Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-01-18
SMITHSONIAN LEGACY.

SMITHSONIAN LEGACY.
we give below highly interesting ex.
tract from letter Of correspondent of,he
New York Herald on the subjec. Of esab
fishing an Agricultural School.
The history Of the Smithsonian legacy is
probably we'll known to our readers. Mr..
Smilhson of London, an Engshman. who
is no, known, it is believed, ever TO have
been in this country, dying a few years
since. left by will very large property to
the United States for the diffusion of usefu
knowledge and the extension OF The means
and advantages of a practical education.-
Mr.. Rush was sent to England by the
government to get possession of The prop.
erty, which he succeeded in doing. The
property is stated TO amount to half a mll-
lion of dollars. The application of the in.
come of The fund is now The great question
presented to Congress. This question is
matter Of much more difficulty than merely
receiving The money. We shall wait with
some Impotence to see The plan submitted
to Congress and reported on by the com
mi,tee: and on some future occasion,
we shall be prepared 10 give our own no.
lions, humble and imperfect as they may
be. The plan proposed and The outlines
Of which are given in The letter Of the
Herald appears very we'll on paper; but
we epprenend The difficulty Of executing Il
will be- very great. Perhaps it will prove
TOO cumbrous; and proposes too much. We
vii not, however, decide P'ems'nre'y.-
The danger to be feared is that the money
will fal INTO the hands oftheoretcal instead
of practical men. and prove in the end Of
little utlll'y. If The Offices connected with
any such institution should under any cir
Gums, ances come 10 be matters Of mere
political favorl,ism, there can be little hope
Of ns utility. let the party in power be
who they may.
The best method Of executing The be-.
nev"len, design of Smnhson. who beqneath.
I'd hal q million Of dollars to the United
States TO be expended in The diffusion of
knowledge, begins to excite good deal OF
interest. and has claimed the attention Of
several intelligent aud scientific men in our
country.
the communications received by the
Secretary of State in answer TO interroga
tories sent by that officer to a number OF
scientific men in The United States. have
been referred 10 select committee of
which Mr. ]. @ Adams is the chairman,
and who, ] presume, will bes'ow upon it
much Of his attention. A friend has com
munica'ed 10 me the outline of the plan re
commended by German. winch | men
toned N my last but whether It will b.
adopted or not. | ain not prepared to say.
!, wa. presented today by M, Adams.
This plan coniempla'es he establishment
Of an institute ~ tins city To serve as q
nursery of scientific agrlcuI'urls's for the
u S.-to consist Of one hundred pupils a
a time. I" be gradually increased from The
profits cfihe farm: the lectures 10 be free
and The price of board moderate, as bal
|
employed daily % the farm. In the h'S
or p''nc'pal compartment of tins INSTITUTE
will be taught. lst. AGRoNoMY, whlci
treats of The d'ffr'en' ptinli,ve earihs nn'
!! other elements Of which the SOIL ls com
5 posed. Cd. AGRICULTURE. which icache
The cultivation Of the respective SOILS u
such a manner a. to produce The most per
feet crops. Thus is subdIvIded into cbemI
J cal and mechanical agriculture. 81, VEG
ETABLE PRODUCTIONS. teaching the cu
, lure of grasses, lIgumInous field plans
roots. vince. mulberry trees, fruit trees, g.
4lh, The ANIMALS used and raised by tn
il. agriculi wrists. &C. 5lh, ECONOMY, or tn
, manner Of arranging and conducting
farm. In the secOn dary compartment, tn
}; following branches are TO be taught, viz
d Veterinary, Meteorological agriculture. cu|
ture of forest Trees. agricultural architect
ure, and civil engineering as connec'e
u with agriculture. The auxiliary science
}. to be taught, are Chemistry, Natural Phi
osophy. Mineralogy, and Geology, Bo'an
+, and Physiology. Zo"ogy and Me; eorology
y the Mathematical Sciences, Drawing G
e machines, animals, plants and landsco pei
f. For the purpose Of illustrating all thes
~ sciences. there must be an extensive farm
|, with field for experiments. Workshop
> beet sugar mandatory, mills. &C.
'e botsnical garden. collection of the be-
of implements, or models OF them; a hbrar,
ia cabinet of minerals properly arrange
:, according TO their chemical charscter-s
= apparatus for mathematical and physic
10 instruction; a collection of skeletons
b. domestic animals for the study Of compar