Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-04-23
vol. x,--No. SO.
Making Farm Life Attraotlve.,

A few thoughts onthis general subject may
we'll be added:
Why should not every farmer make 4
cabinet collection of every kind of rock up-
on hisland? AN soils arc made up, in no
small measure, of these rocks disintegrated
(&ofn DOWN by tie action of the elements
Having small specimens of these rocks ar
ranged on shelves in bis house, he can daily
see the chief constituent elements Of his
farm. 10 do this, he need not himself be
"a scientific chemist or niineralogist; the
school teacher or educated
physician will tell'him the precise name
and quality of every stone. Thcn'let linn
label them, and at his leisure read and learn
all he CAN ahedt his cabinet of minerals
Nearby, let him have collection of'the
different soils on his farm; from the hill
and valley top soil, subsoil, ollnvial, clay,
gravel and sand. Let these be arranged
in viais and bottles, and neatly lubellcd.-
And let him not stop here DO not trees
grow in his wood lot and orchard, and
grasses and grains in his fields? let him
select specimepso of every variety Of wood
| say small cross-section of every sort Of
tree, specimens of their leaves, flowers, and
| seed,, and samples of dried grasses and
grains, neatly prepared and labelled. And
! as to fruits, if be has a son or daughter
skilled IN drawing, they should make pic
lures of all tho fruits growing in his or
chard and garden: A gentleman of our
acquaintance has begun to make such q
collection Of fruits, drawn md colored by
his own hand in leisure hours, and tins
very beautiful. He takes theiruits as they
successfully ripen, drawing and painting
them in water colors. He began with the
earliest strawberry, and iucluded the cher
| rics, raspbcrries, currants, summer pears,
apples and Fall aud Winter fruit Those
, which csenpo him one year, he obtains the
next year. When he has copied tie whole
circle fruits growing inhis ncighborhood,
| he intends to have the drawing handsomely
bound. Fhey will make a set of books of
rare interest and valucl
r. Let the farmcrond his family make some
collection ofthis sort And tothese thugs
let him add specimens OF insects injurious
to vegetation, classified and named Nor
would it be amiss to make or purchase
drawings of useful animals, farm imple-
mcnts, and various works of art and taste.
/ But enough has now been said to show
That a. wide field of pleasing and useful OBJ
scwation lies open before any farmer. How
| much would the habit we have advocated
| tend to libcralize his views, give him anew
aud dstronger interest m his chosen profess
ion, and elevate it also in the minds of 9th
ers! 1T would then be plainly seen that
there isno end to the subjects ofintcrestiug
and useful observntionand Thought sugges-
ted by the pursuits of agriculture. And
what happy influence would this habit
| of observation exert on the children educa-
! ted on farm 40 conducted They would
| grow up, thinking men and women, aud
they would honor and fondly love the call
ingof agriculture:
/, How foolish it is for farmers to complain
of their children forsaking the homestead
at the earliest opportunity, while sueh pa
rents do nothing TO invest farming with
some kind Of attractions Their children
would be dolts, if they didu't wish to get
away from somc farms that we know Of
| But let parents show them that agriculture
is something besides drudgery; show them
that 1T awakcns thought, demands thought,
and honors thought, and,they win not run
away from it. They will not hasten to
towns and cities to engage in trades and
I professions less honorable, more uncertain
OF yielding pecunary advantage, and less
fAealthful to body and mind and morals.
---l-S sS--------, u .tHN+tsa
/ YIRTuE.-Virtue has resources buried in
ltself' which we, know not till the invading
I hour calls, tharn from their retreats. Sur
! rounded by hosts without, and when nature
] itself, turned traitor, is its most deadly enc
my within, 1t assumes a new and super-hu-
man powef, which is greater than nature it
self, Whatever be its creed, ,.whateyerbe its
! sect from Whatever segment of the globe its
prisons arise, virtue is Gods empire, and from
Ibis throne of thrones he will defend Il. Ihe
orbs Of creation. the islands of light which
| Roat,in myFiads on the eeanofthenniverse
suns that have no number, pouring lights on.
/ ON worlds, that, untrayeled by the Wings of
escraphim, spread through the DEPTHS Of SINCE
without end these are, to the eve of God
4sbut the creatares of a less exertion of hisnow,
er.borh To blaze, to testify his power, and to
perish ButSgirtue is moro precious 4tian
sail worlds, an emanatiou an essence ofhin
/ self moro etherai than the angels, more du.
| rablc than the palaces of heaven !: the might.
lest masterpiece of Him who set tho ostars an
! on thoir. courses, and fled chaos with II uni.
verse. Though cast into this distant earth.
and Struggling ON thc dim asenafof a human
heart, aF things nboyc are.speetators sof its.
ei'aftet 9; S;'!sSt IL lis cause .fiis angels
! have their charge oyerfit tho bauners of
archafigeis aFe on sis side; and from s,Siefn
to sphere, through the illisnitable ether. md
Eiroiind the tmpelretrablcleFk Fknassstbt the feet
.et God, lts triumph islSnided,IS harms which
arS s5fang totH2 .... gl.rss lts ssrestSst h .
a rEAsANT Went to q priest IS "a, ii,,,s.
having stolen hay from d l,,yfse stsel to' re-
L slonoin5y Ia AN Aftshknr fs 'o~