152 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Young Men’s Department. 
HINTS TO YOUNG FARMERS, 
I don’t know a principle more important to be cherished, by all 
ages and conditions, than an habitual reliance, under Providence, on 
one’s own exertions, for the comforts and enjoyments of life, and the 
respect and good will of society. Stimulated by this principle, and 
governed by a rigid adherence to honesty and virtue, the mind and 
body are kept in healthful exercise, and the best faculties of our na¬ 
ture are called into action. How many of our first men have earn¬ 
ed a name for usefulness, and risen from poverty to wealth, by the 
practice of this salutary rule. And how many others can we re¬ 
cognize, who have sunk into indolence and vice, and lost the dignity 
of freemen, from the want of its vivifying influence—from a slothful 
dependance upon patrimonial or public aid, for a character and for 
subsistence. Wealthy parents are apt to forget, and their sons of¬ 
ten do not learn to appreciate, till too late, the importance of those 
habits in youth which can alone secure comfort and respectability in 
manhood. Neither our fortunes nor virtues are likely to descend, 
unaccompanied by the habits which procured and established them, 
as patrimonies to our children. 
The mutability of fortune is thus beautifully described, I may say 
drawn, by the pen of Kennedy, in his late address before the Ame¬ 
rican Institute: 
“ Our country is a country of busy men. Whatever gives facility 
and expansion to labor, benefits every class of the community. Un¬ 
like the European States, we have no piles of hoarded wealth to be 
transmitted in mass to our posterity. Opulence, among us, is a gild¬ 
ed pyramid that stands upon a pedestal of ice, and its foundations 
are perpetually melting in the sun:—the stream that flows from 
them may fertilize the land, and may spread bloom and beauty over 
barren places; but the pyramid itself falls in its appointed time, to 
be built up again by other hands and to adorn other sites. Our 
laws, which forbid the accumulation of hereditary treasure, have re¬ 
iterated to the American citizen, that ‘sad sentence of an ancient 
date,’—that, ‘like an Emmet, he must ever moil,’—and they have 
promised to labor fulness of honors. In providing, therefore, for the 
industry of posterity, we but hew out for ourselves and our posterity 
a better and more auspicious destiny.” 
Frank Stevens was the youngest of seven sons, whose common 
father was considered a man of some fortune, and he belonged with¬ 
al to one of the learned professions. The elder boys, left pretty 
much to their own guidance, grew up in habits of indolence, and 
failed to raise, upon a good farm, the necessary provisions for the 
family. Frank, finding himself taxed with all the chores, and most 
of the labor on the farm, resolved to take care of himself. With this 
view he applied, at 14, to be put to a trade; and although rather 
humiliating to family pride, he succeeded in obtaining his parents’ 
consent. From that moment, Frank abandoned all hope of family 
aid ; and resolutely determined to depend on his industry and good 
conduct alone for success in life. Without detailing his history, it 
is sufficient to say, that he has been eminently successful; and now 
enjoys a goodly share of the comforts of life, and of the respect of 
all who know him. He supported his aged parents during the last 
years of their lives ; and has been the happy instrument of relieving 
his brothers from pecuniary embarrassment. Frank has often told 
me, in relating his adventures, that but for the early determination 
he made, to rely upon himself, he should not now, probably have 
been with worth a sous, in money or reputation. And he has set¬ 
tled it as a maxim in his own mind, that a sprout is not likely to do 
so well, or produce so fine fruit, when left to grow under the shade of 
its parent tree, as when early removed, and accustomed to depend upon 
its own roots for nourishment and support. My observation in life has 
induced me to believe that Frank’s rule is not far from being true. 
To the enterprising young farmer and mechanic, the example of 
Frank Stevens should not be lost. Habits of youth, be they good 
or be they bad, almost invariably retain an influence through life. 
The young mind is like a sheet of white paper, on which every one 
writes his own character, which it is extremely difficult in after 
times to alter or obliterate. It is the acquisition of knowledge, and 
the useful application of time, that elevates the civilized above the 
savage state ; and the further we would be from the latter, the great¬ 
er should be our exertions to be wise and virtuous. The public are 
ever most disposed to help them who evince an ability to help them¬ 
selves. 
OUR SCHOOL HOUSES. 
These humble institutions, standing upon almost every acre of 
our land, and scattering light in every direction, are the guardians 
of freedom, and strength of our country. From every one of our 
one hundred thousand school houses in this republic, there goes 
forth a stream of light that falls upon, and cheers, and improves, 
every farm, and workshop, and family hearth, in the neighborhood. 
The school-house is the former and the nourisher of the mind in the 
district. It is the place where the farmer, and the mechanic, the 
mothers receive their education. The school-houses of this state 
have i;iven our prosperity, our enterpi ise, and our controlling station 
among the states. They have made it the « Empire Statefor 
what are natural facilities unless there is mind to take advantage of 
them. Blow out the light of these institutions—let darkness rest 
upon the buildings, and we would soon grope our way to the savage 
state. Shut the door of the school house, and agriculture is forgot¬ 
ten, manufactures cease, and commerce stops. Strike from exis¬ 
tence these intellectual fountains, which are daily pouring light and 
liberty over the land, and all is night —the darkness of midnight and 
barbarism. 
Friends of education ! to neglect these school-houses is as crimi¬ 
nal, and shows the same want of patriotism and philanthrophy, as 
to destroy them. Have you thought of this.— Common School As¬ 
sisted. 
Those who have few affairs to attend to are great speakers. 
The less men think, the more they talk.— Montesque. A maxim 
which, if inculcated in our legislative halls, would greatly shorten 
their sessions. 
Labor relieves us from three great evils, indolence, vice and want. 
— Voltaire. 
The COMMON SCHOOL ASSISTANT, a monthly publication of eight 
quarto pages, conducted by J. Orville Taylor, and devoted to the improve¬ 
ment oi Common Schools and the education of teachers, is published at No. 
71 State-street, at fifty cents per annum, in advance. 
RECEIPTS.—We have received payments for the number of subscribers 
indicated below, between the 21st Aug. and 20th Sept, inclusive. Numbers 
under ten not noticed. 
Post-Offices. 
Alton, 111. 
Abingdon, Va. 
"Bainbridge, Chen. 
"Brinkleyville, N.C. 
"Baltimore, Md. 
Crowder’s creek, N.C, 
"Cooperstown, Ots. 
Dover, Mo. 
"Damascoville, O. 
"Eugene, la. 
Eldredville, Pa. 
Front Royal, Va. 
"Farmington, Ct. 
"Freehold, N.J. 
"Glen’s Falls, War. 
Greece, Mon. 
I Post-Offices. 
11 1 "Garrettsville, Ots. 
22 1 Good wins ville, Michi. 
30 ( *Govanstown, Md. 
22 Hambaughs, Va. 
27 i Hackettstown, N.J. 
, 11 i "Johnson’s Springs,Va 
35 Jefferson, Md 
11 
22 
101 
11 
22 
19 
15 
15 
11 
Keeseville, Ess. 
"Lanark, U.C 
McNarys, Ky. 
Montezuma, la. 
Murraysville, Geo. 
Mecklenburgh, Ten. 
Nine Mile Prairie, Illi. 
Nixons, N.C. 
"Oswego, Osw. 
Post-Offices. 
27 "Oxford, Chen. 34 
] 1 Pelham, N. H. 11 
22 "Peekskill, West Ches.34 
11 Plymouth, N.C. 11 
11 "Princess Anne, Md. 22 
,22 Pine Lake, Michi. 11 
11 Peytonsburgh, Va. 10 
22 "Plattsburgh,Clin. 23 
30 "Philadelphia, Pa. 139 
11 "St. Louis, Mo. 24 
11 Savannah, Geo. 10 
11 "Trumanburgh.Tomp.34 
11 Warrenton, Mis. 11 
1) Wampsville, Mad. 13 
11 Variety Mills, Va. 11 
19 Waterford, Sar. 10 
* Including former payments. 
PRICE CURRENT. 
ARTICLES. 
N. York. 
Oct. 20. 
Boston. 
Oct. 19. 
Philadel’a. 
Oct. 22. 
Baltimore. 
Oct. 18. 
Beans w hite, bush. 
1 25.. 1 50 
1 75.. 2 25 
..1 75 
1 75 
Beef, best, cwt. 
5 50.. 6 50 
5 50.. 6 00 
8 00..9 00 
7 00..8 00 
Pork, per cwt. 
10 00..13 00 
12 00..13 00 
12 50 
3 50..8 75 
Butter, fresh, pound,. 
Cheese, pound, . 
25.. 28 
8.. 10 
22.. 30 
8.. 12 
17.. IS 
10.. 11 
25.. 28 
Flour, best, bbl. 
9 14..10 00 
9 37..10 00 
8 00..9 50 
9 50..12 0 
Grain —Wheat, bushel, .. 
1 50.. 1 90 
1 98.. 2 00 
1 95..2 00 
l 40..1 85 
Rye, do. 
1 18.. 1 25 
1 15.. 1 20 
l 14..1 25 
1 02..1 10 
Oats, do. 
50.. 62 
60.. 65 
40.. 51 
50.. 53 
Corn, do. 
1 06.. 1 09 
.1 05.. 1 25 
99..1 01 
98..1 02 
Seeds— Red Clover, lb... 
10.. 11 
13.. 14 
9.. 11 
10 
Timothy, bushel,. 
2 00.. 2 25 
3 00.. 3 12 
2 50..3 25 
3 00..3 50 
Wool— Saxony, fleece, lb. 
75.. ,8(1 
• 7D.. 75 
68.. 75 
55.. 68 
Merino, lb. 
55.68 
60.. 70 
60.. 62 
48.. 55 
1-4 and com. lb... 
Sheep,. 
Cows and Calves,. 
40.. 50. 
18 00..35 O'O 
45.. 65 
1 75 .. 2 75 
25 DO..42 50 
40.. 55 
36.. 40 
18 0..50 0 
FROM THE STEAM FRES^ OF PACKARD & VAN BENTHUYSEN. 
