SECRETARY'S REPORT. 137 



expectations of many who desire the establishment of a large 

 and expensive institution, similar to those which have been 

 commenced in other States. To such they can only say that 

 they are as desirous as any one can be, to see the science and 

 practice of agriculture carried as far as the most enthusiastic 

 could wish. But they desire to aim at the possible, — to begin 

 education at the right point, — to set in operation primary 

 instruction, — to lay the ground work, and when carried forward 

 to the establishment of county schools, to leave it there to work 

 itself out, if it be required, into higher forms than it would be 

 proper for the State to undertake to mould or to direct. 



The committee are aware that this subject has occupied the 

 attentive consideration of leading minds in the State. All 

 agree in the importance of a higher agricultural education, 

 but there is much difference of opinion as to how it should be 

 accomplished. They are of opinion that why nothing more 

 has as yet been attempted, arises from too much having been 

 aimed at. Most of the plans proposed begin at the wrong end. 

 What advantage are colleges, where there are no schools ? 

 How small the benefits of lectures and of essays to the wholly 

 uninformed ! This seems to be the opinion of our distinguished 

 Secretary of the Board of Education, Mr. Boutwell, who says : 

 "We build from the primary school to the college, and without 

 the primary school and its dependents, the grammar, high 

 school and academy, the colleges would cease to exist." This 

 is perfectly true, and was well applied by him with respect to 

 the expediency of establishing an agricultural college. 



The formation of farmers' clubs is recommended, — the deliv- 

 ery of public lectures, — the circulation of tracts broadcast over 

 the State as a mode of agricultural education. All these are 

 no doubt of service to those who are farmers, and who have 

 time to devote to educating themselves, while attending to their 

 business. But the same objection applies to these methods of 

 instruction as to a college. Without an elementary agricul- 

 tural education, without a certain degree of the knowledge of 

 correct practice in agriculture, little comparatively is learned 

 from farmers' clubs, from lectures, or from tracts. One must 

 know how, at least, to distinguish the true from the false, to 

 have some few well grounded principles in his mind, or he will 

 be quite as likely to be injured as benefited by what he hears 



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