Part 12 (2/2)
My chief objection is, that such a plan is not coh, and cannot, in a reasonable tiricultural learning araduation of fifty students a year would be equal to one in a thousand or fifteen hundred of the farmers of the state; and in ten years there would not be one professionally educated farmer in a hundred We are not, of course, to overlook the indirect influence of such a school, through its students annually sent forth: the better modes of culture adopted by them would, to some extent, be copied by others; nor are we to overlook the probability of a prejudice against the institution and its graduates, growing out of the republican ideas of equality prevailing aainst le, if, in the hour of victory, the college could claim to have reformed and elevated materially the practices and ideas of the farmers of the country I fear that even victory under such circumstances would not be colandpeculiarities of our country, rather than venture at once upon the adoption of schemes that may have been successful elsewhere Here every far usually from one to three hands, and they are often persons who look to the purchase and cultivation of a farland the master farmer is an overseer rather than a laborer The number of men in Europe n land or work it on their own account is small; the number of laborers whose labors are directed by the proprietors and fare Under these circuo successfully on; while here, our agricultural education ought to reach the great body of those who labor upon the land Will a college in each state answer the de? Is it safe in any country, or in any profession or pursuit, to educate a few, and leave the majority to the indirect influence of the culture thus bestowed? And is it philosophical, in this country, where there is a degree of personal and professional freedoher institution of learning upon the general and adiven depart and the universal diffusion of better ideas, to e the necessity of the culture previously given? Every new school, not a college, reater than it was before; and the advance made in our public schools increases the students in the colleges and the university We build froe; and without the prih school, and acadees would cease to exist This view of education supports the statee is not the foundation of a syste, but a result that is to be reached through a preliminary and elementary course of instruction What shall that course be? I say, first, the establishhborhood societies of farht to be auxiliary to the county societies, and they never can becorossly perverted in their ement and purposes As such societies must be mutual and voluntary in their character, they can be established in any tohere there are twenty, ten, or even five persons who are disposed to unite together Its object would, of course, be the advancericulture; and it would look to theories and even to science as means only for the attainment of a specified end The exercises of such societies would vary according to the tastes and plans of the members and directors; but they would naturally provide for discussions and conversations a themselves, lectures from competent persons, the establishment of a library, and for the collection of s of domestic anirasses, and grains, rocks, minerals, and soils The discussions and conversations would be based upon the actual observation and experience of the riculture would at once become better understood and more carefully practised by each person who intended to contribute to the exercises of the ricultural journals, there were no means by which the results of individual experience could be made known to the est experience are not the chief contributors
Wherever a local club exists, it is always possible to coe of the different members; and the results of such comparison e It is also in the power of such an organization thoroughly and at once to test any given experiment The attention of this section of the country has been directed to the culture of the Chinese sugar-cane; and merchants, economists, and statesmen, as well as the farmers themselves, are interested in the speedy and satisfactory solution of so important an industrial problem Had the attention of a few local societies in different parts of New England been directed to the culture, with special reference to its feasibility and profitableness, a definite result rowth of flax, both in the reat i which opposite, not to say vague, opinions prevail The local societies ency of individual members better than they can be made by county and state societies, and better than they can usually be made upon model or experimental farms It will often happen upon experimental farms that the circu the farmers The coreat; and I have but to refer to the published s of the Concord Club to justify this states of such a club have all the characteristics of a school of the highest order Eachis to the farmer what the court-rooislative assembly to the statesman
Moot courts alone will not make skilful lawyers; the manikin is but an indifferent teacher of anatomy; and we may safely say that no statesman was ever made so by books, schools, and street discussions, without actual experience in soovernricultural college would have theexperile set of circuency of local societies, in connection with other parts of the plan that I have the honor diffidently to present, would convert at once a county or a state into an experiiven purpose The local club being always practical and never theoretical, dealing with things always and never with signs, presenting only facts and never conjectures, would, as a school for the young farmer, be quite equal, and in soovernment can establish
But, it may be asked, will you call that a school which is merely an assembly of adults without a teacher? I answer that technically it is not a school, but that in reality such an association is a school in the best use of the word A school is, first, for the developere previously possessed by others; then for the prosecution of original inquiries and investigations The associations of which I speak would possess all these powers, and conteht be enerally, it seems to me fit and proper for the state to appoint scientific and practical riculture, and lecturers upon agricultural science and labor If an agricultural college were founded, a farm would be required, and at least six professors would be necessary Instead of a single farratuitously, as you would no doubt have opportunity, the use of many farms for experiments and repeated trials of crops, and, at the sa men, nearly as well in theory and science, and much better in practical labor, than they could be educated in a college Six professors, as agents, could accoe amount of necessary work; possibly, for the present, all that would be desired assume, for this inquiry, that Massachusetts contains three hundred agricultural towns; divide these towns into sections of fifty each; then assign one section to each agent, with the understanding that his work for the year is to be performed in that section, and then that he is to be transferred to another By a rotation of appointments and a succession of labors, the varied attainments of the lecturers would be enjoyed by the whole commonwealth But, it may be asked, what, specifically stated, shall the work of the agents be? Only suggestions can be offered in answer to this inquiry An agent ht, in the summer season, visit his fifty towns, and spend two days in each While there, he could ascertain the kinds of crops, modes of culture, nature of soils, practical excellences, and practical defects, of the farht also provide for such experiments as he desired to have ive valuable advice, where itproper, and also to the erection and repair of farent would, in this last particular alone, save to the people a sum equal to the entire cost of his services After this labor was accoht months would remain for the preparation and delivery of lectures in the fifty towns previously visited These lectures ht hold s of the nature of institutes in a number of towns centrally situated In either case, the lectures would be at once scientific and practical; and their practical character would be appreciated in the fact that a judicious agent would adapt his lectures to the existing state of things in the given locality This could not be done by a college, however favorably situated, and however well accomplished in the material of education It is probable that the lectures would be less scientific than those that would be given in a college; but when their superior practical character is considered, and e consider also that they would be listened to by the great body of fare could be enjoyed by a small number of youth only, we cannot doubt which would be the riculture in the country
An objection to the plan I have indicated e education of the farmers is not equal to a full appreciation of the topics and lectures to be presented My answer is, that the lecturers ence, whatever it is
Nothing is to be assumed by the teacher; it is his first duty to ascertain the qualifications of his pupils I am, however, led to the opinion that the schools of the country have already laid a very good basis for practical instruction in agriculture; and, if this be not so, then an additional argument will be offered for the most rapid advance possible in our systems of education In any event, it is true that the public schools furnish a large part of the intellectual culture given in the inferior and interreat defect in the plan I have presented is this: That no h education needed by those persons who are to be appointed agents, and no provision is rains, grasses, and fruits My answer to this suggestion is, that it is in part, at least, well founded; but that the scientific schools furnish a course of study in the natural sciences which must be satisfactory to the best educated far, and that analysesinstitutions
It is my fortune to be able to read a letter from Professor Horsford, which furnishes a satisfactory view of the ability of the Scientific School at Cae, Sept 19, 1857_
”MY DEAR SIR: The occupation incident to the opening of the term has prevented an earlier answer to your letter of inquiry in regard to the Scientific School
”The Scientific School furnishes, I believe, the necessary scientific knowledge for students of agriculture (such as you h schools, acadees, and have also been trained practically in the business of far' It provides:
”1st Practical instruction in the ation
This is, I know, an unrecognized department, but it is, perhaps, the better suited name to the course of instruction of our chemical department It qualifies the student for thethe practical problericulture It includes the analysis of soils, theof manures, the philosophy of improved methods of culture, of rotation of crops, of dairy production, of preserving fruits, meats, &c
It applies more or less directly to the whole subject of mechanical expedients
”2d Practical instruction in surveying,
”3d And by lectures--in botany, geology, zoology, comparative anatomy, and natural philosophy
”Soht be pursued practically, and with the use of apparatus and specimens
”This course contemplates a period of study of fro to the qualification of the pupil at the outset
He appears an hour each day at the blackboard, where he shares the drill of a class, and where he acquires a facility of illustration, coh consciousness of real knowledge, which are of more value, in many cases, as you know, than almost any ae, about one lecture a day throughout the year During the re time he is occupied with experireat difficulty with students of agriculture, who ht care to co in Cae If soe, where rents for rooriculture in the Scientific School, where the care of a kitchen garden and soht be intrusted to theht be spread at the price at which laborers would be received, we e of on a larger scale As it is, but few, co our students, co”
I should, however, consider the arrangements proposed as temporary, and finally to be abandoned or made permanent, as experience should dictate
It euished and disinterested riculture, that the operations of the government and of the state and county societies have no plan or systeuided The county societies have been and are the chief ress; but they have no pohich can be systematically applied; their movements are variable, and their annual exhibitions do not always indicate the condition of agriculture in the districts represented They have become, to a certain extent, localized in the vicinity of the tohere the fairs are held; and yet they do not possess the vigor which institutions positively local would enjoy
The town clubs hold annual fairs; and these fairs should be made tributary, in their products and in the interest they excite, to the county fairs Let the town fairs be held as early in the season as practicable, and then let each town send to the county fairs its first-class premium articles as the contributions of the local society, as well as of the individual producers Thus a healthful and generous rivalry would be stirred up between the towns of a county as well as a the citizens of each town; and a county exhibition upon the plan suggested would represent at one view the general condition of agriculture in the vicinity No one can pretend that this is accoeement and in its annual exhibitions, would possess an importance which it had not before enjoyed As each toould be represented by the products of the dairy, the herd, and the field, so it would be represented by its men; and the annual fair of the county would be a truthful and co and power
Out of a systee will certainly spring, if such an institution shall be needed But is it likely that in a country where the land is divided, and the nureat, the es, and upon strict scientific principles? I am ready to answer that such an expectation see farmers must be educated by the example and practices of their elders, by their own efforts at individual and ricultural journals, books, lecturers, and the exahly educated men, lecturers, journals, and books of a proper character, cannot be furnished without the aid of scientific schools and thorough culture, the farmers, as a body, are interested in the establish which promise to advance any number of men, however sn a system of education for a class, common wisdom requires us to contemplate its influence upon each individual The influence of a single college in any state, or in each state of this Union, would be exceedingly li lecturers could ricultural population of any state, and in New England the interest in the subject is such that there is no difficulty in founding town clubs, and overnment and the schools for the people
In the plan indicated, I have, throughout, assumed the disposition of the farmers to educate theree of education already attained; for a consciousness of the necessity of education is only developed by culture, learning, and reflection Such being the adht at once to institute such means of self-improvement as are at their command They are, in nearly every state of this Union, aforce of society and the government; but I do not from these facts infer the propriety of a reliance on their part upon the pohich they may thus direct