.fauit Copies. 
AGRICULTURE AND EDUCATION IN THE 
UNITED STATES. 
PROF. I. P. ROBERTS. 
No. 2. 
In my last I pointed out some of the influences 
and circumstances that energized the people of 
the Old World, and made them long for greater 
freedom and knowledge, especially the latter. 
The desire for freedom seems to have been of 
slower growth than that for education ; and of 
necessit y must be, for unless the latter precedes, 
the former cannot be lasting. The desire and 
longing for something bettor and higher were not 
lost by those brave and dauntless people who 
left the Old World to find a home in the New, 
but rather intensified. 
It is not strange then that among the first 
acts of tho Colonies we find provision for the 
instruction, not only of the children of the well- 
to-do, but of the poor and the servants. Wil¬ 
liam Pens’s first plan for his proprietary gov¬ 
ernment, drafted before lie left England, made 
provision for public schools, and the rewarding 
of authors of useful sciences and laudable in¬ 
ventions. Schools were established at New Am¬ 
sterdam in 1G33, and at the time of the surren¬ 
der to the English, 1674, schools virtually free, 
existed in nearly every town and village in the 
Colony. 
In 1G35, the people of Boston established a 
school, and one year later the General Court 
authorized an appropriation of £400 for the es¬ 
tablishment of a “ Schoole or Colledgo, whereof 
£200 to he paid tho next yeare, and £200 when 
the worke is finished, and the next Court, to ap¬ 
point where aud what building." 
In 1G83, an island in the Delaware, opposite 
Burlington, was set. apart, for educational pur¬ 
poses, the revenue derived from the rent or sale 
to be a perpetual fund ; aud this, it is believed, 
was the first school-fund established in America. 
In 1795, Governor Geouqe Clinton, it is said, 
laid the foundation of our common school sys¬ 
tem of New York. The need of education ap¬ 
pears to have been as cloar to him. as that of 
connecting tho great lakes with the seaboard. 
But space will not permit to mention a tithe of 
the laws enacted or donations bequeathed by 
Government and individuals for the benefit of 
education. 
Government has granted some 140,000.000 
acres for that purpose exclusive of the grant of 
1862. No country on the face of the globe has 
equaled ours, in the amount of private and pub¬ 
lic gifts for the promotion of knowledge. When 
we look over these three million square miles of 
territory transformed from a wilderness into 
fruitful fields dotted with homes bursting with 
plenty ; when we behold the innumerable tier¬ 
ing villages aud cities on every hand, connected 
and bound together by strong bands of steel, 
common parentage and interests ; w hen wo see 
science striving with laudable efforts to onhauco 
the fruits of toil and alleviate suffering ; when 
wo see forty millions of people actuated by one 
common purpose to make the next generation 
more wise, more happy, more virtuous than the 
present one, truly we may exclaim “ What hath 
Gon wrought?" 
With all the evidences of strength on every 
hand tha.t go to make up an enduring and 
prosperous nation, we still have those among 
ns who can see but the comparatively few 
scamps aud improvident poor, aud therefore 
predict that we are about to become a nation of 
thieves and tramps. Can it be possible that we 
who are the children of people noted through¬ 
out the world for courage, independence and an 
unquenchable thirst for knowledge; noted for 
their hatred of oppression and wrong, for their 
law-abiding and Gou-fearing principles, havo so 
degenerated, have so disgraced our noble ances¬ 
tors? No: it is not possible; it is nut so. Tho 
little clouds that are so magnified will soon be 
dispelled, and we shall steadily advance to great¬ 
er prosperity and usefulness; and education has 
been, and will still continue to be, the great 
balance wheel that will overcome all resistance 
and keep us steadily striving for the good and 
the true. The tillers of the soil are not a sepa¬ 
rate class, only as their occupation leads them to 
common interests. They are an integral part of 
tho whole, with like aspirations and desires for 
more knowledge and grander opportunities. 
As the years passed by and many of the in¬ 
dustries and professions, through education, 
rose to a prominence aud power far exceeding 
their former conditions, it was readily seen by a 
few active aud thought ful minds, that unless 
something wmb done for Agriculture it wo uld fall 
into disrepute and decline, that the bread-raisers 
would be unable to cope with the better educated 
in other callings, and that the time was not far 
distant when the educated would own the land, 
and the uneducated farmers till it. Michigan 
occupying a part of, and lying adjacent to the 
vast fertile prairies, with its restless, energetic, 
and advancing population, caught tho inspira¬ 
tion first, and in 1855 established a college near 
Lansing for instuetion in Agriculture and kin¬ 
dred branches. This attracted but little attention 
for Borne time, but it did good work and therefore 
grew and prospered, aud when its graduates 
went forth to active duty, thoir ability was recog¬ 
nized and what was looked upon at first aB only a 
doubtful experiment was pronounced an assured 
success. So much faith had Senator Morrill in t he 
now methods of education, during Buchanan’s 
administration, that,he introduced a bill granting 
largo tracts of the public lauds to the various 
States and Territorios, the income from which 
should form a perpetual fund for the advance¬ 
ment of tecbuical instruction. 
This bill passed both Houses, hut was vetoed 
by the President. It was again introduced in 
18G2 with some modifications, passed both 
Houses, and received the signature of President 
Lincoln. Tbo originator of tho bill appears to 
have had a very clear understanding of the 
wants and needs of the rising generation, but 
its wise provisions appear to be but imperfectly 
understood. It provided for the issuing of land 
scrip to tho amount of 30,000 acres for each Sen¬ 
ator and Representative in Congress. It also 
provided that each State or Territory claiming 
the benefit of this act, should within five years 
from its passage, “ Provide not less than one 
college which should receive for its endowment, 
support, and maintenance, the interest of all 
moneys derived from the sale of the aforesaid 
scrip or lauds, and that: 
‘ 1 The leading object of these colleges should be, 
without ewlndiug other scientific and classical 
studies, and including military tactics, to teach 
such branches of learning as are related to Ag¬ 
riculture and Ihe Mechanic Arts; in order to 
promote the liberal and practical education of the 
industrial classes, in the several pursuits and 
professions of life." 
Yon notice that “ other scientific and classical 
studies” were not to be excluded; as it turns 
out, this provision is a very wise one, for if tho 
student is to reeeive no general culture, he is 
only half-educated, and the officers of sobools 
organized and conducted under this law, find 
that it is necessary, in order to reach the best 
results, to teach sevoral branches formerly con¬ 
sidered of little value to students in Agriculture 
and the Mechanic Arts. 
The provision for instruction in military tac¬ 
tics is one tha.t should uot be ignored or passed 
over lightly. Though frequently lost sight of, I 
believe, it to bo of great importance, both to the 
nation and the individual student. Nothing ap¬ 
pears to give him that manly dignity and bear¬ 
ing, that resoect for law and authority, so 
rapidly aud effectually as Military Drill. And 
the instruction and discipline are of value to the 
recipient in times of peace, but how much more 
so in times of great commotion! In case of a 
great war, I can see the untold benefits that 
would accrue to tho nation from having scattered 
over the States several hundred trained men 
who, from their education and previous military 
instruction, could, on short notice, be made into 
efficient officers. I w'ould like to sec this pro¬ 
vision of the law' carried iuto execution more 
generally than it has been, as I deem it one of 
the wisest, if not the wisest provision of the 
act. 
At the close of 1875, 2,889 students wore re¬ 
ceiving instruction in Military Science in the 
colloges organized under this grant. Estimat¬ 
ing that at the present uot less than 3,000 young 
men are being taught and drilled by experienced 
and competent offioers without any cost to the 
Government, we can readily see that it is getting 
more work done in this one direction for this 
graut, than it could have done, had it sold the 
lauds aud invested tho money at six per cent, 
find expended the interest for instruction in 
Military Tactics. Not far from 10,000.000 acres 
were granted. This at Government price (£1.25) 
would give $12,500,000 ; this at six per cent 
yields $750,000 iu interest; dividing this by 
3.000 (the number of studeutB now taught) it 
would give $250 as the cost of instruction per 
year for each oue; less than one-third of what 
it does actually cost the Government schools to 
give instruction in Military Tactics. 
It may bo said that the instruction is not so ex¬ 
tended and complete in tire colleges as iu the 
national schools. This is true; hut after making 
all possible allowances, we fled the gift is a pay¬ 
ing and a wise one. 
I desire now to cull attention to tho last clause 
of tho law, “In order to promote the liberal 
and practical education of the industrial clnsses 
in tho carious pursuits aud pirofessions in life.” 
Could auything be more comprehensive? 
more liberal? more jmit? None to be excluded 
on account of color, sex, age or previous con¬ 
dition, and, while it was desirable that the lead¬ 
ing objects should be the promotion of Ag¬ 
riculture and Mechanics, yet all must bo wel¬ 
comed and free to choose that course of study 
from which they could derive most benefit.— 
[To be continued. 
RURAL TOPICS. 
T. B. MINER. 
ROTATION DF CROPS. 
A good farmer is known by his judicious rota¬ 
tion of crops, because all crops do not draw from 
the Boil the same relative amount of its fertiliz¬ 
ing constituents. Probably there is no better 
rotation than to begin with com on a grass Bed ; 
and the question may arise. “ Is it best to plow 
the land early in the spring, and give the sod 
tho more time to decay, or should it bo plowed 
at tho time of planting the corn ?" I think that 
it is decidedly the best way to plow and plant 
immediately, so that the corn may be up before 
the grass has grown much. I have seen fields 
that were plowed for corn two or three weeks 
before it was planted, so full of grass that the 
corn had a hard struggle for life till tho grass 
was subdued. 
The next crop after coni may be potatoes, bar¬ 
ley. or oats ; and in the fall put in winter wheat 
and seed down to timothy, and sow the clover- 
seed in the spring, in March, while the surface 
of the soil freezes at night and thaws by day. 
which opens tho soil and lets the clover seed into 
tho numerous little cracks. Another "way is to 
sow the clover seed in April, aud run a fine- 
toothed harrow over the land both way*. If the 
soil is light, the harrowing will benefit the 
wheat, eradicate the w'eeds and cover the clover 
seed. 
But this rotation requires an application of 
manure to each wop in order to produce good 
paying crops, as a general rule. There is no uso 
in farmers in the old States trying to keop their 
f irms in a fertile condit ion without manure ; and 
they should keep enough live stock to supply 
what dung must be applied to their lands, and 
this can be done the most profitably by keeping 
first-class milch cows. No farmer who owns ten 
or twelve cows that yield a pound of batter a day 
on an average of nine months in the year, need 
fear to see the village constable call on him, as 
ho will havo no summons to serve on him but 
he will have one for his neighbor who keeps but 
two or three cows, and of a kind that, are sold 
“ cheap ’— the poor “ critters ’’ that one finds at 
anetion sales, and which would be doar at $10 a 
head. 
WHAT All CROPS REQUIRE. 
Every kind of crop or plant can be grown in 
perfection, if we apply to the land potash, phos¬ 
phoric acid and nitrogen, the land and air always 
supplying what else is needed. Stable dung con¬ 
tains no other fertilizing constituent of much 
importance. Every fertile soil contains enough 
of the above-named constituents to hear one 
good crop, or more in most cases ; but every crop 
talceu off the land lessens the supply, till at last 
we come to loorn-oid soils ; what has taken place 
at tho South with millions of acres, which were 
cropped with cotton or tobacco for mauy years 
without applying any mannre. A good farmer 
has learned that laud must be fed, somewhat 
on the same principle that ho feeds his cows, but 
only once a year ; and in some cases, once in 
several years is enough, or just before seeding 
down to grass. I hear some ono ask : “ How 
shall we feed our land—with stable dung ? or with 
commercial fertilizers ?” I reply with stable 
dung ; aud if you can obtain, or make enough of 
it, leave tho commercial fertilizers as a last re- 
Bort. A writer says : “ Each ci’op must have 
its own peculiar food, and in proper proportion, 
too." When a man talks that way, hois getting 
into the subject beyond his ability to advise 
farmers profitably ; because, as I understand 
him, he is coming to the theory that ail a farmer 
has to do to raise good crops, is to say to his land 
“Doctor" (vender of fertilizers,) “ I want fertili¬ 
zers for such and suc h cropsand the “doctor’’ 
prescribes for each, according to tbo tabloB 
showing bow much potash, phosphoric acid and 
nitrogen each crop draws from the soil. Tins 
theory is being revived in this country, after a 
long reposi ; but it is not reliable. In some 
cases it may work well ; but generally the crops 
grown on this principle have uot been satisfac¬ 
tory to anybody but the laud doctors, because it 
is not possible for anybody to kuow tho relative 
proportions of potash, phosphoric acid and ni¬ 
trogen, that is in the soil before the fertilizer is 
applied. Analysis cannot give solutions of such 
questions, that are reliable, as every field, and 
perhaps every square rod in a field have different 
degrees of fertility. 
BLOWING UP STUMPS. 
It has been demonstrated that stump3 can ho 
blown out of the ground much cheaper than 
pulled out. Iu an experiment lately tried, five 
stumps were operated on, the first being oak. A 
hole was punched under it between two project¬ 
ing roots. Then a cartridge of dynamite about 
two iuchesloug, aud an inch in diameter, was in¬ 
serted iu the hole, which was made with a crow¬ 
bar ; aud on being fired, the stump was blown 
out. Next, a chestnut stump was served in the 
same way ; and it was blown, as the report says, 
“ to atoms.” Other stumps which would have 
cost a dollar each to remove in any other way, 
were thrown out skyward. A charge was put 
under a rook of about two tons weight, and it was 
thrown from its lied and shattered to pieces. 
With larger charges, stumps were blown 125 
feet. Dynamite was also shown to be a power¬ 
ful agent in breaking up rocks, by drilling holes 
in them from six to twelve inches deep ; and 
charging them with dynamite, which is put up 
in packages of oiled muslin, in shape like a can¬ 
dle, and impervious to water. One end is opened 
when used, and a hole is made in the powder 
with a stick to insert a percussion cap an inch 
long, and loaded half its length with fulminating 
mercury. Then a fuse is insertea in the cap, 
which, with other appliances, renders the suc¬ 
cessful use of this powerful explosive powder a 
thing to be carefully learned, or something might 
be “ blown up” besides stumps and rocks. 
PAINTING FARM IMPLEMENTS. 
I suppose that there are many farmers who 
never used a paint brush ; and I can imagine 
how their old rusty wagons, plows, etc. look, 
the wood-work badly cracked, and going to ruiu 
rapidly. It is of as much importance to keep 
farm implements well poiuted. as it is to paint a 
house; and every farmer should have an 
“ outfit " of painting materials oa hand, so as to 
be prepared to do any job iu that line that may 
be necessary. All that is necessary, is a two- 
gallon oil-can, a couple of brushes of different 
sizes, and tho nocessary paint; but that, can bo 
bought as wanted, yet it is better to buy a 25 
pound keg of white lead, and a can of oil (half 
boiled and half raw) as they will keep a long 
time. For plows, harrows, and the running- 
gear of wagons, you need only red lead aud oil; 
but for other colors you will require the w hite 
load. If you want a common black paint, use 
lamp-black and oil ; but for a carriage body get 
black coach paint at the wheel-weight’s, also 
some varnish to finish with. You would be sur¬ 
prised to see tho nice work that yon or the 
“ boys ” can do after a little practice ; and when 
you get in the way of doing your own painting, 
your keg of lead won’t remain on your hands 
long. Why, there is money in paint —actu¬ 
ally hank bills, and gold, and silver dollars! 
For instance, you buy a new farm wagon, and 
and keep it well painted, aud under cover when 
not in use. Now, your neighbor buys one at the 
samo time, aud doesu’t paint at all for ten or fif¬ 
teen years; aud what is the result ? Worn out. 
decayed wood-work, split and cracked, must be 
thrown aside as “used up,” while yours is as 
good almost as when new. You have found a 
hundred dollars in your paint; but your neigh¬ 
bor, poor rnan ! has got, perhaps, to stint his 
family in tho necessaries of life to pay for a new 
wagon. 
Linden, N. J. 
WESTERN ECHOES. 
FROM THE “MAPLE SHADOWS.” 
DR. A. C. WILLIAMS. 
A very common mistake, West, is that of run¬ 
ning land too loug to one sort of crop. A field 
is f elected, supposed to be the ohoicest soil for 
wheat, aud it ib set apart for that cereal, and 
expected to furnish the family with bread, year 
after year, with little or no manuring, and wlieu 
the yield necessarily falls off annually, tho actual 
cause is overlooked, and the season regarded an 
unfavorable, not sufficient seed planted, or tbo 
variety of wheat “ run out,” Ollier portions of 
the farm are run iu corn in the same man¬ 
ner and, sooner or later, foxtail, cockle-bum, 
“Spanish needles” and “ lamhsquarter” area 
litile “corny” iu spite of all that can be done. 
The judicious rotation of crops is one but little 
understood, and seldom practiced. The dispo¬ 
sition of tho straw after the grain is threshed, 
is the most striking instance of extrvuganco and 
waste to be seen. It is a rare case to find a 
farmer who carefully stacks and feeds his straw, 
or makes any effort whatever to have it returned 
to the soil whence it Came. If sufficient helpM 
secured to get it away from the machine, no 
further thought is given it, more than to soe 
that a match is applied before it would fail to 
burn. A boy, a horse, a fence rail, with odd 
hand to help him load, is considered sufficient, 
aud tho straw is hauled aud scattered over an 
acre or two of the field, and it makes a fire that 
delights the firm boys very much. I kuow of 
one or two farmers, however, who save their 
straw. 
Tho best fanners wo havo iuour neighborhood 
are Germans. They have taken laud that every¬ 
body else regarded, before tbeir advent, as en¬ 
tirely worthless, and now have the finest farm¬ 
ing lauds in 1 he country, every acre of which ia 
in the highest state of cultivation. They grow 
wheat largely, understand the benefit of drain¬ 
ing their lands thoroughly, aud know how to 
make money. The rapidity with which largo 
stumps have vanished from their fields, bus 
been a matter of wonder to those who are more 
careful about laying out tbeir strength. 
I begin to entertain great fears that the gen¬ 
erality of our farmers will never receive muck 
