Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-01-25
THE AqB1OU1rUnAL COLLEGE.

The General Assembly, very much
like the man who drew the elephant
in the lottery, seems at a loss what to
do with the Agricultural College Fund
Nor is the dilemma rendered less per
picking to the honorable legislators by
the advice given them from all parts Of
the State on the contrary the differ
ence and confusion of opinion rather
adds TO the difficulties of the situation
Some advise the foundation of an Ag-
rieultural College pare and simple
while others are for dividing the fund
among the institutions of learning al.
ready established.
Now the Agricultural College Fund
is not at all in the nature of an ele-
phant or any other useless and lub-
berly thing, but valuable gift bestow-
ed for a practical, definite and noble
purpose. 1t is designed to establish a
school for the instruction of farmers
in the science of agriculture and the
other sciences incidental thereto, and
to so divide Of appropriate it as to i'm
pair or defeat that object would bea
sin against our farming population, for
which they should hold our legislators
ansBerable. Agriculture is as much
a profession as law, medicine or the
ology, and it is an unWarrantable deg
radiation of this noble calling to as
sumo that special education is not as
Essential to success in it as in any 9th
er The opinion is too prevalent that
while a preparatory course of study
is a necessary qualification for law
yer. doctor. or theologian any ignora-
mus will do for a farmer. 1t is too
common to speak of the learned pro-
fessions" in eontradistin ct on
to those. including that of agriculture
to which learning is popularly sup
posed to be unnecessary, The belief
is entertained too generally, even by
farmers themselves, that agriculture
is an employment to be conducted by
bone and muscle merely. We hold
that brains can be as usefully and prof
itably employed in tilling the soil as
in the practice Of law, medicine, or
journalism, and that they will be all
the more profitable and useful for be-
ing educated. Farmers will have no
conception Of their possible profits or
of the resources of the rich soils of
our State until they cultivate their
farms scientifically and with the high
est degree Of intelligence. They have
vet to realize if not learn that half a
dozen acres of even ordinary land
well titled may be made worth more
in actual proceeds than twenty times
as much Of the richest soil half cult
vated. This is no Utopian theory but
a possible fact to be reached when
muscle, no longer enslaved to drudgery
by ignorance shall have become an ef-
hcient cooperator with mind informed
with the highest attainable knowledge
of agricultural science.
Tt seems to be therefore of the high
est importance that the best facilities
should be given for the special educa-
ton Of farmers. We do not believe
this object can be best subserved by
dividing the fund, nor do we fully con-
cur in the scheme Of establishing an
entirely independent institution: Ohio
needs at least one great central uni
versity and we believe it would be best
if possible, to make the agricultural
college a part of such an institution.
While it would educate lawyers, doc
tors, ministers and teachers it might
also just as well educate farmers
There can be no more reason for OK