The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-11-29
The State Agricultural College-lmPortant
Report from the superintendent OF PUP
To TEE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

been thought a favorable time 10 mark out more
distinctly the plans OF instruction and courses OF
study for that institution. Being. cr-ofcto,
member and Secretary Of the Board OF Educa-
ton. and equally interested with you IN the care
and management of this College. and beng, /
moreover, as Superintendent OF Public lnsiruc- /
ton. bound in duty TO study the general educa-
tional interests of the State, Of which the ASri-
cultural College forms bu, part, il seems proper
that should offer such suggestions as have &C.
Cured TO me, 20 aid in the more perfect and
eiiicen, organization of this important State in
stitution. | submit, therefore, the following
views tor your consideration
The chief purpose and desi On" Of the Agri-
cultural College, as defined in the law, Section
~ "shall be TO improve and teach the science
and practice of agriculture" In adopting the
constitutional provision requiring the speedy
establishment of an agricultural school, the
people Of this State deliberately expressed their
conviction that there was public need OF such
All institution. The Legislature in enactng the
law under which the Agricultural College has
been established did but obey the voice of the
people as found in the constitution, and the State
Board OF Education, 10 whom the care OF the
institution is by law intrus,ed, is evidently bound
to carry out rs fully "a possible the mandate OF
the constitution and the provisions OF the law.
lie is not even left 10 the Board TO inquire
whether there is any such need or demand for
agricultural education "a will insure the college
a fair supply of students. The people and the
Legislature have clearly expressed their will that
there shall be trial made of such a school, and
until the experiment has been fully and fairly
tried the Board Of Education cannot rishtfuly
nor with any modesty, pronounce the plan i'm
practicable or refuse 10 carry IL out. Much less
can they properly divert the funds from their
| 4 4 4 L. Ia,
scientific institution.
| course of ordinary literary and scientific
studies, with a mere admiXture of agricultural
science, will obviously fall short of the true con-
structive idea Of the school Such an admi1ture
of agricultural science might have been, and
| indeed is now, often introduced into the curr-
culum of study in the higher Institutions. An
Institution of general learning, with a mere bias
| towards agriculture, cannot, even with the aid
of model farm, serve very efficiently "to i'm
prove and teach the science and practice of agri-
culture" The Improvement and teaching OF
agriculture must be made the chief and central
purpose of the school Ii is safe to assert that,
as school of general education, its establish
ment would never have been urged by its friends
nor voted by the Legislature. There was no
demand 70, the organization of another State in
stitutiOn of general learning. The University,
I ',
or can be made to supply, all demand for general
higher instruction, and it would be plainly mex
pedient 20 burden the State TO establish another
| institution, at so much expense, 10 do this work
and to come into competition with the organize
lions already covering this ground Nor it,
as has sometimes been asserted, TO furnish u
school peculiarly for farmers sons. Farmers
constitute portion Of every community, and
are equally interested with all other citizens in
| the general educational institutions of the State
The University and Colleges of the State are as
free 10 the sons of farmers TO those of mer-
chants or professional men, and their course of
study, rs their main aim is simply TO educate,
are rs valuable for the farmer as for the LAWYER
| or physician. Not merely TO educate farmer s
sons, but to teach farming, TO improve the sci
ence and practice of agriculture such was the
| aim proposed by the law for this institution To
meet this design of the Agricultural College "a
defined in the law, there must be MAN, central
course of purely professional study embracing
all those sciences which may be necessary To a
full and correct understanding of the principles
and processes of scientific agriculture in all its
departments. IL should comprehend such a
series OF Instructions and practical exercises as
may fit the pupils 10 become successful and sci
cntIiic agricuturists. The young farmer, in
short, should be able to find here precisely that
farm intellisen,ly He should be permitted 10
study agriculture alone, without being compelled
10 the perusal OF extraneous and irrelevant stud
les i'll order TO graduate.
The time occupied by this course should not.
be 80 extended rs To place the course practically
beyond the reach of the great mass of our Young
farmers. Ii should not tc made superficial in
order to make it short, nor should it be so e.-
! tended a. to discourage students from the at
tempt to complete it. If too brief, ii will fail of
its purpose OF making Intelligent and scientific
farmers; If too extended, but few will ever re-
main long enough 10 accomplish it, and the Col
| ege will fail 10 educate fully, any considerable
proportion OF its students.
| am OF the opinion that the course of agTicul-
tufal studies should not embrace more than tw
years. The period OF study for the learned pro-
| ies-ions, and IN the Schools OF Art rarely eX-
ceeds, and often falls short OF that term. A
| sufficiently complete course can easily be com
| plctcd by those students whose aye and previous
dttainments are such may be reasonably re-
| CURED OF Candidates for admission 10 the College.
| The course of instruction in the Institute of
Agriculture at Hohenhelm, Germany, pronounce
cd the most complete agricultural school in
| Europe" il only two years. Such also is the
| extent of the course at GrignOn, the best agri-
cultural school in France. The course in the
agricultural departments in the Queens Colleges
in Ireland extends through two years care
iul examination OF any course of agricultural
science will lead to the conclusion tina, students
who are properly prepared to enter upon such
course may easily complete 1t in two years IL
| Is true that i'll OF the inferior agricultural
| schools IN Europe, the course occupies three
years, but those schools are designed for mere
farm labOrers, and their pupilage is a sort OF ap.
premiership TO agriculture as a trade.
1t seems quite certain that the great mass OF
those who might need and desire ali agricultural
education viii not, al present. consent To spend
more than two years in professional study.
Could the course be reduced even TO one wear.
hundreds would doubtless seek it. advantages
who will not sped longer time TO gain them
PREPARATORY COURSE
II may be desirable, if the funds of the In.ti.
tuition viii permit, TO organize preparatory
course 10 occupy only one year IL must, how
ever, be remembered tt at every year added thus
10 the general course will necessitate an increase
OF the teaching force, and, Of course an increase
of the expense. The additional expense might,
perhaps be met by small fee for tuition in this
department.
The preparatory course should embrace the
study OF Rhetoric and Composition, of Algebra
and PLAIN Geometry, OF Elementary Chemistry.
and the elements OF Natural Philosophy and
Physical Geography, and Natural History These
studies can be mastered in single school year,
by those having an ordinary common school ed.