NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



133 



Board composed of the Presidents of the incor- 

 porated agricultural societies. This Board should 

 offer premiums for experiments calculated to throw 

 light upon practical farming ; these experiments 

 to be made under the direction of the Commis- 

 sioners and the premium to be paid by the State. 

 In this way much valuable information might be 

 obtained. 



Dr. Gardner, of Seekonk, hoped the proposi- 

 tions which had been advanced might be carried 

 out. He would like to sec an Agricultural Col- 

 lege, though he believed the better course would 

 be, to disseminate agricultural information by 

 means of the District Schools. He would also ad- 

 vocate the establishment of an agricultural pro- 

 fessorship in every college in the State. This 

 course, he thought, would reach a far larger num- 

 ber of farmers or farmers' sons, than one exclu- 

 sively. Agricultural College . 



Rev. Dr. Chouxes said, the suggestion of the 

 appointment of a Commissioner, as made by Mr. 

 Sprague, struck him favorably. Associated with 

 such a Commissioner, there might be ten or twelve 

 persons to go through the various school districts 

 in the State and lecture upon the importance of 

 scientific education to the farmer. Meetings such 

 as these are important, but much might be ac- 

 complished by going right among the farmers 

 themselves, in their school districts and talking 

 familiarly with them upon the subject. This 

 course would make an alteration in the feeling of 

 the masses upon the subject and that is what is 

 wanted. He believed farmers are yet to be taught 

 that they must "magnify their office." A prac- 

 tical farmer was very well, but he cannot make 

 farmers. He cannot educate others to be farmers. 

 An educated man is a powerful man, whether he 

 be a farmer, a mechanic or an artizan. The man 

 eminent in his profession, whatever it is, stands 

 before a third or second rate man, in another 

 calling. Power, power, is what is wanted by our 

 farmers, and this must begot by knowledge. Dr. 

 Choules alluded to what he observed of farming 

 in his recent tour through Europe. He was as- 

 tonished at the results he there saw, and which 

 showed the most extended and thorough system, 

 connected with the most rigid economy. He eu- 

 logised the exhibition of the British Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society, and believed $10,000 would be 

 well expended in sending a delegation of our prac- 

 tical farmers to the great exhibition of this Socie- 

 ty, and then let them come home and tell what 

 they had seen. They would confer a great bene- 

 fit upon the farmers of Massachusetts. 



Mr. Bird, of the Executive Council, did not 

 agree with the general ideas which had been pre- 

 sented. He did not believe a society like the 

 Royal Society in England would help our farmers, 



ours. He believed we have now all the machine- 

 ry in operation which is necessary for the diffusion 

 of agricultural knowledge, and that machinery is 

 our system of common schools. He did not be- 

 lieve in colleges of any kind, as the proper place to 

 impart this instruction, and thought the common 

 school system is all that is needed. He also de- 

 nied that the State had afforded assistance to other 

 interests to the neglect of agriculture. 



Professor Fowler replied to Mr. Bird, and 

 showed that other interests had been better cared 

 for than agriculture. He said the industry of the 

 country might be divided into three great branches. 

 First the agricultural branch, which produces the' 

 raw material; second, the manufacturing branch, 

 which works the raw material into shape for the 

 various uses of man; and third, the interest which 

 conveys these products to different portions of the 

 country or the world, to supply the demand for 

 them. Now, he would ask, is it not true that 

 the country has done much for manufactures, and 

 for commerce, for railroads, &c. These two 

 branches have received much aid and encourage- 

 ment, but the agricultural branch has not re- 

 ceived aid. There was another way in which this 

 might be shown. The last returns show that the 

 number of native Bay State men who are engaged 

 in tilling the soil in Massachusetts is gradually 

 decreasing, and their places are being filled by 

 foreigners from all portions of the old world. Our 

 young men of talent and enterprise are forsaking 

 their farms and going into other callings,, where 

 there is more opportunity for exercise of their 

 powers. It is admitted that science is the proper 

 basis for all the arts. It is important that the 

 want of the application of science to agriculture 

 should be felt, and then we should go on to apply 

 it. Common schools would never meet the wants 

 of the farmers for agricultural education. It must 

 be taught in a substantial independent institution. 

 He also objected to Mr. Bird's idea, that there is 

 antagonism between our colleges and common 

 schools. 



Mr. Putman, of Roxbury, repeated his ideas 

 advanced a few evenings since, and reported in our 

 columns, that the best way to promote agricultural 

 education is to teach farmers' sons' to observe 

 closely the laws and agencies of nature in their 

 relation to agriculture. In conclusion, he ex- 

 pressed his satisfaction at the tone of the debate 

 during the meeting, and pledged himself to use all 

 his efforts to promote agricultural education in 

 any position where he might have the opportunity. 

 His own views were in favor of a school where 

 farmers' sons can be taught practically in their 

 callings. These pupils would go forth as school 

 teachers and disseminate this knowledge. He 

 would have a farm managed by one of the hestprao 



and to show this, proceeded to contrast the condi-Uical farmers he could find, to lead the boys through 

 tion of the agricultural population there, with 'the field. In the school-room they might have 



