Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-11
AN AGRECrErrRAL WISELY.

The Legislature now IN session has
been wisely considering the propriety
OF setting apart a suitable room in the
capitol for the use of the Department
Of Agriculture. If there be any Vi
tally and possible improvement in ag-
ricultural plants, in do-mesticated AM
mails, and IN man himself, this great
profession must grow for indefinite
ages N the farming and planting State
of Tennessee. just now the question
seems TO be whether our agriculture
has any life, and if. alive, whether it
shall continue a feeble and miserable
existence, or be ~rejuveDated, nourisbed
and sustained as the foundation OF our
comfort and civilization. Surely there
Is some difference between comfort and
discomfort, between knowledge and
Ignorance, virtue and vice, happiness
and unhappiness. In proper hands,
an agricultural museum viii be the
fruitful source of instruction, and that
we al need.
Assuming, what probably no one
will deny, that all living things, wheth-
er plants or animals, have not on Y he
reditary life, but a vital force that may
be weak IN constitution and sickly, or
an improvement on all past generations
of its species alike IN vigor, fruitful
ness and economical value, we should
have a State collection Of specimens in
a museum to teach publicly, and by
occular demonstration, the fundamen-
tai truths Of agricultural science.
Every science grows to q harvest Of
useful knowledge by planting the seed
and ~cultivating the crop. Without
such culture the sublime science Of
astronomy would now have no exist
ence. All our histories, mathematics
and the writing and printing Of books
have come from study and culture.
To demonstrate facts beyond the
reach Of caul, there should be IN the
agricultural room Of the Capitol a mu.
scum Of our best cereals, grasses, veg
etables and fruits, which, by compari-
son, viii teach most important lessons.
Seeing is believing. But it takes
science TO give to visible objects and
phenomena their true meaning. Hence
there should be a good professional IL
braTy associated with the museum to
aid in the diffusion Of agricultural
knowledge. We have in Tennessee
over two hundred million dollars in
vested in tillage and husbandry, and
probably not one f~rst-class agricuI-
tural library in the State. 1t is time
to remedy this defect and begin the
study Of agriculture mearnest, assome-
thing really useful.
In looking over the Genesee Farmer
for 1915, thirty years ago, when owned
and conducted by the editor Of this
department Of the UNION AND AMER
ICAE.D we find this notice Of Franklin
College, Tennessee: 1T is worthy of
remark that Tennessee is the first
State in the Union to establish and
maintain an Agricultural College.
Franklin College is a brick edifce I2O.
feet in length by 20 in width, three
stories high. Annexed is a dining hall,
50 by 50 feet, with a kitchen d by 20.
In addition to the above, there is a
dwelling 90 by 20 feet. The institu-
ton is five miles from Nashville, on a
farm Of 10 acres. 1t has about 50
students, but can accommodate l2O.
Mr.. Tanning deserves t~he,gratitude Of
the Southwest, foT the real ability and
success with which he has undertaken
and prosecuted this noble experiment
Of attempting to unite learning and
science with agricultural and mechan-
zeal labor" Laboring to get up a mu-
u and college in New York, We
were ready to commend similar efforts
IN Tennessee.