36 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Marshall P. AVilder, Governor Boutwell, President Hitch- 

 cock of Amherst College, Professor Fowler of the same 

 institution, Judge Mack of Salem and William Buckminster, 

 editor of the "Massachusetts Ploughman." John Brooks 

 of Princeton appears to have been the only opponent. He 

 said : "This resolution seems to squint towards a college. 

 If it has that tendency I shall be opposed to it, for I do not 

 believe that the farmers are prepared to spend money in 

 instituting a college. . . . As for lecturing to the people, I 

 doubt whether that is advantageous, for the very best reason 

 to my mind in the world, — that the lecturer will not know 

 Avhat to say ; that he has no data on which to make out any 

 speech, because science, as I understand it, is based upon 

 facts. AVhat facts has this commissioner that are applicable 

 to agriculture in this State? I say, sir, generally s})eaking, 

 no fact. And why? Because the science of agriculture 

 has not yet grown up in this country." Richard Bagg, Jr., 

 of S})ringfield closed some breezy remarks by exclaiming : 

 "Let us remember that if the State provide the means 

 and appliances for a scientific course of agricultural study, 

 the young man must ' wake up from his drowsy nap,' and 

 qualify himself ' to go up higher.' " The fom*th and fifth 

 resolutions were adopted, but avb fail to find out the fate of 

 the eighth, having reference to reserving the entire proceeds 

 of the sale of public lands for purposes of education and 

 charity. 



At the first meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Agri- 

 culture, Sept. 3, 1851, Marshall P. Wilder, AVm. C. Fowler, 

 John W. Proctor, J. II. W^. Page and S. Reed were chosen 

 a connnittoe to report on the subject of agricultural educa- 

 tion and the best measures to be adopted for the encourage- 

 ment of such education. The report of this committee was 

 presented at the second meeting of the Board on Jan. 11, 

 1852» They were discussed at this meeting, and also at the 

 third meeting of the Board, on Feb. 3, 1852, when they 

 were adopted. This report, signed b}^ Marshall P. Wilder 

 as chairman, resolves, " That Massachusetts, by an enlight- 

 ened i)olicy and wise legislation, has rendered her system of 

 education worthy of her exalted reputation, and that this 



