THE CULTIVATOR. 
35 
understanding, and which correspond to the dignity of a rational 
and immortal nature. 
THE LEARNED MAN. . 
On the other hand, the man whose mind is irradiated with the 
light of substantial science has views and feelings, and exquisite en¬ 
joyments to which the former is an entire stranger. In consequence 
of the numerous and multifarious ideas he has acquired, he is intro¬ 
duced as it were, into a new world, where he is entertained with 
scenes, objects and movements, of which a mind enveloped in igno¬ 
rance can form no conception. He can trace back the stream of 
time to its commencement; and, gliding along its downward course, 
can survey the most memorable events which have happened in eve¬ 
ry part of its progress, from the primeval ages to the present day— 
the rise of empires, the fall of kings, the revolutions of nations, the 
battles of warriors, and the important events which have followed in 
their train—the progress of civilization, and of arts and sciences— 
the judgments which have been inflicted on wicked nations—the 
dawnings of Divine mercy towards our fallen race—the manifesta¬ 
tion of the Son of God in our nature—the physical changes and re¬ 
volutions which have taken place in the constitution of our globe— 
m short, the whole of the leading events in the chain of Divine dis¬ 
pensation, from the beginning of the world to the period in which we 
live. With his mental eye, lie can survey the terraqueous globe in 
all its variety of aspects; contemplate the continents, islands, and 
oceans which compose its exterior, the numerous rivers by which it 
is indented, the lofty ranges of mountains which diversify its surface, 
its winding caverns, its forests, lakes, sandy deserts, ice-lands, 
whirl-pools, boiling springs, glaciers, sulphuric mountains, bitumi¬ 
nous lakes, and the states and empires into which it is distributed, 
the tides and currents of the ocean, the icebergs of the polar regions, 
and the verdant scenes of the torrid zone. He can climb, in imagi¬ 
nation, to the summit of the flaming volcano, listen to its subterra¬ 
neous bellowings, behold its lava bursting from its mouths, and roll¬ 
ing down its sides like a flaming river—descend into the subterra¬ 
nean grotto—survey, from the top of the Andes, the lightnings flash¬ 
ing and the thunders rolling far beneath him—stand on the brink of 
the dashing cataract and listen to its roarings—contemplate the 
ocean rearing its billows in a storm, and the hurricane and tornado 
tearing up forests by their roots, and tossing them about as stubble. 
Sitting at his fireside, during the blasts of winter, he can survey the 
numerous tribes of mankind, scattered over the various climates of 
the earth, and entertain himself with views of their manners, customs, 
religion, laws, trades, manufactures, marriage ceremonies, civil and 
ecclesiastical government, arts, sciences, cities, towns and villages, 
and the animals peculiar to every region. In his rural walks, he can 
not only appreciate the beneficence of Nature, and the beauties and 
harmonies of the vegetable kingdom, in their exterior aspect, but 
can also penetrate into the hidden processes which are going on in 
the roots, trunks and leaves of plants and flowers, and contemplate 
the numerous vessels through which the sap is flowing from their 
roots through their trunks and branches, the millions of pores through 
which their odoriferous effluvia exhale, their fine and delicate tex¬ 
ture, their microscopical beauties, their orders, genera and species, 
and their uses in the economy of nature. 
FORMATION OF HABITS. 
Success in life depends, in a great measure, on the early forma¬ 
tion of our habits. Whether our grand object be wealth or fame, or 
that nobler one, exalted virtue, we must shape our habits to that 
object, or we shall fail. What enabled Franklin to obtain the high¬ 
est honors of philosophic fame; to stand, as he expresses it, “ before 
kings,” and what is better, to live in the memory of his countrymen? 
The early formation of good habits. The perusal of his auto-bio- 
graphy, which no young man should omit, will show what those ha¬ 
bits were. What made Girard the richest citizen of our country, 
and the benefactor of his race 1 The formation of early habits of 
frugality, disinterestedness and self-denial. Such habits are not 
formed in a day, nor will they result from a few faint resolutions. 
They are the result of continued effort. 
Whatever is of value must, in most cases, be sedulously pursued. 
Seldom can it be caught in a moment, like a prize in the lottery, or 
brought to perfection like a mushroom in a few hours. Character 
most certainly is of slow growth. No method can force it, or has¬ 
ten its ripening; like asparagus, so treated, it is sickly and without 
flavor. Only by long continuance, and unvaried, uninterrupted care, 
can this jewel be obtained, polished and set, so as to show itself to 
the best advantage. Not by accident, nor by fits and starts, but by 
regular, judicious and permanent habits, may a youth hope to obtain 
this important qualification, character. 
Habit is either an insidious enemy, or a firm friend. We had 
need be much on our guard concerning its influence ; rather let us 
enlist it and employ it judiciously; it will render us much assistance 
in forming a character useful, estimable and efficient. 
THE CULTIVATOR-MAY, 1834. 
TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND. 
THE GARDEN. 
Though we do not intend to enter into the minute details of gar¬ 
dening, nor to say much of the ornamental portion of the art; yet 
we would fain encourage a taste for this branch of labor, which 
does much to multiply our comforts, and refine our manners, and 
proffer such occasional directions as may tend to benefit the gene¬ 
rality of our readers. We go upon the principle that we all ought 
to look for our chief happiness at home ; and that the more this home 
is embellished, and provided with the varied productions of the soil, 
the stronger will our attachments be to it, and the more multiplied 
will be our enjoyments. At all events, there are many productions 
of the garden which are, in a measure, indispensable in every fa¬ 
mily ; and the farmer can raise them with more economy than he 
can buy them. It is in relation to the culture of these that we in¬ 
tend to offer some brief remarks. 
Among the general rules which ought to be regarded in the ma¬ 
nagement of a garden, and which in some measure apply to the ma¬ 
nagement of a farm, we may particularize the following: 
1. A garden should be enclosed by a secure fence—otherwise an 
unruly animal may destroy in a night the fruits of many a day’s toil. 
2. A garden should be rich; for here the maxim particularly ap¬ 
plies—that it is better to cultivate a small piece of ground well, 
than a large one slovenly and bad. “ Well done” is the only '•'■good 
enough” for a garden. 
3. Do not plant your roots and vines in the shade, or under the 
drippings of trees, but in an open exposure. Appropriate these si¬ 
tuations to medicinal plants and herbs. Trees impoverish the 
ground, and their shade is baleful to most crops. Plant trees upon 
the north, east and west borders, where their shade will be but par¬ 
tially prejudicial, or along a main alley. 
4. Alternate your crops; that is, do not plant your onions or 
other vegetables two successive years on the same quarter. This 
rule is as important to the garden as it is to the farm; and every 
farmer, at least every good farmer, knows, that alternating his farm 
crops is of the first importance to profit. 
5. Plant your seeds when the ground is fresh dug or ploughed, 
when it is filled with atmospheric air, and moist and permeable to 
heat, three indispensable requisites to the vigorous germination of 
the seeds. They will then sprout quick, and grow luxuriantly. 
6. Seeds require to be kept moist till their roots have got firm 
hold of the earth, and their leaves have expanded above it. To en¬ 
sure this, the soil must be brought in close contact with them, and 
they sufficiently covered. A good precaution is to tread the fresh 
dug soil on the line where the seeds are to be planted, which re¬ 
tards evaporation from below; or, when the seeds are covered to a 
sufficient depth, to compress the earth upon them with a hoe, spade 
or board, which not only tends to retain the moisture, but to break 
the soil and to bring it in close contact with them. Seeds often fail 
to grow, or, having began to germinate, are dried and lost, for the 
want of moisture. And many small seeds with husky coverings, 
particularly flower seeds, have been declared bad, because they 
have been planted without due reference to this rule. 
7. As soon as the plants are firmly rooted, the more the earth is 
stirred about them the better. This facilitates the preparation of 
the vegetable food in the soil, and greatly promotes growth. Next 
to the destruction of weeds, nothing concentrates the effects of 
drought so much, in garden or field, as stirring the surface of the 
soil. 
8. Different seeds require different temperatures to induce ger¬ 
mination ; and if they are put into the ground when it is too cold, 
they are liable to rot. Wheat, rye, barley, &c. will germinate at 
45°, corn at perhaps 55°, while the melon probably requires a 
heat of 60 to 70 degrees. The common bean will vegetate in a 
