Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-26

IMAM Of extensive and varied learnng and himself
a farmer, was engaged to write q work on the
subject. He spent seven years in this undertak.
culture, the most perfect and hniehed of any com-
position in the Latin language. Even at this day,
no work is likely to be written on aSricut.rs that
does not draw largely from its precepts and prin-
ciples. This work had the desired effect It de-
lighted and instructed the author countrymep,
and gave a new and powerful impulse TO agricul-
ture. The field, the orchard, and tie garden,
soon poured their treasures into the lap OF indus
try. The mantllDG vine threw her purple clusters
over the bending olive Plenty sat smiling ut
every man y board; and the broad Empire, which
then gathered in It's embrace the known world,
had some faint resemblance Of Eden before the
serpent entered its bowels. War and Famine had
ceased their hOrrid carniTals The temple Of
Janus was closed. Universal peace and good will
prevailed amongst men and during this most
remarkable period, the Prince of Peace tie
Savior OF mankind made his appearance IN the
world.
Need 1 remind this intelligent audience how
much our own condition resembles that Ofltaly al
the downfall of the Roman Republic: II TIA >
powsharC Ofruiu " was laid deep III her bosom,
so It has been IL the bosom of the South. If nom
neglect Of her tialds and loss of properly want
and famine atared her III tile face, they 10 Us,
from the causes. History II repeating Itself;
and if We ever expect to escape from our present
calamities must take heed to its teachings
Italy found remedy for her mlSiortlhes III toe
arts of husbandry, and SO mnst We.
| History furnishes numerous INSTANCES 81 nations
! TlIUCt }
by ambitious farmers. The more am0ltl0n among
them to excel each other, the more stable Will be
the government, and the more prosperous every
other class OF society. 1t is good policy, there
fore fUr government to stimulate and encourage
It's peOpls to engage in agriculture; and common
sense will suggest that the appliances should
be used. which bring eminent success III other
pursuits viz: special t1tGtitg UJ1I special etuc0-
it01 For this purpose schools and colleges should
be eHa bLshed; and farmers are the most mum
erous class and contribute by far the most to the
tntJ a Wfl
prosperity, schools and colleges Tor their special
| training should not be made subordinate, or Sc
cond rate, mere appendages Ut literary lnstltu-
tions. ~
| Politics is the rock which the peoTl 10 OF the
! United States split. and which We OF the South
went down. At the time the war broke out, we
had become almost nation Of political asplrants.
There scarcely tyrO III the whole land, no
matter what business he entered, that tild not eX-
pect some day to reach the Presidential clair and
he generally sought III his assent to the slippery
heighS all tho other offices in the gift Of the people.
Doing parents and friends cheered him on, and
thought no other station suitable to their Sener-
ous offspring but politics. He was reminded by
! way of encoura cement that Henry Gay was once
the nil-boy of the S'ashes; that Webster and jack
son rose from the piOW; that George McDuille and
Alexander q. Stephens came from poor parents,
and that andy Johnson commenced business III
! life a Taior.
! Our educational ystem being only reflex OF
| the popular sentiment, was bent in the sGme dl-
! ection. It furnished pabulum i'll abunda nee for
! the profe ssional man, the politician and the
soldier but the science and art of
farming and mechanical pursuits were beneath
its touch-tlese dull occupations might be per
| formed by rustcs and negroes, or at best by the
uneduceted and unskliitui ; and thus were the
main elements of our prosperity and greatness
passed over and neglected, whilst we sowed dra-
CONS teeth that riponed into rGnous civil war.
This difference may be noted between the North
and the South while the rage Coz politics was
worse there than with us, and like the plague Of
| frogs. had gotten into everything. till the land
stank, yet in educated ard sbilful labor the North
| greatly eXc9lied US.
| But I propose 10 Introduce authority to eus-
tain this view tha5 will command the highest re-
spect from this audience. Gen. D. Il. Hill, in q
| few well written articles in his Magazine, points
! out in pain Terms tie defects Of our present sys
! tenn Of education. He says "Our schools Of
| learning turn mems minds away from science,
and our policy rewards the politician and soldier
alone with the highest distinctions " Ed'lca-
! ton with us was accomplishment, Or al most
preparation for the legislative hGH, and not for
| the development OF our resources. lie shows
! that highlands great success depends upon the
system of education, : which turns the thoughts
| of her people to scientific studies and her policy
which rewards with riches and hOnOTs successful
inventors, discoveries, and laborers Ill every de-
| pertinent of human effort. Passing over much
| that might be added, come to the following ::
IS Let it suffice to say that with the world in
to aid US instead OF the world in arms against u.s.
we must have tailed with such inherent radical
defects in our organization In another place
he observes, . single practical hint to the farm
er or mechanic IS worth whole folios Of politics."
|
minds prestige and prescription have wrought
such prejudice that they can see no necessity
fol a change IN our system o. training, notwlth-
standing this painful, although hc4eE exhibition o.
it's deficiencies. But believe that the MAORI
ty of the Southern people Will pronounce a vcr-
| dict against that education which makes 10 pTo-
| vision for the hour of trial and poverty.
! It IS to be regretted that the present Le9isa-
| ture did not deem it their duty to commence the
| reform so much needed in earnest, by establish
| ing separate Agricultural and Mechanical Col
| lcge out of the land scrip donated for that pur
pose. Or, if more time for consideration had been
allowed, it would be more satisfactory. There
appears no sufficient reason for being in such
haste to transfer this scrip TO the University, as
the time for it's acceptance had been extended by
act of Congress. 1t is certain, that large ma
jority of the people knew very little about the do
nation, and if consulted would have decided in
favor OF q separate Institution.
Many grave objections might DO urged to con-
Meeting an agricultural and Mechanical College"
with any Of our existing literary Institutions
The following extract is altogether pertinent, and
is all that can be urged sit is disrespect
to maintain that no OF our existing literary In
sttutlOns has within itself corps of instructors
competent to manage an Agricultural College,
Welded to their time honored theories, almost
distressing the possibility Of union Of manual
labor and study; accustomed to instruct mainly
in theOry-unfamlliar with p actical agriculture
believing that Latin and Greek furnish tbs best
discipline for the youthful mind, the regular Pro-
fessOrs in existing Colleges peculiarly unit to
develop or execute g new and peculiar plan OF ed
ducati0n. The Agricultural College thus con-
trOlGd would or necessity Sink INTO Il SUBORDINATE
branch Of the University, and fail OF all its pur-
poses"
Agricultural education is of recent origin, but
its Importance once understood, it is remark bic
how soon it grows into favor. In 1914, wi en-
Liebig published his first work on agricultural
chemistry. there was only three institutions of al
agricultural character in existence. Now the lit
tie state OF Prussia alone has 81. France has
complete system OF agricultural education. Her
schools arc of three grades. A school OF the low
est grade, called farm school, i9 estal .lshed III
each of the Sc departm ants, near the center, and
Sc as to embrace in its farm near possible
all the varieties OF soil in the district The OBJ
jects of this school are: FIRST, to furnish good
examples Of tillsge to the farmers Of the district,
and second, to form agriculturalists capable Of
intelligent cultivation" The directorjs chosen
from the farmers Of The district whose farms are
conducted in the best manner. The instruction
is, as far may be practical, and often given in
tie field where the pupils labor" The objects OF
the next grade, regjonG! schools, are, LIST, = to
form enlightened agricuturists, by teaching them
the principles Of agriculture %, to offer eX
ample Of practical agriculture of u high and adj
vancing order; and 3d. to make experiments for
the improvement Of the soil The instruction is
both Theoretical and practical, embracing the ed
ucation of the hand Us well as the head. These
schools have six professorships, as follows: lst,
" Of rural economy and c5islation; I'd, Of agr-
nf .,H0FpcbDV fIn of AZ