Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-03-12
The Farmer.
STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
from the lato Report Of surert of Com. Schools ]

vile tho attention OF the Legislature, | de.
sire to submit. project Of an institution,
allied 10 them in lis nature and importance,
State institution for special instruction in
the theory and practice Of agriculture. and
for general instruction in ali the branches
Of high school course.
II is worthy Of remark, that while the
least useful arts prBclised in towns. have
reached poin, Of perfection which seems
TO limit further advances, the art Of agri-
cul ure. tie most ancient, noble, and nee
essary Of all arts, is the least generally
understood inProporllon 10 its susceptibility
Of Improvement. These facts are ineviia-
bly, traced in the one instance 10 the asso.
citation, and, therefore. 10 The reciprocal
enlightenment Of mechanics, and in the
other, 10 the isolation. and, ,her, fore, 10
the unaided intelligence OF farmers. &c.
MUS, by the means and opportunities afior.
ded in dense communities, has been en-.
abled 10 experiment, upon every material,
and every agent contributing to the wants
md uxuries of life. But in rural solitude
il has lacked these encouraeements for lis
devotion 10 The business of extracting sus-
ienance from the earth. And even wh.n,
by lis inul,Ive perceptions, CT through
long observation, il has obtained knowl
ejge Of The highest moment, such khow!-
edge must, in countless instances, have
died with its posscssors, because they cared
not 10 impart ii, or because they found no
ept recipients OF IL. Natures secrets, in
vesiign,cd amid The bus,ie Of city streets.
where not a blade Of grass can pierce the
pavement, have come # late years TO
The rescue Of failing harves,s, and men
who may not have known grain ef wheat
IRON grain Of rye, have taught how eth,
er would multiply hundred told, where
neither would grow before. A new science
has shed ferliizing ligb, upon primitive
deserts and exhausted fields; and The
dreams OF alchemy can now be fulfilled in
better than the literal sense, with the
riches into which agricultural chemistry
may conver, the poorest ciod. Thus, the
70 alton Of The farmer is beginning to as
ser, a new dignity, as it increases lis
drafts upon The funds Of science and cxpe-
rience. It's principles, and the application
Of Them, have become a matter Of sysie-
matte study, and may righ,luIly lake pre-
cedence,f for the great majority of the rising
generation, Of many branches OF education
heretofore deemed Of frs. importance.
With these simple facts in view, there
should be no necessity for enlarging upon
The duty OF nn enlightened government, 10
extend every possible facility 10 The ad-
vanccmen, OF agricultural science. In cur
own State. we already witness a checrin.
step in this direction, in the project recon
mended by The Executive in his annual
message to the Legislature, for The creating
Of Safe Agricultural Department; and
also in the presrG, effort, en- the part oI
some Of her most enlightened citizens, 10
form State Agricultural Society. The
establishment Of a National Agricultural
Bureau. recommended by the Presiden, o!
the United States, in his message at the
opening OF the present session Of Congress.
points TO another aid which this great in
ieres, is abou, TO receive. The beiuest OF
several million, Of dollars, recently made
for the establishment, Of an Agricultural
School IN Mary land. is evidence cI the I'm
por!ance attached, by singularly saga
cious mind, 10 such an institution, as the
means Of di1using correct knowledge oil
the subject. The rich Commonwealth OF
Penns, Ivuna should certainly be no longer
backward in doing that for her children,
which the legacy OF single individual
promises to accomplish for those Of heI
sisier, Maryland.
The project now presented to the cons'd
Grafton of the Legislature, involves many
details, which i, 10 not requisite TO mention
in this frs, draft Of lis general outlines
To show its feasibility aud importance Il
The present purpose.
II is proposed that all institution lie ioun'
ded large enough Ter the instruction IT no.
less than five hundred pupi's a, time. IN
the branches of genernl education. and
especially ia agriculture, theoretically, and
practically. Oi The pupils, three hundred
,aay be supported at The expense oi The
State, and Two hundred at iieis persona
cost. The Stale pupils nigh, be selected
from every county, IN the ratio ct three
pupils for each member OF The House o
Representatives, the selection TO b. driei'
mined by the standing oi The ca"of'aies III
the common schools. so that ADMISSION ''
the State institution should be The hl2ii'>
reward OF merit. The two hundred othe'
pupils. i; i. assumed. would be sent by
parents and guardians, and paid for as a
any boarding school, the profit on the !a-
Tor class d,m,niShirc thc exDense of tht