622 . [Assembly 



■wliich sci-nces are but vaguely, if at all, known to our farmers. 

 Our present academies and colleges furnish but little of that in- 

 struction which the practical agriculturist requires ; nor can our 

 farmers educate their sons at these institutions without their los- 

 ing all relish for manual labor. Assuredly we have need of an 

 institution to which the farmer can send his son and have him 

 return to the parental roof, devotedly attached to the agricultu- 

 ral profession, and eager to put in practice the knowledge he has 

 acquired. We have our theological, our medical, and our law 

 schools, all fostered and sustained by State patronage. To the 

 farming class, an agricultural school is fully as necessary as these 

 institutions are to tlie learned professions. The efficiency which 

 has been imparted to our national defence by an academy, in 

 which the cadet is drilled into a full knowledge and intimate ac- 

 quaintance with everything pertaining to the soldier's profession 

 is well known. And yet it is no more essential to our national 

 prosperity and greatness, that we have intelligent and expert 

 defenders of our soil, than that we have intelligent and expert 

 tillers of our soil. 



Petitions for such a college have heretofore been presented to 

 the Legislature from this and other counties, and our Chief Ma- 

 gistrates have repeatedly recommended it in their messages. Nor 

 have our legislators manifested any other feelings than those of 

 friendliness to it. Still, the necessary steps for its attainment 

 have never been gone fully through with— solely, as we suppose, 

 because there has been no concert of action, no combination of 

 influence in its favor. We feel that a project of such importance 

 should no longer be neglected by us, therefore, 



Resolvedj That we recommend to the State Agricultural Society 

 to call a convention, to be composed of five delegates from each 

 county, to be selected by the county agricultural society, for the 

 purpose of conferring upon the subject of an Agricultural Col- 

 lege and Experimental Farm, digesting a plan for such an insti- 

 tution, and presenting it to the Legislature, under such auspices 

 as will tend to secure its attainment. 



Resolved^ That we regard the city of Albany as the most suita- 

 ble place for holding said convention, and the time, the days suc- 

 ceeding the next annual meeting of the State Agricultural Society. 



