378 [Senate 



of light, heat, moisture and vegetable decomposition upon plants, — the 

 various species and habits of domestic animals, — the principles which 

 determine the uses and value of the different classes of trees, — 

 and in short, a ready and intelligent practical knowledge of the most 

 ordinary pursuits of agriculture and horticulture, — could not fail of 

 proving eminently serviceable in any condition, either of public or pri- 

 vate life. Is it wise, then, to send forth our six hundred thousand chil- 

 dren annually, from our public schools, in entire ignorance, so far as 

 the direct instructions of the teachers are concerned, of these pur- 

 suits which must, of necessity, enter so largely, in one shape or 

 another, into the whole tenor of their future lives ? Can that be de- 

 nominated a practical education, or an enlightened system of public 

 instruction, which, for all practical purposes, leaves out of view so 

 important a department of intellectual culture ? 



But there is another view of this subject which suggests itself to 

 my mind, as peculiarly worthy of regard and attention. Would not 

 the various elementary studies which are taught in our common schools, 

 be far more speedily appreciated and rendered interesting and attrac- 

 tive, by their perceived connection with the practical pursuits of ere- 

 ry-day life ? Would not the apparently inexplicable mysteries envel- 

 oped wdthin the folds of the obnoxious and wearisome task-book, be- 

 come invested with a new life and a new nature, by the application 

 of their principles to the circle of observation within the range of 

 the inquisitive pupil 1 From the names, qualities, properties and 

 powers of every portion of animate and inanimate nature, familiar to 

 his eye or ear, to the most profound principles of dynamics, hydros- 

 tatics, or mensuration, illustrated in the operations of the farm on 

 or near which he resides, he would be enabled at once to perceive 

 the objects and the uses of all science, and all knowledge — to trace 

 its results in the limited field of observation open to his view, and 

 from thence to infer its capabilities and powers when applied on a 

 more expanded scale. Is there not reason to believe that a process 

 of this nature, conducted under the auspices of a corps of well qual- 

 ified and efficient educators scattered among the ten thousand school 

 districts of our State — and aided by a competent supply of elementa- 

 ry text-books and well digested essays for the district library, might 

 operate a complete transformation of our existing systems of agricul- 

 tural science, into practical results of enduring beauty and value 1 

 Such, on a limited scale, has been its effect in portions of Continental 

 Europe, where the experiment has been tried, under circumstances 

 favorable to its complete development. 



The agricultural condition of Bavaria, in Germany, has undergone 

 an improvement during the present century, exceeding that of any 

 other country, of equal extent, in civilized Europe, with the excep- 

 tion, perhaps, of Scotland. The great impulse to this improvement, 

 originated in the primary schools, where agriculture and horticulture 

 were taught theoretically and practically. Not only were the best 

 elementary treatises on gardening, agriculture, domestic economy, the 

 qualities of different soils, the effects of chemical compounds, the 

 management of silk-worms, and the culture of silk, introduced as 

 text-books into the different schools, but to each school was attach- 



