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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 



Perfectly agreeing, as I do, with your Newton 

 Centre correspondent, "W. A.," as to the inexpe- 

 diency of a State Agricultural College, and mourn- 

 ing, the rejection of an article I sent to the editors 

 of the Farm,';r some year ago, in which I attempt- 

 ed to express similar sentiments, will you allow 

 me to thank you for the puhlication of his article, 

 and to express my approbation of the principle of 

 admitting articles into the columns of agricultur- 

 al papers, although they may not agree with the 

 opinions of the editors. Political papers may con- 

 fine themselves exclusively to one side of the ques- 

 tion ; and so far as they can make their readers 

 bigoted, so far let them call it success. Let the 

 editors of such papers place their own opinions at 

 the magnifying end of the glass, and those of their 

 opponents at the other end, — and let all who like 

 the fun of being thus duped and humbugged, sup- 

 port the system. But don't introduce it into our 

 agricultural periodicals. Encourage correspond- 

 ents. "Variety is the spice of life." Count itno 

 heresy in one writer to differ from any other, pro- 

 vided he has a reason for the faith that is in him, 

 although that reason may not be satisfactory to 

 him, who, for the time being, chances to occupy 

 the "tripod."' Avoid all indications of the "one 

 man power." And by so doing, I apprehend the 

 New England Farmer is fast gaining favor and 

 golden opinions in the community. 



But I am getting away from my text. I did 

 not, however, intend to preach a sermon this time. 

 I purposed only to say "amen" to the remarks of 

 my brother, "a humble individual" before alluded 

 to. But, as my hand is in, I wish to say a word 

 or two in relation to an argument I have seen, in 

 different shapes, several times in the Farmer, for 

 immediate action on the part of this State in favor 

 of an agricultural college, viz.: Unless old Massa- 

 chusetts leads quick, she must follow -instead of 

 lead the enterprise, — an unusual position for our 

 glorious old commonwealth. Now, according to 

 my recollection, this idea of college farming is by 

 no means a new one — nor is it an untried experi- 

 ment, in our own country. I have access to few 

 agricultural books, to refresh my memory ; but I 

 think I have read of several schools in which ag- 

 ricultural science was to have been taught, and 

 my impression is that all these attempts have ut- 

 terly failed. And such failures of all such incipi- 

 ent attempts to make farmers in school, is to me a 

 practical argument against the possible attainment 

 of the expectations of the advocates of agricul- 

 tural colleges. 



On looking over two vols, of the Albany Culti- 

 vator, which I am sorry to say form a large part 

 of my agricultural library, I find several notices 

 of schools in which agriculture was to be taught. 

 On page 119 of the Albany Cultivator for 1845, 

 is a notice of "Aurora Agricultural Institute," 

 "Charles C. Young," Principal. The institute 

 was located near the village of Aurora, having 

 good buildings and 212 acres of land. Mr. Young 

 says, "it is the intention of the undersigned and 

 his associates that this institution shall afford ev 

 cry facility for young men to make themselves 

 thoroughly acquainted with the principles of agri- 

 cultural science, and their judicious application to 

 practical husbandry." "It is also their in- 

 tention to commence a course of experiments, in 



order to test the correctness of those principles in 

 agriculture which may now be generally received, 

 but are not quite well established." Dr. Alexan- 

 der Thompson was to have particular charge of 

 the scientific department. And Mr. David Thom- 

 as, a name familiar to every reader of the agricul- 

 tural publication of New York, was to aid by coun- 

 cil and advice. B. P. Johnson, Esq., President 

 of New York State Agricultural Society, recom- 

 mends the school, and says : — "From my ac- 

 quaintance with Mr. Young, I am satisfied that 

 he is fully competent to manage an institution of 

 this kind, combining scientific with practical agri- 

 culture." 



In the same publication for 1844, a year previ- 

 ous to the above, the rise and progress of a regu- 

 lar agricultural college is traced, in successive 

 numbers, which also appear to have given rise to 

 divers sanguine hopes. On p. 74 we are told that 

 an agricultural school had been for some time in 

 so flourishing a condition, near Nashville, Tenn., 

 that "the managers have concluded to enlarge 

 their plan, and accordingly have procured from 

 the Legislature (Tennessee) a charter for an Ag- 

 ricultural College.*'' Thus leaving the Old Bay 

 State eight years behind, though she should start 

 now, — a fact, I apprehend, that has escaped the 

 recollection of some of those who have spoken and 

 written this winter on the subject of agricultural 

 education. On page 79 of the volume for the suc- 

 ceeding year, (1845) we find "that this institution 

 commenced operations on the first of January, 

 with about fifty students." Here, then, eight 

 years ago we had an agricultural school and an 

 agricultural college, chartered by a legislature, in 

 the full tide of "successful experiment." Where 

 are they now ? Echo. 



Winchester, May 10, 1852. 



Remarks. — It seems to us that the writer errs 

 in one extreme, as some of our friends do in anoth- 

 er. It is neither agriculture taught exclusively on 

 the farm, nor taught exclusively in the schools, 

 that is to make the intelligent and successful cul- 

 tivator. The skilful navigator and mechanic com- 

 bine theory and practice ; and so must the farmer. 

 The latter needs a thorough and exact education, 

 as much as the man of any profession whatever, 

 in order to pursue his calling intelligently, and 

 with pleasure and profit. Where can the young 

 man go, now, to acquire that exact information 

 necessary to enable him to understand the com- 

 plicated processes of nature about him ? To un- 

 derstand the botany, physiology, chemistry, &c, 

 &c, which ought to guide his labor, and make 

 them co-workers with him in his daily avocation? 

 We believe there is a great want of help of this 

 kiud from some source, and confess that we know 

 not at present where it is to be found. But we 

 would not separate the practical from the theoret- 

 ical ; they must go hand in hand onward. Let 

 us "make an effort," to do something, and with 

 prudent counsels, there is no need or danger of 

 doing harm. 



Green Mountain Culturist. — Such is the title 

 of a neat monthly on good large type, devoted to 



