78 
STATE AGKICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
chiefly the one of economy. During the year 1867, it was our 
privilege to supplement and complete a tour of observation and 
inspection, begun in 1862, of all the leading industrial, poly¬ 
technic and professional schools and universities of the Old 
World, and to compare views with many of the leading minds 
in all the countries of Europe; and we speak, therefore, from 
personal knowledge. Excepting the Royal College of Agri¬ 
culture and Forestry of Wurtemburg, located at Hohenheim, 
and the oldest agricultural school in the world, the most prom¬ 
ising agricultural schools in Europe are connected, by relations 
more or less intimate, with ancient universities; and there is 
manifestly a strong and growing tendency in that direction. 
If we fail in Wisconsin, within reasonable time, to demon¬ 
strate the wisdom of concentration and consolidation in the 
case of our own University, it will not be the fault of the gen¬ 
eral system. 
But we must not and shall not fail. The people will gradu¬ 
ally come to a better appreciation of the time and means ne¬ 
cessary to the building up of such an institution as is proposed ; 
and while they will hold the administrators of the law upon 
which it rests more and more strictly to account for faithful 
development and thorough management, they will, themselves, 
cease all unreasonable carpings and complaints, and, by a gen¬ 
uine sympathy and hearty co-operation, strive, with a noble 
unanimity, to make it what it ought to be at no very distant 
day, the pride and glory of the commonwealth. Nor will the 
State fail of its duty, which is to lead and encourage the peo¬ 
ple by such consistent dealing with the institution, and such 
liberal benefactions, from time to time, as shall be found needful 
for the accomplishment of this great work. 
It is, also, in our power to do much, in the way of diffusing 
a knowledge of the sciences and their practical application to 
agriculture and the mechanic arts, thus contributing to the ad¬ 
vancement of our industrv and the elevation of the working 
classes, by means of incidental instruction given-in the public 
schools. 
