The southern press., 1851-08-06
For the Southern Press.
Mechanism No. IA.
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.


Farming and mechanism are the two great pur-
suits of human beings. Upon them depend all
other pursuits both for their and their ex
istence Merchants, lawyers, judges, statesmen,
politicians physicians, ,ciergymen, teachers, artists
commodores, generals, sailors, soldiers, travellers,
amateurs OF science and art, sPecuators-men,
women, and children of every class and condition
can trace their operations, their success, and
their living, to the abors of the farmer and the
mechanic. The principles on which are founded
the operations and the success Of these two great
pursuits must be Of some interest to all classes,
and to those engaged in them of paramount i'm
portance. They are no more important to the
man than interesting to the child. To farming a
wider range Of science is applicable than to any
Other pursuit Nshher ihe lawyer, physician
clergyman, college professor, nor any person en-
gagged in any other pursuit, has SO good op2or-
tunties, or SO many occasions, to become men OF
sound extended practical science, as the farmer.
Every farmer is a geologist, chemist, and bota-
mist, though he may not be aware that he is either.
He also takes many severe lessons on entomology.
Lessons on that subject cost Pennsylvania near,
twelve millions of dollars in year through the
ravages Of the wheat fly. Every motion of every
tool, whether by the farmer or the mechanic, is a
practical experiment in natural philosophy.
Meteorology, as exhibited in winds, rains, clim-
ates, elevations, and exposures, comes directly
home to The work of the farmer, showing to him
it's importance as subject Of knowledge. To
moral science his situation is pre-emnently favor
able.
Subjects of science coming directly to the aid of
the mechanic, though less numerous than those
of the farmer, still form arg circle. The remark
is sometimes made that all science resolves itself
into chemistry and geometry. Whether that re-
mark is strictly true not, these two sciences
are especially interesting to mechanics Mectan-
ism and practical geometry are virtually one and
the same thing. Mechanism is the modification
of form which is geometry put into practice.
Mechanics also have constant occasion to use
natural philosophy is its various departments.
! Under the wise ordinance Of Heaven the
sciences most essential to human pursuits and hu-
man existence most eagerly sought for by the
Juvenile mind in its unadulterated unsophisticated
state Every child since Adam has been 'self
instructor" in geology, chemistry, geometry, bo-
/
natural science so rapid their progress, and so
vast and substantial their acquisition in this kind
and mode of instruction, as to render the remark
common that we learn more during the three first
years of life than in the same time during any
subsequent period-a severe comment on schools.
Lord Brougham once remarked, "If we should
be deprived of what learn during the first three
years of life, we should be the most ignorant be-
ngs on the face of the globe"
Though these facts must probably take from
the mouth of any objector the argument or claim
that young minds are not competent to a compre-
hension of natural science, the objection may still
be urged that the common mechanical exercises in
reading, writing, and spelling might be retarded.
To that objection it may be replied that, under
the present six or eight years course Of reading
lessons, good reader is the rarest thing in the
world-almost and under a course Of writing les
sons of about the same length, very few write a
plain, full, egibIe hand. BY courses in these two
subjects, founded on practical science, nearly
every one would be natural, good reader and a
legible writer. Both cases can be substantiated
by facts, fully. clearly, and triumphantly; as can
the same truth in re, tiq 20 any and every sub
ject Of fcommon-schoot fAucton.
EXPERIMENTAL lady in Pennsylvania once re-
marked that she should forever be grateful to
those persons who introduced the natural sciences
into the school of her children. Previously she
had given up all hopes Of her youngest son ever
learning anything. Now his progress in his va
rious studies is more rapid and thorough than
that Of his elder brother, considered good schol-
ar. Changes Of bad scholars into good, the
worst into the best, from the same cause, are
without number.