188 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
June 
opportunities for education with each other. Is there 
not wanting, however, in all of them an appropriate¬ 
ness to some of these occupations, and more particular¬ 
ly to those who seek an agricultural employment? True, 
in our schools they are taught that 11 two and two 
make four :” and that seven per cent added to the prin¬ 
cipal once in ninety days accumulates rapidly. But is 
not this suited to the merchant and banker rather than 
the farmer ? Does not this instruction give the commer¬ 
cial man a starting point, which lead him to make laws 
to promote his own interests, permitting him to pur¬ 
chase State Stocks paying six per cent, and on this 
basis giving him the privilege of issuing a representa¬ 
tive of money upon which he may receive seven per 
cent once in ninety days on the same property, while 
the farmer, should he be so prospered as to accummu- 
late a little money to loan, is prohibited by our laws 
from taking over seven per cent. Should not the far¬ 
mer’s boy be taught that where “ one blade of grass 
nowfgrows two may be made to grow,” and should not 
he be instructed how and in what way this may be ac¬ 
complished? Thus giving him a starting point, which 
would be as certain in its ultimate favorable results as 
in the case just supposed. When will our farmers a- 
wake to see the importance of so educating their'chil¬ 
dren to the business of farming, that a farmer’s son 
shall be as well informed in what relates to his occu¬ 
pation, as the commercial and professional man now 
is in what concerns his ? Has not the time arrived when 
in all our common and higher schools of education and 
colleges, the science of agriculture should be taught so 
that they may enjoy equal opportunities for education, 
adapted to their employment, with the most favored 
class of our community, and that the education acquir¬ 
ed in these schools should not be so exclusively confined 
to what concerns the professional man alone ? Let 
this subject be constantly kept before the farmer through 
the agency of agricultural papers and other agricultu¬ 
ral publications, and we may look with confidence to 
the time as not far distant when the farmer, with others, 
may receive the benefits of education, and legislation; 
of our common country, when his rights and privileges 
shall be equally protected, and when education shall 
make him intellectually strong as well as numerically 
and physically so. Oneida. 
Western Virginia. 
Rev. Calvin Hawley, formerly of Otsego county, 
N. Y., emigrated to Harrisville, Va., last season, and 
since his residence there, has written an article describ¬ 
ing the country, which has been published in the Free¬ 
man’s Journal , Cooperstown, N. Y. We give the fol¬ 
lowing extracts: u It may be proper to remark that the 
part of the State denominated Western Virginia, lies 
between the mountains, or Blue Ridge, and the Ohio 
River, dividing the Commonwealth north and south, 
and embraces an extent of country some 400 or 500 
miles in length, and varying from 300 to 350 miles in 
width, a large part of which is in a wild state, and lit¬ 
tle or none of it in what could be called a good state of 
cultivation. The face of the country is more rough and 
hilly than any other I ever saw. The hills are not as 
high as I have seen in other States, but there are more 
of them, and but little table land on the top. The ridges 
are very narrow in many places, only wide enough for 
a road, consequently as soon as you‘arrive at the sum¬ 
mit of a hill, you immediately commence descending the 
opposite side. But the hills are generally free from 
stone, and the soil rich and productive. The timber is 
as fine as can be found in any country, and of any quali¬ 
ty that can be found in the United States. More of oak 
than any other kind. Pine, chestnut, hickory, locust, 
poplar or whitewood, sycamore, beech, maple, black 
walnut, &c. can be found in great abundance. The 
trees grow very straight and high, with but few if any 
low branches. The whole country is well watered by 
springs and streams that never fail, and have current 
enough to keep them pure. Such a thing as a swamp 
or pond of stagnant water can scarcely be found in all 
the State; consequently there is no country, I believe, 
more healthy than this, where there are more aged 
people according to the number of inhabitants. It is 
common to see persons eighty and even ninety years old 
riding about on horseback ten or fifteen miles from 
home on business,—a thing but seldom seen in Otsego 
county.” 
11 The soil from its appearance would not be consi¬ 
dered very productive. It is of a sandy make, mixed 
with loam and clay, and in some places of a reddish cast; 
the bottom lands are generally of a darker quality and 
very productive. There is but little land, however, but 
what would abundantly reward the hand of culture. 
This region is well adapted to raising stock. I have 
never seen so large and healthy looking sheep anywhere 
as I have seen here, and they require but little if any 
feeding, still they do better with some attention in this 
respect. Cattle, horses and swine-, do extremely well. 
All kinds of English grain that is raised at the North 
will grow here and produce more plentifully. Apples, 
pears, peaches, plums, cherries, quinces, grapes, me¬ 
lons of all kinds, and wild berries of nearly every specie, 
grow bountifully and with very little labor. The sweet 
potatoe grows to perfection. 
Guano—Its effect compared with Ashes. 
Stephen H. Smith, states to a committee of the 
Rhode Island Society, for the Encouragement of Do¬ 
mestic Industry, that on one acre of sandy loam, which 
without manure would have produced twenty bushels 
of corn, he sowed broadcast, on the furrow, after deep 
plowing, 500 pounds of best guano, well pulverized, 
and mixed with four times its bulk of dry loam. After 
harrowing, it was planted with corn. The product 
was 50 bushels. In 1845/ he seeded down half 
an acre of ground, a sandy loam, with eight quarts 
of millet, ten pounds of clover, one peck of herds grass 
and one peck of red-top seed. This lot was dressed 
with 350 pounds of guano, worth $9, applied as above 
described. On an adjoining half acre he put the same 
kind of seeds and in like quantity. Instead of guano, 
he applied 64 bushels of unleached ashes, worth $8. 
The crop of millet was perceptibly best where the 
guano was used, and about ten days earliest. The 
crop of grass in 1846 was one-fourth the largest where 
the ashes were used. In 1847 the clover had nearly 
disappeared where the guano was applied, but remain¬ 
ed well stocked where the ashes were put. The first 
and second crops this year were decidedly in favor of 
the ashes. 
<s The Spirit of Agriculture.” 
Prof. E.P. Barrows, of the Western Reserve (Ohio) 
College, in a lecture delivered before the Trumbull 
County Agricultural Society, speaks in the following 
eloquent language of the happy results which may fol¬ 
low from the present awakened attention to agricul¬ 
ture: 
u We have,” he observes, u cheering proofs that the 
spirit of agriculture is awake. Let this spirit be culti¬ 
vated, for it has the primitive seal of Heaven upon it- 
It is the spirit of peace and plenty, and good order, and 
good morals. It adorns the earth with luxuriant mea¬ 
dows, and goodly orchards, and golden harvests, and 
pastures covered with flocks and herds. It clusters 
around itself all the auxiliary arts and occupations, 
commerce, and trades and manufactures—all nourish it 
and are nourished by it. It fills the farmer’s granaries, 
and makes his fireside happy and cheerful. While otk* 
