240 BOARD OV AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Hadwen, on behalf of the Examining Committee of 

 the Agricultural College, submitted the following report : — 



ON THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTUKAL COLLEGE. 



The committee, in conformity with the duties expected 

 of them, have visited the State Agricultural College several 

 times during the year. On each occasion they were fully 

 impressed that all departments were doing well, and were 

 being pursued, as far as would seem possible, upon sound 

 principles, indicative of ultimate success. 



If the leading object of the college and farm is to teach 

 the student principles of practical agriculture (in which the 

 larger portion of farmers are comparatively ignorant), with a 

 view to perfect him for a calling vitally fundamental to the 

 prosperity of the State ; principles and practice in agricul- 

 ture, whereby arduous labor will be lessened, and a higher 

 cultivation increased, where the farm and the home, when 

 placed under intelligent management, will develop the com- 

 forts, embellishments, and profits at once so important to 

 induce the educated mind to pursue the calling, — then we 

 will say the State has acted wisely and well. It must also 

 be demonstrated to the farmer of the age, that his sons, if 

 otherwise calculated for farmers, have greater chance for 

 success in agricultural pursuits, by receiving a liberal as 

 well as a practical education. 



That science is absolutely indispensable to aid successful 

 and profitable agriculture is already demonstrated, to a con- 

 siderable extent, and still is receiving commendable efforts 

 and attention in a variety of experiments. 



It would seem, therefore, that one important point should 

 be prominently kept in view ; and that is the profits of the 

 farm, either immediate or prospective : in other words, legi- 

 timate farming-operations should receive the greater, and 

 experimental farming, less attention of the college farmer. 



We are well aware that a farm under the supervision of a 

 board of trustees (with more or less red tape) cannot be 

 carried on with the same degree of success as by a competent 

 individual. The opinions of farmers even are exceedingly 

 diverse and contradictory in agriculture : while they will 

 agree in general principles, they will differ in specialties. 



