, 1859-04-18

4 proposition coming from several leading
gentlemen, wcll-known for their connection
with Art Science, Education and Literature
1as hccn broaclled, in Boston, for founding
Conservatory Of Art and Science in that city.
A meeting for the elaboration Of the proper
plans, and for securing aid from the State, was
lately held at which Prof AGAss1z, Geo. SUM
NEE, Il. P. WILDER, Hon l. II. Rice and otll-
crs well known to the American public were
present; and from the published proceedings
which the orsuators oftbc proposition propose
to accomplish. They arc:
J. The collection Of works Of Art, whether Of
painting or statuary, III gallery open to whom
socver will yisit it.
2. The establishment Of Museum Of Natural
History in all its branches, free to everybody.
3. A department Of Mechanics, in which al
1abor-sayiug inventions and improvements may
he kept and classified for the instruction Of
artisans and Inventors.
1. 4 department Of Agriculture which shall
furnish correct analyses Of soils, man,srcs and
artificial fertilizers, md which shall take the
place in the national economy which that ab-
ortion, tile Patent Office at Washington, is
rainly striving to ill.
+. The endowment Of Protessorsllips to which
5nquircrs may lo,k f1r instruction in all the
branches Of Art aud Industry to which the Con-
seryatory may he devoted
This is a noble work; and we hope to see it
carried uut. Massachusetts is the State in the
Union 10 which NC would naturally look for
the projection Of an Institution Of the kind;
aud to her SUNS must the appeal for its support
be made. We. Of tile West with whom the
question If ''brcad and BUTTER is yet para
mount, have moro interest i'll the Mechanical
nnd Agricultural departments Of tue Conserva-
tory. tllan in its promises for Art. What these
departments will he, and what a gap in our
educational system they will fill, tic follow.
ing extract frum letter Of Geo. Sumner, will
chow:
The parts Of your plan to which would more |
especially nllude, are thusc which contemplate |
The Formation If q Museum Of Practical Gcol- |
'rt atAh Ill llANflCNluttt A1l4 u 1u-
StrunltI&s devoted to Agriculture and Ia the !
Mechanic Arts,--a Museum which by its collec- !
7oas and ITS lectures would serve to show the !
practical application Of science to the urts.
We are justly pr"ud Of our system of COM
mon scfous, l,ltaintpd bv the s1!rt If 1roselyt-
ism TT scct.rian int ,erancc but, excellent as |
1htsc are. one cannot but b. pancd by obserr- |
ing how rare Alnong for the facilities of su. I
pcr1or education, how, cren with our 1nauy col |
1sges, III the age Of nineteen or twenty, thet trup-
<loor Is shut upon errry aspirant for knowledge,
who Is Obliged To 20 abrnad in ordert to complete
hi. >tu.lirs Ill almost every department Of sci. /
rnce. Why may w mot lave what other coun-
1fes hhve;-why May We not hare proper ia- |
c1'tics fnr these studies ut hume. Is our great |
and wealthy Republic unwilling TO do for Sci |
<'1ce what dcsputic rulers hare done.
How snuclt of precious time, Of money, Of |
activity, low much Of anxious thought, how ]
much of useful labor nnd ingenuity, are now |
s4nandcrcd by our mechanics, from the want |
ct such facilities far knowledge as the proposed |
Aon>rrvatory will furnish, has often come under
my observation in furcign countries One in-
stance now occurs to me. 4 worthy mechanic,
from nclEhboring State, came 10 Inc in Paris |
bringing his plans and drawings for new pro- |
cess IN inetallurEy. by which he expected to /
make steel nj = greatly reduced price, and to |
make somr millions ol dollars for himself. lie |
llnd spent ail his little capital in experiments,
had sold house which he owned to raise more |
money, had built up aud pulled down furnaces,
and finally, rs he supposed, attained the great
result. lie sought my advice. us to the best !
course 10 pursue in order 10 sccure the millions
which were to dow to linn from his invention.
After looking at his plans. ! asked him to nc |
company me to the Co"<'Fratoir< des 4rts It
-Htte'S, and there, among some old models,
showed him lis furnace. eaactly lie had
worked it out,-und in the library showed him
cngrayings ut it, and also full description Of |
the process. the principle Of which was the
same as his own. The poor man stood aghaSt
and dumb for time, as I'LL his millions vanish.
I'd into thin mir. and thun recovering speech,
threw up his hund* and exclaimed: "Why
haven't VIC in America, places like this, where
our mechanics can 20 and find ont what has
been dnn" before them. and not make fools of
themselves, us ! have done, and waste their |
1l'net and waste their substance in going over
ground which hus been already c1plorcd!'
And sure enough. why have We no such place:
Let the question be farly put to the people, and
mand it.
Fur Agriculture the Conservatory promises
still mor.' than for Mechanics. That Scjcnco
in this country il hut Just emerging from fire
baroarlsn which enve!ored it when Adam first
went fo'tll to earn his bread hy the sweat Of
Lug brow. The farmer, once a drudge, with
alo more occasion for mind tl.au one Of his
oxen, has 'eeomc Intelligent and inventive
Il man u thought aud Of observation. But hc
Is yet only III the portal Of tho temple Of honor
that he must occupy. The application nf the
axioms ol Science 10 tighten and remuncrate
lis labor, has but just commenced; l,ut he has
attained wonderful results. The Conservatory
promises to be d place in which his analyses
and inductioas can be stored. o. tllis Mr.
Sumner says again:
In connection with that portion Of the Mn.
scum devoted to Agriculture, it would doubles.
be deemed essential to have laboruorv, whrre
different soils 4nd fertilizers could te aualyzea
and such information given to ever farmer as
would enable him best to develop til resources
under his control: such information Is is freely
given ct the different agricultural laboratories
established BY the French and German Govern.
men,s.-at tue laboratory Of Lawes 4 Rotham-
kaed, IN Eaglend-and, to members ofthe Royal
agricultural Society, IT the laboratory Of Way,
he distinguished chemst Of the S,ciety IN
4 Museum like this would; believe, aid most ,
Ro"eef1any IN creating greater intertst In the (