185 6. J Scientific Agriculture — Its Difficulties. 1G7 



institutions, I would state, without fear of successful contradiction, tliat 

 here lies one of the chief difficulties to be encountered, and all attempts 

 must, under the system pufsued, fail to educate farmers as farmers. 

 Underated as this pursuit now is, in the estimation of the educated, and 

 uneducated; and with the prestige of antiquity in favor of the old 

 literary and highly classical course, to the utter exclusion of any other, 

 the completion of which shall entitle the individual to equ;il honor, 

 reform or change must necessarily be slow ; and in order to this change, 

 the mind of the agriculturist must have some more adequate con- 

 ception of what a thorough and liberal scientific education consists in, 

 and what are its benefits ; and the educated must yield the point, held 

 with so much tenacity, that in order to develop successfully the human 

 mind, and properly discipline its powers, there is but o)ie course of study 

 by which effectually to do it ; no difi'erence what are the tastes, talents, 

 or disposition, or what is to be the pursuit of the individual to be edu- 

 cated. But reform can not be had without the efibrt ; and one institution 

 successfully established, the work would advance more rapidly. And 

 here another difficulty meets us in the first establishment of such an 

 institution in answer to the question, whence are to come the instructors ? 

 Are there none among us possessing the necessary scientific knowledge 

 united to the practical, to be able instructors and successful manipula- 

 tors in this department ? True, there would be some difficulty at the 

 outset, as the department is yet to be literally built up in all its parts'; 

 but here, as before stated, there must be a beginning, and certainly the 

 time has come for the incipient steps, at least. There are men of pro- 

 found scientific attainments, men of research, who have never made ap- 

 plication of the principles, or witnessed the results, who could keep in 

 advance of those under their instruction ; and who, in the prosecution of 

 their investigations, would more effectually inspire their pupils with zeal, 

 and at length would become eminent in their profession. Another and 

 hitherto insurmountable difficulty has been to secure a sufficient amount 

 of funds, to provide the means and appliances necessary for making a 

 successful experiment, such as land for experimental purposes, library, 

 apparatus, shops, lecture and recitation rooms, etc. As the public utility 

 has been the chief object in enterprises of this kind, the appeal for such 

 aid has been to the State, and thus far without success. In this State, 

 the effort has repeatedly been made ; also in Massachusetts, and Con- 

 necticut, while in New York, the effort has been unremitted for thirty 

 years past. This is, as might be expected ; and dependence upon this 

 source must be vain, so long as no proof shall be exhibited that such 

 outlay would be judicious. If, by individual effort, results of importance 



