TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND. 
New Series. 
ALBANY, MAY, 1851. Vol. VIII.—No. 5. 
ftgrintltarul Irljnnls. 
Report of Massachusetts Commissioners. 
The Legislature of Massachusetts, at its session of 
1850, appointed a Commission for the purpose of consi¬ 
dering the expediency of establishing an Agricultural 
School or Schools, in that state. President Hitchcock, 
of Amherst College, was one of the members of this 
board; and he, being in Europe at the time of his ap¬ 
pointment, was requested to visit the institutions devot¬ 
ed to agricultural instruction in that quarter of the 
globe. The principal portion of the Report of the Com¬ 
missioners, consists of the account given by President H. 
of his examinations of the Agricultural Schools of Eng¬ 
land, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and 
France, with remarks and deductions from the facts ob¬ 
tained in the investigation. 
Prest. Hitchcock has embodied a greater amount of 
valuable information on the subject of Agricultural 
Schools, than we have ever before met with, and for the 
important service he has thus rendered his countrymen, 
is eminently entitled to their lasting gratitude. He has 
given a comprehensive view of the European schools, the 
most celebrated of which he visited personally,—has 
pointed out their effects upon the agriculture of the 
countries and districts in which they are located,—with a 
summary, comprising an analysis of the various plans, 
showing their respective merits and defects,—and con¬ 
cludes with arguments demonstrating the necessity of 
establishing institutions for the improvement of agricul¬ 
ture in America, furnishing several simple and excellent 
outlines of plans. 
Had we space, we should be glad to copy a large por¬ 
tion of the remarks to which we allude. We are oblig¬ 
ed, however, to restrict ourselves to a few extracts, but 
would earnestly recommend an attentive and careful ex¬ 
amination of Prest. Hitchcock’s whole report, to all who 
wish to obtain a clear, practical, and common-sense view 
of the subject of agricultural education. 
From Prest. H.’s summary of conclusions, we take the 
following: 
VI. European Agricultural Schools have taught us 
some important lessons. 
1. That these schools usually fail, if they do not re¬ 
ceive efficient aid from the government. 
2. That agricultural societies are not sufficient. These 
exist in all the countries above enumerated, I believe, 
and have done great good. But the conviction is very 
general there, that schools should be added to the so¬ 
cieties; especially in countries where cultivation is a 
good deal deficient. 
3. That theory is to be tested by practice; and such 
theories as will not sustain this test are to be rejected. 
4. That these schools are doing very much to promote 
the progress of agriculture. This was the general testi¬ 
mony. 
5. That to teach agritulture in the primary schools and 
academies is not sufficient. This does some good, but 
does not accomplish all that is desirable. 
6. That agricultural professorships, in colleges and 
universities, are not sufficient. 1. Because lectures of 
this sort attract but few of the students of the colleges, 
who are looking forward to professional life. Such is 
certainly the case everywhere in Europe. 2. Because 
the two classes of students who would thus be brought 
together, would have too little sympathy to act in con¬ 
cert, and as equals, in the same institution. 3. Because, 
without such concert and sympathy, one or other of the 
classes of students would feel no pride in the institution; 
and without such an esprit du corps it could not prosper. 
4. Because such professorships, unless numerous, would 
be entirely insufficient to accomplish the objects desired. 
VIII. We learn that those agricultural institutions 
succeed best which are started and sustained by the 
mutual efforts and contributions of individuals, or so¬ 
cieties, and of the government. 
The schools in France, started by enterprising indi¬ 
viduals, languished, and some of them failed, until the 
government lent an efficient hand. Very likely, the 
want of governmental patronage had something to do 
with the failure of the Hofwyl School, in Switzerland; 
and it struck me that the Agricultural College of Eng¬ 
land, at Cirencester, languishes for the same reason. It 
is said that in Wurtemberg, the schools succeed well, 
because the government started and sustains them alone. 
I know too little of their circumstances and condition to 
throw light on the subject. But sure I am, that, in this 
country, the mutual exertions of the government and 
the people will be essential to success; for this reason, 
if for no other, that here the people constitute the go¬ 
vernment: and if their representatives do notact in con¬ 
formity to their wishes, their decisions will be reversed. 
IX. We learn from European experience, that indepen¬ 
dent agricultural institutions are essential to accomplish 
the object which is aimed at. 
1. Because the field is wide enough to require such es¬ 
tablishments. The principles of agriculture are based 
upon a large part of the physical sciences; and it re¬ 
quires a good literary education to understand those sci¬ 
ences. No man can understand the principles of farming, 
who is not more or less acquainted with chemistry, ana¬ 
tomy, physiology, botany, mineralogy, geology, meteo¬ 
rology, and zoology; and then the practical part requires 
an extensive acquaintance with warious branches of 
mathematics and natural philosophy. Many important 
principles of agriculture can, indeed, be taught in the 
primary school or academy; but there should be, some¬ 
where, institutions of a higher character, entirely devot¬ 
ed to a thorough instruction and investigation of the 
science of the subject. 
2. Because it demands extensive collections of various 
kinds, in order to elucidate the principles of husbandry; 
