98 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



mentioned lots, to any person or persons who will pub- 

 lish a series of five numbers of an "Agricultural School 

 Library," to be submitted to, and approved by you, or 

 any other gentlemen that you may associate with you for 

 that purpose. 



And I will also give two of said lots, to any person 

 that will publish another work, to be called, and to be 

 what it is called, "The Farmers' Manual," to be also 

 submitted to, and approved by you, and to contain such 

 maxims and advice as will be useful to new beginners 

 in agriculture, whether old or young; rules that will be 

 useful to the wife as well as husband of such as are 

 driven by necessity or choice from the employment in 

 which they may have always been engaged, to take up 

 the, to them, new employment of cultivation. 1 



Thousands are deterred from attempting to earn their 

 own living, because they don't know hoiv to begin. Such 

 would rejoice to have it in their power to procure such 

 a book, as much as a navigator upon a strange coast 

 would rejoice in procuring a new chart. 



And in addition to the premium, I will subscribe for 

 ten copies of each work, and take the agency of selling 

 them without commission. Will some one, more able 

 than I am, add to the premium. 



And I will also give further premiums, to other ob- 

 jects that you will point out as worthy, which will tend 

 towards the same object. That is, the promotion of 

 agricultural education ; for I am convinced that the great 

 object in view must be accomplished upon the rising 

 generation. 



1 On August 28, Robinson wrote a similar letter to the editor of 

 the Franklin Farmer, which appeared in the issue of October 13 

 (2:53-54), with an enthusiastic editorial comment, and a promise 

 of support to the amount of $100. An editorial in the Franklin 

 Farmer of October 27 (2:70), proposed that the agricultural press 

 of the country unite and guarantee a premium of $500 for the 

 best works submitted in accordance with Robinson's proposal. By 

 November, 1838, the fund, including Robinson's lots at a value of 

 $440, amounted to $760. Cultivator, 5:150. Additions were re- 

 ported in ibid., 5:185 (January, 1839). 



