Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-02-27
FARMERS COLUMN.
For tho Journal.
Agricultural College.

tAhMEnO NOAO0Ns
For the Journal.
Agricultural College.
FRIEND MAnN At the January meeting /
of the trustees of our Agricultural College, q
Committee was appointed, of which l am one,
to awaken public interest in our institution
through the public press. The committee
consisted of three, and we have divided the
State into three parts, I having the South
western third assigned me, embracing 20 coun-
ties and 81 papers published in them. l
think shall make the Muscatine JOURNAL
my mouth piece, and ask all the others to
copy when there is anything worth copying.
The first that my attention was particular
ly called to the subject of agricultural educa-
ton was in 1s47, by two very intelligent Ger
man gentleman, who were stopping few
weeks at the old American Hotel, at which l
was stopping at the same time, who told me
much of the agricultural schools and colleges
in Germany and other European countries.
One of them being physician, reasoned
probably for the health of the student while at
labor also that his scientific knowledge of
agriculture was indispensable if one was going
to succeed in agriculture where rents are
high and profits are low. The profit Of labor
is to have it intelligently applied under all
circumstances.
The practical operation Of an Agricultural
College, will be to teach more blowing and
sowing than Latin and Greek more knowl'
edge of things than Of words more equality
Of men than aristocracy more labor and
health than idleness and debility; more econ
omy than expense. We think that the above
faults have been practiced in our Colleges and
Universities to the detriment of the students.
We profess to correct many of these evils
which cannot be corrected under the common
system of education.
In the Pennsylvania Agricultural Colleges
this important principle was taught and
practiced: "An essential labor is equally
honorable" The rich and the poor are all
put upon level. saw at that College, the
young men, sons Of wealthy men Of the city,
holding the pillow behind mule team, among
the rocks and stu1nps, doing good work, earn
ing their bread, gaining health, strength and
ambition, and learning their books faster than
they ever did in the city. What is health
soorths How many a student looses his
health in getting his education.
Our Agricultural College is to teach prac.
teal education, such IS a man has use for
every day. Instead Of porting over the dead
languages, and finding the derivations Of
words, and forming words into sentences,
they are to learn the character Of things
around them, their nature and uses.
We have seen and felt that our farmers
were hardly qualified for political Office. 1t
has sometimes been popular to call the farm
er from the pillow to Congress, but he must
first have been lawyer or doctor. The time
has come when we cannot content ourselves
longer for on professional men to do all the
legislation for US. The laws are so framed
that they are not ineligible - railroads,
banks and monied institutions swindle US,
and they go UNPUBLISHED in their gigantic
frauds. We hope the time will come when
the common classes will be brought up to
standard of education where they can success
fully compete for power with the professional
class, according to their numbers. We trust
the time will come when the farmer will be
looked upon as engaged in an honorable
calling, and occasionally worthy of honorable
Office.
There is no calling in life that needs scien'
tific researches more than agriculture, and
none so much neglected. The attention o.
our National Congress was called to this sub
iect. and a liberal donation of land made tc
every State that would establish an Agrlcul
tural College. Iowa was the first State to &C
cept the offer, and has selected nearly 200, O0(
acres with which to endow this College,
Hence we expect this College, with the labor
of the student, will be the cheapest in the
State. These are hard times but we shall be
under the necessity of calling on the State
for about SO, 900 to assist in putting up 8
College building within three years. Of thu
lands which Congress gave us, there cannot
an acre nor dollar of the proceeds be used
to put up College with ; but the interest is
for the support of teachers.
The farm was said to be located out of thu
way, where it was difficult to get at. The
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska railroad is fin
ished and running to Marshall, within forty
miles of the farm, and have surveyed the
track through the farm. Our greatest con-
Germ now is to keep the cars from running
over us. SuEL FOSTER.
Transplanting Evergreens.
At the last meeting of the Illinois Horticul
tural Society, Mr.. Samuel Edwards read q
paper on evergreens, from which we gather
/ Tho fnI1owin ah0uk transnlantinp: