SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 39 



closet, and him who follows the same pursuits in the field ; for 

 that, I believe, is the only dijBference between scientific men and 

 practical men — that one does his work in the study, and the 

 other does it in the field. When, this morning, our friend, Mr. 

 Bull, alluded to Prof. Ville, and represented him as a man 

 who had met with the opposition of scientific men, I think there 

 was an impression given which is not altogether correct. I 

 know Prof. Ville. He was a young man, just out of school, 

 when I left Europe, but already aspiring to a position in the 

 scientific world ; and he was soon appointed to a position in the 

 Jardin des Plantes. There is no more exclusively scientific 

 institution in the world than the Jardin des Plantes, where he 

 has made all the experiments which have rendered his name 

 famous, and which have shown him to be so highly a practical 

 man, that great reforms even in agriculture are expected from 

 the application of the results he has thus far obtained. I think 

 there can be no better instance of the entire mistake of repre- 

 senting science and the practical purposes of agriculture, or any 

 other pursuit, as in antagonistic relations to one another. 



Now, with reference to extending the instruction which 

 science has obtained in relation to domestic animals, in relation 

 to insects injurious to vegetation, in relation to all natural his- 

 tory bearing upon the prosperity of the farm, I feel that we have 

 a duty — that this Board has a duty — which ought not to be left 

 unperformed. There are colleges arising in every part of the 

 United States, the chief object of which is to foster improve- 

 ments in agriculture. There are mai>y of these institutions 

 which are exclusively agricultural colleges. The pupils of these 

 institutions are to be taught that which will improve their busi- 

 ness, and they are to be taught that which will be substantial 

 knowledge. We should have all the experiments of Prof. Ville 

 repeated in these colleges. But that is not all. We should 

 have all the experiments made by Magendie and Boussingault 

 upon the feeding of cattle, upon the nursing of animals ; we 

 should have all the experiments made upon breeding, upon 

 crossing breeds, and upon the whole animal economy of the 

 domestic animals. All that should be taught in these colleges, 

 in as advanced, as perfect and as comprehensive a form as the 

 information can be had. Well, we have no teachers competent 

 to do that. You may want to appoint them, but you cannot 



