INDIANA   FARMER.
Vol h.]
Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, Mechanics and the Useful Arts;
[NO. 13.
x."c"r.i™y,i Edi<°"-)       BICHMOND.. IND., MARCH. 1, 1853.
/Holloway As Co,,
^ PUBLISHERS.
The District School.
We always take a deep interest in all efforts
to promote common school education, The
cause is one of the noblest ever engaged in. Its
objects reach far away into the future, and take
hold of the stability, character and permanency Of all our free institutions..
The improvement in the public mind in relation to this matter, is most gratifying. Yet
there is a wide space for still further activity in
the promotion of interests so vitally important
to society. ■ Such interests should receive the
earnest and unfaltering support of every member of the community. To many, the matter
of common school education present's but the
■dull routine of mechanical operations—the monotonous exercises of reading, writing, ciphering and spelling. And yet under such slow
process, human mind is developing and maturing, and impressions given which shall mould
minds for eternity. The vibrations of the schoolroom give tone to a life-time. Indeed, the
teacher of youth occupies one of the most responsible positions on earth.
School-rooms are cheaper than court-rooms—
teachers cheaper than sheriffs and judges—education in youth, cheaper than State prison and
the scaffold in^ manhood. Gen. Harrison once
said to a man'who was about to build a high
fence to keep the boys from stealing his fruit on
the Sabbath, "Are hot Sabbath schools cheaper?"    The thought embodied a world of truth.
Were we to select a spot for a residence, we
Should look well first to the character of the
Community in the matter of schools. We should
'first look at the school-house and into it. We
should attend a school-meeting and see the people together, and learn the extent and liberality
of their views, and the quality of teachers employed.
We would shun the.niggardly—the penny
skinning community. Such communities esteem an old shell On the bleak hill, throuo-h every side of Which the wintry wind whistles
"Hail Columbia," a fit place for their children;
the man who can set copies and do "sums" in
rule of three, and flog children that ought to
be flogged at home, a competent teacher; and
the education which consists in mechanical parsing, dull reading and wretched writing, a sufficient education. The age moves on while
such communities are slumbering in a half
bushel.
But in the wide waste of old, weather-beaten
and crumbling school-houses and districts where
the light of knowledge hardly makes the general darkness visible, there are thousands of
bright spots. Light expands. The importance
of a right system of common-School education,
is felt. There are liberal views and generous
appropriations.    Neat and commodious school
buildings ire erected, competent teachers employed, and necessary apparatus furnished.—
Let the home seeker turn aside to such communities, and help to move on its enlightened and
generous efforts. Don't stop to feed the horse
where the school-house looks so much like desolation.— Cayuga Chief.
Staking Fruit Trees.,—We have for years
practised but one method of supporting young
fruit trees, and like the way so well We shall
continue it until wc see something better than
has yet come to our notice. We drive a stake,
which we usually make of a strip of board or
plank, strong enough to support the tree, but
elastic to allow it considerable motion, about
six or eight inches from the tree, on thc south
or west side, and fasten the tree to it by a strip
of waste leather, forming a single 1 oop, so as to
allow the tree to move a little in the wind, fastening the ends of the leather on the top of the
stake by a shingle nail. By this method the
young tree has sufficient play to induce it to
throw down its roots, which it will very soon,
and stand erect without any support. This never mars or prevents the growth of:the tree by.
stopping the circulation of the sap, and is the
cheapest manner a tree can be stayed up. During the summer month's, it is well to cast off this
leather, letting the tree depend upon its own
energies, which will thus be greatly increased,
replacing it in the fall after driving the stake
firmly, or changing its position as may be required to train up the tree in the wayit should
grow.-^-Jefferson Farmer.
Hints to Lovers of Flowers.—A most beautiful and easily  attained show of evergreens
may be had by a very simple plan, which has
been   found to answer remarkably well on a
small scale.    If geranium branches taken from
luxuriant trees just before the winter sets in, be
j cut as   for slips  arid   immersed in soap water,
| they will, after drooping a few days, shed their
j leaves, put forth fresh ones, and continue in the
! finest vigor all winter.    By placing a number of
! bottles thus filled in a flower-basket, with moss
j to conceal the bottles,  a show of evergreens is
easily insured for the whole season.    They require no fresh water.
Curb for Diarrhoea.—Various experiments
detailed in an exchange, go to prove that this
troublesome disease maybe effectually cured by
the use of strawberry leaves. . In the most severe cases, and after other well tried remedies
have failed, a tea of strawberry leaves has
checked the disease in a few hours, and restored
the patient to health. For light attacks, instead
of calling a physician, let the patients eat a
few green-leaves of the strawberry plant, and
cure themselves.