Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-05-18
r6fi6t jaISlItsssesf,
western vitsIhla gaoallafallg School.

Ds, 1. %. oiaklgLt.- DeaE Siti-+l lave tot
some lime desited 10 ptesehttS this community
Though lie columns Of the Ihtelligs6tet, 'htac.
teal and practicable plan lfot the improvement Of
| 6atAgtcliI1Ies lnbow undertaking The task, !
DO not know anyone to whom | con with mote
ptoptlety address these communications than 10
youuelt distinguished as you have been fot many
years by your zeal Tot the Development Of lhet e.
sources Of This fertile and beautiful portion Of
Virginia, displayed In your earnest and effective
co,opetstop in ali efforts a! public improvement,
and espetialyin yo0t devotion 10 the two gteas
Interests, Agriculture and Education, 1'hlsEeglon
has, indeed great reason 10 ftlictate tIsell upon
The public spill Of few Of It's citizens amongst
whom the President Of the WesIe,nl Virginia Astl.
cultural Society, Dr. lltW obpPlipe, and Ills Co.
adta,ois, are WORTHY Of special commentator,
since, BY The energy and perseverance with Which
they maintain the annual industrial exhibition,
and The excellent judgment @ilh which lis details
are r,ansged, o new stimulus las been communal
called 10 The industrial arts throughout this district,
and tatmets have been awakened 10 q perception
Of lhe beneficial and important changes which
have been introduced Into The whole economy Of
lhett most Honorable anil necessary calling,
was especially gratfed, short time sinc., In
reading the ctonlat addressed to The public by tue
Secretary Of lie Society, Dr. a. S. Todd, 10 find
that the claims Of chemical science were 50 ably
and distinctly presented BY tlIe author, and that
he also inttodnceslo the consideration Of Tue ugtl'
cultural community, In a brief but interesting
manner, the yety subject Of my present commune
cation, yil, he t4tqttithatalC Of an Agricultural
Stko0L lts
Ills now about sixteen years, since, III obtaining
from the Legislature Of Virginia chatter fof
Bethany College, YOU prudent foresight secured
Tho introduction Of "a clause which gives 10 The
Trustees Of lilo Institution full authority to estab.
fish an Agricultural Department. Meanwhile the
College has succeeded III overcoming The Difficult.
Ties which usually beset The infancy Of literary
institutions, has gained for itself on extensive in.
auence and tayombIs reputation, and hos been,
by The lberaljly Of lis hieUds, so for endowed as
10 place Il on secate and peIminent boss. 1t
seems 10 mo, therefore, that te tina tot action hnS
fully arrived, md that tho circumstances are not
only most ptopilious fot The undertaking, but, nj
tie present moment, urgently demand II, The
plan, tllen, which haze 10 propose fot The per.
manent and progressive improvement Of our Agrl.
culture, Is The immediate establishment Of on
Agricultural Departmental bethany College, and
desire now 10 lay before you anl the community,
whit CONGRESSIONAL he the obleCIs anl arrange.
menl OF this Department.
aud Just hero, | would remark, that do mol
wish 10 10 understood rs about 10 advance a nete
theory, OF 10 descaOt upon The visionary details OF
huge impacttcable establishment. trust you
are sufficiently acquainted with mo 10 know that
tate no delight III such schemes, but that, OIL the
CONTRARY, my Taste IL entirely for that which, is
PRACTICAL and dltecl 10 the purpose. ThctfUe IN
teFests Of Agriculture have been constantly sacEi'
feed 10 theory, and expensive agricultural schools
with experimental farms, have long constituted
the staple Of agricultural addresses, without being
woven into anything more tangible Than words,
otshuped into anything adapted to the actual state
ofthe agricultural community. What desire to
see Il an institution which will meet the ptesenl
wants OF farmers, and commend itself IN lis ptnc.
iical operation to Their interests end lleit inei.
gellce.
nm, indeed, well aware that there ore some
!
who, in despite ignorant Of the facts now before
tho pubic, nteunwillng or unable to see thai an
acquaintance with natural science Is necessary 10
agricultural skill and success They seem 10
have no conception Of bettersotIes taIming than
those 10 which they have been accustomed, anu
lave no idea Of the intimate relations which Ogfi'
culture suSla!ns 10 almost every department Of our
material knowledge, So eommpnt indeed, fsw
yeaH ago, was the noiion that fatmins required
but lille intelligence OF knowledge, that u Hln
with several sons would always ,leSignaIo,llt in
tellIgeut among them fot the profcSsOnS, while
lllv one who seemed deficient In natural ability,
AMI incapable Of instruction would, be cool.
" committed 10 lie crre Of The FoUw Of The
Dryads, with the reInatk no less diSpOtasing 10 ug.
rlcultute llun 10 tho individual, 'Ile'll 10 LOT
faHReE,'
In enlcaroling 10 unlooSe Tho bands In which
such minds ute swailed, sometimes present tie
subjscttlus Our own observation teaches us that
Nature delights III variety AMI avoids uniformity,
We cannot sci our foot upon thu s@ard without
covering variety Of plaatsi wo cannot gaze upon
lie blooming psattle without behOlliuga multi.
pliciiy Of different fowets; wo cannot enter tho
forest without meeting with an ever yatylns
growth Of timb,t-the OAK mingled with tl.p pop.
lar, and these with the hickory, Tie walnut, tho
asb, The maple and Tho beech Neither tho bet.
bagu Of The field nor the growth oflhe fOreSI Is Of
one sort, unless OSeta limited space and III rlte,
aud exceptional cases, aud even iu tless we shall
have different varieties Of Tie same speCits, and al
undetgro@tb differing from them all. Such Is The
order Of NauIe but II is not that Of man. lie H..
wales bet domain, alll instead Of her Gnlless "a.
rleiy, seeks 10 establish uniformity. Selecting,
from amidst het productions, some particular plant
which lie finds suited TO his peculiar ,Utsiest, OF
his toste, lie propogaIes this alone, and seeks TO
sSteumIustee Other The forest falls LeReath
Ills stamysttoke, OF gitdlcd trees stretch THEFT no.
KEEL arms 10 heaven, as though tIley would lmpIOte
lis pity, OF lhs gay nowets Of ihe patio ate buri
ed by the ruthless plough within The Garth whose
bOsOm they adorned, while he indasttiOusly sub.
situtes oyet The vast otea, his faYorite plant. Tie
hills Oto covered with com; The plain btstIcs with
| liza wnNiny rtnln. Often. lnt as the eye nnn