part first appeared in the Medical Repository. Since his decease, they have collected and reprinted in one large octavo volume.

The moral and social qualities of Dr. Miller were worthy of no less praise than his talents, learning and professional skill. His probity and honor were of the most scrupulous and delicate character. From his earliest youth he appeared not only to abhor every thing directly and openly dishonest; but even to recoil with the most delicate sense of moral obligation from every species of intrigue and questionable dealing. This characteristic became more strongly marked as he advanced in life. If any measure approaching to obliquity were proposed in any association of which he was a member, he never failed to express his entire disapprobation of it, and utterly to decline taking any part in its execution. Nor could any thing more decisively induce him to take a final leave of such an association than the discovery, that it was beginning to be the theatre of cabal, or of any kind of crooked policy. may be doubted whether any man ever left behind him a reputation for integrity and honor more perfectly unsullied.

It

His humanity and practical beneficence were no less conspicuous. These were manifested throughout his professional life, and especially in his attendance on the poor and friendless, to an extent truly rare. The amount of his gratuitous services to this class of his patients, has been seldom equalled in a medical life of equal length. But toward all classes of his patients, kindness, gentleness, liberality of feeling and generosity shone with unrivalled lustre.

His delicacy in conversation has been seldom equalled; perhaps never exceeded. Nothing ever escaped from his lips, even in his most unreserved moments, to which the most refined and scrupulous might not listen without offence. This was remarkably the case even in those periods of his life when he was less under the influence of religious principle, than during the latter stages. To say any thing which might tinge the cheek of modesty, or wound the ear of piety, he considered to be as unworthy of a gentleman, as it was criminal.

Nor was his temperance less conspicuous than his delicacy. He not only avoided the use of ardent spirits, with a scrupulousness which to some might appear excessive; but he was unusually sparing, and even abstemious in the use of every kind of drink stronger than water. He rejected the use of tobacco in every form, not only as an odious and unhealthful practice, but also as a most insidious provocative to the love of drinking. Nor was his temperance confined to a single class of stimuli. It was no less exemplary, and even rigid with regard to all the indulgences of the palate. Perhaps no man, who, from early life, mingled so much with all classes of society, was ever more uniformly abstemious both in eating and drinking than Dr. Miller.

His superiority to the love of money, was another distinguishing feature in his character. Had the acquisition of wealth been his supreme, or even among his principal objects, he might have died

rich. But he was too much engaged in the studies and duties of his profession, to think much of its emoluments. It was seldom that he could be prevailed upon to present an account, and even when it was produced, his debtors themselves being judges, it was seldom to such an amount as justice to himself required. From the great extent of his practice, some of his less intimate acqaintances imagined that its profits were proportionally great. But besides medical services, to the amount of many thousand dollars, which his benevolence prevented him from charging at all, many thousands more were either voluntarily surrendered at the solicitation of real or fancied poverty, or totally lost from having never been sought after.

Dr. Miller never married. But although he left no immediate family to mourn over his premature death, it may be truly said, that such was his social amiableness, as well as his professional eminence, that thousands, when his death was announced, considered themselves as having lost a beloved relative.

Although Dr. Miller never united himself to the christian church, in what is commonly called full communion, he was always a firm believer in revelation; often declaring his persuation that the system usually deemed correct, by the denomination of christians in connection with which he was educated, is the system taught in the Holy Scriptures; uniformly treated religion as an object of infinite importance, and worthy of the deepest veneration; and toward the latter part of his life, was employed as much as his numerous engagements permitted, in the devout perusal of the Holy Scriptures. There was scarcely any thing which he more disapproved, or which was more apt to excite his indignation, than sneers or scoffing directed against religion or its professors.

Perhaps this imperfect record of a distinguished man cannot be more properly closed than by the following sentences, from the pen of Dr. Rush, who, after having spoken in the most exalted terms of his professional learning and skill, concludes thus. "But his principal merit was of a moral nature. The charm that was constantly diffused over his countenance and manners, was the effect of the habitual benevolence of his temper. The silence of pain, and the eye of hope, which took place in his patients the moment he sat down by their bedsides, were produced, not more by their con. viction of his skill, than by their unlimited confidence in his sympathy and integrity; and the affectionate attachment and esteem of his friends were founded in a belief that his deeds of kindness to them were not simply the effects of spontaneous feeling, but the result of a heartfelt sense of moral obligation! Let the professors and students of the healing art, and the lovers of science every where, deplore the death of this eminent physician and excellent man. Let the friends of humanity drop a tear over his untimely grave. In the records of illustrious men who have promoted and adorned the science of our country, Dr. Miller will always maintain a distinguished rank."-Thatcher's Lives.

AGRICULTURE.

FAILURE

OF THE CORN, POTATOE AND ROOT CROPS.

Indian corn, of late years has become the chief source of revenue, to the farmers of Delaware and the adjoining States. The demand for this kind of grain has been so great, and the prices so high, that every attention has been paid to its production, and in consequence other crops in a great measure neglected. Up to near the middle of July, the prospect for a more than common large crop of corn was exceedingly good. The farmers generally, had faithfully performed all the labor necessary to secure a rich reward for their care and industry. The fields, almost without exception, every where presented the evidence of careful and enlightened culture; and it only required the ordinary quantity of rain to insure an abundant harvest. Week after week, however, passed without rain, while a burning sun, such as no man remembers, shot its nearly vertical rays upon the parched earth, withering and destroying herb, fruit and flower. The air became almost too dry for respiration; and the towering stalks of corn, in many fields and lots, averaging from ten to twelve feet in height, and of more than ordinary thickness, began to burn and droop under the influence of the hot and arid atmosphere, until finally, the sap was dried up in the stalk, and the fair promise of uncommon production totally defeated. Some fields, which if the season had continued favorable, would have produced from seventy to a hundred bushels to the acre, will not now yield ten. One-half an average crop of indian corn will not be made, and the rye and oats of the present season is less abundant than common.

We have been visited by a severe dispensation of Providence. At this, however, we should neither complain nor murmur; but gather knowledge from experience, to serve us in the time to come. In the first place, it will teach us not to trust wholly in one kind of crop for our sustenance or profit; but so to divide our labor among the several kinds of crops, arriving at maturity at different seasons, that if one fails, another may succeed.

The potatoe and root crop have also failed, which will add greatly to the scarcity of food for both man and beast. In this state of things, we should fearlessly look into our real condition, for the purpose of applying in due time the best remedy in our power, to counteract the evils and difficulties under which we labor.

There are many among our agriculturists who will have nothing to sell the present season. To such of those as have in more prosperous years made much profit, and added to their possessions, so as to be able to meet this crisis, we offer no condolements. What a man has lost or failed to make, is of no real consequence, as it

regards his happiness, provided he has plenty left for comfort and independence. He who grieves over the loss of hundreds, when he is possessed of a surplus of thousands, is a narrow minded creature, and unworthy commiseration. The true spirit in such cases was evinced by the man who had lost a farm in a law suit, which had been determined against him. One of his neighbors soon after this event, visited him for the purpose of expressing his sorrow at the result of the suit, to whom he properly replied "I ought rather to sympathize with you-I have still two farms left, whereas you have but one."

Generally speaking, those farmers, who have for several years past tilled their own acres, are in a very prosperous condition. They could not be otherwise with common prudence, for we have had good crops for which more than common good prices have been obtained. Among the many evidences of this fact which have come within our knowledge and observation, we will relate a conversation, we had last fall with a grain dealer in St. George's hundred. Talking of the condition of the agriculturists in that section of the State, he said, "eight or ten years since it was common about harvest, for the farmers, to ask an advance on their crops in order to enable them to pay their hands, until they could get out their grain for market. It is now not uncommon for the same men to inquire, Mr. —, do you know of any responsible person, who wishes to borrow five hundred or a thousand dollars? I have that sum on hand which I should like to lend upon good security." Men in this situation, have no cause to complain, on their own account, at the failure of a single crop.

The tenant

But there are others, chiefly tenants, and principally such as pay a certain rent in money, whose condition is truly deplorable; and calls for the forbearance and protecting hand of their landlords, who perhaps in years of plenty have grown independent, or rich, from the profits of their labor. They should aid and assist such, in this time of their distress, not destroy them by exacting the payment of rents, when they have nothing to satisfy such demand. If they are dealt hardly with now, they will fly to the west, and leave our lands in some cases, doubtlessly without a tenant. who has lost his labor for this season, should not despair; but prepare to take advantage of a more propitious one. Several of the most wealthy farmers of our State were once not only poor, but wholly insolvent. Had they despaired under such circumstances instead of being worth one or two hundred thousand dollars, they would still have been poor. Industry and perseverance will surmount seeming impossibilities. We ought not to look forward to a succession of dry seasons. Rarely do we find two fatal crop years together.

There is not a spot of earth on the globe, which is not sometimes visited by such a calamity as we are now suffering. It sometimes happens in the western country, that drought prevails for such a length of time, that for many miles round there is no water for cat

tle; and they have to be driven great distances to it to preserve their lives; or else water has to be hauled to them with great labor and expense.

A scarcity of bread stuffs, as well as of food for cattle, will evidently prevail, in nearly every portion of our widely extended country, during the next winter and spring. The course therefore to be pursued to meet this evil, and mitigate its effects, requires the serious consideration of every one, for in it, all are deeply interested. To the farmers, we would say, that they should so regulate their crops for the next season, as to supply as soon as possible, the deficiency of grain of the present one. This will doubtlessly be the better accomplished by seeding larger crops of wheat, rye and oats, and by planting greater quantities of potatoes, and the various root crops fit to supply food for men and cattle.

The second crop of hay is lost, and nearly all the corn fodder; consequently, there will be a scarcity of provender for cattle in the coming winter. We cannot now increase the quantity of food, but we can economize it. For this purpose, those who have them not already, should immediately construct comfortable shelters for all their cattle, before the winter sets in. We have been told, that cattle well housed, will keep in better condition upon half the food, than they will upon double the quantity when exposed to the winds and snows of winter without shelter. Sheds sufficient for the preservation of cattle may be made with little expense, and commonly without calling in the aid of more than the ordinary hands of the farm. They may be wholly open to the south, but should be closed on all other sides, and have a good roof of shingles, boards or thatch.

It appears strange, that in a country like ours, where millions of acres of productive land still remains unused, there should be a scarcity of the common aliments necessary to support life, but yet such is the fact. This is owing in a great measure to the emigration to the west, and to the progress of rail roads, canals and other internal improvements, which have withdrawn a large portion of the people from the pursuits of agriculture, and made them consumers instead of producers. Seeing that such is the case, we cannot practise too much economy in all things, so as to prevent actual suffering. If nothing is wasted, there will still be enough.

There is one class of men in the community, to whom we would address ourselves, did we not despair of having any influence upon their conduct. We mean the distillers. Were these men possessed of a real love for their kind, they would now leave off entirely the distillation of grain, so as not to diminish the supply of the staff of life in this time of undoubted scarcity; for the horrible purpose of producing ardent spirits to make the poor poorer, thus adding to the cup of human misery already full to overflowing. No matter whether the price of grain is high or low, millions of bushels are annually made into whiskey, from which by a process well known to the distiller, all other kinds of liquor in common use by the aid