AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 249 



per, to the high toned and ably conducted scientific monthly of one hun- 

 dred closely printed pages. Such for instance, not to mention the for- 

 eign monthlies and quarterlies, is "The Farmer's Library and Monthly 

 Journal of Agriculture,' published in New York city, and edited by that 

 able veteran in agricultural improvement, John S. Skinner, Esq. formerly 

 of Baltimore, and the former orignal editor of the American Farmer. 

 It is a vi^ork well worthy the attention of your Linnsean Association. 

 It is a work of science as well as practice. The science of Agriculture 

 is assuming a body, though its full figure and proportions may not yet 

 be clearly discernable. Allow me, for a little time, to spread before you 

 the elements of that science. 



The cultivator of this, as of all other science, must be prepared for 

 the work, by a spirit submissive, and a sense of dependence upon the 

 Great Creator, if he expects to enter the ^'■indma adyta'*'' and there taste 

 the sweets of its fountains, and be refreshed by the visions of its secret 

 things. In a former communication T remarked, man was not averse to 

 knowledge, but I would by no means imply that there is any other door 

 of entrance to the chambers, the beauliful chambers of truth, tiiaii 

 through Christ. He is the way, and further, the secrets of the Lord are 

 with them that fear Him. I have never yet found the scriptural author- 

 ity for limiting these declarations to what is commonly understood by 

 religious truth It seems both a rational and scriptural conclusion, that 

 the Author of all things should have a knowledge of all things, and that 

 he communicates that knowledge to those who wait on him for it, in 

 the spirit which he approves. He no where tells us he has limited his 

 gifts to religious knowledge. I know there are those who hoot at such 

 doctrines, but to such I can only say that, if they will trace down the his- 

 tory of each science, or art, or profession, they will find that each ray of 

 light is traceable to a Christian truth — some item in that great body of 

 truth which emanates from Christ. 



Dr. William Darrach, Prof, of the Theory and Practice of Medicine 

 in Penna. Medical College, traced this out in regard to Medicine in his 

 Introductory of last fall ; Dr. Hitchcock, about the same time, displayed 

 it in regard to science and literature generally in his Inaugural as Pres- 

 ident of Amherst College. Others have performed similar work within 

 the last three or four years. 



Your own Haldeman, in his recent address before the Linna?an As- 

 sociation of Pennsylvania College alludes to the same, when he remarks : 

 "And yet Linnaeus was indebted to a theologian of by-gone ages for his 

 primary division of the works of the Almighty," &lc. 



A preparative, then, for ihe study of agricuUural science is a firm be- 



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