LEWIS
awWWVW-i -
BY 0. N.
WORDEN
J.
&
II. C. IIIC&OK, CoSnESrtJXDixG EdItoi.
pennsylvania Common Schools.
We ire indebted to the Deputy Secrct-
n..irnK fnr an earfu COPT of the
try, . , .
lUwrt of Hon. Charles A. Black, late
the Report was ton"""""'- .
ernor5.h Jan. last, it has but just issued
from the press I The new Superintendents
f0f Public Schools and Public Printing)
U1 resmlatc these nutters, here
after, in better time, Reports like this
can be and should be frintcd and distnb-
,.A W,, the General Assembly meets,
in order that Legislators and the Tenplo
may hate time carefully to cxamiae them
..ii. A t !: action when the ,
ana oe yir
Representatives of the People have met.
The Report proper embraces 20 pages,
The Report proper em uraces i-a.-,
with an Append. of 160 pages containing
,Vn, V, extended Reports from Conn-
more or .ess lIlc"" . ' .. . .
ty Superintendent, ae. " .
... . t. - 'll.i n .... ,
allanlicnv Luzerne, Somerset, and In w !
"'6 . , , ,. , .,
have not b:en nearJ iroui lurougu uir
Supcriulendents.
From a cursory cxamination.we believe
the Report should be widely circulated.and
would have a good influence upon the pub
lic mind.
The present universal School System
was commenced in this State, now twenty
Bnptnntenden. o. - , If you have a heart ol
PenwjlTama. - of iro0) fct us lilko .
the School iearcuuv- - - burban residences of
years ig under the administration of of humanity, it is impossible to relieve all.
Gov. WOLF, but was efficiently advanced j Hut, while the most heart-rending dis
nader G jv. RiT.VEa, whoie 'right hand' tress is everywhere teen, extravagince and
Ben were and still are those champions of folly still reign unchecked money that
Cjaimon School Education Thaddcus would hush the wail of woe that comes up
Sevens and Thomas H. Bnrrowcs. The from the noisome dens where starvation
succeeding Governors have aUo all been and pestilence dwell, is lavished on the
firm friends of the system.which may now most useless baubles, and in the most os
be considered as the established policy of tentatious extravagance, and the pleadings
the State, only to be changed by being ! of charity are drowned in the din of fash
more strengthened and consolidated. j ion anJ dissipation.
Although it is twenty years since the j Look at those heavy fulds of costly silks
system was established, our Report is foil sweeping by those rich furs, the sight of
for 17 years only. We give a comparison which sends ft genial warmth through the
of two years the it A and last to show frame tfc&t jeweled arm helping the train
the change wrought in 17 years i across nasty guttert why, sir, that bundle
1836 1853 of Bilks and furs, jewels and feathers,
No. of Districts f7 1,5a 1
Ji'o. of Schoals o,J;4 w.oUT
Time Schools were open 4 m. 3d.
Ko. of Teachers 3,394
Average monthly Salary
of Male Teachers $18,34
Do. Female Teachers 1 1 .06
Ko. of Scholars 1C9.C04
Aver. So. pet School 41
Aver, cost Teaching per
Scholar per Mouth 81,03
State Appropriation 93,070
474,555 j
42 1
1,29
ll,:m
Tax levied 207,105 1,021,337
Exp. frrSchMl Houses 111.803 147.5M
Oilier annual expenses 193,972 815,901
These are visible rcsalts. The influence
of this increased means of knowledge in j
harmonizing discordant e'ements, quicke
ning the dormant intcl'ecl;, and sowing
the seeds of good morals and truth, can
never be folly estimated, but certainly bas
but begun to be developed.
We believe it will also be found, that
daring the pist twenty years, the number , and how many starving women and child
of Private Schools, Seminaries, Academies ' drcn the sum total would make comfortable
and Colleges bas increased in a corrospon-, through these dreary winter months, and
ding ratio with Public Schools. If so, we . see if we arc not an extravagant and hard
doubt wbethe any State in the Uuinn 1 hearted people,
deserves the credit of making more sacrifi-1 " Man's inhumanity to mas.
, j , j Makee countless thousands menrn,"
ecs for the great cause of Lducation.than M j surc,y thcre j9 a sj)e(,.c. of inhumarjUy
thestajj old Keystone. j in thig thougntess waste and forgetfulness
,t- .in i r.t. c . j , of our suffering fellow-creatures.
"from the Report ot the Superintendent I em i
af Cumberland couDty it appears that Ex- But they are not all forgotten. Through
Gov. Ritner, although now over 70 years ' unwholesome lanes, and among the haunts
of age, retains an undiminished interest in of misery, the Good Samaritan is continu
the cause, and cheers the heart of the tea- a' traced : sometimes in the form of
cneroi nis district tv vi.uine tiim once a ,
week. Query Will the Directors visit
the schools once a month '!
SFtom iJijflaiJtijjiw.
(Correrpondeure of the Lel.burj Chroni'lc.
1'iiiLAD., FKb. 9, 1855.
Dear Chronicle : It is so long since I
have written your name, that it seems
almost new to me, and yet I look fur your
familiar face with ax inner, inWoct ..i.
week as we do for " Harper" at the end everJ daJi enough to make a Tery hard
of each month. Let me congratulate you neart sorrowful. No matter how unworthy
on your improved appearance ; you deserve ! l!"7 m!,y be ttey are our ftf,low mcnian1
success. The fact that you can afford a ! susceptible of suffering as much as our
tiew dress in the midst of such hard times, ' selves. Oh 1 jou are happy in the
evidence taat you do succeed : and that I
"Junior" look vou wear. r)reei(i
all
iuc oi grey-nair-brccdiug troubles.
Yon may thank your stars, who are so
SJ- . . - '
sappily removed from this boilin
g pot of ,
"r,"j,f.u".,B,t qu,c,,y '""""s your
urns, me some snug harque ri
ding safely upon the broad ocean while
man, a noble hull is being battered to
pieces among the breakers that Lah the
treacherous coast. But,
We will be very likely to present the same
ialeideseopie change, of aspect. The sun
which today reacted from face,, bright
W. b conscious prosperity, may to-morrow
l npo itLe refltx of crushed spirits, and
Unkmpt hopes. Such i, the tide we ride
pon; such the wave, which engulph
ttousands. The last new ye.r dagwned
Pon unparalleled prosperity; this, lighted
J ren ", Md the nsual rejoieing
gowned in At of hud
Hard time r'-Th, mM of bui5neii
B7 ret the ery, he h:m.
It. CORNELIUS,
! -..If - l. . .1-... . iiga f hp. nntent
l DCII m UaUAIUUla - i
I ... . ... . I 1
spell to put on nis creditor wim uuw ,
and pineb hit unfortunate debtor with the
other, nay even fall under the sheriff'
hammer; but not ly him is hard times
full. The law gives him an allowance,
his Children are fed and clothed, and be
has sympathy and friends ; he knows notb-
! iug of hard times !
. stone and nerves
. stroll among the su
tho mechanic and
' laborer. Cut why should we go to seek
! them J we can see them at our very doors.
Look at that strong man with Li small
: market basket, as be passes from door to
door ; he is no drunkard ; bis face is intel
ligent, and the look of sorrow speaks of a
heart within that urges him on in bis work
of lore, while the frosty wind whistled
around Lis thinly clad frame. lie is stri
ving to earn a supper for his wife and lit-
lie ones, oy selling appies ; i.ong out ui
i i T -a -r !
work, reduced to starvation, vet too proud
- , . : .
- e' V" T. ?
'lll'c he is Striving so awkward-
i . ..n
IV ' c-v 1 1.
- - w . ( , .i,and.
At ev
. . . , .
cry turn, in every sireci, me same ioon ui
cry turn, in every street,
j distress ; the same traces of Lard times,
arc seen ; the cry of " give ! give!" comes
upcontiuually, from little outcast children
i and miserable women mothers ! Philan
i thropy bas a wide Geld too wide for all
' to fed ber influence, for notwithstanding
the noble efforts that are made in behalf
; would bring five hundred dollars under the j
hammer. What a contrast to the shiver-
" J1' ing wretch seated on that icy step, ber one
' j hand extended for charity, while the oth
1 19 25 er clasps the folds of that tattered garment
12.03 around her famished babe!
Lock at that line of splendid equipages,
nd liveried menials, that line the curbs
' in front of those haunts of extravagance
and pride, the fashionable stores of Ches
nut St. or Broadway those " furnishing
undertakers" where the fortunes and hopes
of thousands are " laid out" ind coffioed
and buried and then talk of hard times!
Or, let us step into the Opera a moment;
it is Grisi and Mario's night. Look around
this parquette, and those two tiers of box
es ; all these, save only the press, have
paid Three Dollars a bead. Try to esti
mate the value of that display of velvets,
fdrs, jewel?, white kids and lorgnettes :
. 4 t , . f,,. iw cf
C '
i gentle woman ; alleviating the sufferings
I of the destitute, providiog for their tempo
ral wants, and leading them by kindness
to lives of reform, distributing alms with
one band, and bearing in the other the
bread of life.
Perhaps I have moralised long ctlongh;
l"f really, the number of wretches one is
eonrelled to turn away from bis door
couolr'
But there tre strong bopes that an
antidote for all our trials bas been found,
thanks to the good pleasure of bis restored
i,n.. p;n vine nnrl tiA infallible con-
I lfltt,& VI UU uw.Mtvw auw - -
ception," the neglect of which has no doubt
caused us as many woes as "Achilles the
son of Pelcus" ever caused the Greeks.
The latest news, which is, that the Wee
ping Virgin of Rimini is en route for our
shores, (if like her sister of Guadaloupe
she does not positively refuse to land,)
together with a winking Madonna, and
a number of relics, should be enough to
ensure a national thanksgiving. The fact
. ... , j
i is, we don i deserve so mucu grace, uu
if we are at all benefited, it will be the
greatest wonder.
I ought not to conclude this long epistle
without congratulating you on being able
to have a representative of your owl at
the seat of government also, congratula
ting tho representative. If the Governor
is a candidate next time, I'll certainly rota
for him. Yours, S. II F.
BUBG
rfoatja-Hit
Lrry M'Mallen wu elrk la a. ttora
Where dry (romla tty wholesale were fold:
The. anoet of hia baeinesa waa aweepng the Boor,
And ktioekiag the boxe afout at the door;
Of writing and readioK be knew nothing more
Than the colt that U half a year old.
Kow a rich widow lady from Tip pareen tent
To purchase aome merehandixe rare.
And to packing: it up in a box Larry went.
But. a little bit corned, and wid labor o'erapent,
He atilmMed ard fell In a box that waa meant
for different delcrli'tton of ware.
All night be lay anug In a beautiful drama,
Till morning erawlvd over the eky ;
then to nail np the boxm the carpenter came,
According to ordcra he fastened the earne.
And the place waa ao dark that nobody could blame
If Larry he did not eepy.
Then the Mlow who marked all the boxei drew litgb,
And a bad piece of bunlnexa he made,
Fr ha wrt" on the box In which Larry did lie
''Fo Mas. Xat-entur: taKb Ctax aero Kxr ami.1
Ala tr poor Larry, how aonB would be die
j If that acttrry command were obejed I
The box waa nt on by the railroad lb baste,
! In the widow'a fine dwelling it eat,
i And the widow, who bad a mechanical taste.
. Keit ltci . it,b ,nd 4UickT nDCUc4
MuIHd, ho roared like a terrified buu,
" Orh ! amithereetis, what are je at f
rhe widow was horribly frfchtened at fin
At what seemed an lufernal machine,
Flxpectlng to ace fifty fiends from it burst
1 The wido homo,, ,r.,hte.e. ..
A, . mn mm
p.iM.u.m.n. ..!. . i, k,i
o J
But when she discovered a nun was the worst.
1 u" f-m wm " di, ber doubu wen dupemd.
cr fears were all ended, her doubu were
And her rapture waa plain to be seen.
" OchI Molly, look here I" thus she cried to her maid,
"Come see what the marcbints have Bent I
1 wrote for such things aa a widder might nade,
Ahd tiith but the fellows bare strictly obeyed,
bad luck to me now but I'U aee them weU paid,
for they give me intire content!'
''Where am IT" says Larry. "Faix.darUnt, you're here,"
The widow replied with a amile.
Cries the lad, " So I am, sure enough ; but I fear
I hare Bent the wrong box." " Never mind it, my dear.
Said Mistress SI'Laughlin, and gave him n leer
That cut to his heart like a file.
" It's happy I am, then,'1 M'MullIn rejoined,
If the goods suit your ladyship's taflte.
If naritooda you wanted, you'll aartinly find
That I'll suit you at once, for I'm that very kind."
"Very well, then," Bays she, "that 'a the goods to my Baud:
And now let ua send fur the Praiel!1
The Little Sitters.
" You were not here yesterday," said
the gentle teacher of the little village
school, as she placed her band kindly on
the curly bead of one of her pupils. It
was recess time, but the little girl address
ed had not gone to frolic away the ten
minutes, nor even left her seat, but sat
absorbed in what seemed a fruitless at
tempt to make herself master of a sum in
long division.
lier face and neck crimsoned at the re
mark of her teacher, but looking np she
seemed somewhat reassured by the kind
glance that met her and answered, "No
ma'am, I was not, but sister Nelly was."
"I remember there was a little girl, who
called herself Nelly Gray, came in yester
day, but I did not know she waa your sis
ter. But why did yon not come ? You
seem to love study very much."
"It was not because I didn't wan't to,"
was the earnest answer, and then paused
and the deep flush again tinged that fair
brow ; "but," she continued, after a mo
ment of painful embarrassment, "mother
can not spare both of us conveniently, and
so we are going to take turns, I'm going
to school one day and sister the next, and
to-nigbt I'm to teach Nelly all I bare learn
ed to day, and to-morrow night, she will
teach me all that she learns while here.
It's the only way we can think of getting
along, and we want to study very touch,
so as to some tim keep school ourselves-,
nd take care of mother, because she has
to work very bard to take care of us.'
With genuine delicacy, Miss M. forbore
to question the child further, but sat down
beside hcr,and in a moment explained the
rule over which she was puxzlmg her
young brain, so that the difficult sum waa
easily finished.
"You had better go out and take the
air a moment, you have studied very hard
to-day," said the teacher, as the little girl
put aside her slate.
"I had rather not I might tear toy
dress I will stand by the window and
watch the rest."
There was such a peculiar tone in the
voice of ber pupil as she said, "I might
tear my dress," that Miss M. was led in
stinctively to notice it It was nothing but
a ninepenny print of a deep hue, but it
was neatly made and had never yet been
washed. And while looking at it she re
membered that during the whole previous
fortnight that Mary Gray had attended
school regularly, she had never teen her
wear but that one dress. "She is a thought
ful little girl," said she to herself, "and
does not want to make her mother any
trouble I wish I'd more such scholars.'
The next morning Mary wat absent,
but her sister occupied her teat There
waa something to interesting in the two
little sisters, the one eleven and other
eighteen months younger, agreeing to at
tend school by turns, that Miss M. could
not forbear observing them very closely.
They were pretty faced children, of deli
cate forms and fairy-like hands and feet
the elder with lustrous eyes and chest
nut curls, the younger with orbs like the
sky of June, ber white neck veiled by a
wealth of golden ringlets. She observed
in both the same close attention to their
studies, and as Mary had tarried within
during play time, to did Nelly, and upon
speaking to her as the had to her litter,
be received, too, the same answer, "I
might tear my dress."
The reply caused Miss I to notice the
fcDisbarg, HoIjjb (twiti),
garb of tbe sister, She saw at once it was
the same piece aa Mary's and upon scru
tinising it very eloeely, she became cer
tain it was the time dress. It did not
fit quite io pretty on Nelly, and waa too
long for ber, too, and she was evidently
ill at ease when the noticed her friendly
teacher looking at tbe bright pink flowers
that were so thickly set on the white
ground.
Tbe discovery was one that could not
but interest a heart so trnly benevolent aa
that which pulsated in the bosom of the
school teacher. She ascertained the
residence of their mother, and tbongb
sorely shortened herself of a narrow purse,
that same night, having found at the only
store in the place a few yards of the same
material, purchased a dress for little Nelly,
and sent it to her in such a way that tbe
donor could not be detected.
Very bright and happy looked Mary
Gray on Friday morniug as she entered
the school at an early hour. She waited
only to place her books in neat order in
her desk, ere she approached Miss M. and
whispered in a voice that laughed in spite
of her efforts to make it low, and deferen
tial : "After thii week sister Nelly is
coming to school every day, and O, I am
so glad 1"
"That is very good news," replied tho
teacher, kindly. "Nelly is fond of her
bojks, I see, and I am happy to know that
she ean have an opportunity to study ber
books every day. Then she continued, a
little good natured mischief encircling her
eyes and dimpling her sweet lips ! "But
how can your mother spare you both con
veniently r"
"O, yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am, she can
now. Something happened she didn't ex
pect, and she is glad to have us come as
we are to do so." She hesitated a moment,
but her young heart was filled to the brim
with joy, and when a child is happy it is
as natural to tell the cause aa it is for a
bird to warbie when the sun shines. So
out of tbe fulness of ber heart she spoke
and told her teacher this little story :
She and ber sister wete the only child
ren of a very poor widow, whose health
was so delicate that it was almost impossi
ble to support herself and daughters. She
was obliged to keep them ont of school all
winter, because they had no clothes to
wear, but told tbeffl if they eonld earn
enough by doing odd chores for the neigh
bors to bny each of them a hew dress, they
might go in the spring. Very earnestly
had the little girls improved their stray
chances, and very carefully hoarded the
copper eoim which had usually repaid
them. Tbey had a calico dress, when
Nelly was taken sick, and as tbe mother
had no money beforehand, her own treas
ure had to be expended in the purchase of
medicine.
"O, I did feel so bad when school open
ed and Nelly could not go, because she
bad no dress," said Mary. "I told mother
I wouldn't go either, but she said I had
better, for I could teach sister lome, and
it would be better than cs schooling. I
stood it for a fortnight, bat Nelly's face
seemed all the time looking at me on the
way to school and I couldn't be happy a
bit, so I finally thought of a Way by which
we could both go, and I told mother I
would come one day, and the next I would
lend Nelly my dress and she might come,
and that's the way we done this week.
Rut last night Somebody tent sister a dress
just like mine, and now she can come too.
O, if I only knew who it was, I would get
down Oh my knees and thank them, and
so would Nelly. But we don't know, and
so we've done all we eonld for them we've
prayed for themand 0, Miss M. we are
all so glad now. Ain't you too ?"
"Indeed I am," wat the emphatic an
swer. And when on the following Mon
day, little Nelly, ita the new pink dress,
entered the school room her face radiant
as a rose in sunshine and approaching the
teacher's table, exclaimed in tones as mu
sical ae those of a freed fountain, "I am
to glad !" Miss M. felt as she never felt
before that it is more blessed to give than
to receive. No million-aire, when he saw
his name in publio prints, lauded for his
thousand-dollar charities, wu ever to hap
py aa the poor school teacher, who wore
her gloves half a summer longer than she
ought, and thereby tared enough to bny
that poor little girl a calico dress.
Ourait Time Tatirr IUtbs. The
Wheeling Argus publishes the following
copy of a record of Ohio county court :
At a court held for Ohio eounty, on
Monday, the 6th day of June, 180.
Present Solomon Hedges, Ed. Robinson,
James Miller, and Zaebariah Sprigg,gent
The court proceeded to settle the rates for
ordinary keepers. Ordered, that the ordi
nary keepers of this county, sell at tbe
following rates :
For half a pint of whiskey, 6 dollars
" 1 dinner, 6 do
" Lodging with clean sheet, 3 do
" One bores to bsy ons night, 6 do
M Pasturage one night, 4 do
" One gallon of corn, 6 do
" One gallon of oats, 4 do
" i pint of whiskey with sugar,6 do
" 1 quart of strong beer, 4 do
Tbe currency we suppose, of course, was
the old Continental money, which the ol
dest inhabitants Informs ut was "not
worth much "
CHBON
flrititsylmia.
Tbe Beautiful Quadroon,
The Detroit (Michigan) Christian Her
ald, of the 28th nit, says that twenty,
eight chattels arrived in that city during
the previous ten days by way of the under-ground
railroad s
"The case which has excited especial in
terest is tbat of a beautiful quadroon girl
of nineteen. She escaped from Kentucky,
after having been sold for 3 1,500 to a sprig
of chivalry, who designed to take ber to
New Orleans and eousign her to a fate at
which decency and humanity sicken. Soon
after her escape, he offered a reward of five
hundred dollars for her recovery, and de
clared be Would have her if be bad to
" put one foot in bell." Such was her
beauty tbat she would readily have brought
from 32,500 to 13,000 in tbe New Orleans
Market Zilla has, however, been rescued
from the embrace of this putrid monster.
She is safe in Canada hae entered a
school, and is preparing herself to become
a teacher.
Cure for ScrofUla.
Nicholas Loogwcrth the great Catawba
wine man, of Cincinnati, publishes the
following in tbe Commercial of that city.
Put 2 ounces of Aquafortis on a plate,
on which you have two copper cents. Let
it remain from eighteen to twenty-four
hours. Then add 4 ounces of clear strong
vinegar. Put cents and all in a large
mouthed bottle, and keep it corked. Be
gin by putting four drops io a tea-spoon
full of tain water, and apply it to tbe sore.
Make the application three times a day,
with a soft hair pencil, or one made of
rags. If very painful, put more water.
If not too painful, put less. As the sore
heals apply it weaker. I request all edi
tors, in all parts of the Union, and abroad,
to copy this and to republish it quar
terly or yearly, tt may save many lives.
N. Lonoworth.
Cincinnati, Nov. 18, 1854.
THE
The GarIem
FARM s
The Orchaurd.
A View of American Agriculture.
CHAPTER tIL
Eg vjhatPtortutttheEarthUimpoveruJted:
There are three principal ways in which
the natural fruitfulness of the earth may
be seriously impaired.
1. By removing its natural products; as
when a prairie is annually mown for a se
ries of years, and all the hay removed, and
no manure or other fertiliser returned. In
arope, where forest culture k practiced,
experience has shown that to remove the
leaves tbat annually fall upon the ground
to rot and form mould over the roots of
trees, is sure to impoverish the land and
injure its valuable products. These leaves,
as well as prairie grass, contain both
earthy minerals Called inorgxnic matter,
and combustible elements usually designat
ed by the term organic matter. In burn
ing over prairie-, the latter portion of the
plants consumed is alone removed from
tbe soil; their utha remain on tbe
ground where tbe plants grew. Pastures
are deteriorated by tbe loss of the grass
carried off in the stomachs of domestic ani
mals. 2. Soils are impoverished by tiflago
without cropping, or removing any plant
whatever. No fact in agriculture is more
important than this : All tillare is purely
an artificial and withal a most Unnatural
operation. Nature never ploughs, nor
hdes the earth to promote the growth of
vegetation. Her highest productiveness
is the result of laws, which every farmer
should carefully study and learn to follow,
in the renovation of cultivated fields.
Although all tillage is a mechanical pro
cess, yet itt effects are both chemical and
physical on the soil. So far as the chemi
cal resulti of tillage are concerned, they
are quite independent of all crops and oth
er plants. It ia not so easy a task as some
may suppose to explain, in a few plain
words, the several ehanges wrought in the
mould and inorganic part of soils, by the
plough, spade, and hoe. Tbe mechanical
and physical effects of tillage are very ob
vious to every cultivator. The earth is
wtellatBfd rendered exceedingly porous
and admirably fitted not only to absorb at
fherie air, and all gaseous bodies, but
to eamdente tbem in the inumerable pores
of the friable mass. The same causes
which increase the fertility of a fallowed
field exhaust the toil, if long continued,
although no crop should be grown upon it
If, however, a crop of weeds, grass, peas,
or elover be grown and allowed to die and
rot on the ground or be ploughed In, the
oil will be enriched by the operation.
But if a field be annually ploughed and
boed, at for a crop of corn, tobacco, cotton,
or sugar-cane for twenty-five years, and no
plant whatever be allowed to grow on itt
tnrface, the mechanical and chemical
changes, associated as they must be with
tbe leachings and washings of innumerable
rains, would result in removing from the
surfase of the earth nearly or quite all of
its vegetable mould and the soluble mine
ral food of plants. To test this principle
in nature, suppose a farmer were to apply
twenty-five loads of well rotted stable ma
nure upon an acre of land, and plough,
harrow, and boa the ground twenty-five
years, as for crops ef com or cotton, but
plant nothing and permit neither grass not
weeds to grow taereoa. Would any of
the dissolved elements of tbit manure re
main the? length of time in the rarfaee
ICL
ELEVENTH YEAR,.... WHOLE NUMBER, 566.
11.50 per Year,
soil 1 Certainly not If manure will de
compose end disappear like wood consumed
in a fire-place, may not vegetable mould
do so likewise? And if tbe mineral known
as common salt and salts of lime and pot
ash will readily dissolve on the ground in
rain water, and pass in a state of solu
tion deep into the earth and reappear in
springs, wells, and rivulets, may not simi
lar minerals naturally in the soil, and ren
dered soluble by tillage, be also dissolved
and washed out of the mellow ground into
the compact sub-soil, or into swamps,rivers,
and the ocean f
The principal object of ploughing and
hoeing ia to increase the quantity of avail
able food for the crop ; but while the
plants are present in the soil and growing,
it is by no means certain that all the ma
nure or other fertiliser applied to the
land, or all tho elements of the crop natur
ally in the soil, enter the roots of cultivat
ed plants, and appear at the harvest.
Under certain circumstances, the loss by
leaching and solar inuflences is very large.
In producing small crops of corn, cotton,
wheat, and other plants, tbe waste of raw
material is far greater in proportion to the
harvest, than in large crops whose roots
and foliage cover the surface both io and
above the soil universally. Small corn
or cotton plants, and these quite distant
ooe from another, greatly favor the volati
aation of all volatile substances and the
washing away of all soluble elements.
3. Tillage and cropping exhaust land
faster than it can be done in any other
way short of carting off the surface soil in
amass. The degree of injury inflicted by
this operation is very variable t not only
on different fields, and soils, but on tbe
same surface at different times aad seaeons.
A light, open, sandy soil that has no clay
foundation will not bear ploughing and
cropping so long, with so small deteriora
tion, as the same soil with a clay
sub-soil. Light, sandy soils abound in
North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,Geor
gia, and South Caralina, and most of these
when fresh yield fair crops. Their red
day lands are not so easily worked, but are
more enduring and generally more produc
tive, The limestone soils of the Cherokee
eountry, of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missou
ri, and other States ,are altogether different
from any formed from the debrU of grani
tic, metamorphic, and sand rockst It is
impossible to form an intelligent opinion
of the exhaustion of a soil by any given
amount of tillage and cropping, without
knowing something of the parent rvcis
from which the earth Was derived, and
something of its physical and chemical
properties. A knowledge of the principles
of geology and chemistry is invaluable to
one who desires to understand in advance
what are the natural capabilities of any
arable land; and what elements of erops it
is most likely to have ia too small a quan
tity. It often happens that a soil partakes
tery little of the character of the rock that
lies but twenty or thirty inches below its
Surface.
Tbis is owing to tbe circumstance tbat
a different kind of rock bas furnished the
earthy matter deposited above the solid
strata. In several Counties in Western
New York, the soft Medina soft sandstone
has been comminuted and carried by tidal
currents, glaciers, icebergs, or some other
moving force, many miles southward, and
spread over iime-rocks, hundreds of feet
higher than the parent sandstone, both ge
ologically and typographically. Although
resting on lime-rock, these soils often lack
lime to a degree.
The durability of a soil is governed, in
an eminent degree, by its texture and by
grometrie properties.
Tenacious clay lands retain fertilising
salts with peculiar and remarkable affinity.
When Well drained and thouroughly tilled,
they yield up their nutritive constituent
as fast as is profitable. Where one has
but a small surface to operate on, tbe ap
plication of clay to sandy soils is very use
ful. The deeper and more thoroughly one
cultivates bis land, removes all that it pro
duces, and makes no adequate restitution,
the faster will he impair the natural capa
bilitiea of his soil. No matter with what
skill and science a farmer extracts immense
crop from his Gelds; the larger the amount
of potash, soda, magnesia, soluble flint,
phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, and orga
nised nitrogen, caried off in crops, tbe
poorer his land must become, unless a part
of all these mgredients be returned to the
earth whenoe they were taken.
It ia impossible to lay, with any ap
proximation to the truth, in the present
infancy of agricultural science, bow much
of the inorganic food of plants may be
aafely removed from year to year in grass,
milk, meat, or grain, in cotton or tobacco,
from an acre of common fair land, with
out detriment. A little of dissolved sand,
lime, potash, magnesia, sulphur, mould,
and phosphorus may be spared from the
poorest toils, without injury ; while some
to abound in the elements of crops as to
furnish an amount twenty times larger,
without exhausting the supply of earthy
minerals. This point will be farther dis
euTslinthn'fupr
rl
alwats in Adtaxci.
Frost at t Hanurc
We know of no treatment ao directly
beneficial for almost every class of soils, at
tbat of throwing np land in narrow ridge
in the fH or early winter. There are few :
soils worth cultivating at all, that do not
contain more or less materials which ean -be
made available to plants by the com-
bined action of air and frost.
Take two plots of heavy soils, side by -side,
and let one lie unmoved till spring,
while the other is deeply plowed in autumn, ;
and the result will be very visible in tho
spring crop. But tbe manner of plowing
is important To secure the greatest ad
vantage, a single furrow should be thrown
, up and another back furrowed directly upon
! it so as to produce a high ridge, then an
other ridge is to be made in tbe same man
ner with a deep dead furrow between tho
two. The process Is to be continued thus
through the whole field, so that when
finished it will present a surface of high
ridges and deep dead furrows succeeding
each other, about once in two or two and
a half feet If prepared in this way, the
frost will penetrate far downward, loosen
ing and disintegrating the soil below tho
furrows, while the ridget will crumble
down, and as they will not hold water,th
air will circulate freely through tbem, de
composing tbe mineral portions, and eon
veyiog in ammonia, and other gases. This
operation will be equal to ten or more load
of good manure upon clay or compact soil.
In the spring it will only be necessary
to run a plow once or twice through tho '
centre of each ridge, and then level th
whole down with a heavy harrow. ,
Another advantage in this process is,
that when land is thus prepared it dries
out and warms several days earlier in th
spring. Again, there are some soils that
are exhausted upon tbe surface, but which,
contain poi-oaous substances in the sub
soil. If tbis sub-soil is thrown up in eon
tart with the air and frost during the
winter, these poisonous compounds, usual
ly protosulphate of iron or manganese,wili
be destroyed or changed to a harmless form,
during the winter.
Tbe above practice is especially to b
recommended in the garden. One of the
most successful cultivators of an acre of
ground in our acquaintance, digs it up in ;
the fall to the depth of three or four feet,
making deep trenches and high ridge so '
tbat the whole acre appears to be covered 1
high winrows of bay placed close together. -'
We strongly urge every farmer who ha '
not tried this method, to lay out his plan
now for experiment in this way, on a lerg '
er or smaller scale, during the present sea -son.-
American Agricultnritt.
Good Stanure, best stock for ParaerSt '
A Farmer " well to do" in the world, '
asked us the other day what we considered. ,
the best stock in which to invest his sur I
plus funds, whether Railroad, Bank, or
State Stocks J We told him he had better .
apply bis surplus funds to the manufac
ture of a good manure heap, and let Rail
road, Bank, and State Stocks alone. We
consider it the height of fully for a farmer
to meddle with fancy stocks when be hae
any waste or unimproved land, or build- '
ing, or fences that need repairing, with
which to use his surplus money. The
dabbling in stocks or interest money ha
always been the result of short-sightedness
on the part of the farming community, es
pecially when the money might be mora
usefully ec ployed in hiring men to im-'
prove and put their lands in the highest
possible state of cultivation, instead of.
half or quarter tilling tbem, aa th vast
majority of farmers do at present Our
agricultural friends need waking np on '
this point, and to be thoroughly aroused
to tbe fact that it don't pay to work after
the manner in which their grandfather! did
before them, for " old fogyism" is ss un
profitable to tbem as any other class of
community. Wake np, and see if it ia'nt
SO ' Arto Brunswick Fredonian.
Winter Batter.
In many parts of our eountry tho art of
making good butter in winter is very im
perfectly understood, and bv some dairy
women thought to be entirely impossible.
But it can be done in December as Well as ,
in May. The plan of doing it is tbis : the
cows should be stabled and fed on sweet
bay and other provender. Instead of keep-1
ing the milk in a warm place it should be .
put in a cold one, and no matter how soon
it freetes, because freeting it will separate '
the cream mnch more perfectly tban il
will rise without th atmospherie tempo- .
rature, and it can then be taken off with
less trouble. And when the cream ia
churned the churn should not be placed
very near a fire ; tbe ordinary heat of a '
kitchen would be sufficient Too much
warmth destroys both tbe complexion and -the
flavor of butter. In tbe win er, hat '
ter, it is evident, requires more time in
ehorning than in summer, but when pa
tience assists the laborer, the task is mac'
no task at all.
Butter cared with half an ounce of M t,
quarter ounce of aalpetre, quarter eune of
moist tugar pounded, used in the propor
tion of an ounce to each pound of nutter
will be found t keep good a lorger time, .
and hare feWdriicttuB-crttai when ,
silted in Bi -sHnr-rr r '-ry.