The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-10-29

ilation is based and founded upon science. What
Is science, then, Of which SO much is said? an
swer, simply, Science is knowledge. You Ssk,
What is knowledge 1 answer, knowledge Is
experience. Science, then, experience. Science
Is simply weIl arranged or digested system OF
facts sscertsined by experience We cannot pos
sibly have any knowledge without experience
We may have much learning without having any
knowledge whatever
Il IS this miscomprehenIon Of terms which
leads many persons to object to the establishment
o. an agricultural college they appear to have
.n idea that nothing practical is or can be taught
that everything which is taught is theoretical
and aot practical. Now this term, theory, is JUST
as much misinterpreted and misunderstood as is
the term science. You no doubt understand by a
theoretical man, sne who knows nothing practi-
cal or of the everyday affairs of life in word,
you regard theory as being equivalent TO ''no-
tion,'' or "idea,1 or with something which has
not been demonstrated; when the fact is that
there is nothing more demonstrable or practieal
than theory. Theory Is nothing more nor less
than a careful summary or digest Of well ascer-
tained facts Arithmetic, as taught in schools
Is theory; algebra is theory; nothing more nor
less than Pure theory, and yet they are the most
practical sure and certain thing in theworld- You
know very well that an eclipse may be predict
ed 70 half second Of time, more than = hun
dred years in advance of the time Of occurrence.
The eclipse Of the sun which took place. last
month, was calculated in I7s2-beeause have a
book, printed in I79s, in which all the elements
as well as the precise time and route, - to say,
Of the eclipse are recorded. OF course this esl-
culstion was purely theoretical but don't you
see that It is also very practical , Theoryis the
/ compass, whilst practice is The ship or vessel
We can not cross the ocean in the compass, bu,
it is not very probable that We could cross the
ocean q a vessel without g compass. Therefore
theory and practice must 20 hand in hand, for
the one is OF no value without the other.
am exceedingly anxious to see the Agricultur-
al college established and in good hands.
have no desire nor any intention to be connected
with the institution myself The professors
must be able men-each one thoroughly master
OF the department in which he engages. 1 an
seli-taught. have nsver for day even had th'
opportunity of Studying in al academy OF college
and As ! understand II, HI the professors in thI
college must be graduates of respectable institu-
tons OF learning. l am not a graduate, and
therefore am not eligible for any position in it
wish this fully understood, so that those having
the power may go on and establish the college
without any one having occasion to fear that II
is to be an establishment for my benefit.
Brit entertain great hopes of the institution
when properly organized, and conducted by s
competent corps of professors and teacher
Liebig says that lands have increased 500 pei
cent. in Germany since scientific agriculture hai
been introduced. One thing is certain, the col
lege will not cause the lands to be less valuable
than they are now; and the probabilities are
that the geological survey and the sgricultura
college, both together, Will furnish data from
which the real productive value of the landz car
stleaEt be approximately computed. Germany
has found herself well repaid for establishing
agricultural colleges and experimental stations
Her Ggrculturists are among her very best schol
ars and statesmen; the produetiveness ofthe sol
has been very greatly increased, and new in
dustries have sprung up in consequence.
Now, if Germany may be profited three hun.
dred fold by the ADVENT and application ofsci-
enee is it not probable that we may at least rear
some benefit by it, Look at the vast amount Of
topics on which we are very ignorant, cOmpara-
lively. What 60 we know Of vegetable physiol-
ogy, or the nature Of plantsl Some have studied
the nature of plants TO such profound eXten'
they verify believe that wheat turns to cheat Ol
chess l would like to ask these same wiseaeres
where all the ''white weed came from which we
found in msadows and other cultivated lands du-
ring the summer Of 1867 Did they come from
rye, oats, barley or grasShoppersi Just as like
ly frem any of these that chess came from
wheat. What do we know of veterinary sur
gerry or sciencel Look at it. Last December
there was a meeting of such men as were suPpos-
ed to be skilled in cattle diseases, met in Spring
| field, Illinois. The best skilled men eight or
ten States could produce met and eounseled for
nearly a week, and the result was precisely as
in the fable of the mountain in labor and was
delivered of mouse. The proceedings Of that
Springfield convention il one of the best praeti-
cal arguments that know of in favor of veteri-
nary school or college, either connected with,
or independent of the college.
Then look at the million species of insects
which destroy or plants and growing crops.
/ What do we know of the nature and habits Of
these inseetsl There are subjects innumeTable
to which the attention of the practical agricul-
turist is daily directed, but for relief from which
he now seeks in vain, but which we sincerely
hope and trust may be supplied by the college.