Litchfield enquirer., 1835-11-19


tho following facts, and have only tn regret
that the like of them are not Of mare FREE
quent occurrence. A number of intelligent
farmers, residing in a neighborhoOd, semc-
where we believe in Duchess coUusy, con-
cludcd To form Grmer'S associatiOn-to
make a common stock oftheir knowledge
and obseT misunderstanding that knowledge
like money, would be productive in pro-
portion to the eapital. = Et,was known that
A. raised the best horses, and got The best
price forthem that b. was far naOse sue.
cessfhI in his wheat and corn crops than
his ncighbors that C.. reared the finest
neat cattle, and kept the best cows and OK
en- that ID. excelled ia sheep husbandry !;
and, in short, that some individual excel
led The rest in a particular branch Of hus-
excellence, hut some gIaring defect in his
management. Thus the farm stock of Que
we're sickly, and many died, because tho
owner did not know how to manage them !;
another's farm had become dreadfally inn
poverished, from neglectiDg the. manure
and from close cropping; whildGhe farm
of third was neither fit for the plough.
or for sweet grass, ON account Of the water
which every where saturated the soil, and
rendered 10 poachy, cold and sour. " I'm
like too many now days, each of these
men was conscious he could learn much
from his neighbours practice, which would
enable him TO manage his farm with more
gofit--and that he could teach his neigh
bors something in return. These rexpec-
ta.ions were amply realized /; but as the
members.lived somewhat remote, il struck
them that it would save much time, and be
a more sure way Of rendering the improve.
menfs ofall available to each, if they were
to write down their practice in the partic-
nlar branch in which they respectively ex-
celled, and the priNciples, or science, upon
which their practice was based. This was
accordingly done and for their mutual
convenience, as we'll as for the benefit Of
others, the whole was printed, and these
men were afterwards denoMinated> by
some oftheir enyious neighbours, book farms
ers, because they took their instructions
/ from printed s6ook. This did not disturb
them /; for they got fron.etheir book the
secret by which the others had excelled in
their particular department, and each prof
tied by the good management Of his neigh
cd by the interchange. The defects of all
were speedily uomrCfied, aud in q. Gs--, -v..o,
prosperity crowned their labors; and they
now exhibit, we are told, the best models
of profitable farming any where to be found
in the land and they enjoy the felicity Of
rejecting, that while they have greatly
benefited themselves and their families,
they have by their example and instruc-
ton, done much good to others. They
have afforded fair illastratioA of the adj
vantages Of book farming, when combined
with intelligent practice.
Mere this example extended to the
farming community of our country, how
greatly the work of improvement would
advance, and the comforts Of the human
family be multiplied; were each to contri-
butte his mite of practical knowledge, in
the branch in which he most excels, what
treasures Of information would be collect-
ed, to guide rs in practice. and t" stinu-
late US to habits of industry. And do we
not already possess, in considerable de-
gree, these precious advan,ages2 What
are our agricultural journals, hat record
Of instructions, by the best farmers Of our
own aud every other country-a detail OF
the methods by which they have succeeded
have excelled-in the various depart
ments of husbandry? There is not q man
in the community who may not profit, in
some degree, by the teachings of.hese jour-
mails. The self-wise are ever the most
profoundly ignorant; for as we advance in
knowledge, we become more and more
humbled by the CONSCIOUSNESS of our COM
parative ignorance. '' p"
EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
The Rev. Andrew Reed, of London, in
his late work on America closes his remarks
on the subject Of education as Eullows:-
81 think you cannot fail, my dear friend,
to survey this brief report ON the subject
of education, whether collegiate or COM
mon, with wonder and admiration. And
vet we have been told. in the face Of all
this evidence, with petuiaBce and pride,
that the Americans have no literature, and
are not literary people. Not literary
and yet they have done more for letters
than any other people ever did in similar
circumstances. Not literary hand yet they
have made more extensive granite in favor
| Of universal educatioa THAI any other coun-
fry. Not literary /! and yet not only the
1 - 9, ..Lccl4 hs,f shs or.don.v and the