272 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



systematic course of education is as necessary to prepare 

 the cultivator of the soil for preeminence in his calling, as to 

 secure excellence in any of the schools of science or art." 

 These are no uncertain words, and fittingly echo the fer- 

 vent hope of Mr. Wilder in his opening remarks, "that, if 

 it be the opinion of this convention that agriculture may be 

 promoted by the application of science, such a sentiment 

 may be expressed in terms so explicit as not to be mis- 

 understood." 



There seems to have been at this time a general awaken- 

 ing to the necessities of an agricultural education. Henry 

 L. Dawes, in an address on agricultural education before 

 the Housatonic Agricultural Society in 1853, after enumer- 

 ating the obstacles to be encountered by the farmer in the 

 discharge of the grand, crowning duty of the day, — the 

 regeneration of the soil of Massachusetts, — said: "And the 

 means not now within his reach, that shall enable him to 

 triumph over them in this great attainment, are the neces- 

 sities of the farmers of this Commonwealth. The means 

 lie in an agricultural education. And for their accomplish- 

 ment let Massachusetts establish an agricultural school, 

 where will be taught the principles of the science and their 

 application to the art of agriculture; and let the doors of 

 knowledge be opened wide to all the sons of her soil, — not 

 for the study of the speculative and mysterious, but of the 

 practical and useful." 



The Board of Agriculture led the way in this popular 

 movement; and we find that at its third meeting, held 

 September 7, 1852, a committee was appointed to consider 

 the expediency of preparing a manual on agriculture for the 

 use of common schools. 



