S 537 .1164 Copy 1 1 X AN ADDRESS ON THE CONDITION AID OFFICE OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OP THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, Delivered in the Hall of the House of Kepresentatives, Jan. 14, 1861, BY PROF. L. K. FISK, A. M. -< — « 1^ I » — »- ^^i ^ LANSING-: Hosmer Sc Kerr, JBoolc and. Job I*rin.tors. 1861. Legislature, ) j House Doc. 1861. [ \ No. 3. [ No. 3. ] Mr. Chairman and Fellow Citizens : It is the right of every citizen of the State to be made ac- quainted with the 'exact condition of all our public institutions. Established as the Agricultural College was, in conformity with a requirement of the Constitution and the will of the people, it is but proper that we should present a statement of its progress, the difficulties that have beset it, the work it proposes to accom- plish, and- its relations -to the industrial prosperity and educa- tional advancement of the land. No educational institution of a high grade is built up in a day. The growth of colleges is proverbially slow. Even when established in conformity with our old and accredited system of education, it is universally true that many years are required to secure that development which gives permanency and effi- ciency. Half a score of years is much less time than is usually . eeded to gain a position among the colleges of the land. In- 3 • House Doc. deed, the minority of a college is seldom less than the minority of a human being. Even our own University, now so efficient, and deservedly held in high esteem, was compelled to struggle for a comparatively long period with many serious obstacles which blocked up its road to success. The Michigan State Agricultural College was opened for the reception of students a little more than 3^ years ago. That it has found peculiar difficulties with which to contend, is no more than should have been anticipated, and which the circum- istances rendered wholly unavoidable. I think it is not too much to assert that when the Legislature passed the Act of Organization, there was no man living that could -lay down the details of the system proper to pursue. The field was entirely a new one. Michigan was taking the lead in founding an In- dustrial College. There was, therefore, no precedents to guide us. We could not avail ourselves of the experience of others. Wc had to make a system; we had to manufacture an ex- perience. Standing then at the beginning of a new enterprise, with no aids in the past, with no assistance in the present, and the future to make for ourselves, it would have been miracu- lous had the way been free from all obstructions. We should have reali; ed what was never experienced before, among insti- tutions of learning, in civil governments, in the religious world, or in the prosecution of any untried enterprise. What are the special wants of the farming community to be provided for? What shall I e the course of instruction ? How broad — how narrow ? How shall study and labor be united, so that neither shall detract from the other? As the indoor instruc- tion must be given by several Professors, how shall this instruc- tion be practically illustrated on the farm which must be under the general supervision of one man ? What shall be the system of remuneration of labor ? What work shall be jiaid for, and what shall be considered as strictly educational, and, therefore, demanding no pecuniary compensation? What policy shall bo adopted in regard to the experimental farm ? Shall the exper- iments be prosecuted entirely by the Farm Superintendent, or No. 3. 3 in part by the Professors, illustrating- and deciding principles in their several departments ? If the latter, how shall it all be systematized, and put in perfect running order ? Indeed, in- volving so much of machinery as an Agricultural College must, having so many wants to meet, and objects to accomplish ; and being necessarily complicated therefore, how shall all this ma- chinery be harmonized, and the several objects secured ? Shall we look to Europe for a solution of the scores of prac- tical questions that arise? We may derive some aid from this source, but our difficulties are not all removed. America is not like Europe. The entire genius of our peoole differs from thatof the nations of the Old World. The state of society in which we live, the tenure of landed property, the social and in- dustrial standing of the agricultural class, the wants therefor to be provided for ; these all make our position peculiar, and prevent the imitation of the system of European schools. It would be highly absurd to think of engrafting on our policy any institutions of the Old World without radical modifications. There is a degree of impatience among the American people, for the realization of great results, in regard to any enterprise. yfe cannot afford to wait the fashioning hand of time. We ex- pect the acorn to become the rugged, massive oak, in a day. The natural process of growth is too tardy and old fashioned for this wide-awoke, go-a-head nation. The impossibility of realizing speedy results from the College farm, such as are contemplated in the law, becomes evident from its new and unimproved condition. The land must first be cleared and subdued before reliable experiments can be per- formed. In considering what the Agricultural College will yet become, it is wholly unsafe to reason from the past. Had the Institution been located on an improved farm, so that an exten- sive series of experiments could liave been commenced imme- diately, the means of securing many of the objects for which the College was founded, would have been much sooner within its reach. Much of the expense at first incurred was for the purpose of hastening the day when these experiments could be •4 House Doc. commenced. Labor, therefore, which would be unprofitable in general luisbandvy, it became absolutely necessary to apply to prepare tlic soil at as early a day as possible for puUing- in operation the experimental farm. To illustrate my meaning. It is in general a poor investment of means io remove the stumps from land from which the timber has been but recently cleared. It is better to seed it down until decomposition has so far progressed that it can be cultivated with the plow, not removing the stumps till from their natural decay it may be easily done. During the fust year of the College, the stumps were extracted from some 20 acres of ground as a part of the process of rapid subjugation, that the idea of an experimental farm might be more speedily realized. But these diflQcuHies that have obstructed the free course of the College have been gradually surmounted, and a point is now reached where determinate plans may be formed, N^nd definite results safely predicted. The Agricultural College must consist of three general de- partments — an Experimental Farm, a Model or Practical Farm, and the School. The establishment of an Experimental Farm was one of the leading purposes of the institution. That successful agriculture results from strict conformity to fixed and immutable laws, is so evidently true that it needs no proof. Every plant has its own mode of growth, and invariably requires the existence of certain essential conditions. These necessary conditions are determined by experiment and close observation; by a minute inspection of the phenomena of vege- table growth amid the ever varying circumstances of the physi- cal world. Agric^ilture is the creature of experiments. Its foundatitm was laid in experiments ; its framcAvovk has been reared through experiments ; as u temple of art, every timber has been fitted in its place by the hand of experiment. Why plant corn in the spring of the year, rather than in the fall ? Why select a particular time in the spring ? Why plant at a certain depth ? Why not plant at the same depth as the No. 3. 5" potatoe ? Why cultivate in a certain way ? Why harvest it at a certain time ? Indeed, why tlie special mode of culture of this and every other crop ? Has not the knowledge we possess been derived from experiments ? The world has been experimenting' for six thousand years. This mighty art, on which rests the support of the race, with which is linked the very life of man, is wholly the product of experiments. There is every reason to believe that this department of the Institution may become a source of great profit to the people of the State. Unqucstionabl}^ the productiveness of the soil is not what it should be, for two reasons : 1st, from ignorance among the mass of the pet-ple of the principles already de- termined ; and 2d, because many more experiments are yet re- quired to l)ring to liglifc truths which have a direct bearing on the cultivation of the soil. I know that a great deal is said against book-farming. Certainly that which is true is not ren- dered false, nor that which is false, true, by publication in a book or paper. Doubtless there are scores of statements on agricultural sub- jects which find their wa}'' to the press that are utterly false, and calculated to mislead. It may be stated as a general rule that theories are unsafe until tested by experience. The object of a Stato Experimental Farm is to officially test these theories, to establish those which, are correct, and disprove those which are false. A single experiment here performed, and officially published to the world, in detail, with all the circumstances and conditions fully stated, may save the people of the State thou- sands of dollars. Instead of every farmer incurring- the ex- pense of prosecuting each separate experiment, and if the re- sult be unfavorable, thus indefinitely augmenting the aggre- gate cost, a single experiment from such an official source may settle the whole question, and effect an immense saving to the farming community. On the other hand, cxperiuients which bring to light new principles, aud establish improved methods, must have a direct effect in rendering more productive the labor of the farm. 5 . House Doc. Most of the experiments prosecuted throughout the country afford but little reliable information, cither from neglect to note all the circumstances, conditions and results, or from inability to determine what those conditions are. For illustration : Everybody knows that the plant grows and matures in accord- ance with certain unchangeable laws. Each plant has nearly a fixed composition, and the material which builds up its organ- ism must come from the soil and air. A certain amount of heat is necessary ; a certain degree of moisture, together with the light of the sun. Now, every experiment on every class of plants, involves the principles of both Chemistry and Botany :. and unless these are understood and regarded, no bne can fully appreciate the lesson taught Should the object be — to take a special case — to determine the value of a certain fertilizer in raising wheat, it is not enough to simply apply it and note the results. Should it increase the yield, it will not prove it to be generally adapted to the growth of wheat ; nor should it fail tf» effect the crop will it prove it to be generally useless for this, purpose. It may have failed to improve the crop, not because it did not contain the elements the plant needed, but because the soil was already richly supplied ; or if it improved the crop it might have been one of those exceptional cases which wt>uld not occur again in a hundred times. It is necessary, then, to know not only the chemical composition of the fertilizer used, but also the composition of the soil, and the chemical wants of the plant raised. But this is not the time to dwell on this subject at great length. I will only repeat, that it is often rncZ^x^/JsaW^ to deter- mine the composition of the soil experimented on; the composi- tion of the fertilizer applied ; the composition of the plant rais- ed, as to its earthy constituents, its fattening qualities, its nu- tritive value, with all the phenomena attending its growth and, ripening, in connection with the amount of yield, at the same time that tlie facts of moisture, heat, climate &c., are all dis- tinctly observed and noted ; while a careful study of the whole subject shall give to each element in this problem of growth it* No. 3. T due weight. The want of such means of investigation as maj be collected at a College in Chemistry, Botany and Zoology, renders it absolutely impossible for the farmer to conduct many dxpcriment ? with that precision and completeness required for arriving at definite results. The greater part of our published experiments are European, They are to us suggestive, and often exceedingly valuable ; and so far as they conform, to the conditions on this side of the waters, and proceed on general principles simply, they are quite indispensable. But who does not know that the mode of cul- ture in Europe is not adapted to America ? that should it be introduced here it would be an utter failure ? With such a vast difference in climate, with a soil unlike theirs, with every special condition modified to an important degree, our agriculture must essentially differ from that of the Old World. And even Mich- igan, situated as she is within the lakes, has many climatic characteristics peculiar to herself. The farming of New Eng- land is not the farming for us. We have special problems in agriculture here to solve ; problems that cannot be solved in New York, Pennsylvania, or Illinois. We are compelled to prose^cute our own experiments, and make our own determina- tions. We cannot rely on the rest of the world to do this work for us. He who would circumscribe the College simply to the office of imparting instruction to the young men who should resort thither for studj'^ and improvement, has a very inadequate view of the work it proposes to accomplish. It should occupy a broader field than this. It should reach every farm in the State. It should send forth its enlightening influence throughout the whole land. Every farmer should feel that he has special inter- ests here ; that the College is a co-laborer with him in the noblest " pursuit of man. Dignified to the office of toiling in the great work of feeding the race, it has a noble purpose to guide it. It must, therefore, aim to be in its own department of labor, a fountain of original knowledge. Investigations should be earn- estly and continuously prosecuted here, and every effort made, 8 House Doc. as rapidly as the condition of the farm will allow, to make this one of the most useful and attractive features of the Institution. Another department of the College is the model or practical farm. On this no experiments are to be performed. Jt is to be conducted according to the most approved system of husbandry, so far us already determined. It has various uses: 1st. It is cultivated for the income, the same as any private farm. ?d. It furnishes the students the opportunity of laboring, so essential for their health, and so convenient for providing means to prosecute their studies. 3d. It affords them the facilities of illustrating practically on the farm the instructions of the lecture room. 4th. It should be a model in neatness, order, system, and economy, both to the students and to the people of the State. All its accounts being kept separate, as its design wholly differs from that of the experimental farm, the skill with which it is managed will be measured by the profits arising from the same. The third department is the school. That so long a period should have elapsed before any ade- quate provision was made for systematic instruction in the science of farming, is truly remarkable. A large proportion of the Agricultural schools of Europe have been founded within the last twenty- five or thirtj'^ years, and America is just be- ginning to awaken to the real importance of this subject. The prejudice against the term science, as applied to agri- culture, is fast wearing away. Men begin to understand that the whole vegetable kingdom is within the scope of nature's laws ; that the plant is subject to forces essential to its life ; that when proper conditions ar-^ supplied it will thrive and per- fect ; but that when some of these conditions are wanting, its growth becomes an impossibility. The object of scientific in- vestigations is to determine what these conditions are, and the simplest means of maintaining tlieiii. Our most successful farmers are practically the moat scientific. They are successful No. 3. 9 because they conform to the laws of nature, and science is but an expression of these laws. It is impossible that a farmer who violates the principles of science, wh^thei known or unknown, should succeed. Correct art is always founded on science. It is unreasonable to confound the dicta of agricultural writers with the science of agriculture. These dicta may be mere, as- sumptions, or theories unfounded in facts and 'ncapable of proof. But it is strange that any prejudice should exist against the advantage of studying and tracing out those laws of nature which operate in the conversion of the constituents of the soil and air into the plant, or by virtue of which all those changes take place which are required in successful agriculture. It seems to me that if there be a subject in the wide range of the arts demanding study and thought, this is one. There is', indeed, UO branch of business which grasps so much of scientific truth, which rests on so broad a foundation, which is so justly entitled to the rank of a learned profession. L>)ok where you will, and you can find nn pursuit of man that presents so rich a field for research, so exhaustless a mine of truth, so abundant a harvest ^ of thought. The forces of the material world seem to have all centered here. The kingdoms of nature all do 'ts bidding. No agriculturist can explain the philosophy of his labor without diving deeply into Chemistry, into Botany, into Zoology, into Geology, into Mineralogy, into Meteorology, into Mathematics, into Philosophy. The study of these sciences with reference to their application to agriculture is eminently practical. Let us look at a few of the problems A\'ith which it deals] What are the essential constituents of a fertile soil ? What is the cause of the unproductiveness of the soil ? Is it from the absence of one or more of its elements ; or is it from an excess of some of its constiuents, or from their state of chemical combination, or from some defect in its physical condition, or from two or more of these causes combined ? What manures supply the waste of the soil effected hj the raising of wheat, oats, corn, barley, potatoes, hay, or other crops ? What ele- 2 10 / House Doc. ments, and in what proportion, are removed from the soil by the different species of plants? IIow do the constituents re- moved from the soil by the several varieties of wheat differ, or the several varieties of corn, oats, potatoes, &c ? What is the proportion. of fattening material in each of the several grains, the amount of nutritive matter, the percentage of starch, and the degree of fibrous and waste material ? AVhat influence have the different modes of culture on the proportions of these con- stituents ? To what extent is starch or sugar fattening ? Are the fibrous portions of the plant in any degree nutritious. What is the difference in composition of vegetable and an- imal manures ? and of the solid and liquid portions of tlie lat- ter ? and to what crops may each be most economically applied ? IIow may these manures be most perfectly preserved ? Wben should quicklime be applied as a manure, when the carbonate of lime, when the sulphate of lime, when the phosphate of lime ? How may we determine the value of the various special ma- nures ? By what system of husbandry may we preserve most iuUy the fertility of the soil ? But the questions which can be answered only by the joint labor of science, and practice, arc almost without number. They reach forth into every domain of the physical world. Turn over any page of nature, and we find them there. Pursue any line of research in creation about us, and we discover that some of its avenues lead directly to the farm. Indeed, this pur- suit has made every department of nature tributary. That a destructive system of husbandry has been pursued in this country, is no less remarkable than true. The soil has been gradually and perceptibly diminishing in productiveness The foundations of our national prosperity as an agricultural people have been sensibly giving way. The only compensation has been an enlargement of this foundation so as to cover new lands, in order to supply the waste of the old. This yearly con- sumption of capital, leaving the several districts poorer in the wealth of the soil, is a subject that may well demand the atten- tion of the })olitical economist. This country is strictly agricul- No. 3 11 tural. This must always be true of the principal part of the West. Should this process of soil-impoverishment continue, thejimitof our population must be a very narrow one. It is well worth our serious consideration whether we arc not inflicting an irre- 1" arable injury on the future of this country by this wasteful and destructive policy of farming. The coming- greatness of the whole North-west is centered in her agriculture. If we seek to augment the wealth of the land, we must do it through her agriculture. If we wish to build up our works of internal im- provement, and establish on a firm foundation the facilities for substantial material prosperity, it must be effected through our agriculture. If we look to the accumulation of means for the great work of educating the mass of tlic people, or prosecuting' any benevolent enter^jrise, we must depend on our agriculture. If we desire to augment the power of. the West in a political point of view, creating capital that shall invite population, lay- ing a solid basis for the support of a mighty people, the road is open to us principally in the direction of agriculture. In referring to the gradual deterioration of soil, the lato James F. W. Johnston, the English agricultural chemist, says : " General illustrations of this sure though slow decay, may be met with in the agricultural history of almost every country. In none, perhaps, are they more striking than in the older slave States of Nortli America. Maryland, Vii'giuia and North Caro- lina — once rich and fertile — by a long continued system of forced and exhausting culture, have become unproductive in many places, and vast tracts have been abandoned to appar- ently hopeless sterility. Such lands it is possible to reclaim, but at Avhat an expense of time, labor, manure, and skillful man- agement ! It is to be hoped that the newer States will not thus sacrifice their future power and prospects to present and tem- porary wealth — that the fine lands ***** which now yield Indian corn and wheat, crop after crop, without intermis- sion and without manure, will not be so cropped till their strength and substance is gone ; but that a better conducted and more skilful husbandry will continue, vnthout diminishing 12f House Doc. the present crop, to secure a permanent fertility to that naturally rich and productive country." Our country in all the sources of prosperity and greatness, will be blighted by the impoverishment of our soils. Destroy the fertility of our lands, and you drive population as well as capital from us. Make our farms rich, increase" the intrinsic value of the soil, and Michigan will not only retain her inhabi- tants, but wiU be a ccnlie of immigration ; she will be a spot sought by the wealtli-loving citizens of other States. "By a calculation that appeared several years ago in a Re- port of the United States Patent Office, it was estimated that one Ihoiifiand millions of dollars would not vnoro than restore to their original richness and strength the one hundred million acres of land in the United States which liad already been par- tially exhausted of their fertility." That sum at this day is probably far below the true amount. The loss in tl)e products of the soil cver}'^ year from its impaired fertility, is doubtless vastly more than the whole expense of tlio General Government. Indeed, T am convinced that should the so'ls of the United States be restored to their original richnesS; the increased profits of our husbandry would more than equal all the expenses of our Government — National, State and local. Now every inteUigcnt agriculturist knows that hy a judi- cious system of farming, which woidd have been temporarily and permanently profitable, all of this destruction of farming capital ccmld have been saved. Now why has it not been saved? dertainly this waste has not been premeditated. It musi liave been from an ignorance of those foundation princi- . pies hi Agriculture by which men acquire wealth more rapiilly by gradually enriching the soil, than l)y gradually iiiipoverish- ing it. May not the farmer derive profit irom an acipiaintance with those laws of nature wliich he must call to his aid in de- veloping the products of the soil, and on which he is wholly dopcndcnt foi his success ? But we believe tlie day is dawning on this night of darkness. No. 3. 13 The following admirable sentiments are quoted from Dr. Lee's Report to the Secretary of the Interior : " Many who have labored for the improvement ot Agriculture and the elevation of the Agriculturists, for a quarter of a cen- tury, with little hope of reward, now realize the beginning of an auspi{',i(jus change in public sentiment. Thanks to agricul- tural societies and jrurnals, the people will soon discover that labor and capital devoted to tillage and husbandry, are as worthy of legislative consideration and aid, as when applied to mining, commerce and manufactures. It is indeed wonderful ho\v long those enlightened farmers, who, like Washington, cherish a due respect for their high call- ing, have had to beg and beg in vain, of State Legislatures and Congress, for a little assistance to prevent the universal impov- erishment of Ameiican soils. Neither the earnest recommenda- tion of the illustrious farmer of Mi)unt Vernon, nor tlic prayei'S of two generations of agriculturists, nor the painful fact that nearly all the tilled lands were becoming less and less product- ive, could indnoe any Legislature to foster the study of Agricul- ture as a science. Happily this term when used in'^connection with rural afiiairs, is no longer the subject of ridicule. A great principle is involved in the science or Agriculture, which reaches through indefinite generations, and forms the basis of all pcssible improvements, and o'" the highest hopes of our race. As a nation of farmers, i^it not time that we inquire ■what means, and on what terms the fruitfulness of the earth, and its invaluable products moy be forever maintained, if not forever improved? ^ These are questions of universal concernment, to the careful and rigid investigation of which, no man should refuse to lend a listening ear. A governmental policy which results in im- poverishing the natural fei'tility of the land, must have an end. It is only a qaestion of time, when tliis truly spendthrift course, this abuse of the goodness of Providence, shall meet with its inevitable punishment. A lack of mental culture and discipline is the most serioua 14 House Doc. impediment to the diffusion of agricultural science among the farmers. Its language to them is an unknown tongue. Hence the sublime truths in the economy of nature are shut out from the popular understanding. It is feared this will ever be the case until schools designed to teach these branches of learning, which the farmer greatly needs but does not possess, are estab- lished and mantained throughout the United States." There is deep wisdom in the remark of Dr. Lee, that " a great principle is involved in the science of Agriculture which reaches through indefinite generations, and forms the basis of all possi- ble improvements, and of the highest hopes of our race." The wealth of the world must ever keep pace exactly with the value of the products of the soil. Diminish the fruits of the soil, and you must curtail other branches of business. Increase the fruits of agricultural labor, and other departments of business will admit of like expansion. The wealth of the world, the ex- tent of its population, the means of civilization and human en- lightenment, and all its forms of material power, rest on Agri- culture as a basis, and you can never shift them from this foun- dation. Should not therefore the promotion of this pursuit be a leading purpose of the race? Should it not receive the first and chief attention ? As from- it all other trades derive their life and support, is it not the height of folly, and even suicidi to ignore its claims ? Although in the history of nations Agriculture has generally been the last pursuit to receive legislative aid, either directly or indirectly, yet it has generally been the fault of farmers themselves. An earnest and united appeal to our law-makers from this powerful class could, not certainly be disregarded. Indeed, our law makers depend on tli« votes of farmers for the positicjn they hold. The trouble has been that the need of any special preparation for the duties of their calling has too seldom been distinctly realized. The wind that blows, the rain that falls, the sunlight from heaven, the liglitning flash, tlie mountain that rears its top to the skies, the valley that divides the highlands, the broad ex- No. 3. 15 panse of ocean, the immense sweep of the prairies, the position of lakes, the relations of marshes, the contiguity of forests, every condition, indeed, of the physical world, modifies its agri- culture. The Deity has placed the farmer amid the most splen- did collocation of forces. They sport about him, above him, and beneath him. Grand, like the surgings of the atmospheric ocean ; terrific, like the vivid flash of lightning, or silent as the sumbeam painting the face of nature with its gorgeous color" ings ; this grand array of forces combine their influence to make the vegetable kingdom wliat we find it. Whether he re- alizes the fact or not, the tiller of the soil is dealing^ with the most delicately adjusted forces ; and the success of his labors depends on the harmony with Avhich he works these forces. Is there no advantage to the mariner in understanding the eea on which he sails ; the traveler, the country through which he travels ; the warrior, the plans of the enemy ? Has the painter no need of vision ; the musician no need of hearing ? And has the farmer nothing to gain from comprehending these laws of nature, which he must daily handle, and whose behests he must obey ? Medical and law schools have been established and sustained simply because they were demanded by this class of our citi- zens. Young men entering these professions have felt the. need of some special preparation that cannot so well be secured in any other way. And it cannot be doubted that if, with the same unanimity, agricultural colleges had been demanded by the farming community, they would before this have been in successful operation in every State of the Union. So far as numbers are concerned, and poAver, too, if their influence were concentrated and brought to bear, the government is in their hands. They own the capital and the^'' cast the votes ; and they have only clearly to discern the advantages within their reach, to be induced to stretch forth their hands and la}' hold upon the gain they may secure. Happily the lethargy which has rested on this class of our citizens is fast being dispelled. The sound has gone (ovih, and 16 House Doc. the notes of preparation are being heard all through these States. An incroafcied interest is daily being felt in the subject of agri- cultural education. The farmers begin to realize that they have rights which all men are bound to respect, and if asserted, they will be respected, for both interest and inclination" will combine to effect this result. Permit me, partly as a recapitulation, to present connectedly and briefly some of the benefits which arc expected to flow froni an Agricultural College. 1st. It will be a source of original knowledge. The experi- ments instituted cannot fail in time to advance the science of Agriculture, both bj revealing more successful methods of farming, and warning against those processes that tire unprofit- able. Much light should originate from this source. With the cordial co-operation of intelligent farmers throughout the State, suggesting experiments and tests which would solve questions practically important : feeling chat the Institution was founded to aid them, and that they are doing here bj^ proxy that which it is often impossible for private farmers to furnish facilities to accomplish by themselves ; and being governed by enlightened views, we can unitedly make this Institution a guiding star to tlie farmers of the State Farmers of Michigan, the College is yourn, and it is in your power t<* make it eminently useful. 2d. "By the labors of the farm the instructions of the lecture room may be illustrated and impressed on the mind. In gain- ing a knowledge of the scientific principles involved in Agri- culture, practice should never be separated from theoretical instruction. Yoang men should nol only learn the principles, but they sh(;uld bo taught to apply them, and thereby they learn them more perfectly and in a wider sense. » 3d. The Institution furnishes extensive means of instruction in the scientific priciples of farming. The truths established by experiments prosecuted in difl'erent parts of the world arc ■presented; the student is made acquainted with those facts and laws of the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms which throw any light on the ])hilosophy of Agriculture. Special No. 3. 17 facilities, such as Laboratory, Museum, Cabinet, Herbarium, Botanical Garden, are provided for imparting' instruction such as no farmers can derive from a private source. 4tb. Agriculture becomes ennobled by its association with study. Being the leading element in a college course in a State Institution, it is invested v/ith an importance, education- ally which is not usually awarded to it. 5th. Manual labor is made honorable, and all become im* pressed with the idea that it is honorable. There is a feeling too prevalent among the young that it fs dishonorable to labor. Here is a positive requirement. It is indeed an essential element in the success of the Institution, and all are taught to look upon it as a part of a great plan to accomplish an impor- tant work. 6th. It will exert a strong hifluencc in retaining educated young men in industrial pursuits. In almost every case young men in college acquire a disinclination to labor, as well as a physical incapacity for labor. They are shut out from the labor- ing world ; they do not mingle with it ; they luse their sympa- thy for it : they are accustomed to regard themselves as occu- pjdng a peculiarly favored place'^mong ■ the laboring class. Hence they crowd what are called the learned professions as presenting attractions peculiarly suited to their tastes. College training generally draws an impassable line between educated talent and the industrial world. If the object be to educate all classes, this certainly is u serious evil. Says one of the Profes- sors in (mr own State University in a communication some time since given to the public, " In the University designed for the training of professional men, the destined agriculturist will not only fail to obtain that kind of liberal training, and scientific knowledge which are adapted to his life, but there will be noth- ing congenial in the atmosphere of such an institution to the moral and social nature of the farmer whose habits of life re- move him from those who resort to Universities," The truth of this statement is plain to all. The spirit of such l^ HousK Doc. institutions is necessarily adverse to the habits of the working classes. T; kc four or five years of that part of a young man's life in wliich he is cultivating the mind, a-quiring habits of thought, assuming mentally a fixed characlcr ; in which he is making preparation for his future career, and shut him out from the business world ; keep him from mingling with it, give him an entirely different atmosphere ; make him breathe it, and get accustomed to it, and love it, so that his habits of thought and his spirit shall be wholly disconnected from industrial pursuits, and will you not cflectually produce a total alienation of his life from those scenes requiring labor ? How can it be expected that a man will become intetested in labor when you educate him to neglect and wholly ignore it? And just so long as ouv colleges pursue their present system, will there be an inevitable tenden- cy to form two classes in society, the uneducated laboring class, and the educated non-laboring class. Now I look upon the sys- tem of Agricultural Colleges, imparting a knowledge of Agri- culture, and embodying labor as an essential element, as de- signed to work the grandest results in favor of industrial pur- suits, by retaining the sons of the farmer on the farm, and thrusting edticated talent into those branches of business de- manding labor. Should these be the only beneficial effects growing out of these institutions, they would amply repaj"^ the cost. They would ultimately increase the farming capital far more than the expense incurred in their support Itli. Agricultural Colleges afford plijsical as well as mental education. There can be no question but that close study with- out labor or vigorous exercise, shuitens life. The organization of our Institutions of learning, should be such as not to endan- ger health. Tin's m certainly «f the utmost impbrtauee. Expe- rience, as well as theory in this Institution, sustains the fact that a certain amount of labor contributes to the health of the student, while at the same time it does ii"' i" fi" '.east arrest mental progress, but rather promotes it. 8th, The Agricultural College .will exert a direct intluence on the education of the young. The departments of science which No. 3 19 must here receive especial attention, arc precisely those which arc now monopoHzing the thoughts of the most learned men of the ag-e. There is everywhere, indeed, in this particular line of ^tudy, intense activity. ^Scientific associations are formed, sci- entific journals published, and the liveliest interest is mani fested in bringing to light those mighty truths of nature which have too long been concealed from our view. Men are giving their lives without hope of pecuniary reward to the prosecution of these scientific researches. And it is a significant fact that these several branches of science, which necessai'ily form the principal part of the course of study in an agricultural college, and which must receive a much larger share of attention than can be devoted to them in otlaer institutions, arc the very studies which are now profoundly taxing the intellect of the scientific world. In this way an agricultural college naturally and necessarilj' falls into the spirit of the age, and moves in the same channel of truth. Thus while science, in its rapid development, cannot fail to lend important aid to agriculture, agricultural colleges must reciprocate the favor by entering into the work of scientific researches. 9th. There are moneyed arguments in favor of such an insti- tution. I have before said that the more scientific the farming, the more successful it is ; and that it is successful because of its conformity to nature's laws. By giving instruction in genuine scientific agriculture, not the intangible, chimerical theories of the speculatist, but theories dignified into substantial, well- established science, much good must be accomplished in a pe- cuniary point of view. Is it possible that a man should not be benefitted by an intimate acquaintance with the material on • which he bestows his labor? The light that would emanate from this source, being felt all through our State, in its aggregate influence, would add mwch to the productiveness of our farm- ing capital. Again, by elevating the character of the people of the Stale, raising the reputation of this commonwealth abroad, it will aid in inviting among us men of intelligence and capital, thus adding to our sources of income far more than the cost of 20 House Doc. the support of the college. Capital will always centre whero there exist the most intelligent means for its use. lOth. But all who enter such an Institution ma}' not go forth from the College to labor on the farm, but maiiy of them will engage in other pursuits in life. This may be true, as it is with all our professional schools. But let. A vastly larger propor- tion will devote themselves to Agriculture, than though they pursued their studies in other Institutions ; and 2d. Every class of men of whatever calling, would be benefited by a knowledge of Agriculture as a science and art. This is the great and lead- ing interest of the land. All men in this country nmst in one way or another, come in contact with this Agricultural element This foundation art, tlien, in the business world, whoso facts arc woven through every department of life, and :\v)iich meet ua in almost every transaction, should bo studied to some extent by all. Aside from the beneficial effects of this system of study on healtli, and its favoral)lc influence on habits of industry, the young wouhl acquire a knowledge of the principles and practice of this, the most wide-spread and pei'vading branch of business of the whole country, and Avliich is iutiinatcly connected v.n"th our prosperity as a nation. I can see ;x special advantage ac- cruing to persons in almost every pursuit, from a siimewhat minute acquaintance with this subject ; an advantage not de- rived from any other art. But when in later years men retire from the more stjirring scenes of business or public life to the quiet of tlie farm, as they almost universally seek to do, they find a more direct and practical use for the knowledge they acquired in earlier days. It is well known that the most un- profitable, and often ruinous expenditure,'^ of mean^', arc seen among that class of men who, without any previous experience, xindertako the management of farms at a somewliat advanced age. They discover when it is too late, that Agriculture is not 80 simple an art as they had supposed, and that previous study and practice are absolutely necessary to success. At this period in the history of the Agricultural College, and •while the subject of similar Institutions is engrossing so largo No. 3. 21 a share of the attention of the American people, it may be well for lis to stop and consider whether the system which was recom- mended by the State Agricultural Society, and adopted by the Le- gislature at its session in 1855, and which has, therefore, become the policy of the State, was wiselj^ planned, or whether a radical mistake was committed in the organization of the College. This is certainly a pertinent inquiry at this particular time, when the public sentiment of the several States which arc now establishing industrial Colleges is with great unanimity drifting toward the creation of separate and independent Institutions. If this sentynent be wrong, we should seek to correct it ; if right, the reasons for it will appear upon due reflection. Michi- gan is the accredited leader, not only as regards the priority of time of founding an Agricultural College, but also the form of organization ; and the responsibility of tlic position we occupy is thus correspondingly increased. It is not simply the success of our owri Institution that is involved ; but of a great enter- prise on which several States of the Union have already em- barked. The principal reason, and indeca the only one that can be given for attaching Agricultural Colleges to other institutions, that appears to have much force, is that of economy. But is not this vague notion of economy to a great extent dispelled by a close analysis of the subject? Those who have imagined that a Cliair of Agriculture, simply in our ordinary Colleges, is all that is renuired, have formed very inadequate views of the wants to be provided for. In tlie first place, tJierc is scarcely a professorship that is essential in a separate Agricultural College but that would have to be organized in addition to the regular force if it were but a departm.ent. 1 need scarcely remind y^u that the branches which constitute the principal part of the course of study in an Agricultural School arc precisely those to which ordinarily the least attention is given in College. For illustra- tion. Usually but i'ew lectures are given in Zoology. In an Agricultural College, the importance of the subject requires 22 UousK Docj, that /joolog-y and Animal Physiology should employ the v/holt time of Olio man. Ordinarily, also, but a few weeks are devoted to the study of Botany and Vegetable Physiology. In an Agri- cultural College the extent of scientific and professional in. struction demanded in this department, renders a separate Chair of Botany and Vegetable Physiology indispensable. In Colleges of "Arts, Sciences, and Literature," the Chemical Department generally embraces simply Elementary Chemistry. In an Agricultural College, the applications of Cliemistry to Agriculture must constitute the principal part of a professor- ship. Geology and Mineralogy usually receive but little atten tion in College; and Meteorology none at all. The intimate re- lations of these sciences to Agriculture afford scope and labor enough to employ the whole time of one man. In Mathematics the subject of Rural Engineering is supplementary to the in- struction given, and necessarily inci'eases the expense. It was well said by Gov. Blair in his inaugural message, that the Agricultural College " should teach far more thoroughly and extensirely the sciences that relate to Agriculture than any ordinary College." In addinon to all of this, aside from the Mechanic Arts, the general subject of practical Agriculture opens up a wide field of instruction which must also be provided for. Thus, if the object be to teach scientific agriculture, an ex- tensive acquaintance must be secured with those sciences which explain the philosophy of Agriculture. A Chair of Ag- riculture, then, without the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of those sciences which lie at the foundation of this art, every one will readily see, could not accomplish the object sought. Therefore, to cover the additional instruction de- manded in ■og ■ House Doc. examination i)f items, thai no unnecessary or extravagant de- manfl has been made. The amount has been reduced to the lowest possible sum. Economy should be studied in public as well as iu itiivatc enterprises. AVcrc the amount $30,000 instead of $25,000 — that is, §15,000 a year — it would be at the rate of two cents to each inhabitant. Do the people of the State realize tlie difference this makes in their taxes ? Were the capital of the State $300,000,000 according- to the true valuation, and by the Keport of the Auditor General it is now nearly that amount, $15,000 wduld be a tax of one-twentieth of a mill, $100 would be taxed ^ cent; $1,000, 5 cents, and $20,000 would sustain a tax of $1. Should the annual appropriations then be $lb,0U0, whicli is more than is asked, as the capital of the State increases, the rate of taxation will be gradually reduced. To uinclccn-tAvcntieths of the peoitle of the State this tax is wholly inai)preciablo. You strike it out of the assessment and it would not be known. But it is wholly uniiecessary for mo to nuikc these state- ments lioro befure this company of intelligent Legislators. Every thoughtful man knows that the whole expense of the State government even is no real burden upon the people; but that nearly all tlie taxes collected are appropriated to county, town, and school-district purposes, aside from the labor be- stowed on the highway. It is not the taxes men [)ay that eat up their income, but the hundreds of little tilings whicli arc considered trifling at the time, but which, should they be taken in gross, would appear enormous. To illustrate my mean- ing, take a single item. A tobacconist informs mc that he estimates the value of the tobacc<» manufactured in the State at $500,000. lint as a largo part of the tobacco consuhicd liere is not manufactured in Micliigaji, the consumption must far exceed this amount. Should the peo[)le of the State refrain from the use of this delicacy for but a single year, and appro- priate the savings to such a purpose, how many public institu- tutions think you it would build up? It would certainly be a long time befure Michigan would be called upon to appropriate No. 3. 29 anything further lor her asyhims or other public works. The appropriatio)! aslcccl for tlu; Cvollct^c the coining 3"car, would not buy a cigar apiece for one-half of tlu^ people of the State. The Legislature tlirec years ago, authorized the College to take possession of certain swamp lands situated in the town- ships of Dowitt and IJatli, in the county of Clinton, and Lansing and .Ueridian, in tlic county' of Ingham, anioiinting in all to a little less than TOGO acres. Some 3200 acres of these lands are in one continuous mass, and arc situated about 2| miles duo north from tlie ('ollego, and are connected with the College Farm by other portions of the swamp lands, with tlio exception of J of a m.ilo in tJ tree different places, making | of a mile in alh ,'\ road, therefore, constructed froi'i tlie College Farm to thig large marsh on the town line separating Lansing from Meridian, ■would be on the lijie of tliese lands, and would also serve for drainage of the same. Siiould the Legislature comply with tho recDiiuaejulation of Governor "Wisncr, and put tlie fee of these lands in tho ofllcers of the College in trust, with the privilege of selling tlie scattered portions that are not needed for use, and applying so much of the proceeds of the same as may be re- quired for drainage of the balance, and vesting the remainder as a permanent fund, there is every reason to believe that within a few years the State will be almost entirely relieved of the support of the College. Many of you are av/are that this tract of swamp lands, situ- ated just north of the College, is, for the extent of surface it covers, one of the most valuable in the State. A small stream runs ahmg its western border, and towards which from the cast tlierc is a gradual descent over the whole marsh. Arrange- ments were made fn' commencing the drainage of the same the past summer, and a small sum of money was set apart for that purpose ; but tho high water occasioned by the heavy rains, rendered it impracticable without increased expense. On this tract of a little more than SuOO acres, there are some 2000 acres of open marsh, on which no timber is standing, which only needs to be intersected with drains to be as dry and smooth as 30 ' House Doc. any meadow in the State. Then by seeding -with Timothy and Red-top, witliout the hibor of ploughing- or harrowing even, the wild grass becomes gradually and rapidly eradicated, and a beautiful and most productive meadow is formed. The surface settles and becomes compact, so that a mowing macliiue may be used as conveniently as on our best upland meadows. This large marsh can be drained at a trifling expense ; with less money than would probably be required to fence the same amount of land ; while the ditches thus opened would also serve to a great extent in place of fences, so far as required. Thus, in a very few years at a trivial cost, an exceedingly valu- able meadow will be secured, which will bring a large revenue to the College. Lands in the same vicinity which have been thus treated, are now valued at $50 per acre. On the outskirts of this marsh as a part of the same tract, are several hundred acres of the finest quality of upland. That the resources of this tract will be thorouglily hus- banded and be made speedily available, it is only necessary for me to state that it will be under the direct supervision of Mr. James Bayley, the present Superintendent of the College Farm, who is known to be one of the most practical and successful farmers in the State. Agriculturists are now turning their attention more that ever before to the raising of stock. The fact is beginning to be re- alized that the largest profits can be secured only by preserving the fertility of the soil ; and that in no other way can this fer- tility be so economically preserved as by means of stock-hus- bandry. It is plain to every thinking farmer, that there is not half the cxhausti(m of soil in raising stock as in an exclusively grain husbandry, provided due care is exercised in the pre- servation of the manures on the farm. To this department of farming must the Colli;ge give special attention, both for the profit pecuniarily, and the varied instruction which can thus b« imparted to llie students pursuing their professional studies here, as well as for experiments for the benefitnof lli<" people of the State. No. 3. 31 It was a very judicious and far-seeing measure of the Legis- lature of 1858, in reserving these lands from sale for the use of the college ; and if now secured to it by the legislation that is tsked, there can be no doubt but that the principal part of the current expenses of the Institution may in a few years be de- frayed from this source. [t will be remembered that two years ago a bill passed both houses of Congress donating to the States for the purpose of establishing and endowing agricultural colleges, lands to the amount of 20,000 acres for each member of Congress according to the ratio as should be decided by the census of 1860 ; but this bill failed to receive the signature of the President of the United States. Had this become a law, Michigan would proba- bly have received 160,000 acres of land, which in time would have furnished an ainple endowment. May we not reasonably hope that this policy, or one similar to it, will yet be carried )ut by the general government. ' Grants of lands have hereto- fore been made to the States for the endowment of universities, including- not only the arts, sciences and literature, but also the professional departments of law and medicine. Can any valid ground, therefore, be urged against the endowment of agricul- tural colleges from the same source, which are designed to give instruction in the principles of that department of business which monopolizes more of time and capital than all other pursuits combined ? There is nothing more reasonable than the desire to under- •^tand the principles involved in our chosen pursuits. We cer- tianly are not automatons ; we have intellectual capacities, and it is a leading purpose of nature to minister to the wants of this thinking being. The farmer is dwelling in a museum c»f won- ders ; and ten thousand forms of beauty too delicate for the un- instructed eye seek to charm the soul. There is here enough for the mind to feast upon forever. The commonest tilings about us are full of lessons of Avisdom. This volume of nature is written all over with the most glowing truths. It is, indeed, the embodiment of God's great thoughts ; a material working 32 ' House Doc. out of his plans ; an exhibit of that endless fertility of mind which holoiHjs only to Deity. Shall we not open this volume of truth to the busy world ? Shall wo not introduce the young who are to labor amid these silent but omnipotent forces, to the aesociations which surround them ? Indeed, if there be any edu- cational arguments in favor of any class of our citizens, do tliey not empliatically fipply here ? But passing by all educational Cjnsidcralions in favor of such an institution, considerations of immense importance when we take into account the adaptation of these truths of nature to the development of the mind, and the great multitude of men who from the labor of the farm are thrown within their reach, and the vast amount of talent that might thus be developed to re-act on the Avorld in its various channels of progress ; passing by these all, we say, let us ask the question, as every Yankee is sure to do, will it pay pecuni- arily ? In the I'atent Office Report of 184T appears the following re- mark : " It is a question worthy the attention of agriculturists and political economists, whether there was not absolutely more wealth invested in our soil, in fertilizing matter, at the time Columbus discovered America, than there is above the surface in improvements and investments of every kind." There is no one subject to-day that so earnestly demands the attention of the American people, as the gradual and alarming exhaustion of our soils. Every consideration requires that> this be arrested. The 3,000,000 acres of improved lands in the State certainly yield $15,000,000 to ^ 20,000,000 less of products annually than they ought to do. Why is there this fearful Avaste ? It can only be-ascribed to improper management. How is this evil to be corrected ? It can only be done by the great mass of the people ac(i[uiriug a better knowledge of the theoretical and practical principles of Agriculture. By what means may this knowledge be acquired ? The great school of practical Agri- culture is and always must be the farm. It is almost impossi- ble that a mere theorist should ever succeed. The whole vwdus operandi of Agriculture can be learned only by experience. No. 3. 33 The practical sense and shrewd discrimination gained by a long- familiarity with the every day details of the farm, are indispen- sable to success. But an art so thoroughly interwoven with the great kingdom of nature, an art which is never beyond the reach of the myriad forces of the material world, also pre-emi- nently demands close discriminating thought, and the widest range of study and research. You all know that the best farm- ers are those that think the most, and gain the most thoroughly practical knowledge of the philosophy of things. Our agricultural associations may accomplish much good for the farming interests ; and also our agricultural press, when conducted by sound, experienced farmers. But it is evident these cannot accomplish the whole work. That which has seemed to offer the highest assurances of success in supplying this great want are agricultural schools. This is the general sentiment of Europe, and many of their official reports show re- markable effects on the improvement of agriculture in the dis- tricts where these schools arc located. But as I have already presented some thoughts on this sub- ject, I shall not dwell on it here. And yet if so far as agricul- ture is concerned, there be no profit in studying its principles ; if the struggles of the mind in its search here for truth, will fail in time to reap their reward ; if the power of thought in this domain of God's works was given us for no pm-pose, then certainly this is a lamentable exception to his otherwise uni- versal laws. We have then found one field where truth was not made for the mind, and mind is not fitted to seize hold upon the truth, and turn it to useful purposes. Then surely we have found a mighty chasm in the plans of Deity ; Ave have found the separate parts of his creation warring against each other. But this cannot be. Mistakes may be committed, but the truth will ultimately find the light. Arouse the whole farming commu- nity to thought and study. Let them determine the wl)y and wherefore of every pmcess. Let them look into tlio philosophy of nature, and understand those sublime laws which are build- ing up the vegetable and animal kingdoms. Let them form an ' 5 ■ ■ ' ' ■ 34 House Doc. intimate acquaintance with those forces which constitute the life of tlieir art, and good will result, or else reason was given lis in vain. The beneficial effects of this union of scientific researches and practical agriculture on the products of the State, must necessarily be gradual and silent. But these silent results are sometimes the most momentous. Should tlie increased in- terest thus excited in the philosophy of agriculture but partially restore our lands to their natural fertility, the ag- gregate benefit might still be greater than the whole expense of the College. Should it in time increase the products of our im- proved lands on an average not more than one dollar per acre, upon the 3,000,000 acres of cultivated lands, it would amount to $3,000,000. In 1854 the average yield of wheat in this State was little less than 14 bushels per acre. This is certainly far below the natural capabilities of our soil. And the history of American agriculture has been that the yield per acre of our staple crops has gradually been growing less. In 1840 the yield of wheat in the Now England States was 2,014,111 bushels. In 1850 it was 1,090,132 bushels. The yield of potatoes in 1840 was 35,180,500 bushels. In 1850 it was 19,418,191 bushels, while in most of these States stock- raising has gradually assumed less importance. In the State of New York in 1825 there were 1,160,901 acres under improve- ment. In 1855 it had increased to 26,158,182 acres, yet tlie number of sheep had decreased nearly 300,000, and within five years the decrease had been nearly 50 per cent. ; and the num- ber of horses, cows and swine had decreased over 15 per cent. In 1845 the yield of wheat in the same State was 13,391,110 bush- els. In 1851 it was only 6,000,000 bushels. In 1844 the average yield of corn was 24.15 bushels. In 1854 it was only 21.03 bushels. It is estimated by competent authority that the annual loss from want of skill in Massachasetts in the -cereal grains is $2,000,000, and in stock, dairy, &c., $16,- 000,000. Thus we might continue, piling up facts without number from every part of the Union, showing the decreasing No. 3. 36 fertility of American soils. It is calculated from reliable sources that the loss of capital in the United States from the de- pleted condition of our soils amounts to more than $166,000,- 000 every year. Is this not a prodigal waste ? It is easy to see towards what goal we have been tending. We must by some means arrest this downward march, or we shall seriously impair our industrial and political prosperity. We must then consent to take a far less prominent position among the nations of the earth than is otherwise within our reach. This is not a question that should claim the attention of tlie farmer simply ; it should claim the attention of the statesman ; it should claim the attention of every one who would give prominence to the free institutions of America. Can too much be done to stop the fearful impoverishment of our natural wealth ? Is it not worth our while to make this subject our special study ? Is it not worth our while to seek to turn the best talent of the country towards this pursuit ? Is it not worth our while to bend far more of our efforts to the solution of the great problems of agriculture, and the dissemination of the results of practical and scientific inquiries among the mass of the people ? In the single item of manures, I have no doubt there are hundreds of thousands of dollars, and perhaps mil- lions, wasted every year in Michigan, from ignorance of their composition and properties, and the best and Biost economical methods of preservation. Is there not a practical field open for instruction ? It was not a vain remark of the Father of his Country, that he "knew of no pursuit in which more real or important good could be rendered to a country, than by the improvement of its agriculture ;" and I doubt not this sentiment finds a warm response|in the hearts of the farmers of Michigan. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS llllllllllllllllllll!''l'iflil'llli'lllll 012 192 920 P i I