Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-10


agricultural school, with model farm of four
hundred acres, about twenty miles from Berlin.
where he remained until his death in 1923 In
ms treatise on the principles of agriculture lin
ieO9) he urges the necessity Of a knowledge Of
botany zoology and chemistry, and other
sciences, in order to a complete comprehension
ana cultivation of practical farming; and con.
cIudes that, Ut is then eDideRt that agriculture
ongnt 70 oo'7oc from. every science the principles
chlch she employs as determination of her oun"
Pestalozzi originated in Switzerland conten.
poraneousy with the labors IOf Thaer in Ger
many, his industrial or manual labor schools.
near Berne.
Twenty-Five years have elapsed since Liebie.
combining the results Of his own original re-
searches and Investigations with the published
knowledge of his time, printed his work upon
ctenisfIyfn relation TO agriculture and )htlsfoloou
which, Immediately assuming a place in univer.
sal scientific literature, was soon read in all Ian
kuages ana excited a new spirit of inquiry and
experiment among agricuturists and chemista
IN EUROPE ana IN America The impulse given
to agricultural education by the reyelations ~
THIS master of science, was immediate. And
there are now colleges, high schools. ele,uentarv
agricultural schools for the peasantry ali over
Europe, from Ireland to Russia and II large num-
Der OF professorships of agriculture in different
universities.
Many states of the American Union, have al
ready set on foot measures for the promotion NJ
agricultural schools and colleges Michigan nro
vlded for such college in her state cOnstitu-
ton. One has been established in eacb 81 Inc
states Of New York, Iowa and Minnesota But
neither of these is now open. An agricultural
college has been established in MARYLAND. and
Is now in operation. An embryo instltu.
ton, under private enterprise, exists in Illinois:
so also does another, in the State of Ohio The
course OF instruction in the three lust alluded TO-
poes not essentially depart from that usual in or.
binary colleges. The Agricultural College of
Pennsylvania is the largest and most prospcrous
of this class Of institutions Of whose existence In
this country have any knowledge. LIS course
OF study involves period of four years, and in.
cludes mathematics, natural philosophy, chemis-
try, botany, geology, paleontOlogy nirleraloey
chrystallography, and practical agriculture and
horticulture. partial scientific and practical
course" is established for the benefit Of those
students desiring TO pursue the other studies Of
the full course, emitting the higher matchmaker.
Evidence of the intelligent interest of our own
Commonwealth in this direction is found in the
resolves of 1850, the reports of the commission.
ers the next year, (emb0dying that of Professor
Hitchcock which is to be hereafter alluded to1
and the establishment of the State Board of Ag-
rlculture. 10 is also exhibited IN the Charter of
the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology. in
corporated the 10Th of April, 1861, "for the pur.
pose Of instituting and maintaining society of
arts, museum Of arts, and school Of industrial
science, and aiding generally, by suitable means
the advancement, development and practical ap-
plication of science, in connection with arts, az
riculture, manufactures and commerce"
The junction Of these declarations of public
funds and private charity to scientific and prac-
tical education seems fortunate and anspicious
The main design of both is the same There are
suggestions in each which afford sufficient hints
for our instruction. Combining all the Opportu-
mites they propose, an enterprise becomes posi-
Die In Massachusetts, grander than either.
This Congressional grant Is exposed to the
danger of being divided in each State among
several unimpOrtant seminaries, instead of being
concentrated on one institution Of commanding
influence and efficiency. An institution rcquir.
ing military tactics" and "such branches of
learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts, TO be taught without excluding
other scientific and classical studies" must az
necessity, be worthy of Massachusetts, involve
large expenditures, and demand an assemblage
81 men OF the highest talents as teachers. For al
though agriculture was the first art invented IL
must be the last to be brought 70 perfection since
sons such an education as they could obtain by
living on we-managed farm and attending an
ordinary high school. 1t must be made the
means of positive increase of human knowl-
edge in the departments bearing on agriculture
and manufactures, and the medium Of teaching
not only farmers, but those who shall become
teachers and improvers of the art of farming
Such an institution should have ample lands
for experimental purposes, and even on "A mod
crate scale of completeness should embrace the
following distinct professorships:
l. Mathematics pure, and applied to Survey
ing, Leveng &c.
2. Drawing and Design.
g. General Physics and MeteorologY
a. Mechanics and Engineering especially as
applied to agricultural machinery and processes,
to rural agriculture, road making, &c
s. General and Agricultural Chemistry.
g. Chemical Analysis, especially as applied to
soils, manures, and products.
7. Botany and Vegetable Physiology.
8 Zoology and Animal Physiology, including
breeding Of animals, their diseases, and treat
ment.
o. Geology and Mineralogy.
TO- Practical Husbandry, with superintendent
of model farms.
assistants, or sub-professors would be necessary,
and the whole corps of instructors could hardly
fall short of twenty
The "Central School of Arts and Manpfac-
lures" in France, counts forty professors and
teachers "The Conservatory OF Arts and
Trades" has number not inferior, and has also
three subordinate or auxiliary colleges in the
provinces. The Polytechnic School OF vienna
has ifty-eight instructors.
The excellent and elaborate report OF Professor
Hitchcock printed in 1851 with our legislative
documents of that year House Doc. No. l3,
the results of his learned researches
and survey of the agricultural institutions OF Eu-
rope assigns six professors as the smallest mum.
her of professors with which an institution could
he respectable and useful eUen at It's commencement
The number is much less than it is at nearly all
the higher agricultural seminaries in Europe.
There il ranges from eight to twenty" The fol-
lowing pregnant suggestion, looking forward 10
an institution of wise and liberal breadth and
of true public economy, like that when
the language of our act of congress indicates,
illustrates the comprehensiyeness as well as the
carefuness in observation, Of this report: BY
the addition of a single professorship OF tech
noIogy TO such an institution as has been de-
scribed, and extending the collection of instru-
ments TO those of every art, this school might
become school Of sciences, as well as OF COM
merce and manufactures, and thus afford an ed
ucation to the son of the mechanic and mer-
chant as well IS the farmer"
The time of each of these professors need not
be exclusively devoted to the school, but thor
ough exhibition of the sciences in their rela-
tons to mechanics and agriculture is impossible
without the aid of men Of the highest talents,
each giving himself specially to one OF the ne.
partments of science; besides the aid OF men OF
high requirements taking charge OF the pracu-
cal departments enumerated.
Such men, masters in these departments, are
rare or, if found, are already bound by various
obligations to other objects or other lnsttutions;
If our commonwealth is TO retain her Wonteu
place in noble works, we must seize, AZ Inc esrii-
est opportunity, upon as many men OF tnls cnar-
acter as may be found in the country, ana al
once organize our institution, 70 % mouel lor
other states that may avail themselves of the
grant from congress- Not only a laudable state
nride demands this but the highes; cOnsidera-
lions of patriotism and philanthropy demand it.
The act of congress does not make provision
sufficient for an agricultural school of the high
est class in each state. Nor would it be possible
now TO find, disconnected from colleges and uni
versites, as many men of high talent, and other
wise competent, as would be required to fill the