1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



241 



for their diplomas, to qualify themselves to become practi- 

 cal and successful farmers, already convinced that equally 

 with th« clerical, the legal, and the medical professions, 

 that of agriculture requires a thorough and systematic edu- 

 cation, and its successful practice the exercise of an active 

 mind devoted to diligent study. 



Tlie American farmer, then while carefully studying, as 

 he should not fail to do, the necessities, the wants and the 

 tastes of all classes of consumers of his productions in his 

 own country, must not limit his researches for a market 

 within those narrow bounds. He must extend his observa- 

 tions along the avenues of commerce, as far as the com- 

 inerce of his country extends, or can be extended, and in- 

 struct liimself as to the necessities, and the wants and tastes 

 of the consumers of agricultural productions in other coun- 

 tries. He must observe attentively the course of trade, and 

 the causes calculated to exert a favorable or adverse influ- 

 ence upon it ; watch closely the commercial policy of oth- 

 ea- countries, and guard vigilantly that of his own ; accom- 

 modate his productions, as far as may be, to the probable 

 demands upon the market, and understand how to prepare 

 them for the particular market for which they are designed. 

 Next to the production of the best article at the cheapest 

 price, its presentation in the market in the best order and 

 most inviting condition, is important to secure to the far- 

 mer a ready and remunerating market. 



So long as our agricultural shall continue to be an ex- 

 porting interest, these considerations, as second only to the 

 science itself will demand the careful attention aud study of 

 our farmers, and in any well digested system of agricultu- 

 ral edncaiion, its connection with manufactures and the me- 

 chanic arts, with commerce, with the commercial policy of 

 our own and other countries, and with the domestic and 

 foreign markets, should hold a prominent place. A tho- 

 rough and continued education in these coUatteral, but 

 highly necessary branches of knowledge to the farmer, will 

 prove extensively useful to the American citizen, beyond 

 their application to tbe production and sale of the fruits of 

 his labor. They will qualify him the more safely and in- 

 telligently to discharge the duties of a freeman : and if call- 

 ed by his fellow-citizens to do so, the more beneficially to 

 serve his State and country iu legislative and other public 

 trusts. 



I hope 1 may offer another opinion in this connection, 

 without giving offence, or trespass upon the proprieties of 

 the place and occasion. It is that this edacation is the just 

 and true connection between the agricultural, the commer- 

 cial, and the manufacturing interests of our country, equal- 

 ly and impartially disseminated among the classes of citi- 

 zens attached to each of these great branches of labor, would 

 effectually put an end to the jealousies too frequently excited ; 

 demonstrating to every mind, so educated, that, so far from 

 either being in any degree the natural antagonist of the 

 other, they are all parts of one great and naturally harmo- 

 nious system of human industry, of which a fair encourage- 

 ment to any part is a benefit to all ; and that all inviduous 

 aad partial encouragement to any part at the expense of any 

 other part, will prove to he an injury to all. The educa- 

 tion proposed, will do all that can be done to mark the true 

 line between natural and healthful encouragement to eith- 

 er interest, and an undue attempt to advance any one, at 

 ttie expense of the united system, merely producing an un- 

 natural and artificial relation and action, which cannot fail 

 to work disease and injury. 



The labors of this Society, and of kindred associations, 

 have done much to inform the minds of our farmers in these 

 collateral branches of knowledge useful to them, and much 

 remains to be done. The science of produciian claims the 

 first place, and is a wide field, as yet so imperfectly cultiva- 

 ted as to aflbrd little time for collateral labors. To secure 

 a stable and healthful market, and to learn how to re- 

 tain and improve it, also opens an extensive lield for 

 the mental labors and energies of the farmer. Between 

 these objects the relation is intimate and the dependence 

 mutual. The production makes the market, and the mar- 

 ket sustains the production. The prospect of a market stim- 

 ulates to activity in the field of production, and the fruits of 

 that activity urge the mind to make the prospect real. Suc- 

 cess in both contributes to the health and vigor and pros- 

 perity of agriculture, and of that prosperity, commerce and 

 manufactures cannot fail largely to partake. 



All are willing to promote the cause of agriculture in our 

 State and country. 3Iost are ready to lend an active co- 

 operation, and all are cheerful to see accomplished any val- 

 uable improvement in this great branch of productive in- 



dustry. The difficulty hitherto has been in adopting any 

 general plan to effect this desirable object. Hence, most 

 usually, when the public mind has be^n awakened to the 

 subject, arbitrary, and in many cases visionary experiments 

 have been introduced, based upon no philosophical investi- 

 gation of cause and effect, but upon some accidental trial, 

 by a single individual, of some novel mode of culture, which, 

 under the circumstances attending the experiment, has met 

 with success. The single experiment, without an inquiry 

 into, or a knowledge of the cause which, in the given case, 

 has secured the successful result, is at once recommended 

 as an infallible rule of husbandry. The publication and 

 dissemination of detached experiments of this character, for 

 a long period, constituted the most material additions to the 

 stock of literary information connected with agriculture, 

 supplied to our farmers ; while many of the experiments 

 were too intricate and complicated to be reduced to prac- 

 tice with any certainty of accuracy, and others were so ex- 

 pensive that the most perfect success would not warrant 

 the outlay. Unsuccessful attempts to follow the directions 

 given for making these experiments, brought what came to 

 be denominated " book farming," into great disrepute with 

 the industrious, frugal and successful farmers of the coun- 

 try, and excited a jealousy of, and a prejudice against this 

 description of information upon agricultural subjects, which 

 it has cost years of patient and unceasing effort in any mea- 

 sure to allay, and which are not yet removed. 



In the mean time, geological research, heretofore princi- 

 pally confined to investigation into the mineral kingdom 

 proper, has been extended to its legitimate office, and has 

 brought within its examinations the formation of its various 

 soils, and their minute constituent parts. Chemistry has 

 commenced where geology closed, and by a careful analy- 

 sis of these constituent of the various soils, of the principal 

 agricultural products, and of the usual measures, is labor- 

 ing to establish upon philosophical principles, the true re- 

 lations between the soil and the manure to be applied, and 

 between both and the crop to be planted and produced. It 

 is seeking out, with rapid success, the appropriate food of 

 the various vegetables cultivated by the farmer, ;he soils 

 and manures in which the food for each is found, and the 

 way in which it may be most successfully administered. 

 So with the food of the domestic animals, and the most 

 economical manner of feeding it. 



These investigations are the reverse of the former sys- 

 tem of arbitrary experiments. There, a result was made- 

 to justify the arbitrary means adopted to produce it. Here, 

 causes are ascertained, and, being so ascertained, are relied 

 upon to produce their natural effect — which effect is the re- 

 sult sought. 



The importance of this great subject is effectually arous- 

 ing the attention of the literary and scientific men of the 

 country, and the success already experienced is drawing; to 

 these researches minds qualified for the labor, and energies 

 equal to its rapid advancement. The progress made is 

 bringing together the unsettled mind of the country, and 

 producing the very general impression that the time has ar- 

 rived when the foundations of a systematic, practical agri- 

 cultural education should be had, and the superstructure 

 commenced. 



It is universally conceded that agriculture has shared but 

 lightly in the fostering care and government patronage ■ 

 which have been liberally extended to commerce and man- 

 ufactures, nor is it believed that additional public expendi- 

 ture is necessary to enable the State to do all that can rea- 

 sonably be required of it, to accomplish this great object. 

 Our educational funds are rich, and the colleges, academies 

 and common schools of the State share liberally in the dis- 

 tributions from them, while a Normal school, for the edu- 

 cation of teachers, instituted at the seat of government, is 

 also mainly supported from these funds. These institu- 

 tions present the origanization, through which, perhaps 

 better than through any independent channel, this instruc- 

 tion can be universally disseminated among the agricultu- 

 ral population of the State. The annual additions to the 

 school district libraries maybe made with reference to this 

 branch of education, and thus place within the reach of all, 

 the discoveries as they progress and the rules of husband- 

 ry deduced from them, as they shall be settled and given to 

 the public from the pens of the competent professors enga- 

 ged in pursuing the researches. 



This Society, and like associations, may, through appro- 

 priate committees, their corresponding secretarier., public 

 spirited commercial men, and otherwise, collect and embo- 

 dy in their transactions, facts and information respecting 



