Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-08-26
Agrionltural sohoola--Morrilra 1.and aim

Public Lands.
Though frequently and strongly urged to
do so, We have not seen our way clear to
give the warm support of this Journal to The
bill before Congress, introduced by Hon. j.
IL. Morrill,, Of Vt, which proposes to donate
portions Of the p. bic lands t the several
States and Terri cries. for the support of
Agricultural Colleges That such a. scheme
might, and should be, beneficial to a~gricult-
ure, we have not the slightes. doubt; but
would It be : has been the. question with US.
If we are guided by what has rranspir d
hilbert il the attempts made by he Gen
eral Government to aid the cause of Agri-
cultural improvement, we shall have little
hopes of any benefit to be derived from the
passage Of su h a bill.
All this, however, is based Oh the idea that
II the lands were not thus donated to Agri-
cultural Colleges, they would be sold for the
benefit OF the gener-l treasury, ana thus
lessen The direct, or rather indirect tax upon
the people. But, as the lands are now geing,
one mlllloa OF acres to this enterprise, (pri-
vate speculation, two millions to that one.
i've millions to another, and so on, we con-
TESS ourselves, at last, to be decidedly in ia
vdr OF the proposed donation in favor of Az
ricultural Schools. Some good NAV come
out OF 1t We will hope much; but still we
warn farmers themselves, that in case the
lands are granted, unless they take the mat
ter IN their W hands at home, the proceeds
Will mostly go to build asylums for broken
down politicians, or to the benifciaries of
political parties, and that the so called Az
rlcultural Colleges to be erected, will be the
nurseries of scientific nonsense, and promo
tive OF more injury than benefit to the real
improvement in practical agriculture Ed.
Am. Ag.
About one-half of the entire free male
population of the United States, over fifteen
years OF age, according to the census of
1890, are directly engaged in the cultivation
OF the earth, and a large proportion of the
balance are Indirectly so employed yet this
: large part OF our population are VIGOROUSLY
: less instructed in those branches of scientific
knowledge directly connected with the proper
and economical management of their own
= = pursuits than any other class of citizens in
their peculiar occupations, The UNDERSIGNED
: is unwilling to bel eve that the cultiyators
y Of the soil are, as a class, naturally less in
: telligent, or less able, with the same facili-
ties, to acquire knowledge, than others, and
of necessity must attribute their lack of sci
entifc and practical information to the want
T of the opportunity of obtaining it.
: The establishment of schools and colleges
for the instruction of youth in scientific and
i practical agriculture, although of compare
lively recent origin, and as yet but little
more than commenced in this country, is not
! an experiment. Such schools, and other in
d situations of a high grade, have been estab-
= lished by most of the European govern
! ments, and their utility and Importance fully
indicated. Russia has eight colleges. of q
high order, established in the Empire, pos
sessing 2S,220 acres of land, an endorsement
. of $4,000 cash, and an annual support from
y the government of $11,250 cash. In 1s49
: they contained an aggregate of 706students,
: more than fifty minor schools, and model
> farms are established, and various special
! schools for instruction in some special branch
. of agriculture-as fax culture, &c.
t Prussia has five agricultural colleges of a
high order, tventy-eight elementary colleges
of a lower grade, and ffty,seven special
schools for instruction in particular branches
of culture. There are seventy-two model
and experimental farms in the kingdom. In
these schools and colleges are taught the va
: rious systems Of husbandry, farm manage
ment, bookkeeping, cultivation of arabic and
: grass lands, horticultural technology, mocha
: MICS, natural philosophy, botany, minerology,
a knowledge Of soils, agricultural chemistry,
veterinary surgery, breeding, raising and
management OF animals, and in fact every
branch of education necessary to the !atelli-
gent agriculturist.
These efforts made by the governments Of
Russia and Prussia, in behalf of agricultural
education, are claimed by these governments,
and admitted by all who have witnessed their
operations, to be of great success.
In France, in 1S4S, provision was made by
, law for the establishment of agricultural
, schools in each Of the departments. A higher
: order of colleges was establishedin districts,
: each containing several departments, and the
: National Agroaomic Institute was establish
ed at Versailles. The number of such col
leges and schools in France now exceeds one
hundred, and the beneficial results of agri-
cultural knowledge obtained at them, is said
to be entirely satisfactory,
In all, or nearly all, the German States,
more or less encouragement is given by the
governments to the establishment of agricul-
tural schools, and the general dissemination
of scientific and practical knowledge among
the people, with, it is believed, satisfactory
results. p" -
Spain, Portugal, and Turkey, it is believ-
ed, ignore the subject quite as much as the
government of the United States.
Agricultural schools are established in va
rious parts of England and Scotland, but are
principally supported by private enterprise,
and charges for tuition but in Ireland, the
government of Great Britain contributes lib
orally to the support of such schools, and it's
effect is seen in the increased productiveness
ofthe island, and the comparative content and
i imnrovad intelligence Of Sho people.
The State of Michigan appropriated $780,
600 for an Agricultural institution, which is
under the supervision Of the State Board of
Education, and the Faculty consists of a
President and five Professors. At present
there are one hundred students in attend
i anCe.
The design of the institution is to receive
the student direct from the common schools
of the State, and give such Thorough Eng
fish and scientific education, as will render,
him an intelligent citizen, an accomplished
farmer, and qualified to discharge any duty
his country may require at his hands. Math-
ematics, agricultural chemistry, the natural
sciences, the application of science to indus
trial arts. veterinary nractiea. horticuItura