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benefit, doctrines of the most startling and perplexing 

 kind. One of the most remarkable instances of this 

 was to be seen in some articles " communicated " to 

 the columns of an influential journal by one of these 

 new lights, in which he solemnly endeavored to prove 

 that trenching and draining were both mistakes. Of 

 course, eventually these persons have to buy their 

 experience, and in due course, through more or less of 

 loss and waste of time, become good farmers, and win 

 their way to independence. 



But it is not for the immigrant that I am anxious 

 to provide instruction ; but for the hundreds of native- 

 born lads who are destined for the farm. The most 

 thorough way of teaching agriculture would be by 

 the establishment of model farms, which, if well and 

 economically conducted, would soon repay by their 

 results the cost to the State of their establishment. 

 To teach the people practically anything which will 

 add to their comfort, and increase their prosperity, 

 is one of the most profitable investments in which to 

 apply the revenues of a State. The direct return is 

 good, while the indirect is incalculable. 



I fear, however, that such a project, in its more ex- 

 tended form, would create alarm among the economists, 

 who, not seeing the great advantages to arise therefrom, 

 would see very clearly another Government department, 

 with its expensive machinery, looming near, and would 

 not listen to the proposal. I would therefore, as a ten- 

 tative measure, upon the success of which the larger 

 project might be left to depend, suggest that our public 

 schools in the agricultural districts should include the 

 first principles of farming and their practical application 

 as a part of the course of instruction. One of the great 

 difficulties in the way of education in these districts is 

 to be found in the fact that so soon as a boy is old 

 enough to wield a hoe or drive a horse he is taken from 

 school. Nor is this to be wondered at, with the twofold 

 inducement to the father to remove him offered by the 

 intrinsic value of his services, and the fact that the edu- 



