Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-01

scientific instruction as will enable every
farmer to obtain more valuable crops with |
out an annual and permanent depletion of
the soil In Great Britain they have GER
tainy studied agricultural economy by sci.
er tifc methods longer and more profoundly
than we have ever been prompted to do in
America, and yet they had in 1871 four
million fewer sheep than in 1865, aud in
1871 the number of cattle was fewer by
seventy thousand than in 1870. la 1872
the general outcry there as to the increased
cost Of butchers meat has been fearful.
Our condition as to sheep aud cattle is not
wholly dissimilar, aud was temporarily
rather worse, when the slaughtcr-pens OF
the recent war made such notable havoc OF
American stock, and from which we are but
slowly recovering
A diminishing stock, from which must be
fed an increasing population, is a. calamity
to be avoided by any nation, for the shrink
age in stock will be followed by an equal
shrinkage Of crops This is a point that
should be looked after, and before We have
squandered all the natural fertility Of our
soil
Architecture, sculpture, and painting
reached position il or before the fifteenth
and sixteenth century beyond which they
have not since advanced, although science,
philosophy, and literature have been max
ing some Of their grandest strides. The
world is again giving more attention to the
fine arts, and, more commendable still, II Is
cndeayoring, by more highly trained labor,
to educate and elevate the whole race Of
man. Among the evidences Of this is the
opportunity which is being offered to arti-
sans and to all ambitious young men for
special education. No doubt some Of this
is Of cheap sort, but it is a move in the
right direction. Decide what you arc fit
for and 60 about it, appears to be the order
Of the day.
WE ARE N0r WHOLLY IDLE.
But we are doing something. The Mas
sachusetts Institute Of Technology lin ad-
dition to an agricultural college that has
come to he regarded as a model was to
some extent n recipient Of the fund derived
from the land grant, and, though not bear
ing the name Of college, there are few in
stitutions doing more useful and thorough
work for the instruction Of the industrial
classes aud here, also, they work, as may
be seen by their catalogue, not only for the
State of Massachusetts, but for not les'
than thirteen other States which are repre-
sented among their students. Like the sci
entifc department so cordially attached t.
Yale College, it is already national in it,
character and in its effects 1t has pro
yoked good works" elsewhere. The ma
tional power, however, here, as in othe
States, only tenders initial and directing
laid. while the State has the sole charge an'
cousummatiou Of the work to be done.
The president Of the Wisconsin Uniycr
sity writes that, but for the stimulus o
the land grant the institution would hardl.
be in existence that the agricultural an
military departments are thoroughly organ
! lied, the fund safe and that the prospect
are good, but that they need a million
/ From Delaware we are told that tn
fundamental expenses in a small State ar
as much as in a large State, and to succee
f they must have more aid.
The President Of Dartmouth Agricultu
raj College states that the students ar
generally young men Of limited means
o that the land grant has induced privat
. liberality to establish a large number {
: scholarships, was the chief means Of estal
e fishing board Of agriculture in the Stat
and has done much in calling attention e.
= pecially to the Importance OF more scienC
+. among farmers
n In Tennessee the President writes frol
/. Knoxville that a good college educatio
Q within reach, at the small annual expen'
e Of sl25 including board, lodging, fue
o etc, cannot be otherwise than cxtensi'
+. and important in its results
d In Kentucky three hundred s'uien
7 selected by the State areadmitted free, viii
e the tuition and room-iee for others is on
If twenty-five dollars, and board about s. 4
l. per week.
/. have given these mutilated extrac
Is merely as specimens Of the tenor Of lette
!. received from these institutions They al
n all brimful Of faith, hope, and courage
i But, while there is much Of encourag
meut, there is much more required. Fl
instance, Philadelphia, with six hundrt
thousand inhabitants, and more largely e
gagged in industrial employments than al
- other city on the continent, has no syste
. Of technical, Industrial, or art educatiC
which reaches more than forty pupil
\ Many States as well as cities, are no be
ter cared for.
I The grave Importance of the subje
:, mus: be my apology for using so much
e my time 10 the discussion of education
!, systems, aud Of the general educational 7
,c quirements Of our people as a nation. II
.. remaining points to which shall ask q
= tention will be touched with more CONNIE
+ dable breyity.
CONCLUSION.
:, The facts presented show that we st
= have abundant lands at our disposal, an
:! whether we look at the interest Of 4
y dwellers thereon or that of the Cover
- ment that they are not likely to be dispC
n ed of more useluly or upon sounder pri
- ciples Of national economy. May it n
:. - also be claimed that the wisdom Of ioun
= " ing these institutions no longer needs win,
" cation} Though hardly out Of their swa
" ding clothes, they speak for themselv'
L1' and furnish cloud Of unimpeachable W
=, - nesses testifying to the value Of the wo
~ ~ being done, as well as Of the greater wo
~ - yet to be done. If the whole system W
a. a. tend to increase the productions or t
IS profits of agriculture, or to enlarge t
- = skill and power of American mechanics,
"a to improve minds now lying fallow, or
~ ~ raise our whole people to higher pla
:, of moral aud scientific value, increasi
h. both employments and remuneration
- = all this | have no doubt will be realized
y then the measure should solicit our war
- est solicitude and have our broadest a
~ m heartiest support. The curious maps pu
- lished with our last census report show &C
. q cusively that wealth is uniformly distr
- uted in an inverse ratio to illiteracy.
1t is a national work, embracing o
na whole country, costing hardly more th
u has been proposed for ten years subsi
w. ~ to lines of commerce, and less than
~ been, perhaps, pro6tably given to sinl
railroad, but how immeasurably higher
its scope aud how much grander in its f
N. reaching results by so much as the bra
of is superior to the pocket does this measu
,s, challenge favor. We seek for America
that knowledge and virtue which shall ri