1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
45 
Ing something new or wonderful. The great order and 
variety which nature displays, is one great cause of the 
study of Natural History being so fascinating, since the 
love of variety is deeply implanted in the human heartf 
The mind of the student of nature is never at loss for 
company, for good society. He has no need of resort¬ 
ing to the tavern, the grog shop or gambling house, to 
pass away the time. Let our farmers’ sons be well 
educated, especially in the different branches of Natu¬ 
ral History, then they would not become dissatisfied 
with their vocation, as it sometimes happens, but they 
would prefer it to every other. Supposing that a far¬ 
mer knows the correct name of every plant with its 
•properties, that grows on his farm, the composition of 
its soil, its minerals and rocks:; would not such know¬ 
ledge add greatly to his happiness ! Then he would 
work understandingly, and his daily walks in the fields 
would be enlivened by familiar acquaintances. Not a 
flower, or plant, or pebble, would escape his notice; 
indeed, there is nothing which tends more than the stu¬ 
dy of nature, to increase the powers of observation. 
The naturalist sees beauties unseen by others; tastes 
pleasures unfelt and unknown to others, a He sees wis¬ 
dom in the trees, books in the running brooks, sermons 
in stones, and good in every thing.” He does not become 
tired and disgusted with life, and find fault with the 
world and the order of Providence; but the more he 
studies, the more he discovers wisdom, design, and 
goodness in the arrangement of things, and a unity of 
design in that arrangement, proclaiming that its author 
is one and the same, possessing all knowledge and power. 
It has often been said that a country life is the happiest, 
and poets have often sung its praises; for this the citi¬ 
zen pants while toiling to amass a fortune, and yet such 
a one, after having accomplished his wishes, and pur¬ 
chased a situation in the country, is often doomed to 
disappointment, simply for the reason that such a life 
is different from his former habits, which have become 
to him a second nature 5 besides, he is ignorant of Na¬ 
tural History, and a country life soon loses its charms, 
and he longs to return to his former busy avocation. 
Had such a one a knowledge of and taste for nature, 
how happily could he pass his time amid the varied 
scenes of a country life. S. B. Buckley. West Dres¬ 
den, Yates Co., N. Deo. 1848. 
The Education of Farmers’ Daughters. 
Eds. Cultivator.™ Most of the farmers of our 
country, are the sons of farmers 9 and most of their 
wives are the daughters of farmers. This shows the 
propriety of educating our children with reference to 
our own occupation. The first and most important 
step towards the improvement of the great agricultur¬ 
al community, is the improvement of the mind, by a 
proper early education. Until they as a class, are as 
well informed as those engaged in other pursuits, they 
must and will feel a degree of diffidence, a want of 
confidence in themselves. The most important duty 
we have to perform, either as parents or citizens, is 
that of properly educating and bringing up our chil¬ 
dren, Until the farmers so discharge that duty, as that 
their descendants rank equal with those engaged in oth¬ 
er pursuits, they will be guilty, as they too long have 
been, of a great dereliction of duty. 
I am pleased to see, of late, able articles in our jour¬ 
nals, on the subject of giving our sons an agricultural 
education; but this should be coupled with a good com¬ 
mon education, at least. I am proving the want of this 
in almost every sentence I write. 
We should also remember, that the education of our 
daughters, is of equal importance, and that common 
justice requires that we give them an equal chance 
with our sons. It is true, our women do not vote at 
our elections, or hold political office, or manage the out 
door concerns of the farm ,- but it is equally true, that 
they exercise their full share of influence in all our con¬ 
cerns. They have the moulding, direction and training 
the minds of our children—the boys to the age of ten 
or twelve, and the girls to a much greater age; and 
nature has admirably fitted them for the performance 
of this important duty. Their early impressions, deri¬ 
ved from the mother, are indelibly fixed in their minds, 
and have great weight in forming their future charac¬ 
ters. Most of us, who had a mother living after we 
became old enough to recollect, can well remember the 
fine sympathetic feelings she possessed and taught us; 
and these are among the noblest feelings of the human 
heart. We can also well recollect the rigid principles of 
morality taught us by her, and the lasting impressions 
they made on our minds. If we look about among our 
acquaintance, we shall see that wherever there is a 
well educated intelligent mother, there is also an intel¬ 
ligent family of children. And this is a much more im¬ 
portant matter, than the rearing of fine, high blooded 
animals with four legs. 
If we will divest ourselves of pride and prejudice, 
and examine coolly, we shall see that our women have 
greater influence over us, than we are generally willing 
to admit. 
Nor is the importance of educating our daugh¬ 
ter's less in 0 , pecuniary than in a moral and in¬ 
tellectual point of view. Much of the success, 
prosperity and comfort of every farmer, depends upon 
the management of his indoor concerns, by his wife. 
There is no occupation in which intelligent women are 
more useful than that of farming. If we will look 
about among our acquaintance, we shall see that where- 
ever there is a wife of the right stamp; if the husband 
possesses ordinary ability and industry, they will be 
prosperous. If I am right in this, it shows the neces¬ 
sity of properly educating our daughters, and giving 
them a proper training in all matters that relate to 
good housewifery. Let us fit them to make good far¬ 
mers’ wives, and they will answer for those engaged in 
other pursuits. We should first attend to the useful 
and substantial part —that well done , if we can afford 
it, do something by way of the ornamental. But 
it is feared that some of our farmers pay too little at¬ 
tention to the former, and too much to the latter. 
A young lady, with ever so fashionable an education, 
if she possessed no knowledge of the kitchen , and the 
different departments of house'-keeping, however well 
she might show off in the parlor or drawing-room, 
would make a farmer a very unsuitable companion j 
she would not be worth as much as Lot’s wife after she 
became saltified, because he could procure from her 
salt for his porridge. 
The first and most important step, is to make onr 
common schools good. If this is neglected, the great 
middling class of farmers, and almost all the poorer 
class of people, will fail in giving their children a pro¬ 
per education. I think select schools should not be en¬ 
couraged. They are antagonist to the interest of the 
common school, (being usually no better than the com¬ 
mon schoo.l ought to he,) each one injuring two or three, 
by the withdrawal of the children and influence of the 
most wealthy inhabitants of the district, besides their 
tendency to create aristocratic notions both in the pa¬ 
rents and children of the more wealthy, and a degree 
of inferiority on the part of the parents and children of 
the less wealthy. Let them associate and be taught 
together on the principles of equality, which lie at the 
foundation of our government. Let mind here have 
fair play against mind, and talent will be brought out 
without reference to the wealth or poverty cf the pa¬ 
rents 
Wo should make our common schools such tiat our 
