No. 112.] 427 



EXTBAGIS FROM THE AdDRDS3 OF JOHN A. SkEKjVLAN, PRESIDENT. 



Agricultural Kaowledge necessary. 



Every man who owns or superintends the cultivation of a farm 

 should at least understand the character and capacity of his soil, 

 the nature and adaptation of the different manures as applied ta 

 the different crops. 



But gentlemen, how few, yes, how very few, have the least 

 scientific knowledge of those most important requirements ! And 

 how, is it asked, is this knowledge to be obtained? I answer, by 

 establishijjg agricultural schools and experimental farms. Eng- 

 land, Ireland, Scotland and Germany, all have their agricultural 

 schools. France, with a territory about one-third larger than the 

 State of New-York, supports a populati<m of over 40,000,000 

 souls. This is attributed to her superior knowledge in the culti- 

 vation of her soil, derived through the medium of her agricultu- 

 ral schools and experimental farms. Despotic Prussia, too, with 

 a territory only about twice as krge as N"ew-York, has six agri- 

 cultural colleges. In thtm are taught theoretically and practi- 

 cally, the highest branches of science connected with the cultiva- 

 tion and improvement of the soil ; ten schools of the more ele- 

 mentary or priruary order ; seven devoted expressly to the cul- 

 ture of flax; two to the management of meadow lands; one for 

 instruction in the managemt.nt of sheep; also forty-five experi- 

 mental farms, intended to serve in carr} ing out in practice what 

 is taught in theory, and introducing better modes of agriculture, 

 making in all seventy-two different public institutions for the in- 

 gtruction and diifusion of agricultiua! science and practical know- 

 ledge. 



Our neighbors, too, of Canada, whom we have cuusidered far 

 behind us in agriculture, have recently connected a department of 

 agriculture with one of the first literary institutions at Toronto, 

 to which is also attached an experimental farm. May she prosper 

 in this laudable undertaking, and I trust that that reciprocity of 

 feeling which now so happily exists between us, will prompt us 

 fioun to folio iv htr noble example. 



