Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-04

| drainage, the harvesting In good order OF
he various crops, the saving and prepare
| zion of manures, the care and management
# domestic animals, the use of agrlcultu
| ral machinery and its repair, or the con
struction of the more simple implements
| # the farm. The performance of these
| various operations should constitute the
| physical and practical education OF
the agricultural student. while o stud,
IF those branches of science upon know
ledge OF which successful husbandry &c
ponds, should constitute his proper intel
| lectual training. Now we can see no good
| reason why these two essential features
cannot be successfully combined into q
system by which education whilst it is
made more efficient, is at the same time
| rendered cheaper.
There are scattered throughout our
State, numbers OF young men who are
anxious to be educated, but from lack of
means cannot be. La determining upon
| the plan of an agricultural school, special
consideration for the wants of this large
| class should be had. If q portion Of the
students time, say five hours in each day,
should be set apart for farm work, it
| would ba found that sufficient time would
| be left for the study Of all necessary
branches of learning. The exercise of the
| body would promote physical and mental
| health, enable the student to concentrate
| his attention on his studies, and thus to
accomplish more in O given time than
he could under system of training where
| physical exercise is neglected. Thus the
| time spent in outdoor work would not be
| lost if we regard only the Intellectual pro-
gress of the student Meantime, by this
system, the constitution will become invig-
| Grated, and much in a pecuniary point OF
view saved. The labor of student dill
gently performed under intelligent super
vision would constitute fair set off against
all charges for board. In this way the
principal expense would be gotten rid of
by the student and only those for tuition,
books, clothing, &c, would remain. Thus
the outlay for a sound agricultural educa-
ton could be brought within the means OF
numerous class of young men who ara
now wholly unable to meet the expenses Of
an ordinary boarding school. Thus a large
number OF Intelligent working young farm
ers could be annually added to the prOdu
cling popu alton of our State. The direct
result of their labors in increasing our ma
terial wealth would be considerable, whilst
their influence in elevating and improving
the system Of farming would be incalcula-
BILE. The elevation and improvement of
our agriculture implies increased produc-
ton, increased wealth, Increased refine
ment, and il a word, increased happiness.
The labor of a considerable body of STU
dents, giving five hours in each day to farm
work, would suffice for the cultivation OF
large farm. which should be attached to
such i'll institution as We are now descrl-
bing, and the products OF such a farm skill
fully cultivated would go towards the
support Of tho proposed college. 70 this
would be added the tuition fees, both to-
gether constituting an amount OF resources
which would 60 far towards making the in
stitution selfsurporting.
The direct benefits likely to arise from
such an institution iudiciously located and
properly conducted, would not be confined
to the students trained there. Farmers
would visit it for the purpose of observing
the methods of culture pursued there, aud
the operation of machines and implements
of an improved kind. Experiments might
here be conducted in an exact aud satis1ac-
tory manner, and the results published for
the benefit of all concerned. From such
institutions an influence would radiate,
which would be felt tar and wide in build
ing up for our country system Of practi-
cal agriculture based on science, whose
peaceful glory would not pale in COM
parisiOu with the most bel Ole achievements
of the past.
II the views herein presented with re-
gard to the proper plan for an Agricultural
College be correct, it will be APP
parent that no combination Of such
a plan with tho old system OF
collegiate education is practicable. The
latter is we'll adapted to the wants Of the
wealthy classes, but the plan We propose IS
adapted to the " q ITS Of the great mass OF
our intelligent agricultural POI ula'ion.-
" L Loo, . l,n Il
means of training youth for the learnt
professions, and for that purpose We desire
to see institutions conducted on that plan
fourishing in our midst. But it is much
more important that farmer should know
how to cure a sick horse, or to prevent the
escape of ammonia from his manure heap,
than how to render S0phocles into Eug-
lish or explain the mysteries of the para
bola. The condition of the great mass OF
our people demands system of education
which will bear tangible fruit It demands
that their children shall be instructed in
tho ways and means by which bodily COM
fort may be secured. This is the most
pressing want. When wealth flows into
our empty Golfers aud leisure is afforded
US, we eau then give attention to the claims
of polite literature, and that higher educa-
ton which is altogether admirable, but
for some time, q luxury beyond the reach
OF ninety mine hundredths of our popula-
ton.
Recognizing the importance Of lnstitu-
tons for the education Of farmers and me-
chanics, the Congress OF the United States
in 1862 made liberal grants of public LANDS
to the different States for the endowment
and support of such institutions. Under
this act North Carolina received two hun
dred and seventy thousand acres of public
lands, which were transferred to the Uni
versity by the Legislature of '66-'67, sub
iect to the conditions imposed by the act.
Those conditions made it obligatory on
the Trustees of the University to establish
profe>sorships IN which Agriculture and
the Mechanic Arts shall receive leading
attention. This committee has not had
access to any official documents, but we
understand that these lands have been
sold to O Northern Spectator at fifty cents
per acre, and portion OF the money spent
10 keeping the University in operation
These lands having become vested in the
Trustees of the University, are now proba-
bly, beyond the reach of the Legislature
It is matter of regret that this liberal