334 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.' [Pub. Doc. 



But the officers of the State society, on more mature con- 

 sideration, declined to co-operate m the measure except as 

 individuals. A petition for aid was then presented to the 

 State Legislature, which proved unsuccessful.^ 



On the occasion of the annual cattle show of the Essex 

 Agricultural Society, held at New Rowley, Sept. 25, 1834, 

 Ebenezcr Moseley in his address referred to this attempt, 

 and said : — 



It is not many years, since an application was made to the 

 Legislature of this State, by the Trustees of Dummer Academy, 

 in this county, for aid in founding a professorship of scientific 

 and practical agriculture, as connected with the institution. 

 . . . This institution is exceedingly well adapted for an agri- 

 cultural school, and with but small aid from the Legislature 

 might be rendered highly useful to the community. Young 

 gentlemen might here come and study agriculture as a science, 

 and be prepared to follow it through life as an honorable profes- 

 sion. This application was deemed of so much importance, that 

 a committee from the Massachusetts Agricultural Society came 

 to the farm, examined it and made a favorable report to the 

 Legislature, recommending that the petition of the trustees 

 should be granted. It is to be regretted that the application 

 did not meet with success. Yet I am not without hope that 

 the Legislature will feel the importance of the subject, and 

 will extend its aid to establish some institution for learning 

 scientific and practical agriculture. Shall schools and colleges 

 be deemed important to diffuse general knowledge, shall mili- 

 tary and naval academies have the fostering hand of govern- 

 ment to imjaart knowledge in their departments, shall the 

 sciences and fine arts have teachers for their objects and agri- 

 culture alone receive no aid ? This art or science which is 

 more important to the prosperity, wealth and happiness of our 

 nation than all others ? ^ 



Rev. Henry Colman, in his survey of the county of Essex, 

 under the topic " Agricultural Schools," refers to this move- 

 ment. He says : — 



' The First Century of Dummer Academy, by Nehemiah Cleaveland, p. 48. 

 Boston, 1865. 



' Transactions Essex Agricultural Society, 1834, p. 10. Salem, 1835. 



