THE CULTIVATOR. 
287 
jf the establishment under the direction of the farmer ( 
and instructor. 59 1 
The school at Templemoyle is a most gratifying ex- I 
ample of what may be done by a few ardent friends of t 
the farmer without Legislative aid. On a farm of 150 ; 
acres, and with a system whose details are marked by i 
great simplicity, an Institution has been formed, of the < 
highest practical benefit. The advantages derived during 
the 27 years of its existence have enlisted the entire com- < 
munity in its favor; and seldom have we been more gra- 1 
titled than in hearing the encomiums passed upon both t 
school and pupils by former residents of the neighbor- ' 
hood—a gratification of course mainly derived from the 
■anticipation that thus encouraged the farmers of our be¬ 
loved country would be quick to furnish their own sons 
with similar instruction here. 
Class 2d.. Schools for special instruction. 
As an example of what has been done, and shall we 
not say, may be done ? when Agricultural Societies, aided 
by government, exert themselves, “ The Agricultural : 
Institute of Wirtemburg,” is well deserving a notice. This , 
was founded in 1817 by the Agricultural Society of Wir- ' 
lemburg, under the patronage of the king, who devoted a 
royal seat with extensive buildings to the purposes of the 
Institution. There are two departments—in the higher, 
the object is less the acquisition of manual dexterity in 
the operations of agriculture, than the knowledge requi¬ 
red to superintend them; while in the lower, the prac¬ 
tice is the chief end. In the higher, for tuition natives 
pay $40, foreigners $120 per annum; and for meals, &c., 
paid in advance to the Steward, $40. In the lower, na¬ 
tives are admitted gratis, if their circumstances require 
it, otherwise $40 for three years. The officers are ap¬ 
pointed by the Agricultural Society. The Director is an 
instructor; there are also a treasurer, 4 regular and 4 ex¬ 
traordinary professors, besides an overseer and steward; 
number of students in 1837 was 99. Applicants for ad¬ 
mission must be 17 years of age, and possess the neces¬ 
sary qualifications for the prosecution of the course. The 
pupils of the lower school are engaged in operations on 
the farm, garden, &c. They also attend certain of the 
lectures given to the higher classes, and receive instruc¬ 
tion when not engaged in labor. They are paid for work 
done, by which they are enabled to defray the expense 
of maintenance. Those who display great skill and in¬ 
dustry, receive premiums. 
The agricultural course of the higher school generally 
requires two years. The same period is required for 
that of forestry. 
Branches of special theoretical instruction: 
1. Agriculture . General principles of farming and 
horticulture, including the culture of the vine, the breed¬ 
ing of cattle, growing of wool, rearing of horses, raising 
of silk-worms, arrangement and direction of farms, esti¬ 
mation of the value of farms, book-keeping. 
2. Forestry. Encyclopedia of forestry, botany of for¬ 
ests, culture and superintendence of forests, guard of for¬ 
ests, hunting, taxation, uses of forests, technology, laws 
and regulations, accounts, and technical correspondence 
relating to forests. 
3. Accessory branches. Veterinary art, agricultural 
technology, especially the manufacture of beet sugar, 
brewing, vinegar making and distilling. The construc¬ 
tion of roads and hydraulic works. 
General courses: 
1. The Natural Sciences. Geology, physiology of 
plants, botany as applied to agriculture and forestry, nat¬ 
ural history of animals beneficial or noxious to plants and 
trees. General chemistry, and its applications to agri¬ 
culture, physics and meteorology. 
2. Mathematics. Theoretical and practical geometry, 
elements of trigonometry, arithmetic, elements of alge- 
Dra. 
The farm of 960 acres is thus divided; arable land 501; 
meadow, 242; fields set apart for experiment, 33; wood¬ 
land, 13; nursery, 67; hop plantation, 2; botanical gar¬ 
den, 14; ground for pupils in plowing, 2; garden, 1; oth¬ 
erwise appropriated, 85. 
For the further advantage of pupils, the arable land is 
cultivated according to five different rotations; a large 
stock of cattle of different breeds, foreign and domestic, and 
of sheep are kept; agricultural implements are made in a 
work-shop attached; collections of seed are made for lec 
hires and sales—useful seeds are distributed throughout 
the country. There are collections of soils for analyses 
and lectures; philosophical apparatus, library and labo 
ratory; also a cider press, beet sugar manufactory, brew 
ery, distillery and vineg*ar manufactory. 
We have already extended this article much beyond 
our intended limits. We have written that the reader, 
knowing what has been done, may be the better enabled 
to form a tangible idea of what he should assist in doing, 
viz: blessing our country with like Institutions. 
Philadelphia , July, 1844. 
LETTER FROM RICHMOND 
Of Staten Island, Nets-York, to his friend Solon Robin 
son, of Indiana. Bated at Oakland Farm, July 4, 1844. 
Dear Sir —I have been some time in your debt, and I 
now set down to discharge the obligation, by answering 
your last agreeable letter. In this part of the country, 
the season has been favorable, the crops in general look 
well, and the in-gathering has commenced earlier than 
usual. Although in the midst of harvest, I am enabled to 
devote a portion of the day to you, because my farm la¬ 
borers have been allowed to absent themselves and par¬ 
take of the festivities and amusements of our national an¬ 
niversary at a neighboring village. The day is delight¬ 
fully clear, cool and pleasant, and all nature puts on a 
smiling aspect. When I look upon the fields teeming 
with bountiful crops, and the whole country blessed with 
peace and plenty, I feel that we ought to be very thank¬ 
ful to the “ Good Supreme, 55 * who hath placed us in this 
favored land, and rewarded our labors with abundance. 
In your last letter, (Cult, for March, 1844, p. 92,) 
among other remarkable facts in relation to the western 
lands and prairies, you mention a cause of sickness in the 
wooden curbs of wells. This is doubtless the ca.se, and 
permit me to point out the remedy, which maybe easily 
applied. If the lower section of the curb, beneath and 
above the water, was completely burnt or charred before 
being* sunk, it would preserve the wood and sweeten the 
water. Within my memory, no vessel going on a long 
voyage, could preserve the water pure and free from the 
smell and taste of sulphuretted hydrogen, which also pro¬ 
duces the bilge water effluvium from the hold of a ship. 
Water contained a length of time in casks of sound oak 
wood, will nevertheless have a bilge water taste and 
odor. I recollect some forty years ago being invited on 
board a vessel returned from a voyage to the West In¬ 
dies. The captain, as was then the custom, presented 
his bottle of Jamaica spirits which was mixed with wa¬ 
ter so nauseous from the bilge water smell, that I could 
not drink it. I was laughed at as a land lubber, for not 
being able to stomach the mixture. The captain and 
crew from habit were unconscious of its unpleasant and 
unwholesome qualities. Sickness sooner or later follows 
the use of such water. I could point out some remarka¬ 
ble cases of sickness on ship-board, of fevers and scurvy, 
from the drinking of similar foul water in former times. 
But this is unnecessary, as the subject is now well under¬ 
stood, and the evil is remedied by charring the inside of 
water casks. The same process applied to your wooden 
curbs, would have the same effect, but they should be 
charred inside and out. This may be done by burning 
brush, straw, or prairie grass in and around the curb un¬ 
til it becomes completely charred, and then it will last 
for ages. A swab with water as used by coopers, can be 
applied to prevent burning too deep. 
One other means of promoting health in the families 
of your western settlers and log cabins, would be to 
whitewash the houses and fences. I presume the article 
of lime can be procured, as I know limestone abounds 
in all the country around you. Applying a white coloi 
to houses in the country, either of white lead or white 
wash, makes an agreeable contrast with the surrounding 
green of the grass and trees, and gives an air of eleva 
tion and liveliness to the scene. I remember being im 
pressed with these ideas, when in my younger days, I firs 1 
* “ Father of light and life, thou Good Supbeme.”— Thompson ** 
Seasons. 
