238 



NEW ENGLAM3 FARMER. 



May 



its "New Series" of Transactions will present, in a 

 most convenient form, a wide range of facts, 

 which are now so scattered in volumes of history, 

 in scientific works, and in the unwritten present, 

 as to be, in many particulars, quite inaccessible to 

 the ordinary inquirer. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



Mr. French inquires, Fu"st, "Who are to be edu- 

 cated ? Secondly, What is to be taught ? Thirdly, 

 By what means ? These points are separately con- 

 sidered and fully discussed. Whatever diversity 

 of opinions may exist, as to the soundness of the 

 reasonings, or as to the practicability of the con- 

 clusions of this essay, we think all will agree in 

 thanking the old Massachusetts Society for the 

 Promotion of Agriculture, for presenting such a 

 readable dissertation on the vexed question of 

 Agricultural Education. 



In his first two pages, the writer frees his own 

 limbs from the manacles of European models and 

 examples, and declares, "In vain shall we look 

 abroad for any system adapted to our wants." If 

 he can as easily knock these chains from School 

 Committees and Boards of Managers, we believe 

 that an Agricultural Education such as Massachu- 

 setts, and such as the whole country demands, 

 would grow up of itself. Farther, we believe such 

 an education is already growing up, and that for 

 years it has bravely withstood the whirlwind of 

 foreign precedent, which has so industriously 

 blov,-n up the bubbles of American agricultural 

 colleges. Our meaning will be understood by any 

 middle-aged farmer who will contrast the means 

 of agricultural education enjoyed by his grand- 

 father, or father, with those of himself or his chil- 

 dren ; Including by the term "means of educa- 

 tion," the books and papers, which are as much 

 educators as the school-masters. Mr. French 

 gives a statement of the pre^seut condition of the 

 agricultural college of the great State of New 

 York, chartered in April, 1Sj3, whose buildings 

 are "io be erected for 350 students ;" of the Peo- 

 ple's College, near Havana, same State ; of the 

 Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania ; of the 

 Agricultural College of Michigan ; and of one or 

 two Southern institutions of somewhat similar 

 character, and says, that "as yet they furnish no 

 strong evidence that success avIU attend expensive 

 and magnificent enterprises of this kind." 



Although we cannot attempt to give any out- 

 line of Mr. French's treatment of the subject, we 

 cannot pass over his remark that "in any plan for 

 Agricultural Schools, which may be adopted, ar- 

 rangements should be made for the fullest ])artici- 

 patlon by female pupils in their advantages." 



His conclusions upon the Avhole matter are 

 briefly stated in the following propositions : 



"1, A- system of agricultural education is im- 

 peratively called for in Massachusetts. 



2. Our common schools form the proper foun- 

 dation for such a system. 



3. Foreign countries furnish us no suitable 

 models for agricultural schools, because of the dif- 

 ferences in general education, as well as in the 

 structure of society and government. 



4. Existing agricultural colleges in this country 

 furnish no such evidence or promise of success, as 

 to encourage at present, the establishment by us 

 of a large State Institution. 



5. A school of Agriculture, with an experimen- 

 tal farm, should be established in each county." 



For the New Ensland Parmer. 

 HOW I PLANT, AND WHY I PLANT 

 POTATOES AS I DO. 



I select as dry, porous soil as I have, using no 

 compost dressings of any description, either be- 

 fore or after plowing, which I do in a most thor- 

 ough manner to the depth of about eight inches ; 

 (deeper would be better ;) fuiTow accoi-ding to va- 

 riety of potato from two and a half to three feet 

 apart, and five to six inches deep ; seed fifteen to 

 eighteen inches from each other, two eyes on a 

 piece, and cover with a plow. If the soil is mel- 

 low and free from stones, I use bushes, which is 

 the most expeditious way of covering, and leaves 

 the field smooth for the ox-harrow to pass over it 

 as soon as the potatoes begin to break ground. 

 This harrowing is equal to one hoeing, and most 

 effectually destroys the weeds, without displacing 

 one potato plant in a thousand, if planted at a 

 proper depth. The reason for avoiding rich moist 

 soil and dressings of compost, is, that I feel com- 

 paratively secure from the rot. I have not for 

 many years escaped the rot when using compost 

 dressing from cattle or hogs on any soil, and al- 

 most invariably have sound potatoes without it, 

 on dry, porous soil, unless I use too much seed in 

 the hill. Several times since the potato disease 

 has prevailed, I have experimented with cut and 

 uncut potatoes, with the same result in every case. 



In 1848, I selected some of the largest and 

 soundest potatoes I had, and planted them by the 

 side of others that were cut with two eyes on a 

 piece, all being of the same variety ; the result 

 was double the quantity of potatoes at digging 

 time from the large seed, but three-fourths of 

 them diseased, while the others were sound. The 

 same experiment was made the past year with 

 like results, which, of course, satisfied me that it 

 Is best for me to plant cut potatoes in preference 

 to whole ones. The reason of this I conceive to 

 be that the disease in some way is developed in 

 the seed planted, and that the sooner you compel 

 the plant to seek for its^ood from the soil, the 

 better the chance to escape the disease, and har- 

 vest a sound crop. AVith me, wet soils and decom- 

 posing manures are fatal to a sound crop of pota- 

 tees. For the most part I use plaster in the hill, or 

 on the set, but prefer about 200 lbs. of guano mixed 

 with an equal quantity of plaster (to fix the ammo- 

 nia of the guano) to the acre. This, scattered about 

 the stalks at the second time of hoeing, has usually 

 paid well. I hope this may call out others' expe- 

 rience and theories, so that we may, by comparing 

 one with another, arrive at some positive and use- 

 ful results. J. COE. 



Bochesier, March 13, 1860. 



