88 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



as eminent for discovering new truths, which shall make itself 

 progressive as it now makes Wiirttemberg and the surrounding 

 countries so. . . . 



Hohenheim is doubtless the best school of agriculture that 

 exists, and the agriculturists of the United States, who are 

 founding agricultural colleges, etc., will do well to send out 

 a few young men to take the course here, as part preparation 

 for stations as teachers at home. 



During the latter months of Mr. Johnson's residence 

 in Leipsic, a warm friendship, based upon the similar- 

 ity of their aims, sprang up between himself and Ms 

 fellow student, Mr. Pugh. Evan Pugh, at the age of 

 nineteen, ^vas a blacksmith's apprentice. He bought 

 the residue of his time, supported himself and studied 

 for a year; then, having fallen heir to a small estate 

 in Oxford, Pennsylvania, ^vhich included the rather 

 unusual adjunct of an academy, he taught this school 

 for two years. In 1853 he sold his school which had 

 prospered under his management, and went abroad 

 for study. When Mr. Johnson left Leipsic for Mu- 

 nich in May 1854, a correspondence on scientific mat- 

 ters began between Mr. Pugh and himself which was 

 only terminated by the death of Mr. Pugh. The letters 

 of Mr. Johnson w^ere unfortunately destroyed, but Mr. 

 Pugh's earliest letters, w^ritten from Leipsic in 1855, 

 contain his response to Mr. Johnson's proposal that 

 they together should establish in America an agricul- 

 tural school: 



In reply to your questions with regard to Am. Agricultural 

 School. — ... I sympathize, to the fullest extent with the 

 spirit of the enterprise you propose. . . . With respect to 

 your distribution of the studies and the length of the term, 

 you are in advance of my plans. ... To sum up : I enter 



