Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-27

the agricultural; agricultural students would
not be regarded as Of equal rank with CLASH.
cal students unfavorabe comparisons would
uujustly but constantly be made between
them. The farmers son, who wishes to pur-
sue conrse Of study in one Of our colleges,
can hardly live through his freshman year,
aud IT he ever secures an equal rank in his
class, he must show superior natural and
acquired attachments. The student pursu.
ing a course in the agricultural department
would have carioatures heaped upon him in
tenfold ratio TO what the freshman now does.
He would he regarded M in lower class
mentally and socially, aud | consider il GER
tain that the agricultural department would
suffer by being in contact with the classical
to that degree that il would he of no kind Of
benefit to the farmers.
The history Of all agricultural schools and
colleges proves that, to be prosperous and
useful, they must be independent con-
nected with other institutions. On the con-
tinent Of Europe there are three hundred
and ffty-two agricultural schools and colleg-
es, and but fourteen Of them are connected
with any college or university, and thoss
lOuItoou hEo vi DuO llbbio uOtb.
In orr own country, those States that had
established Agricultural Colleges previous to
the passage Of the act granting laGd for such
a purpose will no doubt appropriate the in
terest on the fund realized from that land.
grant to existing Agricultural Colleges
Michigan has already appropriated hers for
the support of her Agricultural College at
Lansing. Other states have done the same.
In those states that had no Agricultural
Colleges we believe they will generally es-
tabish them independent of other instltu-
tious.-Ohio, we are told, will establish
three, instead of one great central, overshad-
owing institution, richly endowed according
to the idea of the gentleman from South
Hero (Mr. Wheeler); one to accommodate
the Northern, one for the South w Western,
and one for the Eastern section of the state.
The trustees of the Massachusetts, Agricul-
tural College have decided to locate their in
stitutlon at Amherst. The farm and site se-
lected is one aud half miles from Amherst
College. Although located in the same
town with Amherst College, it is in no way to
be connected with that institution. | think
it would have been wise 10 them to have To-
Gated it in some town where no College exis-
ted
In our state it is claimed that there is a.
ready too many colleges, and that the exist
ing colleges are in straitened circumstances.
At the present time it may be true, but
cannot believe that these institutions, that
have existed for over half u century, have
not seen darker days than the present. dur.
ing their establishment and growth and
believe they will pass through their embar-
easements, and when peace shall again smile
on our country, they will be in more pros.
porous condition than ever before. | be-
lieve it to be for the true interest of educa-
ton in the state to let the existing colleges
remain as they are. They have certainly
educated more young men than If there had
been but one college in the state. do not
believe it true, as the gentleman from Ches-
ter Mr.. Rounds) remarked, that students
have been driven out OF the state to get bet
ter facilities Tor an education at institutions
more richly endowed than our state colleges.
There is no College in New England where
a student can graduate with better attain
ments than at our own state colleges.
nc VI stdlt uhNC lUuk uttu-
ed an institution where they may place their
sons after receiving common school educa-
ton; where they will be taught the sciences
which relate to agriculture, and have their
habits of industry preserved, so that, after
receiving their education, they will 60 back
to the old homestead to improve, enrich and
beautify it,
Farmers sons, who enter upon a course of
study in our classical colleges, perhaps with
the intention of returning to the farm after
graduating almost invariably, before the
course is finished, decide to study some pro-
fession. Four years of study without labor,
at that period Of life when tastes and habits
are formed, will almost inevitably produce a
disinclinaticn to perform the work and du.
ties of the farm; and the student who pur-
sues a college course seldom returns to the
farm, and those who. after failure in a pro-
fession, take to farming, make but fourth
rate farmers. The time spent in college was
about the same as lost time to them, so far
as the knowledge they acquired was bene-
fetal to them as farmers. They choose
farming cut OF necessity, while they have
lost their disposition to labor and their taste
Tor agriculture, by spending four years in
studies that did not render them familiar
with the principles of agriculture.
would locate the college in some one OF
The fine farming towns in the state. Many
towns would no doubt erect suitable build
! !ngs, for the sake of securing the institu.
| ton.
An Agricultural College should be for the
complete education Of farmers and mechan.
| les, the industrial classes-where not only
science is taught, but science and its applica.
ton TO the arts Of life where theory end
practice are studied together; a course that
would give instruction in the department OF
labor us well as science; and, as a means OF
illustrating this scientific and practical study
the institution should have connected with il
II farm and stock. consider this neces
sary appendage. The New York Agricul
tural College, the Iowa, Michigan, and
Pennsylvania Agricultural Colleges have
farms connected with them. would have q
full course embrace not less than four years
and in orier to combine physical with intel
lectual education, | would have every stu
dent devote, each day, from two to tire,
hours TO labor upon the farm. | would hqv,
them pursue those studies that relate to agr
culture, such as agricultural chemistry
geology, practical farming, botany, horticul
ture, animal and vegetable physiology, anC
breeding aud care of domestic animals
While pursuing those branches of study re
ating to zoology and animal physiology
they should have the care and feeding Of tn,
| stock. where they could learn the prlnciple