Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-09-25
LITERARY NOTICES.

editor, THos. AFFLEcK Esq, a gentleman ot
extensive information in both experimental
and scientific farming, for a copy OF this ex-
cellent work. The design of the author has
been to place in the hands of the Farmer.
Gardener and Planter, an annual which, in
addition to the usual statistical information
conveyed through almanacs, shall embrace a
large fund of matter interesting to every stu
dent of nature; but pre-eminently so to the
arriculturist. Now we do not wish to tiatter
Mr.. AAleck, and much less would we recon-
mend an inferior publication while the coun-
try abounds in SO many of superior merit, yet
we cannot agree with him that any of the in
diligence he Graves of the public for the de-
fects of his "tirst attempt" is necessary.
The fact is his "irst attempt" is the best at
tempt we have ever seen in the way of get
ting up a truly valuable almanac for the "Far-
mer Gardener and PIanter;' and if the pre-
sent number does not contain the full variety
at first contemplated, its contents are at least
sufficiently varied and complete to insure it a
wide circulation among the intelligent of
every class. It is a remarkably cheap work for
the price (25 cents!), and is surpassed but by
one work of its genus in the United States
we mean the American Almanac. We trust
our enterprising friend, Mr.. Heroman, will
not fail to supply his bookstore with a large
number of copies, and that every head of a
family in this and adjoining parishes will intro
duce this almanac into their dwellings in pre-
ference to those trite out-of-date things, whose
whole aim seems to be to "amuse the vulgar
mind, without imparting a word of useful
information"
Edward Lucas, 112 Main street, Cincinnati
is the publisher; the volume contains about
100 pages II mo-: is neatly printed, and
ornamented with numerous and beautiful
engravings.
NEw-YoRK DISTRICT ScHooL JOURNAL,
(Aibany, N. Y)-lt is not easy for us to de-
eide which we admire the more, the design or
the matter of the District School Journal. It's
motto is, in the language Of Washington:
knowledge is the light of heaven free,
pure, pleasant, exhaustless. 1t invites all TO
possession: it admits of no presumption, no
rights exclusive, NO MONOPOLY"
And its design is expressed in a continue.
thor. 1t is to
. Promote, as objects Of primary Importance,
institutions for The general diffusion Of h7,ow-
ledge"
How can we too ardently admire so noble a
mission! How can too much well directed
and well applied energy, talent and capital be
devoted to the distribution of what has been
so eloquently and beautifully compared to the
light OF Observation-Disclosures
But it is one thing to appropriate and an
other to apply. Money and means more than
sufficient to educate well every child in the
nation, might, from a want of skill and discre-
ton in the application, be lavished with very
small profit, even to a very small portion Of
the whole. To disseminate views drawn from
experiments sometimes favorable and some
times disastrous, to n AXE known the legisla-
tive will of the State, to suggest ameliorations
where necessary, of what nature and amount
required, to introduce books the best ADAPTED
70 schools, and to show to what schools GER
tain books are best adapted, is the purport of
the matter of this Ito us) novel and most ex-
celient work. We cannot say that we ever
met a publication the nature of which we re-
gardea more favorably than we do the nature
of this. Poets have been delighted with the
task of rearing the "young idea' and "ten-
thought" that task was their delight, too,
at a period when education was vet unsys-
tematized, when it was looked down upon by
legislators as the business rathe- of the nur-
sery and ititerant pedagogue, than one Of the
grandest and most momentous affairs of
s-atet How much more delightful now, must
be the pursuit of the instructor, when wise
begin to give system to his duties, pro-
vide new aids and new comforts in his yoca-
ton, and not only sarreil the Development of
The youthful mind and hold out inducements
its progress, but instruct the instructor him !
self, secure him his emoluments, elevate the !
.epute of his calling, and make more plain,
more clear and attractive his arduous duties
New-York has taken a noble stand in the I
'ause OF general education. The State is I
divided into ten thousand eight hundred school !
in each of which there is a school 9
library, and to each of which the State sends !,
copy of the District School Journal. In this :
lot only the teacher, but the school commits q
toner's find their line Of duty clearly traced
nut. The subscription price is SO per annum ;,
nd never did any government appropriate o
s32,4W more laudably. Were we able. we .
you'd furnish a copy to each and every mem Il
OF the, Legislature Of Louisiana. COM Il
lencing with the present volume, besides "
one half dt zen of copies to the executive.
We are certain our money could not be better
aid, for there is no doubt that if the example n
Ihlch New-York is now giving and the course it
he is now pursuing were fully conprehended C
1 our State Assembly, something of impor- I
ance would be speedily done for the rising Il
in Louisiana. c,
What we will do, however, is this We
Ill give as a premium, FIVE volumes of the
district School Journal, (the two volumes al u
lady complete, and those for one, two, and p'
lree years hence,) for the best Essay on the y
onlInon School System in Louisiana. TO be OF
'epared Tor publication by the Est January b;
ext. Competent Judges will be selected to
eide on the merits of the essays presented /:
e authors to give a full erpos6 Of the good ~
features of the system, of the sums by
'propriated by the legislaturs-of the man II
II in which said sums have been applied- tn