12 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and daily tasks of the olden times ; and the later books arc an 

 interesting record of the facts brought out by practical men, and 

 of the efforts of science to classify those facts, and to draw from 

 them positive rules of action. But we find no satisfactory 

 system of education. 



This is the more extraordinary, when we remember, how 

 always and everywhere the mind of man has labored to throw 

 light upon an occupation which is recognized as the fundamental 

 art. Among the treatises on government and society which 

 have been produced by the great intellects of every age, may be 

 classed the works of those who have taught mankind how to 

 divide, own and till their lands. And I have often thought that 

 no library would be more interesting, curious and instructive, 

 than one containing all the volumes written to enlighten the 

 husbandman, from the days of Hesiod and Aristotle, down to 

 Liebig's ingenious theories, and that modest effort entitled 

 " Farming as it is." 



In addition to these admirable endeavors of eloquent and 

 careful authors to impart agricultural knowledge, many forms 

 of associated instruction have been established from time to 

 time. Early in the eighteenth century, about 1720, there were 

 nearly thirty agricultural societies in France. Ere long atten- 

 tion was turned to the science of agriculture, which was pub- 

 licly taught in the Swedish, Danish and German universities. 

 And private fortunes were devoted to the endowment of special 

 schools of agriculture. The patronage of government, too, has 

 not been wanting. In Italy, in Sweden, in Denmark, in Switz- 

 erland, in France, in England, every branch of agriculture has 

 been encouraged by the government ; and " even Spain, natur- 

 ally inactive on these occasions, in spite of all the prejudices of 

 a bigoted religion, invited Liniueus, with the offer of a large 

 pension, to superintend a college, founded for the sake of making 

 new inquiries into the history of nature and the art of agricul- 

 ture." And Bonaparte, in his liberal policy toward agriculture, 

 greatly increased the number of societies, established professor- 

 ships, botanical gardens, &c.', all of which concurred to elevate 

 the study of agriculture in the estimation of those capable of 

 bringing to its aid the principles of the abstract sciences. In 

 fact, the only obstacle in the way of a rapid advancement in 

 agricultural information during the last century in Europe, was 



