Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-10-16


deny or doubt the great want o.
practical, efficient training for agri
culture and its kindred pursuits
The how to do that which W. all
know should be done, IL the vexe,I
qu s,tOn Of the hour. to solve which
should be the determined effort OF
all who hold relations of sympathy
with this important interest. AS
stunning no wisdom above Others, [
nM still free To declare it my cOmvic
tiOn that We cannot make ngricul.
tural training q succ .ss, with the
present machinery of education.
We must have means al quote to
the end or tail. No man takes his
horse to the jeweller to have him
sl,od, or buys IL sewing machine to
thresh his grain with. Yet either
would he as consistent as to at.
tempt making Il farmer with any of
our present educational machinery.
To make an agricultural school Of
real value, it must embrace II course
OF instruction and a system Of train.
ing radically different from litera.
~ institution. Manual labor must
be a part and parcel of College dts.
cipline and instruction.. The hands
must be edvcated to apply what
the head ia made to understand.
The student must enter the Agri-
cultural School as Young men do
the counting room. or machine
shop, to learn u trade. In short an
Agricultural College shOlll be un.
like any other college. 1t should
he in sympathy with the best AMI
reach the largest portion of our
people-the producers. 1t must
feel every throb OF the great pub
tic heart, and answer every demand
of those who.live by labor, and de
sire to educate themselves, in the
most intelligent and acceptable
method oflaOOr; it must graduate
:nrn lit tor farmers and proud of a
lite.c.lIing that is elevated and hon.
ored by their pursuit of it.
These suggestions may seem wild
and impracticable, as coming from
an inexperienced man {; but 1t must
br remembered that greater innova-
tons than these lave been made
npon time honored usage, and the
change found an immense inprOv-
nlent.
But there are other means of ag.
ricuItural education than schools
and colleges, that commend them.
selves to the thoughtful aud observ.
ing. Such associations as you, Sir,
preside over. are efficient educators.
Tie agricultural associations and
fairs are schools of observation and
in cn,ives to study, yielding Il rich
return for all the labor 50 generous
~ bestowed upon them. No other
means have been SO efficient III
filsing professional pride and awak.
enlng Il spirit of emulation among
farmers us agricultural societies.
nat they should be conducted with
Il closer reference TO the acquisition
of facts, and tlle recognition of mer
it in the producer, rather than in
the thing produced, Is u fact pa
tent to all having the benefit Of Oh
or experience in their
Yet in many Of your
sister states these societies have
become so we'll organized and com
Ilete. us to issue dn aInaal Volume
uf transactions, worthy place III
he library as Il standatd work. In
This respect the Vermont State,
County and District agricultural
societies are sadly deficient and no
honor attaches to them for their
neglect.
The Agricultural Department OF
he General Government at Wash
mgtom, now that it has obtained
ability IL its man,
lgement, is rapidly increasing in
popular confidence and marked
i>efuIness. No department of the
has more important
led of labor, or deserves more am.
} Z means for it's cultivation. In
collection and dissemination of sta
lstlcs, and in its seed department,
he whole country have realed adj
'antages. When the states fully
comprehend what the Commission
+ is doing for them. unai.led ex-
epl by volunteer correspondence,
am confident that measures will
~ taken to organize in each State,
nder State authority and patron
re, Ms subordinate aids, in some
form, by which more and
etter information can he gathered
Or publication.
Experimental farms, such as are
in England by private
hdOwmcnt, or in Germany by gov
rnment patronage, could not fail of
accomplishing good here. Had
ernUnt three farms, or even one
ZONE hundred acres, well stocked
18th every modern appliance OF or
lard, garden and grain culture,
nd stock raisiug, with the best
tactical talent Obtainable at the
'ad OF each department and the
hole under the supervision of a I
'npetent head or superintendent,
it'll ample means appropriated an
tally to carry on experiments with
eds and culture, blood aud breed
6, each county being entitled to
representation Of apprentice Ia '
II, 10y which alone the work of the
rim should be done, it would in my
ll.rnanT WOrL a ruvnlutinu II, t.,, |