28 



so great that no ordinary hindrances would be allowed to 

 stand in the way. 



For several years I have entertained the design of endeav- 

 oring to secure the establishment of a school of husbandry 

 for the benefit of the husbandmen of Essex County, on the 

 plan which has been outlined, and the barn-floor lecture, given 

 in my farm barn in 1878, at which many of you were present, 

 was but an experiment to test the feasibility of the under- 

 taking. The success of that homely effort dispelled all doubt 

 of the wisdom of the plan, and it would have been carried out 

 at once, had not failing health and a pressure of business, 

 public and private, prevented. I still hope to be able to aid in 

 such an important enterprise, and that the time is not very 

 remote when the scliool will be in active progress. 



Our Agricultural Colleges, of which there is but one in any 

 State, (however generally useful they may be), do not meet 

 the needs of practical agriculture, and neither do the agricul- 

 tural schools in Europe, although better than ours, and far 

 more numerous. In England, the famous college at Cicen- 

 cester has proved a complete failure, and the same may be 

 said of most of the other schools. France has 43 schools of 

 agriculture with about 30 pupils in each. The government 

 pays the board of each pupil, and allows him 70 francs a year 

 for clothing. Germany has 150 schools of agriculture, 

 arboriculture and viniculture ; each has farms and gardens 

 attached. Austria has 70 schools with 2200 students, but 

 better than all she has 174 agricultural evening schools with 

 5500 students. Italy is in advance of most European coun- 

 tries in its provisions for agricultural education, but it must be 

 understood that none of these comprehend the idea of edu- 

 cating the workingmen on the farms. In this they are defec- 



