1856.] Scientific Agriculture — lis Difficulties. 169 



department is now open, and progressing as rapidly as can be expected. 

 The work has been here commenced under the full conviction and in the 

 belief, that progress will be slow ; and that if we wait until all obstacles 

 are removed, another half century will have elapsed before any successful 

 effort shall have been made, and evils will then have been entailed that 

 centuries more could not remove. We would here briefly enumerate the 

 reasons influencing the Board of Directors of " Farmers' College," to found 

 and fund such a department : 



Fir&t, It has been a leading feature of this Institution, from its origin, 

 to furnish, in addition to its classical course, a curriculum of study, emin- 

 ently practical ; and, many of its patrons being farmers, to give si)ecial 

 attention to Agricultural Chemistry, Geology, and other sciences, having 

 an intimate relation to this pursuit. 



SeconcVy, Because it is for the highest interest of the country to bring 

 agriculture to the higlest state of perfection. 



Thirdhj, The cultivation of the earth and all its processes involve the 

 use of natural laws ; and, therefore, to render it most successful, requires 

 an extensive knowledge of the physical sciences. 



Fourthly, Attempts to cultivate the soil without the aid of science, 

 must necessarily lead to waste and loss of much time and labor, by count 

 eracting natural laws, instead of co-operating with them. 



Fifthly, Improvements in the science of agriculture have heretofore 

 been much neglected, and have never received that public attention 

 bestowed upon the arts, and other branches of industry. 



Sixthly, Such improvements re {uire not only a knowledge of the 

 sciences, but also, a practical appli ation of their principles to all the 

 various modes of working and treating soils ; and in consequence of the 

 constant advance and disclosures of science, numerous and difficult, 

 time-consuming experiments therein have become necessary, which 

 can be satisfactorily tried only when and where ample preparation is 

 made for them ; such experiments farmers generally have neither the 

 time, means, nor c|ualifications to conduct ; and, if made at all, they 

 must be made by a combination of eff'ort, under the supervision and by 

 the direction of ir.en of profou id scientific attainments. 



S^'venthly, In an institution or department such as is proposed, maybe 

 taught to the best advantage, everything calculated to render the business 

 of farming more flourishing, prosperous, and productive ; such as enrich- 

 ing and draining soils, preserving and restoring their fertility ; the 

 apnlication of mathematics to mensuration, surveying, leveling, drawing, 

 draftinsr, garden designs, the laying out of grounds ; also, zoology, 

 entomology, and natural history in general, political economy, and many 



