334 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Not. 
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS—No. II. 
No candid man, after due reflection, will deny that 
the elevation and improvement of agriculture, both in 
its character as a business in which masses of human 
beings are engaged, or as an occupation upon which the 
world depends for food, is of the first importance, and 
of deep and abiding interest to an agricultural state. 
Nor do I imagine that reflecting minds will hesitate in 
admitting as equally true, that education, improvement 
in agricultural science, and the intellectual advance of 
farmers, must of necessity form the chief element in 
elevating and perfecting the noblest and best of all 
callings, and the truest and most pleasing of all scien¬ 
ces. Education is the Archimedian lever, which will, 
with an irresistible power, raise to its real pre-emi¬ 
nence, the farming interest, and elevate to their right¬ 
ful position the farmers of the country. 
In no land upon which the sun shines, do the same 
inducements present themselves for mental improve¬ 
ment, and no where else can education work such 
magic influence for good to the masses, as here,* for no 
where else has republican institutions placed upon an ele¬ 
vated level, all the people—here personal freedom is un¬ 
restrained—here no cruel social distinctions rise up to 
crush rising aspirations, and drive into hopeless obscu¬ 
rity rising genius. Here, too, the right to property is 
free, title to land unfettered, and industry and perse¬ 
verance make it attainable by all. Here all may ac¬ 
quire knowledge—that better inheritance than gold or 
silver—for on every side the school house stands with 
open door, and invites all, almost without money and 
without price, to drink from their rich and pure foun¬ 
tains, for truth is always pure, and knowledge always 
rich, emanate when or where they may. It is indeed 
a goodly land, and I imagine there are but few among 
us who are not proud to call it “ his own, his native 
land.” But far as we stand in advance of other na¬ 
tions, we have not, I think, yet reached perfection; we 
have yet much to learn and much to do in order to pro¬ 
gress and improve. In our educational department— 
in the elevation and improvement of our schools, much 
remains to be done, both by the state in her sovereign 
capacity, and by the people in their private relations. 
Legislators must enlarge their vision, and boldly ad¬ 
vance with the light of science, and be prepared, with 
a wise and liberal hand, to give new and increased fa¬ 
cilities for the spread of knowledge—and the education 
of the people, where common sense and sound judgment 
point the way. There is no danger of too many 
schools or too much learning; at least the farmers of 
the state have a wide margin on which to work, and a 
great advance yet to make, before they come up with 
other classes. 
The idea, I think, is quite prevalent among men, 
that the business or pursuit of farming, requires little 
else but physical strength, powers of endurance, and 
capacity to labor—that it is a business of the hands 
and sinews, and not of heart and head—that any dolt 
can plow, and sow, and reap. While we grant that 
the above are essential to success in tilling the soil, we 
hold, as all right thinking men must hold, that they 
are subordinate to the higher and commanding power 
of intellect, and stand, in relation to the mental influ¬ 
ence, in the same secondary capacity with the horse 
and the ox, and the passive machinery of the farm. In 
truth, there is no trade or calling, be it ever so intri¬ 
cate or nice, which requires more intelligence, sounder 
judgment, and more discriminating wisdom <and fore¬ 
cast, than farming. In no business is therq greater 
need of scientific knowledge—the farmer, above every¬ 
body else, if he would receive full recompense for his 
toil, should understand the power of chemical action—» 
the results of the combination of simple substances— 
the changes produced by such combinations ; for who, 
like the farmer, has so directly to meet and provide for 
the changes of the ever-changing weather ; for heat 
and cold ; for spring-time, summer, and autumn ; for 
wet and dry ; and for all the variations attendant upon 
these shifting scenes and circumstances, I know, in¬ 
deed, that long practice and close observation will do 
much to fit the farmer for his business, but it cannot, 
from the nature of things, provide him all the informa¬ 
tion he needs; for there is a kind of knowledge which 
cannot be received by intuition, nor learned by simple 
observation: effects may thus be witnessed and scanned, 
and be often times rendered vastly useful in the conduct 
of the farm; but the farmer should understand causes , 
as well as witness effects, for then he can oftentimes 
manufacture effects indispensably necessary to his suc¬ 
cess. Scientific knowledge, combined with a quick 
perception, sound judgment, and every day practice on 
the farm, are the chief requisites for the perfect far¬ 
mer; and the first requisite, and which after all is the 
best foundation upon which to build, it is idle to look 
for without agriculture is taught in our schools, as a 
distinct, separate branch of education. It is true that 
the principles of agricultural science are all about us; 
but it is also true that the wisest cannot comprehend 
or render them practically useful without much and pa¬ 
tient study—long and critical examination—and by 
sure and oft repeated experiment ; and all experience 
teaches us that it is difficult to begin to acquire an edfe 
cation in old age. Men acquire habits of thought as 
they do physical habits—and it is hard to break up old 
associations, and to commence to learn new things. Men 
sometimes indeed break through all obstacles and rules, 
and become celebrated scholars, after the meridian of 
life has passed. But there can be no doubt as to the 
rule, viz : that education, in order to become thorough 
and perfect, should begin in youth ; and I can see no 
reason to except agriculture from that rule. Nor is 
there any occasion for its interdiction from the places 
where our youths commence the acquisition of knowl¬ 
edge, and where the mind first begins its disciplinary 
process. Impressions made in youth are hardly ever 
eradicated, and so of principles; relate they to morals 
or to science, when once impressed on the youthful 
heart, and when they are fully indented there, by days 
and years of constant drilling, will, in nine cases out 
of ten, retain their legibility, so long as life lasts. 
Men are always adding to tehir stock of knowledge; 
day by day they learn new facts, and acquire increased 
knowledge, and literally education is only finished with 
life, or the beginning of dotage. But such, I imagine^ 
is not the true meaning, certainly not the generally re¬ 
ceived definition of the term : Education, in its usual 
acceptation, is a thing belonging to the earlier years of 
life—it is the storing up of knowledge to be used as 
occasion requires afterwards; the acquisition of facts and 
principles, rules and memoranda, to be used in all sub¬ 
sequent life, as occasion may require, or circumstances 
demand. If I am correct in this view of the subject, 
all must at once see the importance of introducing ag¬ 
riculture into our system of education, and of making 
it a permanent branch of study for those who expect 
or desire to till the soil for a livelihood. Is it not true 
that farming is governed by certain fixed principles 
