Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-12
DAILY LEADER.
THURgnAY. IANgARY Ia.
me agricultural land Grant to IN e
- 49, c.r Ol.ac--

s-lsas state OF Ohio alF
On the "a of July 1850, Congress offer
Cd al the states large amount of land if
they would accept it for Che purpose of
providing an agricultural education for
She farming portion of the Stsse. The
Legislature Of Ohio last winter accepted
$4,000 acres worth, at the present pric-
es Of land warrants, s5cts an acre, or
$685., 500. This sum invested IL State
stocks would yield an annual return of
ss2,l3o, fund amply sufficient to sustain
one or more Agricultural Colleges in the
State. The question, therefore, which the
Legislature and the people of the State
have now to consider, is the best method
Of securing the objects intended IN the
land grant thus uade. The question OF
agricultural education has been already
discussed in the message of Gov. Brough
and by Mr.. KGppsrb Secretary of the State
Board of Agriculture, as well as by the
press. Gov. Brough favored the plan of
an Agricultural College which shall be in
tended strictly to sdvancs the inte rests of
agriculture IN Ohio. Sec. KHppart, with
the ssme end in view, In recent sddress
gives a deplorable representation Of the
present condition Of agricultural affairs in
Ohio. He declares that tho product per
scre is less than it was forty years ago and
that in 1860 there wore 1890 fewer farm
ers than In 1880 According to his re-
presentations the farming community are
very nomsdic in their tastes and the grest
msjority Of them would sell out If they
could, and occupy the more fertile soil of
the West Re also argues that the sure
remedy for the present difficulties, for the
lamentable want Of scientific knowledge in
the farming community of the Ststs and
FOR ths baOkwardness of agricultural enter
prise in an Agricultural College Our OBJ
servations would not lead rs to infer
the correctness of RIr. Kleppfats views
on the agrioultuIisLs ofthe state ST large,
nor to share the enthusiasm he msnifosLs
over 6 College which shall be strictly ag-
IiculturaL There is, undoubtedly, de-
mand for Agricultural education. The
difficulty consists in knowing just what
method is the best This is a question
very difficult to answer and we do not
propose at this time to discuss it. We
would, however, rr;e upon our Legisla-
tur5 the idea that great haste Is not nec-
essaTy in this lnattsr. Congress wisely
SLOWED five yssTs in which to establish
College. And as this is 70 be 6 permanent
festure Of the state hereafter, it is not wise
10 rush With imprudent haste into the
adoption Of some plan not calculated to
be permanently usefua to the state. Other
states have the subject under discussion,
and much valuable and practical good
sense will be ELECTED by the discussion of
the subject. Let net the opportunities
of institutions alIesdy established but anx-
ious for an endowment prevail We no.
tice, already, bv the Cincinnati Connsere-
lal, that the Farmers College of that City
Is anxious to transfer itself over to the
state, provided the state win endow it with
ten thousand dollars annually. OF course
the transfer amounts to no sacrifice in the
College and there are undoubtedly num-
erous other institutions in the state that
would be pleased to make similar sacrifices
for the sake of lie annual interest on
$l6e.oo0. We see no special generosity"
as the Commercial calls it, in the propo-
sition from the Farmers College. If
such thing were done, however, being
the next largest whale in the tub, the
city Of Cleveland could rightfully de-
mand an Agricultural College in Ithis
vicinity. We know of institutions in the
northern portion Of the state, that are
ready to furnish everything necessary for
a successful Agricultural College. We
are moreover, Of the opinion that the
$4,000 that could annually be devoted to
Agricultural Education, would be eufH-
cient to maintain three respectable insti-
tutions in the state, so situated as to accom-
modRte the largest number and best sub
serve the ends intended in the appropria-
ton. We simply ask, in justice to the
state st large, that there be no precipi-
tate action in the mstter.