ESSAY ON AGRrCULTURAL LIBRARIES. 107 



the Transactions of other agricultural societies, particularly those of 

 the Massachusetts and of the Now York State Societies, are very 

 difficult of access. The New England Farmer, enriched as its 

 pages are, by the copious pens of Fessenden and of Lowell, "will in 

 a few years be extant only in the libraries of a few reading men. 

 Now if these and kindred publications, with works of foreign author- 

 ship, such as Low's Practical Agriculture and Stephens' Book of 

 the Farm, could be placed in such a depository, we should be always 

 sure of their preservation, and we could lay hands upon them just 

 where and when we wanted. As references, such works are often 

 needed, and it is of no small consequence to be able to command 

 them. 



In the fourth place, such a library would be a public benefit from 

 the fact that nothing; of the kind exists araonnr us. If one wishes 

 to consult books on theology, law, or medicine, or on the natural 

 sciences, there are abundant sources of information on these subjects. 

 There are libraries in the County devoted to these special subjects. 

 But where are the fountains of knowledsfe to which the student of 

 agriculture may repair, to quench his thirst? They are not to be 

 f jund here, and he must content himself with the supply that reaches 

 him weekly through the agricultural newspapers, and from the an- 

 nual Sowings of the Society's volume of Transactions, including per- 

 haps, the little rills that percolate through the pages of the Old 

 Farmer's Almanac. Is it not a reproach to farmers that, as a class, 

 they are not more alive to the importance of supplying this defi- 

 ciency of the means of information on their own peculiar business ? 

 The means — the books — exist and are to be had ; but where are 

 they to be found in any number collected together and accessible 

 to all ? 



Much of late has been said in speech and in print, in legislative 

 halls and agricultural assemblies, of the importance of establishing 

 agricultural schools. The attempts, however, which have been made 

 to found them, have hitherto in this County proved abortive, and to 

 some minds, they appear to be uncalled for, or at least of doubtful 

 utility. Without expressing an opinion of their feasibility, if prop- 

 erly organized, or of their usefulness, if rightly conducted ; I would 

 ask if the want, which such schools are intended to supply, a more 

 thorough education in the principles and practice of agriculture, 

 might not in part be supplied by agricultural libraries ? The young 



