THE CULTIVATOR. 
115 
distinguished, though it is susceptible of many subdivisions by those 
who affect to treat the subject scientifically. It is, however, more fre¬ 
quently classed under the sole characters of silidous argillaceous, or 
calcareous, according as sand, clay, or lime predominates in its compo¬ 
sition ; but, for all practical purposes, it may be sufficient to divide it 
into earth-marl and shell-marl.—Library of Useful Knowledge, Farm¬ 
er’s Series. 
Young Men's Department. 
ON THE USE OF HISTORY.— by j. ingham. 
By studying history and examining causes and effects, a man may 
sharpen his penetration, fix the attention of his mind, and strengthen 
his judgment. Thus he learns how to exert that flexibility and steadi¬ 
ness which are necessary to be joined in the conduct of all affairs that 
depend upon the opposition of other men. All of our powers must im¬ 
prove by exercise. Now history presents us with the same exercises 
and objects which we meet with in the transaction of business through 
life. Therefore they excite the same kind of reflections, and give the 
same exercise to our thoughts, and thus produce the same turn of mind. 
By the use of history, we begin our acquaintance with the world soon¬ 
er, and bring into the business of it such a habit and temper of mind 
as is acquired by passing through it; and which will make us appear 
to far greater advantage in it, and not such mere novices, upon our in¬ 
troduction into it, as we should otherwise be. We should study histo¬ 
ry as we would philosophy, and then we are certain to collect and dis¬ 
tinguish such principles and rules of conduct which are generally true ; 
because they are conformable to the invariable nature of things ; and 
by so doing we can also form to ourselves a system of ethics and poli¬ 
tics on a solid foundation. The impressions which this anticipated 
knowledge makes upon us, it is certain will not be so deep as those 
which are the result of our own personal acquaintance; and our max¬ 
ims of conduct formed in this manner will not be so firmly riveted in 
our minds. But then they will have the advantage of being more cor¬ 
rect, and of being a better guide to us than any thing we could have 
learned from our own random experience. This is because the exam¬ 
ples of history are generally complete. History opens every thing be¬ 
fore us. We can view men and things at their full length, as we say; 
and we generally see them through a medium which is less partial than 
that of experience. Whereas, in real life, every scene opens very flow¬ 
ery; we see, therefore, but a small part'of an object at one time, and 
are consequently liable to be deceived into a very fallacious judgment. 
It was a want of acquaintance with history that made the Chinese ex¬ 
press their wonder and astonishment to find their country make So 
small a figure on the map of the world, which was showed them by the 
Jesuits of that country. Without the aid of history, the advantages 
of our rational nature would be extremely circumscribed; and the 
more complete, the more exact and comprehensive is our furniture of 
historical knowledge. “ Knowledge is power;” and all the excellence 
of human nature, all the advantage we have above the brutes, is de¬ 
rived from the use of our intellectual powers. History gratifies that 
curiosity which is common in man. It is delightful to those whose in¬ 
tellect is just dawning, and to those whose faculties are matured by 
the lapse of time and the process of cultivation. It traces the progless 
of man from the savage state, and through the intermediate degrees of 
civilization, to the nearest approaches of perfection. It rates the ef¬ 
fects of laws and political regulations which have been produced by- 
external violence; and no less astonishing changes, which have been 
occasioned by the corruption of ancient systems of governments. It 
points out the sources of the errors of former days, and leads us to the 
discernment of the means which have crowned with success such plans 
as have been productive of benefit to the public. It tends to prevent 
the recurrence, and to diminish the remaining influence of superstition 
and religious persecutions, and of the long train of calamities with 
which those enemies of human happiness are accompanied. For who 
can read the memorials of the papal usurpation in the dark ages, and 
of the melancholy consequences by which they were followed, without 
imbibing a spirit of tolerance, and a determined disposition to discoun¬ 
tenance any claims which may receive the unjust assumption of inordi¬ 
nate spiritual power. We learn, also, from history, that Gideon, the 
renowned champion and Judge of Israel, quitted the threshing floor, to 
preside in the public assembly of his countrymen; and Cincinnatus, 
the conqueror of the Yolsci, left his plough to lead the Roman armies 
to battle; afterwards declined the reward gained by his victories, to re¬ 
turn to his native fields. In short, it instructs us how miseries and mis¬ 
fortunes may hereafter be avoided. Natural history, which generally 
signifies a knowledge of the whole world, is of great use to all who wish 
to become acquainted with natural objects. Every young man, by ac¬ 
quiring a knowledge of natural history, can take great delight in an 
object of almost any kind. The farmer ought to possess a thorough 
knowledge of this branch of education, which would make him admire 
the works of God with more pleasure, and therefore learn wisdom 
from the works of His almighty power. 
Manheim, Herkimer county, August 11th, 1836. 
HINTS TO YOUNG FARMERS. 
[Several numbers, being “ Hints to Farmers,” were written by the Conduc¬ 
tor, and published, some three or four years ago. To give them a more ex¬ 
tended circulation, we intend to transfer such of them occasionally, into the 
Cultivator, as may seem most worthy of the notice of our young readers.] 
On leaving the paternal roof, to seek my fortune in the wide world, 
when about 18 years of age, my father gave me this parting admonition: 
“ My son, take care always to let well enough alone.” The occasion 
served to impress the advice deeply on my mind, and amid the diversi¬ 
fied scenes of the subsequent thirty-five years, it has seldom been for¬ 
gotten ; and I have reason to believe it has had a very salutary influ¬ 
ence upon my prosperity and happiness. It has afforded, withal, some¬ 
thing of a standard by which to gauge the indiscretions of others. How 
often has a disregard, in others, to this maxim, reminded me of the 
Italian epitaph: “ I was well, wished to be better, took physic, and here 
I am.” The true philosophy of happiness is to depend on one’s self 
for the blessing—on the lively exercise of the virtues which can alone 
confer it. The man who is industrious and frugal, and who scrupulous¬ 
ly fulfils the relative and social duties, whatever be his condition or 
profession, stands the best chance of enjoying a goodly portion of the 
comforts and pleasures of life, and of perpetuating in his children his 
habits, and his virtues. While he who would live by the industry of 
others, or who expects to find happiness in the frail applause which 
wealth or ostentation may extort from those around him, seldom suc¬ 
ceeds in his desires, 
Tom Tape was my schoolmate. Tom had rather high notions from 
his boyhood; and persuaded his father to put him to a merchant. In 
due time, Tom became the master of a shop of goods, was attentive 
and fortunate, and acquired a snug estate. Had he let well enough 
alone, he might now have been the head man of our town. But pride 
got the better of prudence, and persuaded him that he might do better 
at New-York- He went there, figured as a wholesale merchant, for 
which neither his capital nor his experience were adequate, for three 
years, and then came the notice in the state paper for his creditors to 
show cause, &c. 
Tjerck Wessel’s farm joined mine. He was one of our best farmers, 
and understood the value of “ come boys,” as well as any one. Good 
luck was so constantly by his side, that he considered that any man 
might get rich who had a mind to. Yet he could not let well enough 
alone —he wished to do better. He therefore removed to the village 
and opened a tavern, and had the promise of the justice courts and of 
the stage custom. “ Go boys,” did not improve the farm, and it soon 
became neglected and unproductive. By and by, the courts were re¬ 
moved by law, the stage went to the new hotel, and the temperance era 
wound up the tavern business. Tjerck has got back to the farm, with 
habits very much altered, and his fortune not a little impaired. Yet 
he consoles himself, that he is not half so bad off as 
Joe Sledge, once our master blacksmith, afterwards a merchant, and 
now a journeyman. Joe was so famous for his edge tools, that people 
came to him from all parts. He had his journeymen and his apprenti¬ 
ces, and was always present to oversee them, and to be seen by his cus¬ 
tomers, as all master mechanics ought to be. Joe got rich, because he 
was adapted to his business, and his business adapted to him. Joe 
thought, with Sam Patch, that some things could be done as well as 
others—and that because every body liked him as a blacksmith, they 
must like him as any thing else, forgetting that it was his trade, and 
not his mind nor his person, which had brought him into notice. And 
as merchant was rather more respectable than mechanic, and withal a 
more tidy employment, he in fact sunk the blacksmith, and became a 
dealer in tapes and sugars. It fared with Joe as it generally does with 
others who embark in new business, of which they know nothing, after 
they have arrived at mature manhood. Those who had been bred to 
the business, proved successful rivals, and the sheriff finally closed his 
mercantile concerns, by selling the entire effects of “a merchant un¬ 
fortunate in business.” Joe insists to this day, that if he had let well 
enough alone, he might have been as well off as the best of his neigh¬ 
bors. 
Time would fail me to narrate half the cases which have come un¬ 
der my observation, of men abandoning steady habits, and fair pros¬ 
pects of wealth, in the employments in which they had been educated, 
and in which they were best calculated to succeed, for the very hazard¬ 
ous chance of doing better in business in which they had everything to 
learn. The fascinating charms of fashion and show, the ostentatious 
pride of wealth, and the alluring smiles of office, are as bad as were 
the syrens of Calypso, to beguile men from the paths of true happiness. 
The moderate but certain gains which are the reward of industry and 
frugality, are the most abiding in their nature, and the most benign in 
their influence. It is the mild early and latter rains which induce fer¬ 
tility, and cover the earth with fruitfulness; while the tempest and its 
