APPENDIX DOCUMENT NUMBER 1. Letter to Jonathan Blanchard, president of Knox College. No signature and no date is on the letter though a reply from Blanchard under date of October 19, 1848, makes it certain that it was written by Jonathan B. Turner a few weeks before. Turner manuscripts, University of Illinois. ILLINOIS COLLEGE Rev. President Blanchard Dear Brother I have never as yet taken time to suggest to you my ideas of an agricultural school: It is true they may not be worth either writing or reading but still as the thing is evidently new some one must run the hazzard of exposing his folly by making suggestions— and I know of no one who has a greater capital in that line to spare than myself. Besides we have already said so much about the matter in general terms that it seems proper to endeavor to be more specific.— I suppose then that in such an establishment three distinct professorships should be needed. I A professor of Chemistry 2 a professor of Botany and 3 a professor of-what-the green earth? say Agriculture and Horticulture if you please-The two first professorships might be held by one and the same individual-and if the agricultural school was near a college like yours they would of course be already filled-so that in that case we should have to consult only for the prof. of Agriculture etc. proper...... In reference to this last Prof. there are but three questions 1. What will such a professor need? 2. What shall he do? 3. How shall he be supported? These points I propose to consider in order-and 1. First such a professor would need a farm of at least 160 acres. Said farm should comprise every possible variety of soils-be well supplied either with living or with artificial water Passage --and should be divided ultimately into about 8 fields with good substantial hedges-say something as follows Supposing the highest part of the farm in the centre the above rough sketch will perhaps suggest an outline of the planIt should at any rate comprise the following details in some form 1 Fruit yard & nurseries 2 Forest yard & nurseries 3 Botanical and culenary gardens 4 Ground for pasture & culture 5 Ground for a small but convenient House 6 Ground for stables and Depository-or machines and tool shop-Proper implements of culture would of course be needed-This I suppose a general outline of what such a professor would need-I would have no display in great houses-but only such a snug convenient house as every good farmer could have and would strive to emulate that is if possible a model house for a good farmer in tolerable circumstances all other buildings the same except the Depository which would be pe Passage culiar to the establishment as such-The uses of all these will appear as we proceed to consider second What such a professor should do— 1. He should take pains to collect all the best fruit and the best stock in the U. S. and should make needful experiments in cultivating the one and crossing and recrossing the other. 2. To the end he should keep up an active correspondence with all the most noted amateur cultivators in the U. S. and secure specimens from them by donations or exchange 3. He should also correspond with all proprietors & inventors of Agricultural and horticultural patents and procure a working model of each of their machines on deposite to be put into the depository for trial-so that every agricultural and horticultural machine instrument or tool that is of any practical use would at last be found in the depository and be practically tested and worked at the proper time on the farm. It would soon happen if the thing was well managed that all inventors vendors and proprietors of fine stock-seeds plants shrubs fruits machines etc would send on their several wares and inventions gratuitously for the purpose of bringing them into notice-Especially would this be true if one or two general public fairs (farmers fairs) were held annually for exhibition sale, etc. In short the above farm should soon be able to show practically every sort of tree, shrub, fruit, root, flower, machine, tool, building, or animal that can be of any sort of use to any farmer in the country-And the professor should be able to work it with his own hands and tell all about it 4 The professor should try experiments such as either he himself or the professor of chemistry might deem expedient in regard to rotation of crops-recruiting and exhausting lands application of manures, fertilisers etc and feeding animals and different modes of housing same etc 5 He should put into the Botanical garden and cultivate such plants as the professor of Botany or any other person interested might wish to see grow there-and in the forest grounds should conduct similar operations on the fruit trees It may easily be seen how the professor of Chemistry (Agricultural and animal) and the professor of Botany could cooperate with such a professorship without further details-In short the said farm should be but one grand Museum for the farmer and the gardener to which all around and every passing traveler should feel impelled to call-and bid freely welcomeHence all parts of the premises should at all times be freely accessible from the front gate and from no other point-except that a ride way around the outside of the whole would be desirable As to set and formal lectures as many ought to be given as is needed-But if in connexion with a College probably most of the lectures would be given by inviting the students during their hours of recreation to call and see the actual practical operation of all peculiar and interesting modes processes arts machines animals etc and after a little I presume they would not object to a free walk into the fruit yard-a part of which at least should be devoted exclusively to their benefit and free use But not to pursue this further— How shall such a professor be supported-? I am of the opinion that he would be able to support himself after little Let him purchase the farm himself and put the buildings fences etc on it according to his own notion-While he was doing this and arranging his affairs he would have to struggle hard with much to do and little to show but his bills of expense But when this was done I am inclined to think that the above farm managed as it ought to be would afford an abundant living for a family over and above all expenses, experiments etc. For first the experiments should all be on a small and cheap scale until they promised an income-then and then only should they be enlarged-and a mans good judgment on this point would be among the first proofs of his practical fitness for his placeAnd this is the reason also why I would put no public funds into the professors hands (certainly none beyond the original outfit) to squander in day dreaming and absurb speculations. I would have every new experiment bear directly on his own private purse so that it might be made economically as well as carefullyYou may say this would defeat all experimenting But I think not |