The Portland daily press., 1867-01-14

FARMERS. This will be teaching financ;e,;,,o n
and not agriculture. The only method by
which you can possibly advance and develone
agriculture is by experiments; that is the on.
iy plan, for there is no branch of industry Sc
completely built up by experiments, as agri.
culture. :. You must not calculate tina,
the experimental farm will, in any sense, be a
source of revenue to the finances of the in
stitution, for whilst some experiments may
show considerable net profit, others will show
a corresponding loss"
Experimental failures are sometimes as val
liable as successes. 1t Is as important for a
farmer to know what to avoid, as what to pur-
sue. Important experiments cannot often be
conducted and prosecuted by private effort,
for the want OF facilities or the want of means |;
but in an institution of this kind, they can be
systematically tried, for the general good
And this should be one of its objects. An
experimental farm is the place where science
may be illustrated and tested by practice
and where that familiar acquaintance with
soils, implements and processes, and with ami
mails, their habits, laws Of breeding and uses.
and that manual dexterity with tools may be
attained, which cannot otherwise be acquired
Whether the farm at Orono furnishes all
the variety of soils natural growths, &C., ne
cessary for just experiments adapted to all
parts of the State, we know not; probably it
does in all the essentials, otherwise IL would
not have been accepted for the general pur-
pose. We confess to our fear that location
50 far north, and in the valley of the Penob-
pies are not grown, cannot well demonstrate
success in all the fruits and products nearer
the seaboard and in the more western coun-
ties of the State We have, too, in Maine, in
exhaustible resources of marine fertilizers,
which need the demonstrations of conclusive
experiments; but a location so far in the inte-
rior as that chosen for the college, must evi-
IDENTIFY be beyond the reach of the raw mate
ria(s. The time may come when the waters
and shores of our seaboard will furnish, at a
ehta) rate, the materials for enriching every
farm In the State to any desirable extent
The act of Congress, as we have already
said, prohibits the expenditure CT any part of
the principal or interest derived from the sale
oflands granted, "for the purchase, erection,
preservation or repairs of any building or
buildings" Nor can any portion of the prin-
cipal, except ten per cent for the purchase of
land for sites lor an experimental farm, be ex-
pended for any purpose whatever, but must
be wholly invested in safe stocks yielding not
less than five per cent, the interest of which
is to be used for carrying on the operations of
the College. The portion of land falling to
Maine is 49O,0O0 acres. The scrip assuring this
is worth in the market 80 per cent. At this rate
the land viii yield fund of $392,OOO. At six
per cent. the interest on this amount Is $23,52O
annually, which is more than the yearly cost
of sustaining the largest literary college in the
State--that of Bowdoin in Brunswick. The
profits arising from private or municipal dona-
tions must be added to the above, which NAV
be expected to enable the Industrial College
to fulfil much ofthe high design contemplated
by the law. s.
Some discussion has been had on the ques-
ton, whether the College should be furnished
with one large ornamental edifice embracing
room for all Its departments, or whether It
should, rather, be provided with separate
small buildings differently located for the ac-
commodation OF officers, students, &C. Mas
sachusetts has resolved to adopt the latter
plan, devised by Fred. Law Omstead, and the
Trustees of the Maine College have accepted
the same. This may be the humblest aed best
arrangement, but 10 ss-sL.- <ia4 ns,a roof
covering three or four ample stores, appropri-
ated to all the educational uses of the College.
would be found, on the whole, less expensive
and more convenient than village of little
buildings. However, we are not disposed to
be captious, but are willing to believe that the
plan adopted is the result OF mature consider
alton, and that it will be found practically
economical and useful. Ali the people of the
State, of every profession and pursuit, are in
terested in the success Of the MAINE INDUS
TRIAL COLLEGE, and we hope there will be
a willingness in every direction to help for
ward the high and honorable objects of its in
stitution. Ms