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Agricultural education, a most powerful aid to the farmer, has been much 
talked of in this country, but has received little, quite too little practical atten¬ 
tion. In some parts of the old country, schools and colleges have been estab¬ 
lished and endowed with professorships in which, the principles of scientific 
farming are taught, and most valuable results are realized from them. One of 
these schools at Cirencester in England, has six professors, 700 acres of land, 
and 200 students. At Grignon, near Paris, the French have a still more flour¬ 
ishing school. The farm contains 750 acres and the school has sent out 600 
students. The system of study embraces a great variety of scientific and 
mathematical branches, and is equal in amount to the usual college course. It is 
within the memory of many present, when no one thought of obtaining a 
liberal education unless he intended to enter some one of the learned professions, 
or at least to become a teacher and educator of young men for college. Now 
numbers and graduated annually at our colleges whose highest aim is to become 
successful farmers. These young men carry with them to the pursuit of agricul¬ 
ture, a vast amount of scientific information which they make at once practi¬ 
cally useful. There is no good reason why farmers should not be thoroughly 
educated before entering upon the active duties of their calling. A great share 
of our legislators, our law makers, are farmers, and they are liable at any time 
to be called upon to perform the most responsible duties for their country and 
their fellow men. This fact should stimulate the sons of farmers to obtain the 
best education the country affords as far as their means permit; and it should 
also encourage their parents to give them the best chance they can at school. 
It ought to be a matter of mutual congratulation to the citizens of this county, 
that in the college located at their county seat, provision has been made by the 
forethought of Dr. Park, its able President, for young men to take a scientific 
course of two years’ study—one, peculiarly adapted to aid them in the pursuits 
of agriculture. 
If we look for the great men of this land—men whose statesmanship has 
influenced, almost controlled a nation, yes, whose power has been felt beyond 
the seas, carrying with it the glorious principles of freedom and free govern¬ 
ments, we shall find that they, in many instances, are the sons of farmers. And 
why should not the farmer be the most learned of men ? Who like him has 
the opportunity of studying all that is great and glorious in nature ? Everything 
■about him conspires to elevate, ennoble and refine: the tiny violets that look 
timidly up from his garden walks, the old oak that spreads its branches 
