1831. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
263 
of the apple which are adapted to the soil and climate. 
Various other kinds of fruit received due attention, A 
spacious garden supplied a great varity of table luxuries, 
and the beautiful flowers found space to grow and luxu- 
riate. Home must be made attractive to his family, and 
therefore the flowers were carefully nurtured. 
But Judge Hayes has gone to his rest. For the last 
two years of his life he had been sensible of the progress 
of a fatal disease of the heart, and he prepared himself 
for the will of Providence. In a conversation with him 
a year ago, he remarked to me that he desired to be sen¬ 
sible of the many blessings conferred upon him; that he 
had lived to a good age; had been permitted to see a 
numerous family mostly grown up around him, and en¬ 
tering with respect, ability and promise, upon their seve¬ 
ral callings in life, and that he now resigned himself to 
the will of his God. He expired suddenly, but with 
calmness and dignity , on the 15th day of April last, aged 
67 years. His family derive consolation, as well as a les¬ 
son of instruction, from a remembrance of the unruffled 
cheerfulness and calm dignified-resignation exhibited by 
him, in view of his approaching dissolution. 
In penning this brief Sketch, ambitious language, em¬ 
blazoning the character of our deceased friend, has not 
seemed to me at all necessary,- a plain rehearsal of his 
deeds, is a high eulogy. Permit me to express the de¬ 
sire that it may be the glory and blessing of our country 
to possess many men, scattered all over its surface, 
showing characteristics like those exhibited in the life of 
the late William A. Hayes. F. Holbrook. Brattle- 
boro , June 3, 1851. 
County Agricultural Institutes. 
Eds. Cultivator-— There is an important question 
now loudly demanding an answer from our farming com¬ 
munity, from the political economist, and the man of 
science—What can be done to promote scientific Agri¬ 
culture? It seems a trite thing to advocate the impor- 
tahce of reform in our practice, and the utility of science 
as the means of reform. Such advocacy is daily becom¬ 
ing less needed. Much interest has been excited in the 
matter. Schools are going into operation. Colleges are 
equipping with agricultural professors. Even the Le¬ 
gislatures of the states and the General Government have 
been brought to consider the subject. Much has been 
said, but very little is yet accomplished. All the exist¬ 
ing means of education exercise but an exceedingly tri¬ 
fling comparative effect upon our agriculture. Single 
farms are models, but no district of several thousand in¬ 
habitants can be found uniformly presenting an enlight- 
ed system of husbandry. 
The State Agricultural Schools that are contemplated, 
promise much to the farmer, and if they are carried into 
effect with liberal endowment, and an efficient corps of 
instructors, they will accomplish many things that no 
other kind of institution can do so well. They will af¬ 
ford greater facilities for experimental agriculture • for 
testing the inductions of theory, by trials made under 
competent direction; for advancing mechanical agricul¬ 
ture,—the processes of farming, and for improving the 
breeds of live-stock. They ought, also, to provide men 
and means for striking out into the path of discovery, for 
increasing as well as diffusing knowledge. But we can¬ 
not wait for legislative action. Legislatures have too 
much inertia, are too unwieldy to lead in improvement ; 
smaller bodies, smaller constituencies, must do a pre¬ 
sent work. It may not be so grand, but it can be more 
timely. I beg to propose, somewhat in detal, a plan of 
easy execution, which, though in some respects inferior 
to government establishments, nevertheless possesses 
advantages which the latter can never hope to offer. A 
plan, I imagine, the most republican and effectual that 
can be adopted, and one beyond the reach of political 
rapacity. It possesses the merit of having been tested 
and pronounced good; at least many of its features are 
characteristic of the Highland and Agricultural Soci¬ 
ety of Scotland, and the Royal Agricultural Society of 
England. 
Let each county society, if extensive enough, or seve 
ral if otherwise, re-organise, adopting Agricultural 
Education rather than cattle shows and fairs, as their 
immediate object; not setting aside the latter, but giving 
them their proper subordinate rank. The society should 
number several thousand members; two thousand would 
be sufficient for successful operations. The officers 
should consist of a president, vice-president, board of 
directors, six or eight in number, annually elected, and, 
according to the amount of funds, one or more profes¬ 
sors of agricultural science, with whom might be lodged 
the duties of secretary and treasurer, or these offices 
might be designated to another person. The society 
should possess a legal incorporation as a Scientific Insti¬ 
tution, which would enable them to import books, ap¬ 
paratus, &c., duty free. 
The money requisite for accomplishing the great ob¬ 
ject, Agricultural Advancement, is to be furnished 
by an annual assessment on each member, of one or more 
dollars, as shall be definitely provided for in the consti¬ 
tution. The disposition of the funds to be controlled by 
the board of directors. It would be highly advantageous 
to organise such societies immediately, holding the in¬ 
come for several years, in anticipation of such measures 
as are about to be proposed. 
When funds have been accumulated, an Agricultu¬ 
ral Institute may be established—a commodious two- 
story, fire-proof building, adapted to contain rooms for 
society, hall or lecture room, library, cabinet, offices, 
and chemical laboratory. I shall notice these depart¬ 
ments successively. 
The lower story of the building may be mostly occu¬ 
pied with the Society’s Hall. It should be large enough 
to seat several hundred people, and should be fitted up 
in the best style for a lecture room. It should commu¬ 
nicate with the laboratory near the lecture table, be 
provided also with shelves and cases for apparatus and 
specimens, and with the furniture necessary to illustrate 
scientific agriculture. If the Institute is located near 
an academy or similar educational establishment, it would 
be proper that provision be made for the annual delivery 
of a thorough course of lectures on agricultural science, 
which should be free to all. 
The room above this would accommodate the library 
and cabinet. For the library an annual appropriation 
should be made in addition to a liberal sum devoted at 
first to the purchase of the existing standard works. 
