138 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



from the desk, or from debate, or from tracts. It is this knowl- 

 edge which the primary school and county schools are intended 

 to give in the plan proposed. Then these adjuncts to a farmer's 

 education, for they can be nothing more, are useful. As edu- 

 cation now is, experience being our principal teacher, the last 

 half of a farmer's life is employed, provided he is a diligent 

 student, in unlearning what the other half was spent in learn- 

 ing. If, however, he had commenced his career with a few well- 

 grounded principles, he would in that time have built up a 

 solid, practical education. Farmers' clubs, lectures and tracts, 

 are of great service to a well-educated farmer, because " the 

 more a man knows, the more he may know," and the earlier 

 the period at which we commence laying in our stock of knowl- 

 edge, the wider and more useful it will be. Knowledge is 

 self-cumulative, provided it is sound at the core. 



In conclusion, the committee would most earnestly urge upon 

 the Board and the friends of agricultural education generally, 

 not to suffer the present session of the legislature to pass away 

 without attempting, through a legislative enactment, should 

 any be found necessary, to ingraft the first measure in the plan 

 submitted upon our present school system. It appeals so 

 strongly to the good sense and to the sound patriotism of every 

 citizen, whatever his profession may be, it is impossible to 

 believe that the measure, if recommended by the Board, can fail 



of being adopted. 



Richard S. Fay, 



Marshall P. Wilder, 



Simon Brown, 



Committee. 



The above report having been accepted and adopted, it was 



JResolved, That the Committee on Agricultural Education be and are 

 hereby authorized to obtain an elementary manual of agriculture for the 

 use of our common schools, to be submitted to this Board tor approval. 



Besolvcd, That the said committee be requested to cause to be intro- 

 duced the aforesaid manual, -when approved by this Board, into the com- 

 mon schools of Massachusetts, in the manner provided for the. introduction 

 of school books by the laws of the Commonwealth, ami thai said committee 

 be authorized to apply to the legislature for the passage of an Act for the 

 accomplishment of this object. 



The committee on this subject was thereupon increased to 

 five by the addition of Messrs. Loring and Fisher. 



