118 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



have so signified their willingness to act in the mat- 

 ter, then the President of this Society shall imme- 

 diately, after ascertaining (by corresponding with 

 the several State Societies upon the subject) the 

 most suitable time for calling such Convention, 

 fix on a time for the meeting of said Convention, 

 of which he shall give notice in as many papers as 

 may be necessary. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 A MODEL FARM SCHOOL. 



BY HENRY F. FRENCH. 



The necessity of a better cultivation of the land 

 in New England, is generally conceded, and all are 

 agreed that more knowledge of the principles, as 

 well as of the practical operations, of Husbandry, 

 is the one thing wanting. We see one man rais- 

 ing fifty bushels of corn to the acre, while his 

 neighbors raise but thirty. We see another rais- 

 ing thirty or forty bushels of winter wheat to the 

 acre, while others fail to raise any. We see one 

 man's apple trees bending under the weight of 

 their fruit, yielding an annual income of one hun- 

 dred dollars an acre, while his neighbor's orchard 

 has proved an utter failure. We know that the 

 average product of milk of the farmers' cows, is 

 less than fonr quarts a day, for the year, while 

 some milk-men get an average product, fifty per 

 cent, greater. 



Now this is either accidental, and beyond ex- 

 planation, or else it is the result of different man- 

 agement ; and no sane man doubts that it is the 

 latter. One man succeeds better than another, in 

 farming, as in every other pursuit, because he un- 

 derstands his business better. 



How shall this knowledge, which gives abundant 

 success to some, be diffused through the whole 

 farming community 1 How can we teach the young 

 men of our day, the best mode of managing their 

 farms 1 The true answer is, by shewing them the 

 best methods of cultivation and teaching them to 

 perform, with their own hands, the processes connec- 

 ted with them — by making tliein thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with the best farming implements, the 

 best farm buildings, the different breeds of live 

 stock, and their various qualities — by teaching 

 them system, and habits of careful observation, and 

 by making them understand the reasons of things — 

 the principles and science of Husbandry. 



We want a pattern before us — a model by which 

 to work. Farmers are not thrown together like 

 lawyers and manufacturers, so that they can see 

 the perfection of skill, in the various departments 

 of their business. They live separate and apart, 

 and have not opportunity to meet and communi- 

 cate with each other. There is wanted, in each 

 County, a central point, at which may be collect- 

 ed all the various facts which interest agricultu- 

 rists ; where experiments may be carefully tried, 

 and their results noted, compared and published. 

 There is wanted a place where boys may be edu- 

 cated to the business of Farming, practically, as well 

 as scientifically, so that they may carry with them 

 throughout the State, a thorough knowledg of Ag- 

 riculture, which shall not oidy ensure them suc- 

 cess in life, but shall render them useful examples 

 to other men. 



To effectuate all the objects which have been 

 thus briefly suggested, no plan seems to me so 

 likely to prove successful, as the establishment, 

 by the aid of the State of 



A MODEL FARM SCHOOL. 



Such a school should be, eventually, established, 

 in each County in the State, but prudence would 

 require, that the plan be first tested by the opera- 

 tion of one such school, before a system involving 

 so heavy an expenditure, be fully adopted. In al- 

 most every State in Europe, Agricultural Schools 

 have been established or aided by the government , 

 and with such success, as to give to us great en- 

 couragement. The greatest obstacle to be over- 

 come, in the old world — the general ignorance of 

 the laboring classes — has long since, thanks to our 

 common schools, been removed from our path. 

 Hundreds of our young men, of all classes of socie- 

 ty, would be found prepared, as well as anxious, 

 to avail themselves of the advantages of such an 

 institution. 



I proceed to suggest a general plan for such a 

 School, with no idea that it will be found anything 

 more than a mere text, upon which other men may 

 preach to much better purpose than myself. 



LAND AND LOCATION. 



Two hundred acres of cheap land, to consist of 

 woods, pastures, swamps, pine plain, hills and val- 

 leys, the more diversified the better, and well wa- 

 tered. Twenty acres of arable land at first, is suf- 

 ficient. 



A location near a sufficient market for milk and 

 vegetables is desirable for the first experiment, be- 

 cause it would allow of a more various culture, and 

 a speedy cash return. 



BUILDINGS, APPARATUS, STOCK AND TOOLS. 



1. A building, with lecture and recitation rooms, 

 chemical laboratory, and library, to accommodate 

 fifty stuuents, upon a plan capable of being con- 

 veniently enlarged, when we see how well the ex- 

 periment succeeds. 



2. A dwelling-house, on the farm, to be occu- 

 pied by the principal and his family, and as many 

 boarders as may be thought best. This may be a 

 common dwelling, unless it should be thought ad- 

 visable to board all the pupils on the farm, which 

 would involve a much larger expenditure. 



3. A model Barn, say 40 by 100 feet, with cel- 

 lars fitted for manure, for roots, for swine, and 

 winter store rooms for carts and other large tools. 

 The barn should be constructed and fitted up, for 

 all the various uses of a farmer's barn, in the most 

 perfect manner. 



4. A Granary, Tool House and Sheds. 



5. The Live Stock must depend on the location 

 and leading branches of Husbandry adopted, but 

 it should be, in part, of thorough bred animals, so 

 that the farm should exhibit specimens of all im- 

 proved breeds, and thus furnish accui'ate knowl- 

 edge in regard to them, and so that the pupils 

 should be familiar with their various qualities. 



6. The Farm Implements should be of the very 

 best kinds in use. 



7. The Library and Apparatus must at first be 

 small, and be increased as rapidly as possible. The 

 experiment might be commenced, perhaps, without 

 either, especially if the school were in the neigh- 

 borhood of scientific institutions. A thorough chem- 

 ical laboratory must, eventually, be provided. The 

 best agricultural papers, of course, should be fur- 

 nished. 



TEACHERS AND STUDIES. 



1. A Principal, who should be a thorough prac- 

 tical farmer, familiar with all the details of* farm- 



