th those 

 ii^ricul- 



; to com- 



we must 



, so that 



agricul- 



practical 



mt voice 



bo essen- 

 iblished, 



' Book of 



en I was 

 one day 

 s: "You 

 [e of that, 

 ;tiee, and 

 wore not 

 3upation. 

 • having 

 degrees, 

 'iculture. 

 an by the 

 farming, 

 iking the 



ist say of 

 )wed the 

 ad not a 

 I" choice, 

 lough he 

 iiterested 

 nd often 

 inevita- 

 1 test of 



17 



labour, proving both his reins and his courage, in order to find out if he 

 had a real vocation to this puisuii-, so that the provincial grant and the 

 labour of his instructions might not be wasted. A noviciate has its raison 

 d'etre in agriculture, as well as in othei things. 



I never had any doubts about the devotedness of the professors. I 

 admired them all the more that they showed proofs of it without being 

 discouraged at their persistent failures. 



There ought to be now at least a hundred and fifty pupils at each of 

 our schools. 



I mean to remember with gratitude the services rendered by these 

 professors ; to try to profit by their constant good intentions, directing it, 

 if I can, gently into a road rather different to the old road, but leading 

 always to the same end, the formation of good farmers. Hurried along 

 as we are, thirsting eagerly as we do for instantaneous progress, let us 

 endeavour to instruct, by surer and prompter means, the sons of our farmers, 

 but only on condition that they are certain to enter on a farmer's life when 

 they leave the school. 



I intend to profit by what exists now, altering things perhaps, but 

 with prudence, with discretion. When one can reckon on good will and 

 devotedness, one can vmdertake with confidence that which is dictated, not 

 by the desire to do great things, to make a show, but by the desire to do 

 good according to the ratio of our powers, and with the co-operation of all 

 those that can assist us. 



I do not think that, especially at present, a central school under the 

 guidance of the G-overnment, as has been already proposed, is what is 

 wanted. G-rignon, in France, has not yet succeeded as regards the num- 

 ber of the pupils there. Let us first find pupils, bring them forward, and 

 w^hen we shall have succeeded in crowding the schools we have at present, 



it will be time enough to cast a glance elsewhere. 



And we must treat the lads whom we propose to enlist under the 

 standard of agricuHure with consideration and respect; we must show 

 that we mean to care for them. 



For my part I shall at once tell the cadets of our great agricultural 

 army that in them I see a hope of a salutary change for the country. Let 

 them flock to the farm schools to do honor to labor, which in turn will do 

 Jionor to them. They are called upon to go abroad over our country, dis- 

 tributing the good seed that will restore fertility to the heritage they have 

 received from their ancestors. 



When our good lads shall have worked for a year, we must help them 



