Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1853-10-27


world. are. each and all, movements in the
right line. They speuk the wants Of rgri-
calture. They Indicate the strong convic'
tion of tl,e popular mind that the art OF hus-
bandry needs support; that The time has
come when agriculture shall no longer be
left 10 help itself when il shall cease 10 be
the only art in an age Of marvellous progress
left 10 struggle on, without the fostering aid
and care of the Government. But they do
not furnish what agriculture needs.
Agriculture, like every other art, mus,
be educated. We educate for the law-we
educate for medicine-we educate for war,
for war upon the land and war upon the sea.
We educate for all arts and sciences. save
that art or science which is the noblest Of
them all, and upon which all other arts and
| depend. Three-fonrths Of orr population
are farmers, and will be for centuries to
come. and vet there is not one institution in
the United States in which young man
can require tie important mr., Of becoming
truly intelligent and ski'lful farmer.
I have indicated some Of the sciences
which are the necessary allies Of Agricul-
ture. In some Of the colleges of our coun-
try portion Of these sciences are taught
hut they are not taught thoroughly, and
uhdf is ,rord Of all. they are not taught in
connection nth the art of hrsbdndry.
The round Of studies crowded in COL
legiate course Of three or four years forbids
thorouehness in any. Take chemistry as an
illustration. How many practical Chemists
does Yale or Cambridge turn of? Has she
ever graduated one Agricultural Chemist?
Is organic chemistry taught Mt all? The
student learns the rationale Of an expert
ment-he does moi experiment himself-he
does not analyse. | would not undervalue
the advantages arising from even the super
: fetal knowledge Of science acquired at these
institutions. All knowledge is usefn'-and
the graduate may be master Of principles
and laws. which, after application and stu
) DIV. may ripen into science. But with such
; knowledge of the natural sciences as acquir-
ed at onr best seminaries oflearning, can the
) |graduate rank as skillful farmerP Can he
: be regarded MS farmer at all?
Agricultural education is theory and
practice blended. 1t is knowledge applied
in the daily operations of husbandry. II is
science, by the hand Of labor, applied to the
, field, to the meadow and the barn-yard.-
The educated farmer is one who knows how
; to conduct his farm in conformity with the
? laws of nature. We have no institution al
which this knowledge can be applied
Until such institution be established, let this
Society, and kindred associations, live and
/ work. Let the Agricultural Editor toll on
with his press-supported and cheered by
the former---by the influence of healthy
nublic opinion, and, if need be, by the
State--and let part Of that work and toll
be TO demonstrate to the General Assembly,
both the necessity Of such an institution,
and the obligation TO establish it.
Our Government is popular-the mer
who make laws are only agents. The in
terest Of agriculture is the greatest inter-
est; the numbers engaged in it are majori-
~. Let its voice be a controlling power in
the State. know that impediments will
rise up to stop this scheme of benefaction.
Prejudice will shake its hoary brow at it,
Ignorance, venerable also for its antiquity,
: will smile at the thought of Analysing ma
, ture; and economy, in its Jewish gaberaine
will count The cost. knowledge has ever
had enemies, and these are her hereditary
foes. It would be strange, indeed, il agri-
cultural learning should not cost. Despo-
ism Monarchy costs. Thrones and
) Aadems are costly things. Liberty costs.
: Our own American liberty was won at great
cost-and l trust it will be maintained al
every cost.
knowledge will cost-but we are able TO
luy it. hope we shall not give more for
il than it is worth. But ignorance, preju-
praisers of its value.
1t will be said, if Agriculture needs
cachng, and for teaching must have tho
school, the experimental farm and the col
ege, why have they not been established
; heretofore? This question might be an
! swered by putting others. embracing The
, history of all progress. Why is chemistry
1 as science, only century old? Why
= is agricultural chemistry half century
younger? Why is organic chemistry young
er still? Why did not Franklin invent the
+ telegraph? Why did this world wait FOR
? Fulton to make u steamboat? Why, indeed
f is il that there is such thing as progress
r in human affairs? The propriety or neces.
/. sity of educating agriculture can never be
: determined by such enquiry; but it is moi
4 difficult 10 trace some Of the causes which
e have led to the present neglected condition
vi VIC uil VI hh'DahN'J oui o"H SouIi'
= try.
, Bishop Berkley's celebrated prophecy
# as TO the march of "empire,'' might with
!. equal truth have been uttered of agriculture
= for since the world began, empire anC
o agriculture have travelled together, dthei
. course has been ever toward the setlin.
!. sun. The decline of Roman power begar
Y with the decline Of her agricuture-anc
e Rome fell when her luxurious population
E deserving her fields, looked TO distant pro
h vince for supplies of corn. know it ha'
: been said that the Sporians conquered In
II adjacent States of Greece because the sol
:, or Sparta was to poor TO produce corn
But the short-lived plumber cannot shak'
p the eternal truth, that the stability OF ma
l. TONS power depends upon its soil.
d Our own country, then part of the Brit
= ish Empire, attracted the attention of thi
e eminent prelate and philosopher, and IFS i'm
i mense resources then but dimly seen, ma,