MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 761 



the law student. All that the lawyer has learned would poorly 

 fit the sailor to navigate his ship. 



Teach the mechanic the principles of mechanism in general. 

 Give him a thorough knowledge of the mechanical powers, 

 and of their application to his particular pursuit. A knowl- 

 edge of navigation, law or divinity, will not help him to make 

 a cog-wheel, or contrive an instrument to suit a special 

 emergency. 



There is this evil about all our common schools, that all the 

 pupils are required to study the same things. They are placed 

 in classes, and carried together over a general course of in- 

 struction. The same fact exists to a great extent in our 

 colleges. 



Now this would all be very well if the course embraced only 

 those things that are necessary- to all, and further opportunities 

 were afl'orded to acquire those special things that are needed 

 by each. But the common school is the only school which 

 most of our youth are enabled to attend. Whatever they 

 learn of a scientific character, they must learn there. Those 

 who can afford it, attend special schools to learn particular 

 things. We have schools to teach navigation, book-keeping, 

 chemistry, mathematics, medicine, law, and divinity. 



To meet the wants of agriculture, we must either have 

 special schools for acquiring those sciences necessary to its 

 successful pursuit, or those sciences must be taught in our 

 high schools throughout the State. 



I know no good reason why a department might not be 

 created in all these schools, in which should be taught, by the 

 principal, or by some qualified teacher employed during the 

 winter months for this special purpose, a knowledge of the 

 elements of inorganic, vegetable, and animal chemistry, of phys- 

 iology, geology, botany, physical geography, and the general 

 principles of agriculture. 



These subjects could not all be taught in one winter, but they 

 could in two, three, or four. So many persons are interested 

 in agriculture that one, two, or three schools would not meet 

 the demand. A class needs to be formed and instructed in 

 every town in the State. Let such a class be instructed by 

 competent persons, — and competent persons would soon be 

 found, if there were a demand for their services, — and our 

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