166 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



of the Board of Agriculture, or otherwise, and 

 their results are presented to the farmer so that 

 he can read them with little or no expense at his 

 own fireside. Without giving our opinion on the 

 value of these experiments, would an agricultural 

 college, in this department, accomplish more ? 



A few years back, the Board of Agriculture had 

 charge of the farm at the State Reform School, 

 at Westboro'. Here a great variety of experi- 

 ments were made in almost everything pertaining 

 to the farm ; but that they were of any great val- 

 ue does not seem to be conceded. At any rate, 

 they are rarely alluded to. They found the soil, 

 manui-et5, or the seasons, or all of them — as might 

 have been anticipated — exceedingly capricious. 

 On that spot they may have had more value than 

 anywhere eise. 



It must be admitted, we think, that agriculture 

 is yet a tentative, or experimental science, in spite 

 of the researches of chemistry and the urgent 

 wants of the farmer. And in the nature of things, 

 how can it ever be otherwise ? Light, heat and 

 moistui-e are so essential to maximum crops, that 

 no farmer feels sure of the latter, however well 

 he has fulfilled 7ii.s conditions. And the laws of 

 meteorology are so various and so local, that it 

 must be presumption to think c.f discovering 

 them; and if known, we should not be able to 

 meet them. A few geijeral principles only seem 

 to be of real value in agriculture, and among 

 these are, the proper pulverization of the soil, a 

 good supply of manure, and the eradication of 

 weeds. 



In regard to the proposed college, one fact is 

 worthy of note, and that is the diversity of opin- 

 ion of its friends in its fundamental organization. 

 Mr. Emerson said it should not teach what is 

 taught in any other school. Perhaps this would 

 excite their jealousy. But how can it teach what 

 it is required in the Act without infringing upon 

 other institutions ? The Governor recommends 

 ten professorships, and would be glad to add 

 moi>e. This difference of opinion is very natural 

 where its friends are ignorant of what the farm- 

 ers really want and what they would patronize. 

 Mr. Emerson said it ought to have a professor of 

 Forestry, of Fish Culture, of Comparative Anat- 

 omy, (!) of Entomology, and of Agricultural 

 Chemistry. But would he exclude Botany and 

 Geology, because they are taught in other institu- 

 tions ? 



Gov. Andrew alludes favorably in his Address 

 to the Bussey Institution, (yet in embryo,) and to 

 the Institute of Technology, which Mr. Emerson 

 says is a sure thing, while the Governor hopes it 

 will be. The first of these is for the benefit of 

 the farmer, but the other is designed to instruct 

 everi/bodi/. This Institute has an organization of 

 learned, wealthy and public spirited men ; it has 

 a small room with a few models and minerals in 

 it in Summer Street, Boston. It has had many 

 preliminary meetings, and has issued circulars set- 

 ting forth its very exteiisive objects. Thus far, it 

 would seem, its operations (and perhaps for a 

 good reason) have been confined to paper. But 

 can it ever accomplish much with the unlimited 

 range it takes, embracing everything in the arts 

 and sciences, agriculture, commerce, political 

 economy, &c. ? If every member had the heads 

 and hands of Briareus, we think it must fail. 

 While it aims to leach everything to everybody, 



will it not founder by really teaching noildng to 

 anyhodij ? Should it have a museum, it may be 

 worth looking at, although not very necessary, as 

 all these wants are now well supplied — the farm- 

 ers, certainly, having one at the State House. 

 These great, universal institutions of learning — 

 inflated, too often, with pride and pretence — sa- 

 vor not a little of quackery, and bring to one's 

 mind some astounding "universal medicine." 

 Aiming at too much, they generally fail to satisfy 

 the public ; whereas, by having a more confined 

 and specific purpose, they might be worthy of ap- 

 preciation. Look at the Smithsonian Institute at 

 Washington. Has this been satisfactory in its 

 operations and results ? 



This calls to mind the national Military School 

 at West Point, which has a definite object, and 

 must be regarded as a success ; for the art of kill- 

 ing men is now the best and most honorable busi- 

 ness ! But why a military department should be 

 provided for in the national Act endowing indus- 

 trial colleges, can only be accounted for by the 

 belligerent attitude and patriotism of Congress at 

 the time of its passage. 



Granting the importance of military schools, it 

 does not logically follow that agricultural schools 

 must be so. A farmer sends his son away to learn 

 the art of war, because he has no means to teach 

 him at home 5 and so of law, medicine and theol- 

 ogy. And if he wishes hisuson to become a ma- 

 chinist, he ]3uts him in a machinist's shop ; but if 

 he wants him to learn farming, he keeps him at 

 home, where he should be, on the farm. What 

 West Point is to the one, this is to the other. I 

 do not understand that the proposed college is 

 primarily intended to make learned vien, but sim- 

 ply model farmers. The highest state of knowl- 

 edge, however, in this matter, will not make many 

 young men such; you must add capital, the means 

 to carry out the perfected ideas. 



A few years ago, an experienced farmer, a mem- 

 ber of the Board of Agriculture, said at the State 

 House, that he opposed a college "because we had 

 no agriculture to teach." We have got, however, 

 as much as other nations ; but what we have got, 

 is best learned in the field. Some suppose that a 

 college would elevate husbandry by exciting the 

 interest of rich men's sons. I have an instance 

 in point. A wealthy young man, a graduate of 

 the Lawrence Scientific school, with much enthu- 

 siasm, got his father to purchase him a farm near 

 Boston, where he had a chemical laboratory erect- 

 ed to aid him in his field operations ! Last year 

 I inquired of his progress, when lo ! the whole 

 thing had blighted ! Some suppose a college 

 would supply well educated, svperlvtendlng farm- 

 ers. But have we sufficiently large estates among 

 us to make this encouraging ? Our New Eng- 

 land land-owners usually oversee their own es- 

 tates, and they might be not a little jealous of a 

 college-educated farmer in buckram. An impor- 

 ant branch of farm husbandry is the marketing 

 department. This would not probably be well 

 learned at an agricultural college, though it might 

 have large fields for experimenting purposes. 



Can the State, at present, aff"ord to advance the 

 funds for the lands for this institution, and erect 

 the buildings at its own expense, as required ? 

 And how long must it wait for the government 

 realization ? Who shall control it, theoretical or 

 practical men ? These questions are now agitat'* 



