No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 337 



Opportunity will thus be afforded for witnessing the process of 

 analyzing soils and for obtaining a theoretical and practical 

 acquaintance with Agriculture in its various departments. 

 Courses of lectures experimental and theoretical on Chemistry 

 and Chemistry applied to Agriculture and the Arts will be 

 given. 



The catalogue of 1842 stated that " A text book has been 

 prepared and Agriculture will hereafter be taught as a regu- 

 lar branch of study." " Gray's Scientific and Practical 

 Agriculture," by Alonzo Gray, M.A., teacher of chemistry 

 and natural history in the seminary, was used. In 1843 

 the seminary was merged into the " English department" of 

 Phillips Academy, owing to lack of funds, and evidently the 

 agricultural department ceased, as no further records are 

 found. The academy farm was maintained in good shape 

 up to four or five years ago. Most of it is now used for 

 " golf" and hay. 



Early in 1856 the selectmen of the town of Westfield, 

 trustees of Westfield Academy, and citizens of the town, 

 petitioned the Legislature as follows : — 



That in order to increase its usefulness the Trustees have 

 been desirous of connecting with it an Agricultural Department 

 for better instruction than can now be readily obtained in 

 the art and science of Agriculture which design is generally 

 approved by the inhabitants. That by the Will of Mr. Stephen 

 Harrison lately deceased in this Town the sum of Five Thou- 

 sand Dollars, is left in the hands of Trustees to be applied to 

 that purpose as soon as a sufficient amount is obtained from 

 other sources to properly establish such a Department, and the 

 said Trustees have determined so to appropriate said bequest 

 as soon as the additional sum of Five Thousand Dollars is so 

 obtained. 



Chapter 148 of the Acts of 1856 was entitled " An Act to 

 aid in the Establishment of an Agi-icultural Department in 

 Westfield Academy." It authorized the inhabitants of the 

 town of Westfield, Hampden County, to vote and appro- 

 priate not exceeding $5,000, to be applied by the trustees 

 of Westfield Academy in the establishment of an agricul- 



