MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. The Agricultural College is now fairly opened, and it promises to be a success. The large number of students that have presented themselves shows, at least, that there was a want of such an institution in the community. It is, perhaps, too soon to pronounce it a final and complete success till one or more classes have graduated, and chosen their occupations for life. If a large percentage of them should adopt farming as a pursuit, go out into the community, and show that the practical training which they have received is what it purports to be, such a fact would settle the doubts which some have entertained in regard to the value of a careful education for the farm, as well as for the professions. Perhaps the question of success or failure should not turn upon this point; but it will, undoubtedly, in the minds of many, since there are institutions enough already devoted to the preparation of young men for teaching and the learned professions, and the training requisite for these pursuits might as well have been obtained in them. Besides, the farmer has been inclined to feel that the Agricultural College was an institution peculiarly his own, and if the course of education there should result in leading students away from the farm, instead of attracting them to it, the experiment would be regarded as a failure, whether justly or not. The course of instruction is, in many respects, an excellent one. It is more practical, and better calculated to prepare the student for the active duties of life, than that pursued in the older institutions of learning. Less time is given to studies designed merely to train the human mind, and more reference is had to the living present. Such sciences as botany, chemistry, geology, and the applied mathematics, like surveying and engineering, may be said to form the basis of the course, while little or no attention is given to the dead languages. German and French are well taught, as they should be in every school or college. It must be admitted that the tendency of public sentiment among educated and well-informed men is, at the present time, strongly in this direction. More direct, practical instruction is demanded. Men have come to feel that less time should be given to mere abstractions; that the same discipline may be acquired upon studies that are useful as well as ornamental. So strong has this impression become that the older colleges are fast modifying their classical course, and adapting it to the wants of the age in which we live. There are now in the College three classes, known as the Freshmen, Sophomore, and Junior, with the same relative grade as in the older colleges. Another year will give it a Senior class, to graduate in 1871. TIME TO CUT GRASS. One of the most important things in the whole range of practical farming, and one which every farmer must consider, is the best time to cut grass for hay. The hay crop is our chief reliance in this cold climate. To raise and cure the largest amount of the best winter feed is, therefore, the great object, and it so far surpasses all others, that the money value of a farm is estimated in practice, and for the purposes of buying and selling, by the quantity of hay it can raise. There is a great difference in the actual nutritive value of hay, depending, in a great measure, upon the time at which it was cut, and the condition in which it was cured. The time when it contains the largest amount of rich nutriment, is just when it comes into blossom. Previous to this time it abounds in rich juices, or, in other words, is more succulent. If cut as it is coming into blossom, it will produce more milk when fed to milch cows, than if it stands longer. Immediately after coming into blossom, the formation of woody fibre begins, and advances rapidly till the plant arrives at maturity. This process is the change of the rich, nutritive elements, the starch, gum, sugar, &c., whereby they are stored away in the seed, while the stock is changed into a hard, and comparatively indigestible, substance. After this period the nutritive substances are concentrated chiefly in the ripened seed. The object of the farmer should be to arrest this process at the very beginning, when all the rich juices of the plant are elaborated, and before the formation of this woody fibre. Practically, however, it is difficult to do this at precisely the right moment, on a large farm, because the grasses arrive at this stage of growth at so nearly the same period. It is vastly better to cut before this exact period, than it is to follow it-better for the grass, better for the land, and better for the stock which is to consume it. It is plain, therefore, that the rule should be to begin early, that is, take the more advanced pieces, and that, a little before they come into full blossom, or at the latest, as soon as the blossoms appear. This point is perfectly well settled, by careful, practical experiment, which shows that the actual money value of early cut hay, is very much greater than that of late cut. Early cut, and properly cured hay, that is hay not over cured or exposed too long to a "broiling sun," is more like green grass, more succulent, juicy, palatable, and nutritious. All stock will thrive better upon it. Many a farmer now begins haying by the 20th or 25th of June, who never used to begin till after the 4th of July. Every one who has tried it carefully will continue it. POETRY, ANECDOTES, ETC. THE INDEPENDENT FARMER. To bees that gather honey, To him the Spring comes dancingly; And household angels round him; N. Y. Christian Advocate. FOOD FOR THOUGHT. There's food for reflection in the following calculation. If a man buys and pays the present price for two glasses of liquor and two cigars a day, it will amount to 146 dollars a year, which sum will purchase two hats at $6 each, two bonnets at $12 each, three barrels of flour at $14, one hundred pounds of beef at 24 cents, 40 pounds of butter at 45 cents, two pairs of boots at $8, and two pairs ditto for $5 each which would go a long way in supplying the needs of a man and wife. THE GENEROUS HEART. O! cramped and narrow is the man who lives Only for self, and pawns his years away For gold, nor knows the joy a good deed gives; But feels his heart shrink slowly day by day, And dies at last, his bond of fate run; No high aim sought, no worthy action done. SWIMMING WITHOUT BLADDERS. It is an old truth which Dr. Arnold here states; but it will bear repetition. and lives sparingly all his life, for the Many an unwise parent labors hard, children a start in the world, as it is purpose of leaving enough to give his the money left him by his relatives, is called. Setting a young man afloat with out-like tying bladders under the arms of one who cannot swim; ten chances to him to swim, and he will never need the one he will go to the bottom. Teach bladders. Give your child a sound education, and you have done enough for him. See to it that his morals are pure, his mind cultivated, and his whole nature made subservient to the laws which govern man, and you have given what will be of more value than the wealth of the Indies. To be thrown upon one's resources is to be cast into the very lap of fortune, for our faculties then undergo a development, and display an energy, of which they were before unsusceptible. But brimmed with molten brightness like a star, And broad and open as the sea or sky, The generous heart! its kind deeds shine afar, And glow in gold, in God's great book on high, And he who does what good he can each day, Makes smooth and green, and strews with flowers his way. APRIL DAYS. Twice in the year the maple tree Grows red beneath our northern skies; Once when October lights the lea With splendid flames and Tyrian dyes, And once when April and the bee First greet us with their glad surprise, And on the budding twigs we see The first faint color rise. These morning hours blend joy with grief That draw the fuller spring-time near, And hint the tender opening leaf, And pour the robin's carol clear; For not the time of ripened sheaf, And rainbow woods, is half so dear As this, the boyhood, bright and brief, The earliest of the year. CHRISTIAN COURTESY. Every man has his faults, his failings, his peculiarities. Every one of us finds himself crossed by such failings of others from hour to hour; and if he were to resent them all, or even notice all, life would be intolerable. If for every outburst of hasty temper, and for every rudeness that wounds us in our daily path, we were to demand an apology, require an explanation, or resent it by retaliation, daily intercourse would be impossible. The very science of social life consists in that gliding tact, which avoids contact with the sharp angularities of character, which does not argue about such things, which does not seek to adjust or cure them all, but covers them as if it did not see. So a Christian spirit throws a cloak of love over these things. It knows when it is wise not to see. That microscopic distinctness in which all faults appear to captious men, who are forever blaming, dissenting, complaining, disappears in the large, calm gaze of love. And it is this spirit which our Christian society lacks, and which we shall never get until each one begins with his own heart. TRUE COURAGE. If, in years of fierce endeavor, That the victory you will gain. Of the dauntless souls in life. On life's changeful scene of action Though defeat may oft appear, Laurels, prizes, wealth, and station Are for those who persevere. THE PROBLEM OF THE STOICS. When a man says "I lie," does he lie, or does he speak the truth? If he lies, he speaks the truth; if he speaks the UNDER THE CLOUD. BY CHARLES G. AMES. O, kind and constant friend! O, Lord of truth and grace! A shadow on my heart Yet something in me knows And something makes me sure And that th' Eternal Good Fed from a hidden bowl, If thou workest at that which is before thee, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract thee, but keep ing thy divine part pure, as if thou shouldst be bound to give it back immediately; if thou holdest to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with thy present activity according to nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which thou utterest, thou wilt live happy. And there is no man who is able to prevent this. The Emperor MARCUS ANTONINUS. Yet love will dream, and faith will trust, QUESTION IN GEOMETRY. A ship was in a perilous situation, with a hole in one of her planks of 12 inches square; and the only plank that could be had was 16 inches long by 9 in breadth. Required to know how this said piece must be cut into four pieces, so as to repair the hole perfectly, and without waste. ANAGRAM. Rethe si a rowd ni veyer limec, ENIGMA. I am composed of 22 letters. My 14, 11, 22, 16, 17 is used to separate bran from meal. My 13, 15, 3 is what people are often glad to do. My 18, 12, 11, 5, 7 is a very common name. [Preserve this Schedule for future reference.] SCHEDULE OF STAMP DUTIES, AFFIDAVITS, exempt. AGREEMENT OR IMPOSED BY ACT OF CONGRESS. (CORRECTED 1869.) APPRAISEMENT. Agreement or contract other than those mentioned in this schedule (or any appraisement), for every sheet or piece of paper on which it is written, .05. If more than one agreement or appraisement is written on one sheet of paper, .05 on each. Renewal of agreement, same stamp as original instrument. BANK CHECKS, DRAFTS, OR ORDERS, for any amount, on any bank, banker, or trust company, at sight or on demand, .02; for aniount exceeding $10, on any person other than a bank, banker, or trust company, at sight or on demand, .02. BILL OF EXCHANGE (foreign), or letter of credit, drawn in but payable out of the United States, if drawn singly or otherwise than in a set of three or more same as inland bills of exchange or promissory notes; drawn in sets of three or more, for every bill of each set, where the sum made payable shall not exceed $100, or the equivalent thereof, in any foreign currency, .02: for every additional $100, or fractional part thereof in excess of $100, .02. BILL OF EXCHANGE (inland), draft, or order for the payment of any sum of money, not exceeding $100, otherwise than at sight or on demand, or Promissory Notes (except bank notes and checks), or any memorandum, check, receipt, or other written or printed evidence of an amount of money to be paid on demand or at a time designated, for a sum not exceeding $100, .05; for every additional $100, or fractional part in excess of $100, .05. BILL OF LADING, or receipt other than charter party, for goods and merchandise exported to foreign port, each, .10. (To British No. Am., exempt.) BILL OF SALE.-Bills of sale, by which any ship or vessel, or any part thereof shall be conveyed to or vested in any other person or persons, when the consideration shall not exceed $500, stamp duty, .50; do., when the consideration exceeds $500, and does not exceed $1000, $1.00; exceeding $1000, for every additional amount of $500, or fractional part thereof, .50; personal property other than ships or vessels, .05. BONDS, of indemnity where the money ultimately recoverable thereupon is $1000 or less, .50; when in excess of $1000, for every $1000, or fraction, .50; for the due execution of the duties of any office, $1.00; of any description other than such as may be required in legal proceedings, or used in connection with mortgage deeds, and not otherwise charged in this schedule, .25. Bond of administrator or guardian, where value of estate is $1000, or less, exempt; exceeding $1000, $1.00. CERTIFICATES, of measurement or weight of animals, wood, coal, or hay, exempt; of measurement of other articles, .05; of stock in any incorporated company, .25; of profits, or any certificate or memorandum showing an interest in the property or accumulations of any incorporated company, for an amount not less than $10, nor exceeding $50, .10; from $50 to $1000, .25; exceeding $1000, for every additional $1000, or fraction, 25. Certificate of damage or otherwise, and all other documents issued by any port warden or marine surveyor, or person acting as such, .25. Certificate of deposit in any bank or acting as such, for a sum not exceeding $100 .02; exceeding $100, .05. Certificate of record of a deed, or other instrument in writing, or of the acknowledgment or proof thereof by attesting witnesses, exempt; certificates other than those mentioned, .05. CHARTER PARTY, or any letter or memorandum relating to the charter of any vessel: if the registered tonnage does not exceed one hundred and fifty tons, $1.00; from one hundred and fifty to three hundred tons, $3.00; from three hundred to six hundred tons, $5.00; over six hundred tons, $10.00. Renewal of charter, same stamp as original instrument. CIGAR LIGHTS, made in part of wood, wax, glass, paper, or other materials, in parcels or packages containing twenty-five lights or less, .01; in packages of more than twenty-five and not more than fifty, .02; for every additional twenty-five lights, or fraction, .01. CONTRACTS. Broker's note or memorandum of sale of any goods or merchandise, exchange, real estate, or property of any kind or description issued by brokers, or persons acting as such, for each note or memorandum of sale, .10. (See SALES and AGREEMENT.) CONVEYANCE OR DEED OF GRANT, where the consideration or value does not exceed $500, .50; from $500 to $1000, $1.00; and for every additional $500, or fraction, .50. ENTRY OF GOODS, at Custom House, not exceeding in value $100, .25; not exceeding $500, .50; exceeding $500, $1.00; for the withdrawal of goods from bonded warehouse, .50. FRICTION MATCHES, in parcels or packages of 100 or less, .01; in packages of more than 100, and not more than 200, for each parcel or package, .02; and for every additional 100, or fractional part thereof, .01. For wax tapers, double the rates herein imposed upon friction matches. FISH, SAUCES, JELLIES, &c. - For and upon every can, bottle, or other single package, containing fish (ex. shell-fish), sauces, sirups, prepared mustard, jams or jellies, contained therein, and packed or sealed, made, prepared, and sold, or offered for sale, or removed for consumption in the United States, on or after the first day of October, 1866, when such can, bottle, or other single package with its contents, shall not exceed two pounds in weight, .01; for every additional pound or fractional part, .01. INSURANCE POLICY, on any life or lives, when the amount insured does not exceed $1000, 25; not exceeding $5000, .50; exceeding $5000, $1.00; fire, inland, and marine policies, or renewal of the same, premium not exceeding $10, 10: premium not exceeding $50, 25; exceeding $50, 50. Accident insurance policies are exempt. LEASE, where annual rent is $300 or less, .50; where the rent exceeds $300, for each additional $200, or fraction in excess of $300. .50. Assignment of a lease, same stamp as original, and additional stamp upon the value or consideration of transfer according to the rates on deeds. (See CONVEYANCE). LETTERS TESTAMENTARY, if value of estate does not exceed $1000, exempt; exceeding $1000, .05. MANIFEST FOR ENTRY, or clearance of cargo of vessel for foreign port, if registered tonnage does not exceed three hundred tons, $1.00; from three hundred to six hundred tons. $3.00; exceeding six hundred tons, $5.00. (To Brit. No. |