550 THE GROUNDS WELL. 



tion of some of the profoundest minds of the age ; they teem 

 with vigor of thought, minuteness of detail, and scientific 

 erudition, and yet are so simple in their language, and so 

 plain in their minuteness, that the ordinary comprehen 

 sion can readily understand them. 



ADVOCACY OF A NATIONAL BUREAU OF AGRICUL 

 TURE, ETC. 



Professor Turner labored long and earnestly for the estab 

 lishment of an Agricultural Bureau at the national seat of 

 government. He delivered many public addresses in advo 

 cacy of this measure, in which he urged the vital importance 

 of the establishment of some such department. He showed 

 that it had been urged upon Congress by almost every presi 

 dent and statesman from Washington down ; and urged the 

 farmers to give their representatives to understand that 

 there must be no further delay of decisive action. The 

 agitation on this subject at last resulted in the formation of 

 the Department of Agriculture at Washington. This has 

 been productive of some good out of a mass of corruption, 

 but, like Industrial Education as carried out in Professor 

 Turner s own State, has not borne just exactly such fruit as 

 he expected. 



Another project which early enlisted Professor Turner s 

 efforts was the establishment of a permanent State Society 

 for holding fairs ; and the formation of what eventually 

 became the Illinois State Board of Agriculture, is due, in no 

 small degree, to his exertions. In one of his earlier ad 

 dresses he thus eulogizes them, and points the finger of 

 scorn at the mere politician. &quot; Think of our county fairs, 

 our State fairs, our world s fairs ; their congregated millions, 



