] (\ Address. 



cant not a solitary student has appeared for admission to the college this 

 year. 



Now in trying to account for this surprising fact, no man can truthfully 

 affirm that the education there given is not suited to the wants of a practi- 

 cal farmer ; or that it is inferior to that offered at any other agricultural 

 college in the country^; or that, under all the circumstances, it could rea- 

 sonably be expected to be better than it is. The College is by no means 

 perfect, but its warmest friends are found among those who are most fa- 

 miliar with its history and operations. The thirty young men, who have 

 been there three years, and are now engaged in the studies of the fourth 

 year, are too intelligent and shrewd to be deceived in regard to the char- 

 acter and value of the education they are securing. The truth about the 

 matter is simply this: — the farmers do not realize that the greater includes 

 the less ; and the very men who would be most enthusiastic over a new 

 churn, or a seedling potato, or a recipe for some patent fertilizer, fail to 

 see that the direct road to all possible improvement lies in the develop- 

 ment of mental power, and the acquirement of scientific knowledge. This 

 manifest disregard of the agricultural community for their college, affords 

 the most unanswerable argument to those who for any reason wish to de- 

 feat the legislative appropriations necessary for its development and sup- 

 port. Even those who admit the propriety of special governmental aid 

 to promote the farming interest, and who believe great good might result 

 from such an institution properly patrouized, must soon become disheart- 

 ened in the vain attempt to help those who will not help themselves. 

 Time-serving politicians, and unprincipled newspapers, seeking only to float 

 on the tide of public opinion, will, of course, readily unite in an opposi- 

 tion, which appears to be popular, and eagerly seize every opportunity to 

 prejudice the people against the enterprise and its friends. 



Massachusetts promptly accepted the generous grant of the national 

 government and in good faith provided an independent school for the 

 special education of young farmers. Xo other preparation is required for 

 admission than can be obtained in every town at the public expense. The 

 students all reside on the State farm, and are every day engaged in the 

 study and practice of Agriculture. The course of instruction has been 

 adopted after the most careful investigation into the organization of simi- 

 lar institutions in other countries, as well as in the United States, and after 

 five years of discussion and trial by the trustees and faculty. Much effort 

 has been made to secure the services of professors and lecturers distin- 

 guished not only for scientific attainments and general culture, but for prac- 

 tical skill in their several departments ; and particular pains have been 



