Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-03


PRESIDENT EUckHM's ADDRESS At The BRAN
Don FAIR.
The following is the conclusion OF Pres
dent Buckham'~ interesting address at the
Brandon Fair
want to say a word about the Agricul-
tural College. lam glad of an opportunity
% correct certain mistaken notions which
have gone abroad respecting it. Let me re-
mind You that the act Of Congress establish
ing these college, requires them 10 impart
a liberal and practical education in the
various pursuits and professions Of life, -
and TO give instruction ' in branches relat-
ing to agriculture and the mechanic arts. g"
According % the terms Of the grant. the
College is required 90 be not only an asri-
cultural college, bat q college of the mecha-
ME arts, in which young men can be fitted
ior the various pursuit, and professions of
life. II. therefore. the farmers Of the State
can call the College 20 account. as they may.
- can the manufacturers, 50 can the mining
interests of the State, 50 can the railroad
and the mercantile interests. We are. in
fact, required 70 teach branches relating
o. agriculture and everything beside
Some Of You may rcc1llcct that a yigor-
GUS effort was made % establish an indie
pendent and strictly agricultural college.
The Legislature chartered such an inSti-
tuition, and Governor Smith, Senator (thcn
Roprc>eutltiye) Morrill,, and L. +. Wash
burn, went over the State trying TO interest
the farmers in the institution and u secure
something of an endowment in addition to
the Congressional grant. The Agricultural
College. in fact, went about the State beg
ing To be taken in somewhere, TO be housed
and lowered with a grant of land. Bat
this effort was a complete failure. The Leg
islature then appended the Agricultural
College to the University Of Vermont, but
did not. Is most of the States have done. add
an acre ol land or q cent of money for car
Tying ont the purposes Of the act of Con-
grcS<. And to this day. the State Of Yer
mont Las not contributed a dollar 10 the
state Agricultural College. s0-called. In
the Legislature which chartered the College
q large majority of the members being. as
usual, farmers, there was 50 strong a feel
ing a-ainSt manual labor school, that
clause was inserted in The charter. f0rhidiinr
us torcquire manual labor Of students How
ever, having accepted the charter. We
SCI about carrying out its provisions in
good faith. We laid out three courses
of study-0uc in branches relating to az
riculturc. one IN civil engineering and one
y -
To meet the wants OF education in Vermont
We employed professors competent to give
instruction in all these branches. and we're
prepared 10 expand and develop them in
aS the demand for this one or
that one asserted itself We took especial
pains TO invite Young men into the arricul-
tural department. President Angel went
to the various county fairs, and set forth.
with his persuasive ability, the opportuni-
ties which the College afforded to those who |
desired to pursue the sciences bearing upon
agriculture. Preparation was made for n
special course of lectures 30 farmers who |
could leave their homes only during the
winter months Bat We have never mad |
my students in the agricultural course. |
Explain 1t As You will, this Is the fact IL /
is not because Vermont young men have |
preferred 70 90 to some other Agricultural /
College that has an experimental farm at |
ached 10 1t, Tor tins Is not the ease. Our ex-
perience docs not differ very much from that /
If the other Agricultural Colleges. District |
" agricultural students, the colleges have |
had very few in any of the Eastern States
Our other departments have been success
ul. In the departments of civil engineer
ng and chemistry, our work and its results
n the men we have sent forth, will bear in
.eStigation. We are not satisfied. and we
never have been, with the deficiency in the
agricultural department. We lave come to
he conclusion that some other plan than
hat originally devised, must be found for
Utilizing to the State that part Of the fund
which we are bound 70 administer in the
interests Of agriculture We still think
hat those who are looking forward m
arming as pursuit, could not do better
han to combine the practical experience
hey get at home with the scientific know
edge they might get a It the College. accord
ne to our original plan in their behalf
'ut 50 long a. the idea prevails among the
lrming class that scientific knowledge and
borough education are of no use to n prae-
zeal farmer, we must eOntrivc some other
ray OF beneiitting them than We have vet
)und. This is 4 matter that we have
nder anxious discussion. We shall always
c glad to receive suggestions from far
iers themselves.
Gentlemen and ladies, | have exhausted
he term allowed me for addressing Won.
nd have hardly begun to enumerate the
ppOrtunity which the farmer has for max
~ life successful and happy. | have paid
gu the compliment Of speaking plainly.
nd ! hope that You have taken it kindly
have wanted most of all to impress mon
on one thing-that your mode of life has
! II more blessing, more possibility of good
nan has yet been attained or even appreciat-
| by most of you. Everything seems to me
be hopeful for the farmers Of Vermont
progressive spirit is being awakened
he younger men, some Of them, at least ! ,