THE CULTIVATOR. 
151 
THE STUDY OF AGRICULTURE. 
Messrs. Editors —In that valuable work, “ The 
School and the Schoolmaster,” may be found some state¬ 
ments showing- that in manufacturing establishments, the 
productiveness of labor is materially increased by the em¬ 
ployment of educated workmen. If this is true in manu¬ 
factures, it must be so to an equal or greater degree in 
agriculture. In manufactures, the division of labor is 
carried to a great extent; a single workman has but a 
few distinct operations to perform, and by frequent repe¬ 
tition, he soon acquires dexterity in the department as¬ 
signed him, though his mind may be void of culture. In 
husbandry, the division of labor is more limited; one 
man performs a large number of operations widely differ¬ 
ent in their character; and hence, there is occasion for a 
more extensive exercise of the reasoning powers, and 
more ample room is afforded for the application of di¬ 
versified intellectual acquirements. 
We have been told that in this country, only one pupil 
in twenty goes higher than the common school. It is 
manifest, therefore, that seminaries established for the 
special purpose of teaching agriculture and its kindred 
sciences, will not confer their direct benefits upon a very 
large proportion of the farming population; though it 
must be admitted that the indirect advantages will be felt 
by the whole community. The great body of our farm¬ 
ers must depend on the common school to obtain the 
ground work of their education; and the superstructure 
must then be reared by persevering application during 
the leisure moments which every one can command, par¬ 
ticularly on the winter evenings. 
The day has mostly gone by, when the farmer who 
consulted books for information respecting, his employ¬ 
ment, was a subject of stupid ridicule. It is now gene¬ 
rally admitted that the business of husbandry, may derive 
valuable assistance from a more faithful application of 
scientific principles. I believe the public mind is suffi¬ 
ciently prepared for the introduction of agricultural sci¬ 
ence, as a branch of study in the district schools through¬ 
out the State. Many years ago, this measure was re¬ 
commended by De Witt Clinton, whose enlightened 
views, as is common with great minds, were in advance 
of the times in which he lived. The general introduc¬ 
tion of this study into the schools, will appear to be an 
object well deserving the efforts of the town and county 
superintendents, when it is considered that so large a 
part of our population are farmers. The improved con¬ 
dition of these institutions of learning, which is confi¬ 
dently expected to result from the vigorous system of su¬ 
pervision now adopted, would undoubtedly make room 
for the new study, among the larger boys, without detri¬ 
ment to the branches hitherto pursued. In the first place, 
we must have a suitable text book. My acquaintance 
with agricultural works is not extensive; but of those 
which I have examined, Gray’s “Scientific and Practical 
Agriculture,” seems to be the best adapted to our pur¬ 
pose. As stated in the preface, this book was prepared 
more particularly for academies and seminaries of the 
higher class, and it may not be just the thing needed in 
our common schools. A work on this subject, for gene¬ 
ral use in the common schools, should contain only the 
most important outlines; for if we attempt too much, we 
are in danger of failing entirely. Whether Mr. Gray’s 
book sufficiently answer’s the above description, I leave 
to the judgment of others. It is certainly a valuable 
production; and the occasional moral reflections are ex¬ 
ceedingly appropriate. If there is any work in the mar¬ 
ket, better adapted than Mr. Gray’s, for common schools, 
I should like to have it named. 
If it should be thought that a text book on agriculture 
could be prepared, better fitted for the use of common 
schools than any of the works now before the public, 
would it not be a good movement for the State Agricul¬ 
tural Society to offer a premium for such a book? If an 
extensive effort should be made to bring this branch of 
learning into the schools, it would be of vast importance, 
to have a first rate text book to begin with. A work is¬ 
sued under the auspices of the State Society, would be 
likely to meet with favor; and perhaps the early atten¬ 
tion to this subject, by that association, would effectually 
prevent, in respect to agricultural science, that diversity 
of text books which is the cause of so much embarrass¬ 
ment in other departments of learning. 
Le Grange, Dutchess co., N. Y. A. R. McCord. 
LEASING FARMS. 
Messrs. Editors— The practice prevails to some ex¬ 
tent, of letting farms to tenants, and receiving in the 
shape of rent, a portion of the produce in kind, say a 
third, half, or two-thirds, varying with the amount of 
stock, seed, &c., furnished by the proprietor. This 
practice has engaged my attention for some years past; 
and I am constrained to say, that I think it ministers to 
the inherent indolence of those who are in the habit of 
taking farms in this way; impoverishes the land, and is 
an effectual bar to all improvement; for it is not to be ex¬ 
pected that they will expend money or make much ex¬ 
ertion where they are not to reap the immediate benefit. 
The landlord who thus lets his farm, will suffer the mor¬ 
tification and loss of seeing his farm ruined in a few 
years, and of receiving a very small interest on the money 
invested; and the tenant who follows this method of 
getting a living, will generally become a poor shiftless 
tool, and never be in a thriving condition. I speak from 
experience and pretty extensive observation on this sub¬ 
ject; and the conclusion I have arrived at is, that every 
man qualified to work a farm properly, with industry and 
integrity sufficient to justify the confidence of others, will 
be sure to have a farm of his own. The practice, then, 
should be wholly discouraged and abandoned, both by 
landlord and tenant. Why should a man in our free 
country, where land as rich as the sun ever shone upon, 
can be had for $1,25 per acre, be willing to live in ser¬ 
vile dependance on others all his days? Let him become 
the owner of even a few acres, and cultivate them in 
earnest, and he becomes at once a man, takes a higher 
stand in the scale of society, and feels that he breathes in 
a new atmosphere. He feels a stimulus to exertion un¬ 
known before, has a home for his wife and children, and 
prospers even beyond his hopes. But, says one, “ I 
must take a farm for a few years, till I become able to 
purchase for myself.” The fact is, he is seldom any 
more able at the end of three or five years, than at the 
beginning; and the landlord, I am quite sure, reaps but 
little benefit, and is compelled to see his farm deteriora¬ 
ting every year. Briars and thistles spring up, the bush¬ 
es around stumps and in the corners of fences are uncut, 
the fences receive little attention, and the land is skinned 
and exhausted by constant cropping. 
Capt. Barclay, in his miscalled Agricultural Tour in 
the United States, remarks upon this practice with much 
seA r erity, but urges the propriety of letting farms on long 
leases. This may do in England, where land is valued 
at from $200 to $500 per acre, and mostly in the possess- 
sion of the nobility. But in this country the system never 
has worked well; it is ill adapted to the genius of our in¬ 
stitutions, and to form and sustain the character of an in¬ 
dependent American citizen. Besides, such tenants as he 
speaks of, cannot be found; all such will be found work¬ 
ing their own farms. The land in some parts of our 
country, even to the extent of some whole townships, 
has been worked for a series of years on long leases, but 
the inhabitants as a whole, have not been prosperous; 
and the proprietors have not realized the interest of eight 
dollars on land worth thirty dollars per acre. If these* 
statements do not correspond with the experience an<? 
observation of others, let them speak out and give us th« 
facts in their possession. H. A. P 
A HINT. 
Encourage your correspondents by all means, when 
ever they give a prescription or recipe for any disease of 
man or beast, never to say some —-or a little —or make 
a strong or a weak solution. Such recipes are not only 
useless but vexatious, if not detrimental; beg them al¬ 
ways to say how much of every thing. Let the exact pro* 
portions be given. I. S. S. 
It is in agriculture, as in every part of creation, a wise 
and paternal Providence has inseparably connected oui 
duty with our happiness. 
