for agricultural education upon a permanent basis ; and with a 

 view not only to collect and disseminate useful information, 

 but also with a view to systematise the experience of the past 

 to form theories, and to test their value and uses by practice, 

 and by a thorough analytical investigation of the laws of nature, 

 as applied to vegetable and animal life, establish safe deduc- 

 tions, and so to systematise and present the knowledge of agri- 

 culture, that its general principles may be within the reach of 

 all. Some of the States have already signified their acceptance 

 of their endowments ; and I trust none will neglect to avail 

 themselves of this great future source of wealth and national 

 prosperity. It may not be within the reach of every young 

 farmer to avail himself of the whole benefit of these schools 

 and colleges by personally studying within their walls, but the 

 light which will be shed from these institutions will be spread 

 over the whole land, and enter the house of every farmer. 

 The knowledge and ideas there generated, will be found in our 

 agricultural reports, in our agricultural papers ; and they will 

 permeate through every household. The knowledge thus ac- 

 quired will be observed and marked in increased prosperity ; 

 in labor saved ; in additional comforts ; in new varieties of 

 vegetable life ; in increased beauty and usefulness of our 

 stock ; in larger farming capital, and in better farms. 



Every farmer is interested in the promotion of these schools, 

 and to their erection and endowment he should contribute by 

 his influence and his money, being assured that by and through 

 them is a way to honor and profit in all branches of husbandry. 

 Knowledge, although a power of the highest magnitude, must 

 be used, and, in these days of rival interest, must be used with 

 energy and perseverance to accomplish much. Energy, we all 

 feel, is essential to the successful prosecution of any underta- 

 king of importance ; it is an element as useful to the farmer as 

 it is to the General commanding armies. It is a trait conspic- 

 uous in every community where it exists ; so much so, that 

 frequently half a dozen active, energetic men give a character 

 of enterprise to a village or town. If we have it, it is easily 



