indeed, k* oossesses a 
treasure, worth more than all of California* gold, 
or Europe’s crowns. Then why should we not he 
willing to do our best to become good writers?- 
But, says one, 1 cannot write, or I would willingly 
do so. Mystupid, slow-moving pen will not follow 
nay mind in all its wanderings. My thou^hto nave 
a strange dislike to passing throngh my arm 
ard from the point of my pen, and when they are 
ttas expressed, they are wild, visionary and unin¬ 
teresting. My style is rough and awkward, and I 
get discouraged and give up in despair. Now, who 
ever is conscious of possessing these faults, should 
make the most vigorous efforts to remove them; 
and as practice is necessary to success, perhaps 
those who are more advanced, and more skillful, 
than ourselves, will bear with our faults for awhile 
But what if critics do sneer and discourse upon 
our numerous mistakes, the object to be gained 
is worth even a life of toil and disappointment. 
But some tell us that genius is a natural endow¬ 
ment—a something which exists in the mind, like 
the slumbering tires of a volcano, and bursts forth, 
independent of education or effort, astonishing the 
world with its brilliancy and glory. Now, if this 
were true, then one who does not by nature possess 
a particle of this mysterious gift, might well give 
up in despair; but, as long as improvement is pos¬ 
sible—and we must believe that education makes 
the man—let the lover of advancement make ao 
effort, aye, a mighty effort to overcome his faults, 
and let him never grow weary, though for a time s 
want of confidence stays his pen, and timidity im 
pedes his progress. H. 
North Lawrence, 8t. Lawrence Co., N. Y., 1858. 
EDUCATION RESTBAINS DEGENERACY. 
There is in all things a proneness to deteriora 
tion. Illustrations of this principle are numerous 
in the natural world. They are often met with by 
the gardener, the farmer, the shepherd. A garden, 
if neglected, runs to waste. A house unoccupied 
or aship lyiog unused at the wharf, rapidly decays 
A farm, if uncultivated, declines in value. Its ten¬ 
dency to degeneracy aad barrenness can be arrest ! 
ed only by diligent culture, by a rotation of crops, 
and by a generous enrichment of the soil. Many 
plants speedily degenerate under neglect. Only 
the most skillful aad attentive culture, can prevent 
them from declining. 
Illustrations ofthis proneness to degeneracy may 
be found also in the history of nations. All his¬ 
tory testifies that those nations which have pre¬ 
served to themselves the advantages of an enlight¬ 
ened civilization, have done so only by a constant 
and energetic straggle against the downward cur¬ 
rents of social decline that have ever set power¬ 
fully against them. How mauy nations, by these 
currents, have been speedily swept down to socia 1 
disorganization and ruin. Nations that have strug 
gled up to the heights of civilization, have stooo 
there only while they have contended, with a 
watchful eye and a strong arm, against the beset¬ 
ting tendency to deterioration. As soon as they 
remitted their efforts against corrupting influences, 
they sank into anarchy and barbarism. 
Of all beings that inhabit the earth, man most 
needs eultuie. And although susceptible of high 
cultivation, he is ever prone to run down to an in 
ferior rank. It, is only by the united influence ot 
government, religion and education that this down 
ward tendency cau be successfully resisted. When 
ever these, the three great pillars of civilization, are 
removed or become weak, the social faerie falls. 
Ttie importance of education as a conservative 
power in our republic to piei-erve the people from 
a retrogressive course, can hardly be over-estimated. 
Through its neglect in parts of Virgiuta and North 
Carolina, great bodies of the people, whose auces- 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN A 
THE HERBARIUM. 
ALLEGORICAL REPRESENTATION OF JUNE. 
Tpu Oummai. a.„ , va q Junk, her first 
and fairest child, arrayed in trailing robes of green, 
and decked with resy wreaths, is with ns onoe 
more. At the approach of this beautiful Queen, 
the flowers come forth to welcome h«r. arrayed in 
their choicest robes; the feathered choir send 
forth their sweetest and loudest notes; the insects 
hum their songs of rejoicing, the skies put on 
their deepest azure vestments, and the sunlight 
gilds all the glorious scene with unusual bright¬ 
ness. Only thirty short days does this fair and 
beautiful daughter of summer remain, so let us 
rejoice in unison with nature—let ns feast on her 
forms of exquisite beauty, the brightness of her 
eyes, the rose-tints of her cheeks, the delicious 
fragrance of her breath, which floats on every 
breeze, like zephyrs wafted from the vales of Cash- 
mere. It is nature’s jubilee—the gala month of 
the season, so let all hearts be attuned to songs of 
praise and thanksgiving. 
“Skies of deepe t azure, 
Dance of moun ain streams, 
Glittering in the brightness 
Of the noontide beami; 
Scent of apule blossoms 
Vi in 
Cowslips ia the meadow, 
Violets everywhere; 
Floods of golden sunshine, 
Trailing robes of green. 
Gayer than the garments 
Of the proudest queen; 
Seas of crimson clover. 
Choirs of singing birds. 
And the blessed charm of 
Happy childrens’ words; 
Soft, melodious whisperings 
In the tasseled trees, 
Joy of tell-tale breeses, 
Hum of honey-bees; 
Unrestrained resplendence, 
Universal cheer. 
Beauty all unbounded 
Tell us June is here: 
June: of bleom the fairest; 
June: of song the rarest 
Of the changeful year." 
May we not believe that ibis is a gem saved from 
(ho gooeral -wreck of Voradise, when nren’B Slu aud 
fall “brought death unto the world and all our 
woes.” 
The glorious drapery of leaf and flower with 
which the goddess of the season adorns herself, 
and twines her flowing tresses, is fitly illustrated 
by the artist in the above allegorical representa¬ 
tion, and betoken a season of life and beauty, un¬ 
touched by shadow or decay. The light-winged 
butterfly resting upon the blossoms, the bee, mak¬ 
ing haste to extract nectar from the opening Vud, 
the golden rajs of sunshine overarching the sky 
and touching the whole scene with dazzing splen¬ 
dor, all combine to produce a picture, pleasing and 
sublime. 
ters were educated men, of cultivated manners, 
have deteriorated in valuable qualities of character 
and sunk almost below the point of civilization — 
It, is well understood that there are, all along our 
western frontier, a body of men (whose fathers 
were well educated and intelligent) who are sunk 
to a very low grade of character. This class is 
annually increasing. To these may be added tbe 
masses in our cities and in sparsely inhabited re¬ 
gions who are neglecting the means of education 
and are deteriorating in enterprise, intelligence 
and virtue. Now how are we, as a nation, to es 
cape the corrupting influence of such ignorance 
without the diligent appliance of the means of ed¬ 
ucation? How are parts of this nation to be saved 
from relapsing into barbarism, and going down, at 
least, below the capacity to rise, without the ele¬ 
vating power of knowledge?— Iteo. Wm. Bates, i 
R. /. Schoolmaster. 
SALT AS AN ARTICLE OF FOOD. 
Public Libraries. —A list compiled for the N. 
Y. Tribune shows that there are in the United 
States fifty libraries containing upwards of 15,000 
volumes, thirteen containing over 30,000. and six 
over 60,000 volumes. Massachusetts has eight 
libraries of the fifry, or one-sixth; New England 
sixteen, or one-third; New York eleven, or more 
thaa pne fourth. The largest college library in 
the North is Harvard, with 112.000 volumes; the 
largest in the South, Georgetown College, D. C., 
with 26,000 volumes. The largest Mercantile or 
Mechanics' Library is that of New York city, 47,» 
900 volumes. The Astor Library has 80,000 vol¬ 
ume-; Boston Athenaeum 70,K)0; Library Company, 
Philadelphia, 65,<H>0; Congress Library 65,000; 
Yale College 63,000; New York State Library 50,- 
Oi O; New York Society Liorary 40,000; Smithso¬ 
nian Institute 40,000; Brown University 37,000; 
Boston Public Library 34,896; Dartmouth College 
32.438; Bowdoin College 29,920; Andover Semi 
uary 26,669; Antiquarian Society, Worcester, 26,000. 
I’he number of volumes in all these fifty libraries 
is nearly 4,0i'0,000. Massachusetts has 635,111; 
New York 617,484, aud Peunsjlvauia 424,870. 
Wisconsin State Th acheks’ Association. —The 
Sixth Annual Meeting of this Association will be 
held at Portage City, on Tuesday, the 3d day of 
August next. 
Neglect op Duty.—D uty cannot be neglected 
without harm to those who practice, as well as to 
those who suffer the neglect. 
Art and Habit. —Whatever is done skillfully 
appears to be done with ease; aDd when it is once 
matured to habit, vanishes from observation. 
Common salt (chloride'of sodium) is another 
constant and universal substance which claims 
rank as food. It forms an essential part of all the 
•rganic fluids and solids, except the enamel of the 
eeth; a statement to which attention is called, be- 
■ause Liebig, in an obscure passage, seems to deny 
hat it forms part of the tissues, declaring that in 
} muscle chloride of potassium is abundant, but no 
chloride of sodium; a mistake, as the analyses 
of Von Bihra, Barral and others, clearly show.— 
Common salt is always found in the blood, in quan¬ 
tities which vary within extremely narrow limits, 
forming 0,421 per cent of the entire mass, and as 
much as 75 per cent of tbe ashes. This quantity 
is wholly independent of the surplus in food; for 
the surplus is either not absorbed or is carried away 
in the excretions and perspiration; and this shows 
it to be an anatomical constituent not an accident 
If too little salt betaken in the food, instinct forces 
every animal to supply the deficiency by eating it 
separately. 
The wild buffalo frequents the salt licks of 
Northwestern America; the wild animals in the 
central parts of Southet n Africa are a sure prey to 
the hunter who conceals himself beside a salt 
spring; and our domestic cattle run peacefully to 
the hand that offers them a taste of this luxury.— 
Prom time immemorial it has been known that 
without salt man would miserably perish; and 
among horrible punishments, entailing certain 
death, that of feeding culprits on saltless food, is 
said to have prevailed in barbarous times. 
When Cook and Foster landed in Otaheite they 
astonished the natives who saw them earing white 
powder with every morsel of meat; and every one 
remembers Man Fridaj’s expressive repudiation of 
salt Bat the savages who ate not “ white powder,” 
ate fish, and cooked their flesh in sea water, rich 
in salt. In several parts of Africa men are sold 
for salt; and on the gold coast it is tbe most pre¬ 
cious of all commodities. On the coast of Sierra 
Leone a man will sell his sisters, his wife, or his 
child for salt, not having learned the art of distil¬ 
ling it from the sea. 
The properties of salt are manifold. It forms 
one of the essential conditions of vital processea 
It renders albumen soluble, and is necessary lor 
digestion, beiDg decomposed in the stomach into 
hydrochloric acid for the gastric process, and Hoda 
for the bile. It has also a most important proper 
ty, namely, that of regulating the interchange of 
fluids through the walls of the vessels, in accor¬ 
dance with that law of endosmosis, on which so 
many vital processes depend, but which we cannot 
stop now to explain. So great are the services 
of salt that we may confidently endorse the state¬ 
ment of Dr. Bence Jones, that it is “a substance as 
essential to life as nitrogenous food and water,” 
and if so essential, then assuredly food.— Black¬ 
wood's Magazine. 
TALL MEN AT HOME AND ABROAD. 
Messrs. Euitors: —I was much pleased on seeing, 
in the Rural, of May 22d, an inquiry for the best 
method of preserving the natural appearance of 
flowers for an Herbarium. Every week since I 
have looked for an answer as anxiously, perhaps, as 
the querist herself, but in vain. I cordially agree 
with her in her good opinions of Botany and Her¬ 
bariums. But, as I found no answer forthcoming, 
I thought I would quote what is in my Botany, and 
send it, as it may enlighten her a little. Its author 
is Mrs. Lincoln. 
“ Plants collected for analysis, may be preserved 
fresh many days in a close, tin box, by occasionally 
sprinkling them with water. They may also he 
preserved by placing their stems in water, but the 
former is the best method. It is a good plan in 
collecting plants for the Herbarium, to have a port¬ 
folio or book, in which they may be placed before 
the parts begin to wilt. Specimens should be 
placed between the leaves of any paper which is of 
a loose texture, (please do not use the Rural 
though,) and will easily absorb the moisture of the 
plants. A board with a weight upon it, should he 
placed upon the paper. The plants should be 
taken out as often as once or twice a day at first, 
and placed between other sheets. Small plants 
may be dried between the leaves of books. When 
the specimens are dry a book should be procured, 
composed of blank paper, (white is the best.) A 
quarto size is more couvenient, than a folio. Upon 
the first page of each leaf should he fastened one 
or more of the dried specimens, either with glue 
or by means of cutting through the paper and rais¬ 
ing up loops under which the Btems may be placed. 
By the sides of the plants should be written the 
class, order, specific and generic name; also, the 
place where found, aud the season of the year. An 
Herbarium should be carefully guarded against 
moisture and insects. As a security against the 
latter, the plants may be brushed over with corro¬ 
sive sublimate.” 
I intend gluing my specimens. Our teacher 
shewed hers a short time ago; they were wafered 
on by having pieces of paper placed over. Some 
had fallen off. She has had it about 25 or 30 years. 
If you receive anything better than this, exclude 
mine. Emily. 
Clyde, Mr. Y., Juno 12,1858. 
For the purpose of giving the fullest informa¬ 
tion, we quote the following from Prof. Cray:— 
“The specimens of an Herbarium may be kept in 
folded sheets of neat, and rather thick, white 
paper; or they may be fastened on half sheets of 
such paper, either by slips of gummed paper, or by 
glue applied to the specimens themselves. Each 
sheet should be appropriated to one species; two 
or more different plants should never be attached 
to the same sheet The generic and specific nam e 
of the plant should be added to the lower right 
bane corner, either written on the sheet, or on a 
ticket pasted down at that corner; and the time of 
collection, the locality, the color of the flowers, and 
other information which the specimens themselves 
do not afford, should be duly recorded upon the 
sheet or the ticket The sheets of the Herbarium 
should all be of exactly the same dimensions. The 
Herbarium of Linnaeus is on paper of the common 
foolscap size, about eleven inches long and seven 
wide. But this is too small for an Herbarium of 
any magnitude. Sixteen and a half inches by ten 
and a half, or eleven and a half inches, is an ap¬ 
proved size. 
The sheets containing the species of each genus 
are to be placed in gemis-covers, made of a full 
sheet of thick, colored paper, (such as the strongest 
Manilla-hemp paper,) which fold to the same dimen¬ 
sions as the species sheet; and the name of the 
genus is to be written on one of the lower corners. 
These are to be arranged under the orders to which 
they belong, and the whole kept in closed cases or 
cabinets, either laid fiat in compartments, like large 
“pigeon holes,” or else placed in thick port-folios, 
arranged like folio volumes, and having the names 
of the orders lettered on the back.” 
DON’T ASK FAVORS. 
“There were giants in those days,” no doubt; 
yet the average size of the great mass of human 
beings does not change. The great stature of the 
Patagonians, of which so much has been said and 
written, has been proved to be quite as fabulous as 
the terrible maelstrom (of the geographies) near 
tbe coast of Norway. Some races are taller than 
others, and that is all. The English are taller than 
the French, and fatter, too. Americans ate taller 
than Englishmen;—and Vermont and Kentucky, it 
is known, have more tall men than the other States 
of the Union. That the average size of the human 
family does change is abundantly proved by facts 
which have been gathered by a recent writer, from 
whom we have this statement: 
“The general opinion is that men have physi¬ 
cally degenerated since the early ages of the world. 
But all tbe facts and circumstances which can be 
brought forward on this subject, tend to show that 
the human form has not degenerated, and that men 
of the present age are of the same stature as at the 
beginning of the world. Thus, all the remains of 
the human body, and particularly tbe teeth, which 
have been found in the most ancient urns aud 
burial places, demonstrate this point clearly. The 
oldest coffin in the world is that found in the great 
pyramid of Egypt; and this sarcophagus hardly 
exceeds the size of our ordinary coffin, being six 
feet and a half long. That we are not degenera¬ 
ting from the effects of civilization is very clear be¬ 
cause the savages do not exceed us in height.” 
Forgiveness —The brave only know how to 
forgive; it is the most refined and generous pitch 
of virtue human nature can arrive at. Cowards 
have done good and kind actions—cowards have 
fought, nay, sometimes conquered; but a coward 
never forgave; it is not in his nature; the power 
of doing it flows only from a strength and great 
ness of soul conscious of its own force and securi¬ 
ty, above all the little temptations of resenting 
every fruitless attempt to interrupt its happiness. 
He who can take advice is sometimes superior 
to him who can give it 
Rely upon yourselves and ask no favors. It, is 
a great deal better to suffer than to be dependent 
upon others. Obtain what you desire by your own 
exertions, or make up your mind to go without it. 
There is more true dignity in comparative poverty 
with an independent spirit, than in the most luxu¬ 
rious indolence gained through cringing and ask¬ 
ing favors. And then, too, it is so humiliating to 
be refused by those who are abundantly able to 
aid you, with, “ I am very soriy I can’t accomodate 
you.” “ I really wish it was in my power.” “ Dear 
me, if you had only applied yesterriaj,” and all the 
the other old, musty speeches which have been 
stereotyped from time immemorial, ready for use 
by those who gladly avail themselves of any ex¬ 
cuse, rather than, put themselves to any incon¬ 
venience to do a favor for those who they say are 
tbeir friends. We recently knew a man who bad 
always been ready to do favors for his kindred, 
brought into rather a tight pecuniary fix, and tho’ 
he had many wealthy relatives who, without any 
trouble, might have assisted, yet there was not one 
of them that was willing to do the least thing for 
him. The better way is not to try even the nearest 
relatives we have on earth by asking favors of them. 
If a man, however, has connections or friends, who 
realty are noble-hearted, and who, when they see 
him in trouble, come forward of tbeir own accord 
and offer him assistance, let him accept it, and re¬ 
joice that he has such, 
“That are friends indeed, 
Because friends in need.” 
Don’t ask favors then. Rely upon your own ef- 
orts: go ahead, woik hard; and if sometimes em¬ 
barrassed, and a whole-souled man comes ah mg 
and offers the helping hand, do not let a foolish, 
mistaken pride, not of independence, prevent jou 
from cordially and gratefully accepting the prof¬ 
fered aid, and be ready to prove your appreciation 
of his kindness by doing him a good turn the first 
opportunity that occurrs. 
Pcccess produces confidence, confidence relaxes 
industry, and negligence ruins that reputation 
which accuracy had raised. 
