192 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
that an institution “of the practical arts anti of those sci 
ences which bear directly upon practice, must be greatly 
desired by that portion of the community whose educa¬ 
tion must be to them a means of subsistence, anti who 
have but little time to cultivate the arts, but with a view 
to apply them at once to the purposes of practical life. 5 
Under every consideration, Mr. Colman thinks the im 
portance of an institution where may be taught the prac¬ 
tical arts, and such sciences as are applicable to agricul¬ 
ture, is fully demonstrated. 
“ The perfection of the art of agriculture,” he re¬ 
marks, “ is that in which the largest amount of product 
is obtained at the least expense of labor and manure, and 
with the least exhaustion to the land. Indeed,” he con 
tinues, “ there is reason to hope that we may presently 
reach a system of cultivation in which, though the crops 
may be large, the land itself shall not be exhausted, but 
be in a continued course of amelioration. I know well 
there must be a limit, but that limit no one can yet de¬ 
fine. We know already that crops with large leaves, and 
therefore large powers of absorption, are commonly im¬ 
proving crops; and we know equally well that the growth 
of a forest upon land, so far from exhausting, is, in fact, 
an improver of the soil. The system of nature every 
where, if man performs his duty, is a system of amelio¬ 
ration, and not of deterioration; it is every where a sys¬ 
tem of recuperative compensations if man does not con- 
irovert or pervert its laws.” 
Chemical Science.— The high value of chemical 
knowledge in improving the condition of agriculture, Mr. 
Colman thinks “ it is at least safe to presume.” But he 
observes, that though he does “not mean to undervalue 
the science, nor to disparage what has already been done, 
nor to discourage the sanguine hopes which some enter¬ 
tain for the future; yet in the present state of agricultu¬ 
ral chemistry, the extreme confidence of some persons 
may be at least pronounced premature. The application 
of sulphuric acid to bones, seems as j'et to be the only 
well established case of the application of chemical sci¬ 
ence to the improvement of agriculture upon scientific 
principles. The operations of gypsum are still an insol- 
vable mvstery, and the explanations which have been 
given of its effects do not appear to be confirmed by 
facts. The application of lime to the soil, and its parti¬ 
cular advantages and uses, are still among the vexed 
questions of agriculture. The same uncertainty of ex¬ 
planation is applicable to various manures, in regard to 
their mode of operation and their precise chemical ef¬ 
fects. I do not hold this as a reason for rejecting the aid 
of chemistry, but only as a ground for moderating a too 
tanguine confidence in its power. As it offers the most 
probable means of solving many of the secrets of nature's 
operations, and as in many of the mechanical arts its tri¬ 
umphs are complete, there are strong reasons for press¬ 
ing our inquiries by means of it, and for the best hopes 
tl as much success as, in the present condition of the hu¬ 
man mind, we have any right to expect.” 
Analysis of Soils.— -Under this head, we are furnish¬ 
ed with the results of many analyses of soils, in reference 
to the practical utility of which, Mr. Colman says—“I 
believe it may be of great utility in determining the ge¬ 
neral and predominant characteristics of the soil; but 
with great respect for science, and for the labors of those 
men who by their distinguished attainments have confer¬ 
red the highest benefits on the community, I can come to 
no other conclusion than that any expectation of adapting 
our cultivation, upon any extended scale to these minute 
diversities of soil, is illusory; and that the most illustri¬ 
ous chemist living may be challenged in vain to pre¬ 
scribe any practicable culture adapted to meet, with any 
degree of exactness, the cases given, or to recognize in 
his applications or prescriptions, with any success, the 
rummer diversities of composition which are here pre¬ 
sented.” 
Natural Science.— « Every possible facility,” says 
Mr. Colman, “should be provided for the study of natu¬ 
ral history, for every branch of natural history maybe 
made subservient to agricultural improvement. There 
is, in my opinion, nothing which so invigorates and 
strengthens the mind, as earnest and deep inquiries into 
nature, the study of natural facts, the observation of nat¬ 
ural phenomena. The man who goes himself to the ori¬ 
ginal sources of knowledge, and draws water out of the 
very wells of life, acquires a force of inquiry, maintains 
a healthful freshness of mind, turns every object and oc¬ 
currence with which he meets, into an instrument of in¬ 
struction, and finds nature no longer a dull, desolate, in¬ 
animate chamber, but its walls all over radiant with les¬ 
sons of wisdom, and every object with which it is crowd¬ 
ed, vocal with the teachings of a Divine spirit.” 
Plan of an Agricultural Institution for thf 
United States.— In organizing an institution of this na¬ 
ture in this country, Mr. Colman is opposed to an expen¬ 
sive plan. Ireland, he thinks, “has set us an excellent 
example in this respect. With us, they might be in a 
great measure self supporting.” He would not suffer the 
number of pupils to exceed one hundred. “Some good 
sized hall or building would be requisite for public meet¬ 
ings, lectures, or recitation-rooms, and fora museum, li¬ 
brary, and chemical laboratory; but I would erect no 
college-building for the residence of the pupils.” He 
proposes that they should either board with families in 
die neighborhood, or else that several farm-houses 
should be erected on (he place, “sufficient to supply the 
needful accommodations,” &c. One or two instructors 
should be employed constantly for teaching the main 
branches of education, and a competent farmer should be 
employed to manage the agricultural department, and to 
give the necessary practical instruction. Beyond this, 
no resident instructors would be required, but regular and 
full courses of lectures and experiments in geology, mi¬ 
neralogy, botany, comparative anatomy, and the veteri¬ 
nary art and chemistry, by competent professors of these 
sciences, who might be employed for these objects annu¬ 
ally, without the necessity and expense of constant resi¬ 
dence, as is now frequently done at our medical schools. 
In this way, the best talent in the community might be 
commanded, and at reasonable expense. I would require 
in the next place, that the pupils should be placed in a 
condition of perfect equality, and that a certain amount 
of labor should be made compulsory on all, at such a rate 
of wages as should be deemed just, according to the abi¬ 
lity of the pupil, and the nature of the work done.” 
The first object at such an institution, Mr. Colman 
thinks should be “the thorough indoctrination of the pu¬ 
pils in natural science, and in mechanical philosophy, so 
far as it can be made to bear on agriculture.” That in 
the second place, the pupils should be furnished with an 
opportunity of witnessing the best farm management, and 
the best practices in husbandry. “ The management of 
live stock whether for work, for fatting, or for dairying, 
might in a small degree be exemplified on every well- 
managed farm. Such an appendage as this to a school 
of practical instruction, where the pupils might see and 
have explained to them the very best modes of husband¬ 
ry, must be of the highest benefit. To these should be 
added an experimental farm. This need not be extensive, 
and it might be connected with the model farm; indeed, 
the model farm might itself be to some degree, an expe¬ 
rimental farm. It may be said that the premiums ottered 
by agrinultural societies for various experiments in hus¬ 
bandry, are sufficient to meet the public wants in this 
case. I admit that they have in this way rendered im¬ 
mense benefits to the public; but there are still wanted 
various trials and tests of soils, manures, grasses, plants, 
implements, modes of cultivation, modes of feeding, 
breeding, dairying, and on the effects of temperature, 
moisture, heat, frost, light, and electricity, which com¬ 
mon farmers can scarcely be expected to undertake, or 
if undertaken, to follow out with that exactness which is 
most desirable, in order to render the results of such ex¬ 
periments worthy of confidence, and lessons for general 
application.” He further recommends, that there should 
be connected with the establishment, gardens, “ for pur¬ 
poses of botanical instruction, giving the pupils an op¬ 
portunity of becoming acquainted with all the principal 
plants, grasses, forest trees, fruit trees, and weeds, which 
enter into their cultivation to the advantage or injury of 
the farmer; and for making the pupils thoroughly ac¬ 
quainted with the cultivation of all the varieties of vege¬ 
tables and fruits which may be required for use, profit, 
or luxury.” He says, “ I throw out these hints to my 
