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The laying deep and broad, the foundations of a State Agricultural 

 School, subject to an equal ratio of scholars from the several counties 

 of the State, would be in accordance with the already established plans 

 of distributing the public benefits of education, and liable to no ob- 

 jection. Thus, the necessary knowledge, so acquired, would be car- 

 ried back among our population, to be spread broadcast, in the re- 

 motest districts of the State, through branches of other institutions, 

 which might be set apart for that purpose, or established independent- 

 ly, through private liberality or enterprize. It cannot be expected, 

 indeed it never was anticipated, that the State Agricultural Society 

 should embark in a work of this kind; it has neither the necessary 

 funds nor the corporate strength to effect it, and in pursuing the cor- 

 rect path already indicated, it has abundant exercise for all its func- 

 tions. Yet its advisory aid and co-operation would be invaluable, and 

 greatly add to the utility and success of any agricultural institution. 



Aside from the establishment of an independent School for agricul- 

 ture, the State might with great propriety provide a department in the 

 Normal School, now becoming a settled branch of public education, 

 for instruction in the principles of Agricultural Science, which, from 

 them, might be taught in the common schools. Popular works on 

 Geology, Agricultural Chemistry, Botany, Animal, and Vegetable 

 Physiology, the plain principles of Mechanic Art all which are in- 

 dispensable to the proper education of the farmer, might be taught in 

 a plain, and simple course of lessons, as easily as the ordinary rules 

 of arithmetic, or mathematics; and a knowledge of these would be the 

 source of satisfaction, if not of future profit, to every scholar. " Du- 

 ring the past year," I quote the language of Governor Fish, " $81,624.05 

 have been expended by the State for the increase of books in the 

 school district libraries, to w r hich have been added, one million three 

 hundred thousand volumes," Works of the kind which have been 



