What Agricultural Colleges Should Be

The true pchools for the primsiry, ugua] instruotion in the mcoliauio nrts, and for learniog nnv pceia' trade, are the work-shops of the country. Thev are the mout aocessible, the most simple Does a young man rcally wish to learn to handlo a uw, nr chiael, or planc, thei t are the practical schools, th so are the practical teachers They are all abo ut htm jut here they are wantod, in every cily in evory hamlet. For lhit priniary work - the learuing tho us.nl uses of the usual tools - no other ■oboolv can compare witb them Multiply yo ir presont enduwiuent by thouaanils i and y ou caonot upersude thu work of these industrial gchoolH, almost witliin stoue's tlirow of the hearth of every mn. If you attempt to do it, you will fi it;er &way your edueational resources, and add, one poor shop to the millions of cood ones. The same is truc of ngrioulture. For iustruction in the simple fundamental proceeses of farming, tho ichoola aro the i'arnii They are spread all ovc our comtry. They are ready to raceÍTe all young men who seriously wish primiri training in agriculture. Evou t ongh th farmbe poor, - even ihough the process be rodo, that is the necessary preliminary sciool. It is accessiblo ; it enahle the youug man to pay hia wav ; it ena bles lira to get time, if he be thoroughly in eirnest, to profit by tho comiiioii schod, the bnok and the newspappr Hud ninentrtry instruntinn as to impleDiems and processes can be got nowhere else jo well. .Nono other can supply the deimnd. Tho pame is true in regard lo the scicncea and useful arts in general. The phoes for prelimiusry inntruction are th( publio schools. They, too, are (oat terd throuiih our State, tlniost literal! v withio the sight of every household. ISvery year the State gives millions to tbem. Thank God for it. Pardon me for saying that, if tliore is one thinsr in my life on wh:ch I hall never cease to reflect with gratiturie, t s that Leneath tliis roof I had the honor to introduce and report the bilis whioh maHe thnee schools free, and whieh establiehed the new normal schooli to maku them effectire But while tlius honoring primary educaion, I iosist that it is folly to wngte 1I13 special endowments of instituí ions foi udvaDced inetruction in agrioulture and miïchuuio arte in atiempting to duplícate or Bupurücdo these primary cknolB. ■ What then should the colleges for the pmnotion of agiiculture and the mechanio arts attumpt to do ? I ar.Rwer : Thcy thould take yoang min where the farm, and the woiksbop, and cotnmon school, lea?c thera, youní mea w!io have alre:idv received a good, sound knowledgi; and experience in the simple, usual p-ooesses of ajjrU-ulturo, vhöon niaster farmers; tuorntrgiij Osaua it science hearing ou agricultiire ; thoroiílily traiut'd in tlie art bearing on agriculture ; traineii by studies of natu-o to use tfieir powers of obst-rvation ; tuined by etudien of ncieüce to use their povcis ff príiotical ro.ion ; trained by tul1 uf hoih sciencies aud arts to briug th's? powers if obearvation and reasonhig to bear ou important practical questioim. Having leamed much of the mual proeesses of farm work, they should b nmde to investígate Hhe now proccis, ti ti ii cl the facU or i'.iMacien iu tliem. Ihcy should be made to study not merc!p the plow and the plowing, as they duld e:i"ily study theni wi'hout stirrin rom tlieir fathors' farms, hut the very lest tlicory aud practioe of p!ows and dowiiw, of eDriohmtíDt of soils, of draininií oí lüiids, of ntatiou of crops, of cotidtructio of buildings, or breadiug il a:iii:i:ils. aud the like. Witb thesa should also be taught the principies of ao:ounts, so tbat the etuient wotild know, not in ely the farmingí wliioh a inilliomtiru might play at to copíete h: ■ fonui.e, but tbo larmini w!;ii-h a thrifty sutllcr tuig it vvork ut lo iiicreaso Lis fortune. I wnuld let uo man gradua'e until, in addition to his thorough examioatioa in pre aud pplied soience, he had goue O'it on the turrn witli two ezperieueed tgriculturista, and bad [ a-si-d u pluin, tburougb, commii seuüu examinutiuD iu practical agrioiilture, answering thoir ijueetious how ibis field was treatud, uud wby ; wliat labor was employed on that tield, and with wbut eoonomio result ; what he would reoommeud for tbo other field and why ; and so on to ihe "satisfaetion ot the special committeo. Ynu ni n y by these metliods send forth evcry year a brood of apowtles of improïüd ngriculture which ehull be bet ter soientitically, practieally, aud eciioinically ; apostles wbo sliall develo)) agiiculcural viccs ; vhnc farms shitll bu centerH of new aud good ideas ; fortrtBsus aauiBt quaekei y. We are nut to entablish a reform 8choil,cor au intellectual alma bouse. Wc should lak.' Bouud, maiily, ospablr young men, wbere the farms, the sbopaud tbc preliminary schools leave ibein, and give thcm back to the country, strong to develop and inoreae the re souroes of Deihborboods, States, nnd