206 



now SHALL WR IMPROVE OUR AGRICULTURE? 



as its use must always be with free ventilation, and 

 unless we greatly misapprehend its remedial virtues^ 

 there will be found a striking illustration of its pow- 

 er to protect from malarial exhalations. 



HOW SHALL WE IMPROVE OTJS AGEICTTLTirRE 1 



Not a few of the soundest intellects of the age 

 are engaged in the earnest consideration of the above 

 question. It is indeed second to no other in general 

 and vital importance. Anxious that our Northern 

 friends and readers shall co-operate with those of 

 the South, or at least keep pace with them in Agri- 

 cultural progress, we publish in the Farmer the fol- 

 lowing letter from Dr. Gordon, a distinguished Ten- 

 nessee farmer, who, with other friends of Agriculture 

 in that State, have caused the Legislature to estab- 

 lish an Agricultural Bureau at the seat of Govern- 

 ment, aud organize the whole commonwealth into 

 districts for the collection and diffusion of rural 

 knowledge. It will be seen by what follows that Dr. 

 G. contemplates making the policy of " reform and 

 improvement in Agriculture," including as it must to 

 be effectual. Agricultural Education, a political ques- 

 tion before the people. Ultimately, such an issue 

 will be made, and from necessity, if not from choice. 

 Six years ago, when the writer took charge of the 

 Agricultural Department of the U. S. Patent Office, 

 Congress appropriated only $3,500 ayear to meet all 

 the ordiuaiy and extraordinary expense of said de- 

 partment ; now it is constrained by public opinion to 

 give some §40,000 a year for the same purposes, and 

 to print 2.'i0,000 copies of its Annual Reports. We 

 contend that this nation of farmers and mechanics 

 greatly needs an Industrial University in the District 

 of Columbia, for the more thorough cultivation of 

 those sciences and arts which operate so powerfully 

 to purify and elevate all that is noble in humanity. 

 Many believe the liberal bequest of Smithson does 

 not now attain the objects of the donor; and we trust 

 that those of Maclure, elsewhere noticed in this pa- 

 per, will be more successful. 



SUQARTREB FaRM, (nEAR RomE,) ) 



Smith Co., Tenn., May 25, 1855. ^ 

 Dear Sir: — Permit me to return my thanks for 

 your response in the Cultivator, to my letter in ref- 

 erence to Geological Test Books. I now write for 

 two objects, which will be briefly stated. 



I am solicitous to procure the Agricultural history 

 of Europe — particularly its present state — the causes 

 which have improved it — specific aids of government 

 — how many schools of Agriculture exist in each do- 



minion — their character — how many are supported 

 by government, and at what expense — what public 

 agents and officers each employs in agriculture — their 

 duties and salaries — all other government facilities 

 afforded to agriculture, manufactures, and the mechan- 

 ic arts. I wish to get such books as will give all this 

 information. I have just read with pleasure and 

 profit Coleman's travels in Europe, but his book gives 

 none of the information in regard to government aid 

 except in France. Just at this time we need such 

 information in Tennessee, and I must request you to 

 give me the titles of such books as contain it, and 

 where they can be had. 



The other subject to which I hare alluded, is, how 

 are we. to make tlie desired impression on the popular 

 mind, in favor of agricultural reform mnd eleva- 

 tion ? Measures will never be adopted to make this 

 a great agricultural country, and all producers intel- 

 ligent, till the people call for it at the ballot box. 

 Private efforts can produce but partial results. For 

 thirty years, men of talent have been exerting them- 

 selves, and up to this time their influence has been 

 felt only in their particular districts. They have not 

 yet controlled a single entire State, so far as to make 

 the fostering of Agriculture a leading object of pol- 

 icy. Why is this so ? Their doctrines and positions 

 have been correct, and of high national importance; 

 their arguments have been forcibly set forth, but still 

 they have made no popular impression calculated to 

 do much general good. With regret I have seen 

 the fact for years. On the other hand, behold the 

 effect and excitement a politician can get up, by a 

 single stump speech, or a letter published in a news- 

 paper, couching not half the vitally important matter 

 contained in a single article written by many of our 

 agricultural writers. The friends of reform ought to 

 sift this matter, and adopt such a course as will pro- 

 duce general effect. 



I have thought that a part of the failure is be- 

 cause we confine our publications to the agricultural 

 journals, and that all appeals to the people ought to 

 be made through the political newspapers. I think 

 your articles, published some time since in the Na- 

 tional Intelligencer, had more influence on the popu- 

 lar mind than all your able editorials in agricultural 

 journals for years. For the last six months, I have 

 been writing upon agriculture for three of the politi- 

 cal papers of Nashville, and can see that I have thus 

 had more influence than I had produced in twenty 

 years by occasional communications to agricultural 

 papers. 



But there is another and perhaps greater reason 



