No. 85.] 389 



In determining whether the proper period has yet arrived for such 

 introduction, the main point, in my judgment, to be settled, is this — 

 are elementary and other studies more important and more indispen- 

 sable to the pupil, than that of agriculture, so generally pursued, and 

 in such a state of progress in our primary schools, as to warrant the 

 introduction of a new branch of study, the acquisition of which, to a 

 sufficient extent to render it of any practical value, would consume 

 much time. 



It may be considered an axiom, that studies, if equally adapted to 

 the comprehension of the pupil, should be taken up and mastered, in 

 the order of their importance. And although the pupil need not be 

 confined to one, he should be restricted to a few. Two, or at most, 

 three, in addition to the daily exercises of the school-room, (reading, 

 writing, and spelling,) are amply sufficient for the maturest scholar. 

 If the number is extended, time is frittered away, and habits of super- 

 ficiality are acquired. 



In assigning agriculture as a science, its true rank in the scale of 

 importance amongst the other sciences, a knowledge of which should 

 constitute the popular education of our country, we must not forget 

 our natural proneness to exaggerate the consequence of our chosen 

 and favorite pursuits. True, we can hardly overrate the utility of a 

 thorough knowledge of that branch of industry which affiards means 

 of subsistence to much the greatest portion of our people, and indeed 

 of mankind. We cannot shut our eyes on the fact, that everything 

 which tends to its improvement, tends directly, and more perhaps than 

 by any other possible means, to add to individual and national wealth. 

 But is wealth the paramount object of either the individual or the na- 

 tion 1 Is a knowledge of the means of its attainment the end of edu- 

 cation 1 It surely cannot be necessary to debate a proposition so ab- 

 surd ! 



In whatever position man may be placed socially or politically, the 

 first great prerequisite to fit him to " act well his part," is the proper 

 development of his moral, intellectual, and physical faculties. Virtue, 

 intelligence, and health are of more importance than wealth, under 

 any and all circumstances : and especially are they so, (particularly 

 the two former,) when man is called upon to perform the duties, and 

 incur the responsibilities of self-government in a republic. 



To decide, and decide unhesita'.ingly, that it is far more important 

 to instil moral, intellectual, (and to this I would add, political) science 

 into the minds of the young, and especially young republicans, than 

 to teach them any, or even all the natural sciences, is not, in my judg- 

 ment, underrating the dignity or the value of our art or calling as 

 husbandmen. To love "Rome more," is no proof of a disposition to 

 undervalue Csesar ! 



The question now comes up, are the studies above enumerated pur- 

 sued so genei'ally, and are pupils in such a state of progress in them, 

 that we would be justified in superadding the science of agriculture 

 to the course of instruction in our common schools 1 



First, in relation to moral culture. Is moral science taught in our 

 schools from books ? Not one scholar out of every hundred in our 



