No. 149.] 109 



with mutual advantage. Still further, there should be attached 

 to each college a range of glazed houses for growing rare and 

 tender plants, which would be of the first importance to classes 

 in botany, and which would also subserve other important pur- 

 poses. 



Lastly, there should be a grand system of fairs, for every thing 

 should be grand here. These might be held either in some cen- 

 tral locality, or in each of the States successively. All the 

 colleges would be contributors to these fairs, and the emulation 

 of the students should be stimulated by suitable awards. These 

 fairs would attract thousands of visitors from all parts of the 

 country, who would cheerfully pay a fair price of admission. 

 The receipts no doubt would be large ; and the surplus remain- 

 ing after paying expenses might go to the support of the colleges. 

 I suppose that in this way they might very materially increase 

 the sphere of their usefulness, and give a healthy stimuluf to 

 this most important branch of productive industry. A system of 

 Agricultural Colleges like that here shadowed forth would form 

 the nucleus of so many botanic gardens, which form a striking 

 feature in the public policy of some European nations, but of 

 which this prosperous and enlightened nation can not boast even 

 an apology. 



There are some who treat this whole subject with a sneer ; men 

 full of poohs! and pshaws! and curling lips. Poor, deluded 

 souls ! they have yet to learn that a sneer is a sorry sort of argu- 

 ment even among very stupid people. There are others who 

 admit all the importance of an Agricultural College, who yet 

 deem it useless to make any continued effort to obtain it, simply 

 because Legislators, (heaven save the mark!) being mostly occu- 

 pied with objects more nearly relating to their own personal in- 

 terests, either do not or will not perceive its utility. This, it 

 seems to me, would be a rather unsafe basis of action, (or rather 

 inaction,) in any important transaction of life. If these men are 

 really desirous of seeking the right path, should we not do what 

 we can to put them in the way of finding it ? If, on the contra- 

 ry, from blindness, stupidity, perverseness, or any other cause, 

 they prefer to grope their way in tlie dark, should we, for this 

 reason, withhold the light from them ? Certainly not. If a cer- 



