be brought up where cows are kept and not 
know how to milk. The same thing might be 
said in regard to the various branches of 
farming. The art of farming is not inherited, 
or to be learned from books alone; every 
step must be learned by actual trial and ex¬ 
perience. At the proper age, boys should be 
taught by a competent instructor all the details 
in every branch pertaining to agriculture; no 
one is competent to direct the labor of others 
who has not himself learned that which he 
wishes others to do. 
Some boys get the idea that all work is 
drudgery, and that to make a dollar by specu¬ 
lation, or a few cents trading jack-knives, is 
better than to earn the mouey. They should 
be taught that labor is not only honorable, 
but actually necessary to the highest success 
in any of the avocations of life, and that the 
boys who are brought up to work, and to do 
that work thoroughly, stand the best chance 
in any avocation or profession, other things 
being equal; that labor is not drudgery to 
those who love their work. Cite to them the 
list of honorable names that adorn the pages 
of history, whose possessors have risen from 
poverty and obscurity by industry and per¬ 
severance; cite to them the men in your own 
Midst our shivering desolation 
Do we feel that we are blest, 
For the absence of this nuisance 
Compensates for all the rest. 
A VISIT TO LAFAYETTE 
Dear Rural:— Among some old papers I 
found the enclosed letter, written by a Balti¬ 
more lady while visiting the home of Lafay¬ 
ette. Thinking it would be of interest to your 
readers, I send it. M L s 
La Grange, May 29, 1830. 
The weather has been so wet since I have 
been here that yesterday was the first day that I 
could get out. The dear old General took me 
entirely through his farm-yard. You can 
have no idea of the perfect manner iu which 
his cattle are taken care of—the comfortable 
houses and beds; the cleanliness and regularity 
are astonishing. He has here a flock 
PRIZE ESSAY.— Class I.—NO. II. 
HOW SHALL WE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN 
AGRICULTURALLY? 
EUGENE SECOR. 
In treating this subject I shall confine my¬ 
self more particularly to the training of the 
boys, though many of the suggestion* will np- 
ply with equal force to that of girls. The 
agricultural education of a boy should begin 
before he is old enough to study books. 
The first thing that should dawu upon his 
mental vision is that the home he has fallen 
into, is a happy one. No matter how poor, 
how humble, how primitive in its appoint¬ 
ments, love should abide there; wealth is not 
necessary to furnish this schooling. It should 
be appareut, even to a child, that all the 
labor performed is for the common good of 
the family. Perfect confidence should exist 
aim never tolerate a man who swears at, and 
abuses your team, or who would teach the 
boys any bad habits. Many boys are mined, 
morally and intellectually, by the contact of 
vicious and thoughtless hired men; one reason 
why so many of the bright boys leave the 
farm, is because they get disgusted with the 
associates furnished them in the persons of 
ignorant and vulgar hired help. 
When the boys have graduated from the 
district school, if they are to receive a higher 
education—which is certainly a laudable am¬ 
bition—the question arises: “Shall that high¬ 
er education be classical, scientific, or prac¬ 
tical ?” I should say make it scientific if possi¬ 
ble, but practical by all means. If the study 
of the dead languages will make better farm¬ 
ers of them, let them study the dead languages; 
not otherwise. Let them pursue, especially, 
those sciences which relate to A OTfimi Ifn • 
of feeding 
of L'-290 of the finest Merino sheep, all of which 
I saw turned out attended by two shepherds 
and four dogs. The cows are much larger 
than ours, generally. and are treated more 
like human beings than brutes. They are 
turned out in the morning aud brought in in 
the heat of the day, fed, suffered to rest a 
certain time, and again turned out until sun¬ 
set, when they are put up for the night. In 
one of the stables there are 22 cows and two 
bulls. The veal they have here is the whitest, 
fattest and nicest I ever saw. The calves are 
attended by women, and fattened by a pecu- 
liai process. They give them eggs—four a 
day to each calf—which are put down their 
throats whole: this with their allowance of 
milk, I am told, fattens them in a very short 
time. Each cow is confined with a halter of 
sufficient length to let them lie down at 
their ease; their hides are nicer and cleaner 
than many of our gentlemen’s carriage horses. 
In another stable were 13 cows, amongst 
which were those of the Devon breed, given 
by N, G. Patterson, of Baltimore, also”nine 
half-grown calves; all, as he told me, were of 
the same stock. The horses in the General’s 
stables are attended with equal care. There 
were in the stables 15 horses besides his car 
riage horses, aud three donkeys, one large one 
foi farm use, the other two for the young la¬ 
dies and children to ride. I assure'you they 
go quite pleasantly, as yesterday I rode one 
all round the park and to the lake. The pig¬ 
gery is the most complete you can imagine, 
containing a great number of hogs of all sizes, 
ages and breeds,bnt the one you gave the Gen¬ 
eral is the largest ever seen, aud is much more 
esteemed than any of the others. The Gene¬ 
ral relates with much apparent pleasure that 
an English farmer of great wealth and knowl 
edge, on seeing this hog said, “Well, sir, you 
may boast of having the finest boar that was 
ever sent from England,” and would scarcely 
believe him. when with pride he told him it 
came from the United States, and not from 
England. The farm-yard is a very large 
square with buildings extending quite around 
it. The house for the sheep occupies an en¬ 
tire side of the square; the buildings are all 
of stone, and built as if to endure forever. 
The General has a great variety of birds, 
poultry, ami American deer, all provided with 
the nicest possible accommodations. Were you 
here, I am sure you might designate many 
things that would be valuable for our farmers 
to know. They make cheese here, as well as 
the finest butter I ever tasted. The dairy is 
necessary. All praise would probably spoil, 
and all reproof discourage them. The boy 
should now be attending school, and should 
go regularly. Regularity and punctuality are 
two prime factors in school progress; irregu¬ 
larity and tardiness will teud to carelessness 
aud want of interest. Without interest the 
boy falls behind his classes, and perhaps gets 
discouraged, or, what is worse, hates school 
and study. At this age, not only does a boy 
need a good school, but proper associates and 
playmates as well; these should be chosen for 
him. A boy of twelve is not capable of choos¬ 
ing suitable companions; if need be, insist on 
his keeping company with only good boys. 
Keep him at home evenings: do this by mak¬ 
ing your home just as attractive and pleasant 
as your neighbor's home, or as any place in 
town; furnish all the books and papers which 
he ought to read—those suitable to his age and 
progress. Juvenile books and papers of reco- 
nized worth and morality, are the best com¬ 
panions for a boy after sundown. It may be 
asked: “What has this to do with a boj’s 
learning to farmf” Just this: no man can be 
a progressive farmer who is not studious; and 
a boy is not likely to grow up with studious 
and exemplary habits, whose associates are 
idle aud of doubtful morality. 
Home life on the farm is oftentimes too 
dreary; it ought to be as cheerful as the 
saloon. Innocent games can do no harm: 
uuuueu ny animats over wmcu he possesses 
almost unlimited power and control. No 
farmer can fully succeed who is not kind to 
his domestic animals. 
As the boy grows, he should be taught the 
names of the birds, their habits and haunts, 
and be made their firm and lasting friend and 
protector. Let him watch their mating and 
nesting, the feeding of the young and the final 
flight from the home nest. He can also be 
made familiar with the names aud habits of 
the many insects and worms that inhabit the 
farm. The learning of these names and cha¬ 
racteristics is just as easy as learning the mul¬ 
tiplication table, and much more interesting 
to him. The information thus gained would 
be turned to good account in after years. Du¬ 
ring the acquisition of this knowledge, there 
ought to be inculcated an admiration for the 
wonderful creations about him. The ignor¬ 
ance prevailing among farmers is astonishing 
13 wwsuvnaDa coo ruu or golden oppor¬ 
tunities for the improvement of agriculture 
for a farmer to waste the precious years of 
youth in the study of those branches that will 
not aid him iu his life work, when the mental 
discipline can be acquired by studying some 
of the great problems in practical life. 
One thing more. — Impress it upon the 
minds of the boys at all suitable opportunities, 
that there is nothing in this world so stable 
as land; that no investment is as permanent as 
real estate; that no money is so satisfying as 
that produced out of the earth by skilled labor; 
that the farmer who is out of debt on a well- 
stocked farm is the most independent of hard 
times and financial crisies, because all com¬ 
mercial enterprises, mechanical trades, and 
professions, depend upon productive labor for 
prosperity; and that intelligent farmin gpays, 
not only in dollars and cents, but in the grati¬ 
fication of knowing that they can leave the 
farm better than they fouiid it, and if two 
bushels of corn are raised where only one 
pew before, no oue else need be the poorer for 
it. The infatuation to become speedily rich, 
that has taken possession of the American 
boy, is one of the worst evils that we find it 
necessary to counteract. Enlightened and 
progressive agriculturists cannot be expected, 
until wo are willing to look into the future for 
the results of our labor. The improvement 
of the farm by tile draining, the improvement 
of our stock, the production of the best fruits, 
aud trees to shelter the home require time, a 
patience aud skill, tbat]are seldom foun l where 
the speculative mania has seized the farmer. 
An honorable competence, accumulated by 
years of industry and intelligent labor, has a 
refining and elevating influence on its possess¬ 
or not enjoyed by those who become suddenly 
wealthy. 
Winnebago Co., Iowa. 
EDOKRTON 
uaes me com ana cheerless snow. 
Bleak and drnaiy looms the prospect, 
Whereso'er we chance to go: 
Shrills the north wind through the branches 
Of the bare and leafless trees. 
Bound and fettered groau the streamlets. 
Cold and dormant lies the bees. 
In and out amongst the hazel 
Hops the rabbit to and fro, 
Squawks the gray goose most discordant 
Hoarse, aud harshly, caws the crow; 
Weird the melody resounding 
From the over laden wain. 
As the farmer homeward wendeth 
With supplies of wood and grain. 
But we draw sweet consolation 
From this snow-bound season drear. 
For lightnlug-rods are out of fashion. 
And no festive tramp draws near. 
current news. . I* or a description of the 
Lafayette Cam.13 -1 refer you to Mr.M._. The 
more I see of them, the more I admire and love 
them. 
*** 
Just before dinner on the day I wrote you 
last, we heard of a fete at one of the villages 
a lew miles off. You already' know that each 
village in France has its aunual fetes, some 
oftener. Whilst at dinner the General’s 
traveling carriage was prepared for us, and 
the four ' “ 
young ladies, the four boys,,and 
