676 



fine our attention to tlie single item of sheep and cattle, who is not 

 aware that by the introduction of new breeds of sheep, and the judi- 

 cious crossing of them with the old stock in the country, both the quan- 

 tity and quality of wool raised from the same amount of pasture, and 

 also by similar experiments upon cattle, the character of dairies and of 

 working oxen have been vastly improved ? But how has this been 

 brought about ? Principally by single enterprising farmers ; men of 

 wealth and men of study. But how many of them have often been disap- 

 pointed, and endured heavy pecuniary loss ? And how much more 

 could be accomplished by a combined action ? This great enterprise 

 ought not to be left to single men. Farmers should combine their ef- 

 forts to the universal good. 



I am therefore, decidedly in favor of agricultural schools, and the 

 addition of agricultural departments to our Universities. I believe it 

 would be well to have a model farm connected with the University of 

 Michigan, and the judicious expenditure of some of the fiinds under 

 the care of the State, for the promotion of this great art. And this 

 should be done on a liberal scale, with a determination to persevere,, 

 though disappointments might be frequent, and the reward not imme- 

 ''diate. 



Let the funds be judiciously expended ; let established principles be 

 brought out in lectures, and let new experiments be constantly tried, and 

 as true as God's laws are permanent, the State must be a gainer. One 

 thing is certain, agriculture must improve, or untold miseries await the 

 world. The population of the world is rapidly increasing, all of whom 

 are fed from the products of the soil, and these products must increase, 

 not only by bringing waste land into cultivation, but by augmenting the 

 productiveness of the soil. It is an old theory, that sooner or later, 

 every country must become so stocked with human beings, that it can 

 supply no more, and then, if starvation is not the consequence, poverty 

 must press in a thousand ways upon the people ; or wars, famine and 

 pestilence must remove the superfluous population, for the convenience 

 of the survivors. 



This, is ahon'id theory, reflecting heavily upon the goodness of the Al- 

 mighty. It is a false theory, and yet it is abundantly plausible. It is 

 true that there are countries that do not now contain a population one- 

 half so large as formerly, and yet the present inhabitants consume all 



