1857.] Our College, Errors Respecting its Ohject and Aim, 245 



useful in the short time allotted ; and that hence, discrimination 

 must be had, having some reference to the tastes, talents, inclinations, 

 capacities and pursuits of those to be educated. 



That one of the fundamental objects of all education, that of 

 forming a habit of investigating thoroughly what comes before the 

 mind, is now unattained, and that this habit once formed, the man 

 will become learned, — well educated, — sooner or later — college or no 

 college. Consequently, that as you can't study every thing in four 

 years, after the common and universal requisitions shall be made, 

 such divergence may be had as will enable the student to study some 

 of these sciences now pursued more thorougly, and practically. 



Our object in writing the present article, is, to correct some prev- 

 alent errors of the aim and design of our yet young and flourish- 

 ing Institution. Hence, we have been particular in our introductory 

 remarks to show on what principles our plan has been based, and 

 that we occupy no equivocal ground. 



To accomplish, then, our object, we have adopted two courses of 

 study, securing equal time for their completion, viz: four years after 

 the usual preparatory studies required by our colleges. The one em- 

 inently scientific, embracing the modern languages, the other lin- 

 guistic, embracing the usual literary course with its full quota of 

 Latin and Greek. The completion of either of which courses will 

 entitle to equal college honors. 



To accomplish fully our object in our scientific investigations, and 

 adapt our institution to a far larger class of aspirants to profound 

 attainments, we of course have given precedence to the studies suit- 

 ed to the applications, and full development of agricultural science. 

 Our farmers embrace four-fifths of our population. As a class they 

 have jogged on thus far almost without even the commonest forms of 

 knowledge, to say nothing about science. For the benefit of this 

 numerous class, we have secured a farm of varied soil and surface, 

 to be appropriated to experiments in grain, grasses, fruits and vege- 

 tables, embracing a complete botanic garden of the trees plants and 

 shrubs of our climate, not as some have ignorantly conjectured — 

 for such has never been written — to teach boys how to work — to in- 

 struct them in the common manipulations of the farm, which they 

 can better learn at home — but that the young men of our country, 

 who would become adepts in science, may not only learn the doc- 

 trines, and principles of Our text books, but the applications of 

 these in practice ; and thereby acquire a habit to make all knowl- 



