THE CULTIVATOR. 115 
the free is in its greatest vigor', and in this latitude, say middle of 
June—then the sap is in its most fluid state, and entirely escapes through 
the several pores of the tree. The idea that the sap of a tree recedes to 
its roots during winter, is in my opinion a mistaken notion. The sap is 
distributed through the tree in winter the same as in summer, and circu¬ 
lation never ceases, except with the life of the tree. The sap in winter 
is less in quantity and thicker, and owing to its stagnant state, remains in 
the timber when it is cut in the winter, and become the piinciple of its 
destruction. Let timber for rails, posts, 01 other purposes, be cut when 
it is in its greatest vigor, (never mind the phase of the moon,) and keep it 
oft’the ground until seasoned. In support of my position, I will repeat 
two instances which have lately come to my knowledge. A farmer of 
North Carolina wishing to fence a certain lot, went to work according to 
the old theory, and cut his rail timber during the full of the moon in Fe¬ 
bruary; but when he came to make his fence in May lie was deficient 
about 40 pannels: he went jnto the woods and cut the necessary quantity 
and put it up as the only alternative; and after some ten or twelve years, 
his attention being called to the fence, he found the rails cut and split in 
May infinitely more sound than those cut in February. Another gentle¬ 
man in New-England had an accident befall a gate post in midsummer, 
and not having any seasoned timber on hand, sent to the woods for a green 
one, and expecting that it would only last one or two years, had one cut 
during the next winter and laid by to supply the place of the green one at 
his leisure. But during the ensuing summer the other post failed, and 
the one cut secundein artem, was taken to supply the place of the last 
failure, and the green post thought no more of until at the end of 7 or 8 
years, when the post last put in was fuund to fail, while the summer cut 
|iost was in a perfect state of preservation, 
These hints are not prepared with sufficient cave for publication, but 
are only intended as hints for you to reflect upon, &c. 
With great respect, yours, JOSHUA HOWARD. 
Dearbouville, Sep. 3, 1835. 
“ I owe my success in business chiefly to you,” said a stationer to a pa¬ 
per-maker, as they were settling a large account; “ but let me ask how 
a man of your caution came to give credit freely to a beginner with my 
slender means:” “ Because,” replied the paper-maker, “at whatever 
hour in the morning I passed to my business I always observed you with¬ 
out your coat at yours.” 
There is a world of wisdom in this little anecdote; more good sense and 
move judicious admonition than are to be found in all the declamation of 
all the “ ten-hour” orators that ever made a speech, or drew up a resolu¬ 
tion. Practical mechanics will never grow rich by standing out for limits 
to working hours, or by any other mode or form of staking tor wages. 
Few parents realize how much their children may be taught at home 
by devoting a few n.inutes to their instruction every day. Let a parent 
make the experiment with his son of ten years old for a single week, and 
only during the hours which are spent in school. Let him make a com¬ 
panion of his child—converse with him familiary—put to him questions— 
answer inquiries—communicate facts, the result of his reading or observa¬ 
tion,—awaken his curiosity—explain difficulties,—the meaning of things, 
and the reason of things—and all this in an easy, playful manner, without 
seeming to impose a task, and he will himself be astonished at the pro¬ 
gress which will be made .—President Linsley. 
MAMMOTH CHEESE. 
We are informed that Col Thomas S. Meacham, ot Richland, Oswego 
county, who keeps 154 cows, and has made this season 300 cheese weigh¬ 
ing 125 lbs. each, has made one weighing FOURTEEN HUNDRED 
POUNDS, which heintenls to present to the President of the LTnited 
States. He has also made several, weighing EIGHT HUNDRED 
POUNDS, each, one of which he intends for the Vice President, one for 
Gov. Marcy, and one for each of the cities of New-York, Albany, Troy 
and Rochester .—Genesee Farmer . 
Yoiisig MeiVs Department. 
I send you, Mr. Cultivator, the first of a series of “ Letters from a Father to 
a Son,” and intend to serid you others, should this be thought worthy a place 
in your paper, as leisure may permit, or inclination prompt. 
PRELIMINARY. 
Dear Son —At no time in life do we stand more in need of pa¬ 
rental counsels, or are more likely to be benefitted by them, than 
at the period when we are throwing off the boy, and are about to 
assume the cares and responsibilities of manhood. Youth are ac¬ 
customed to look only upon the bright side of the picture ; their 
anticipations are sanguine ; their hopes ardent; and they need to 
be brought often to consider the sober realities of life, to check 
their unreasonable aspirations. They see not the sands and break¬ 
ers which begird the ways of life, and upon which very many arc- 
early shipwrecked. They need the experienced pilot. Having- 
served in this capacity for a score or two of years, in the school 
of experience, where all may learn though all do not learn to pro- 
lit, and being deeply interested in your future welfare, I propose 
to make over, for your use, some of the lessons which I have been 
taught in the school where you are yet but a noviciate. They 
constitute capital, if put to good use, and will he sure to make 
good returns, in liie multiplied enjoyments of life. These will be 
given as they occur, without regard to arrangement. 
Learn early to depend on yourself. Your physical and intellec¬ 
tual powers must be your main dependence for fame and fortune. 
The ground has been fitted for the seed. Your hands have been 
taught to labor ; your mind to reflect. You must be the husband¬ 
man ; you must sow the seed and nurture the plants; and the re¬ 
ward of the harvest will depend upon your personal diligence and 
good management. If you sow lares, you cannot reap wheat; if 
you sow idleness you will reap poverty ; for however abundant the 
parental bequest, few can retain wealth who have never been ac¬ 
customed to earn it. 
Beware of extremes—the two often meet—and by following the 
one too far, we often insensibly slide into the other. Thus pru¬ 
dence may run into parsimony ; patriotism into peculation ; self- 
respect into pride ; and temperance in our habits into intemperance 
in our partialities, prejudices and passions. While you claim and 
exercise, as the high prerogatives of a freeman, the free expres¬ 
sion of your political and religious opinions, and the right of dis¬ 
posing of your time and property in any way, that shall not in¬ 
fringe upon the rights of others, nor compromit the peace and good 
order of society, forget not to respect the same rights in your 
neighbor, whom education or association may have imbued with 
opinions differing from your own. Reform others by your exam¬ 
ple : for you can never make a sincere proselyte, in religion, po¬ 
litics or morals, or even in the arts of labor, by coercion. You 
may compel men to become hypocrites, sycophants and servile 
imitators, but you do it at the expense of the best feelings that 
dignify our nature—at the expense of piety, patriotism and self- 
respect. Be moderate in all things—in your pleasures as well as 
in your toils—in your opinions and in your passions. Past expe¬ 
rience should teach you, that your opinions may honestly change; * 
and however long you may have cherished wrong ones, or obsti¬ 
nately defended them, to renounce error, when palpable, will re¬ 
flect lustre upon your character. As it is human to err, so it is 
magnanimous to confess and renounce one’s faults. 
Intermeddle not officiously in the affairs of others. Your own 
concerns will demand all your care. Those who busy themselves 
with other people’s business, seldom do justice to their own. Seek 
for enjoyments in the domestic circle, and make home agreeable 
to all around you. This is your duty as well as interest. Seek 
rather to be good than great; for few can be great, though all 
may be good ; and count the approbation of your own conscience, 
above the applause of the multitude. Act in secret as you would 
in public—as though your motives were scanned by those around 
you—and you will seldom do wrong. Adieu. 
J. Buel, Esq—Sir.—Permit me to present to your readers a 
translation of the story of Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus. In order 
duly to appreciate the history of this man, whose name after the 
lapse of centuries has reached even this western world, it is ne¬ 
cessary to be able to peruse it in the simple but inimitable lan¬ 
guage of the great Roman Historian. There is in the original de¬ 
scription, a beauty and simplicity, which are unrivalled. When 
Rome was distracted by commotion within, and assailed by hos¬ 
tile bands without—when the army commanded by the consul was 
besieged even within their camp, and dared not go forth to meet 
the foe,—when all was confusion and dismay, and destruction 
seemed to threaten even the city itself, Lucius Quintius Cincin¬ 
natus, was appointed dictator by the unanimous voice of the peo¬ 
ple. The affair as recorded by Livy, is as follows : 
“ Let those listen to the story of Cincinnatus, who despise every¬ 
thing when compax-ed with riches, and who deem the poor neither 
virtuous or honorable. Lucius Quintius, the only hope of the Ro¬ 
man empire in the hour of peril, cultivated four acres of land upon 
the banks of the Tiber. He was there found by the commission¬ 
ers despatched for this purpose, while engaged in ploughing. Hav¬ 
ing exchanged salutations, they beseeched him for his own sake, 
and from his regal'd for the Republic, to listen to the commands of 
