708 [Assembly 



Who is not acquainted with the history of the wars which ener- 

 vated Germany — which exhausted all her pecuniary means, and 

 brought it to the verge of utter ruin? Germany was after the close of 

 the French war, in a pitiable condition; and had it not been for her 

 industrious agricultural population — had it not been for her kind 

 soil, which for thousands of years enabled her to stand the severe 

 calamities which befel her during that long period, Germany would 

 now be a second Greece. 



Germany has no colonies, from whence she could draw revenues — 

 no navy to invade distant countries, and extort means to enrich her- 

 self — and at that time it had no manufactories — no commerce. 



England made her a depot of all its fabrics, and checked every at- 

 tempt at home manufacture. England took in return, to speak in the 

 language of the lamented Liste, the indefatigable advocate of the 

 protective system, during a long period, for the millions of imported 

 fabrics, sometimes in a whole year, as much agricultural produce as 

 was necessary to supply England's population with one single break- 

 fast. Germany had to seek its future prosperity in Agriculture. 



Germany's monarch, aware that the prosperity of nations lies in the 

 arts of peace, and not of war, commenced at first with a regular sys- 

 tem of education, adopted measures which tended to improve her agri- 

 culture; she cultivated science, literature, and the fine arts — drew 

 round her a system of protection for her industry, to exclude Eng- 

 land especially from her markets; she encouraged internal improve- 

 ments, and placed herself again in rank among the first nations of 

 the world, based it upon a solid prosperity, arising from its soil, from 

 its industry and intelligence. 



Germany adopted, at an early period, various means to improve 

 agriculture. Professorships of agriculture were instituted at the Uni- 

 versities — periodicals and journals were published to disseminate mod- 

 ern improvements — fairs and meetings were regularly held to encour- 

 age the farmer, but all that gave not the desired results. A thorough 

 education was found necessary — a practical and scientific education, 

 which enables the farmer to enhance the value of his landed proper- 

 ty, as far as circumstances of condition and situation allow it — to 

 give him the knowledge to improve and change the various modes of 

 culture, and to be more than a mere imitator. 



Proper agricultural schools were wanted, and the Monarchs of 

 Germany spared no means to accomplish this important object. 



