Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-03-04
For the Journal.
The Iowa Farmers College.


Mr.. Editor: L had hoped to have given
to the readers of the Journal, before this
time, some account Of the Board of Trustees
Of this institution, and their doings at their
January meeting. Their proceedings have
been published in tho Pioneer Farmer of
January 18th, and the Northeastern Farmer
for February, so that most Of you will see
by these papers what has been done.
This board consists Of eleven trustees
one from each judicial district and the
Governor of the State, and the President of
the State Agricultural Society. The Gov
ernor was called homs from the Capitol of
the State few days before by sickness of
who, I must say, excepting myself, the other
six were men of sterling int gritty, so far as
their acts and short session of three days
would enable ms to judge-men by whom
the State may not fear of having the small
fund which has been appropriated squander-
ed, Or that they will build any air.castles
with it; but think that they may be relied
upon-that they will open an Experimental
Farm, and, with the present fund, erect a
small college, or rather the wing of one,
which We cannot expect will accommodate
over so students. ] am in hopes the State
will see proper to add about SIC, 900 to the
amount we now have, which will be not far
from $40, 1000 after the farm is opened
This would probably enable US to accommo-
date $50 stu Tents.
Before shall recommend q petition to
our Legislature to appropriate money to
accommod to larger number of students
than We can possibly provide for with this
small college, would like to enquire Of the
farmers how many sons they would like to
send to this Farmers School? Audit will
be my intention to have circular issued,
col ing or all who wish to send scholar
in one and half or two years hence, 20 make
application or give their names, that our
Legislature may know what the demand is
for such an institution.
believe it will bs a correct estimate that
this State will contain in 1860 over so 900
yoang men between the age of IA and %.
Not one thousand of this large number will
find their way into higher school than our
common district schools. However desire us
the sons or their parents may be to qualify
them to compete with other classes and call.
ings of men, for few of the farmers of our
State have the means to send their sons to
our classic colleges, under the present ex.
pensive arrangements, which costs about
one thousand dollars for college course of
four years, soith no scork and no income, an
ruin ofheaztA. While in the Farmers Dol.
lege it will be required Of all the studen
to work three or four hours every day-earn
half their board and clothing--preserve their
health (,ehich is certainly worth preseroing)
learn the best scientific and practical
modes of farming-learn that labor is not to
be despised, but that it is actually honora.
BILE, and that the rest of tho world will be-
gin to think if they will only maintain the
dignity oflabor themselves learn that this
law of our Creator ought not to be set aside
especially in the days Of our youth-"that
by the sweat of the brow shall man earn his
bread"-and in other respects preserve their
honesty, and thus reform our country'S poll
tics and fnance;ring.
On this subject Of health of stu Tents, by
enquiring into it, fad it of far more
serious consequence than had sup
posed. The reply is that nearly all injure--
some ruin. Health and power of body nd
mind are so intimately connected that when
one is enfeebled we do not see the great
power of the other, which we have right
to expect from the principle that knowledge
ispower. The learned professions may ridi -,
cule US as much as they please at the idea Of
our bringing out talent and genius by per-
petual drudgery--by manual labor.
would refer them to the men who hav e
borne the giant intellects and towering ge-
MUS Of our own country, such as Franklin,
Washington, Jackson, Webster, Clay, and
thatinnumerable company of scientific and
inventive mechanics. These men were new
or pampered and matured in the hot-bed of
| classic learning-scrubbed and rubbed and
drilled in order to bring out genius.
S. FOSTER.
no BE CONTINUED