260 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



ever deserved to be helped — that had not the energy and courage to help iheni- 

 setves. 



Farmers, you have, both in and out of Congress, numbers and power on your 

 side. All you want is self-respect — respect for your own rights — energy — com- 

 bination. On this one subject, then, be persuaded to lay aside parly spirit. — 

 Move in a body — make yourselves heard — and you will soon cause yourselves to 

 be felt. Who will begin the work ? Rely on it that knowledge — knowledge is 

 at the bottom of every valuable progressive and enduring improvement in the 

 condition of mankind. Your Government is expending your money to give 

 knowledge, and to throw light, and to insure safety and honor to every concern 

 of life except yours. Why, then, may you not demand something for the dissem- 

 ination of knowledge in the sciences, on the application of which the fruilfulness 

 of the earth depends, as much as does success in any other profession, art or man- 

 ufacture ? Next, then, after your prayer to " our Father who art in Heaven," 

 repeat you the prayer of the victorious warrior on the walls of Troy — " Ye Gods, 

 give us but light ! " and they who, in the halls of power, shall first hearken to 

 your righteous demands, shall be registered and remembered as the grateful ben- 

 efactors of those to whom they owe their elevated and glorious trust — glorious, 

 if wisely executed for the welfare of society. 



For one, at least, among the humblest of their constituents, we shall watch to 

 denounce or to bless. We crave the assistance of the press — that powerful lever 

 which, in swaying public sentiment, sways the world. Proud will we be to take 

 the lowest rank, and to raise even the feeblest voice in an enterprise commended 

 by every consideration of beneficence and public usefulness, to every sound head 

 and every honest heart. 



MEMORIAL 



From the Agriculturists of the United States to their respective State Legislatures. 



'The undersigned, on behalf of the agricultural interest, to which they belong, 

 'beg leave to request your attention to what they feel to be their just, but too long 

 neglected claim on the General Government. 



Not wishing to deal in vague generalities, the measure we solicit is that you 

 would urge our Representatives and Senators in Congress to use their influence 

 to procure an appropriation from the proceeds of the public lands, or from the 

 general treasure, for the use of each State, in proportion to its representation 

 tn Congress, to be applied, in each Stale, expressly to the establishment of a 

 Normal School, for the instruction and preparation of teachers in agricultural 

 chemistry, mineralogy, vegetable and animal physiology, civil engineering, rural 

 nrchitccture, and practical surveying — in such arts and sciences, in a word, as 

 will enlighten practical Agriculture, and render more eflicient and profitable the 

 capital and labor empluyed in it. Teachers thus prepared would be ready to take 

 charge of minor agricultural schools, in each county in every State of the Union ; 

 and thus would tlie foundation be laid for spreading among the mass of the peo- 

 ple a knowleilge of tiiose sciences, on the application of which, according to the 

 opinion of the ablest writers of the age, "Agriculture must hereafter depend for 

 all material improvements." 



In the name of justice to the landed interest, and in anticipation of objections 

 as to want of means or power, the undersigned would refer to the very large ex- 

 penditures under all administrations, not only for the establishment of naval and 

 military academies and schools, and llie publication of surveys, maps, and jour- 

 nals, without number, of military officers, explorins: sea and land, but to the 

 boundless acriuisition of foreign territory, by acts of Congress. We may also re- 

 fer to lar"-e and repeated appropriations, not merely for the establishment of Ob- 

 servatories, and lines of Telegraph, under the control of the General Government, 



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