TWENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, 1837-39. 187 



enlightened philanthropy, and accomplish the object of his 

 munificent benefaction. 



As the Government are annually adding vast tracts of 

 valuable lands to the public domain, Congress will doubt- 

 less regard the consideration of agriculture as among its 

 first duties, as well as one of the most important means of 

 promoting the welfare and prosperity of the country — a 

 country blessed beyond all others by the bounty of nature 

 and the patriotism of its citizens, and surpassed in the free- 

 dom of her institutions only by the diversity and fertility of 

 her soil. 



It is a self-evident proposition, that agriculture is the 

 basis of civilization as well as population. A neglect of 

 this great truth has doomed the aborigines of this country 

 again to the desert, and dwindled down their countless 

 hosts to a few feeble tribes — a few solitary and starving 

 stragglers, roaming at large, like the beasts of prey they 

 once pursued in the chase. 



The Romans, though a warlike nation, considered agri- 

 culture as one of the chief sources of their wealth and 

 welfare, and regarded its systematical pursuit as both honor- 

 able and patriotic. Cincinnatus was twice called from his 

 plough to the consulship, and once to the dictatorship ; re- 

 turning each time again to his plough. 



The American Cincinnatus, who has so well earned the 

 title of " Father of his coimtri/," resembled the Eoman patriot 

 not less in his principles and pursuits than his fortunes and 

 honors. Twice called to the chief magistracy of his country, 

 and once to the chieftancy of her armies, he returned again 

 and again to his plough. 



The Governments of Europe in the 8th century, to save 

 the soil from deterioration, and prevent emigration, were 

 obliged to establish by law the " three-field system" viz : fal- 

 low, wheat or rye, and barley or oats ; which may still be 

 traced in France and Germany. To this law Europe owes 

 her advanced state of civilization. 



As the population became more dense, a higher degree of 

 knowledge in agriculture was required, and several efforts 

 were made to accomplish it : among others, the establishing 

 of professorships in universities, to teach agriculture to 

 statesmen, lawyers, theologians, and physicians. This gave 

 rise to the perfection of agriculture as a science ; but as 

 universities are not calculated, in many respects, to educate 

 agriculturists, agricultural schools were established, to illus- 

 trate theory by practice, which had the desired effect. 



This brief historical sketch shows the 2:radual rise of 



