Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-10-09


ideas. without the power Of using them
practically, usefully.
know ledge and Wisdom, far from being one
Have Of time conne,on knowledge dweh
Ia heads repleio with thoughts Of Other men
W Isdou' ia minds attentive their own.
Kaav ledge rude Improbable mass.
The mere materials with winch wisdom builds.
TIN 'mooth'd and squaf'd, ani 6ted to its places,
Does bui cucumber ~hom it seems 4 enrich"
As a religious being, man should receive
the advantages Of education. 1t is true
that Christianity extends its invitations to
all men, and SO compasslonaely announces
them, that the most illiefatc may compre-
bend their essential terms but it Is also
true that it addresses the understanding as
well as the heart that its evidences, its
hopes, aud its sublime faith, call forth the
whole intellectual power. 1t teaches us
that the mind of man will endure, after all
these material things have crumbled and
persisted that 1t is fitted Tor constant growth
aud progress in knowledge here, and for an
eternal progression hereafter, that II may
forever stretch forth its tireless energies to
understand the Creator as he is. Surely,
then, If, considering man IN all his other
aspects, We could by possibility conclude to
dispense with the advantages of mental Gull
tivaton, yet, when we think of the dignity
and grandeur with which the doctrine of
immortality invests his mind, we must wish
10 see that mind expanded exalted aud re-
fined by knowledge, that he may the better
understand his duties aud his destiny
Oar farmers saould be well educated. be-
cause thereby they viii be eua5ed 10 con-
tribute most powerfully 10 the prosperity
aud continued welfare OF the country In
numbers, they make up more than three
lourths of ITS population. The territory
ihey Inhabu, or are 10 process OF occupy
my embraces almost every variety Of soil
and climate. aud IS capable Of growing To
vast extent. almost every known produce
ton. But the quantity aud quality Of these
productions Of our soll Will be ia proportion
to the science and skill Of lis culuNators :;
and since these productions are the grand
elements impelhng the labors aud enter
pri>es of nearly all the people, We STE that
the substantial prosperity Of the country,
lis high advancement ia clylliz ,tion and
tie arts Of life, is closely connected with
the amount of scientific knowledge and
skill possessed by the ullers of tie soil -
thatn cannot advance III prosperity much
beyond the advancement of It's agriculture.
But. we 1--we under the benign operation OF
free government, whose foundation rests,
aud can only securely stand upon the INTEL
lgencc aud virtue of the people. Obvious
ly, state of ignorance, with lis usual at
tendlnts, Incidence aud vice, cannot be
compatible with the existence of free lnstl-
turons A citizens Of Republic, then,
We should be possessed of that knowledge
aud virtue winch viii enable uA to rule our
own spiits. We are called upon to enact
laws, To discharge the duties of the elective
franchise, To take part ~ the administration
of justice, and To fill the various official
trusts of state. The laws contemplated our
fitness to discharge these various duties and
trusts under the guidance of independent
oplnIons of our own, aud with lnst sense
OF individual responsibility. NooJher con-
dlIons can be safely substituted for these.
Now If our yeomanry be well educated,
they viii be likely To be industrious, indie
pendent and yirtuous; If they are adyanc-
ing IA education, and scientific knOwled re
Of agriculture, they will be improving their
soils, adurniug their estates, and creating
an attractive, happy, rural home, winch be-
gets love OF country II guided by knowl-
edge aud virtue, they will understand their
rights and their duties, and Will prize aud
maintain their Tree institutions as their rich
est earthly blessing; aud II Incorporate eX-
elements, an unwlse and unsafe zeal for
party, and temptations to ambitious men &c
oyerstep the bounds of proprlety, occur tc
cloud the political horizon, such rural pc.
: pulatou, bred 10 PLAIN and pure republican
Z habits, aud under the guidance of sensr
bic, temperate aud stable Conservatism, wI
ensure The safety of these free institutions
! and perpetuiy 10 the rich blessings the,
: bring.
: have thus endeayored to enumerat,
what appear 10 me To be some OF the rcas
5 ons why our farmers should be well educa
ted. | cannot doubt but the lnieligen
, men whom see around me are all ready Il
! carry forward any measures which wIl
e bring abou, this happy condition of things
What, then, are some of the agencies nov
: operating, and which must be put IA opera
: ion TO establish higher state of kuowedg
e among the cultlyators of the soil, aud secur
c the great advantages attendant thereon
Obviously, the first agency to be named
e is the agricultural press. This has been to-
+ long ia operation, and the beneficial nhu
y ences shed oil around by It are too palpabl
"a TO observation, to require any extended re
e marks.
2 Allu-ion has already been made to a elias
OF intelligent thinking men, scattered aloni
: IN every district, who are appraised OF In
$ dIguny and importance of agriculture, win
e deeply feel the necessity aud value of sci
: entliic knowledge as applied to the culuya
L ton OF the earlh aud who by precept an
IS by their own shining example are lllustraI
c Iug the same causing once worn out land
i to produce abundant haryesls. Their ~
i lluence is most valuable their ardor mus
}, not be damped they must be encourage
= aud assisted IA their efforts to promote agrl
o cultural improvement, by every well-wishe
o 10 such improvement.
h The time has come when the foundation
e of systematic agricultural educatlo
!, should be laid, so that the generation ,
a farmers who ATE TO succeed us may hay
= the opportunity to become well-sersed
r science as applied to the cultivation of ii
IT soil. The researches now being made
Is Agricultural Chemistry, and Geology as al
A. Piled to Agriculture, are extremely inleres
ing aud important, aud they are opening u