424 Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
he who is hereafter to be a truly successful farmer, mu3t be a truly 
intelligent farmer. 
I repeat, I plead for a higher education of farmers. They 
ought to be men of generous culture, with keen intelligence to 
see what is wisest, truest, best, amid a multitude of conflicting or un¬ 
certain conditions; with cultivated taste to make their surround¬ 
ings beautiful and attractive; with a love for literature and 
science that they may enjoy recreation during the intervals of 
labor, in that which shall be instructive to themselves and their 
families. 
When there is no great need of reform in this respect—when 
agriculture and horticulture ought to be reduced to a science, and 
not be a mere series of uncertain and blundering experiments, 
what is the duty of those who see the defects? It is plainly in 
the first place to show those engaged in these employments what 
their higher success demands; to give them a consciousness of 
their needs; and, in the second place, to afford them opportunity 
for supplying these wants. The agricultural and horticultural 
press, and agricultural schools are striving to show the need and 
to supply it. The former is doing a largely successful and bene¬ 
ficial work. The latter are doing far less than they ought, are in 
fact exerting only a trifling influence upon the agricultural inter¬ 
ests of the country. They appear, to an outsider, to be well 
equipped with everything except students. Why is it that the 
agricultural department of our own University is not filled by 
themto its limits? Agriculture and horticulture cry aloud for 
the benefits which such institution should furnish, and for aught I 
know does offer to those who do not come. 
O, that some great apostle of agriculture might arise from the 
bones of dead methods, to lead our young men to a high enthusi¬ 
asm, and thorough preparation for the divine work of co-opera¬ 
tion with nature in adding to the fertility and beauty of the earth E 
Would that an agricultural Agassiz might come to found a school 
of farming and horticulture on a new Penikese, drawing to him 
by the superiority of his knowledge and the magnetism of his 
presence disciples from every state of our broad Union. There 
is need for such—great and increasing need. The honored Agas¬ 
siz, who has gone, ministered simply, or mostly, to the world’s 
