Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-12-01
A Model College.

An agricultural college should teach ag-
riculture theoretically instruct the young
men as to the composition Of the soils, the
principles of chemistry especially as applied
to agriculture should inculcate knowledge
Of mechanics, SO as to enable the young men
to use machinery with facility and construct
such appliances as they may need. All this
is necessary and hence Indispensable but it
is not enough AS in morals, so in agricul-
ture there is the theoretical and the practi.
cal side of things, and the agricultural col.
lege which teaches only the former does
good work, but it is a half.work for all that
There is no way of teaching person how to
milk COW, like giving him pail and stool
and docie COW with plethoric adder on
which to experiment; no way Of his acquir-
ing the art of "holding the plOw" like step.
ping into the furrow behind the polished
share drawn by steady pair of horses no
way Of learning how to "feed stock" like
passing in daily service with good farmer.
Now this is just what the New Hampshire
Agricultural College is doing. 1t has farm
in the care Of practical aud scientific far
mer. who has one "hred man." with whom
and the students the work is performed. We
clip this description of it from that unsur-
passed news-gathercr, the Springfield Repub-
lican:
1.-The farm especially is receiving the best
care possible in the hands of u scientific aud
practical farmer. j. w. Sanborn of Gilman
ton. The students do most Of the work,
ouly one regular hand being engaged. The
method pursued in this regard is different
from that at other agricultural colleges,
where the students are obliged to work a
certain number of hours per week, aud are
paid ten cents per hour. Here they are not
obliged to work at all, but are paid fifteen
cents per hour when they do work, and the
| plan is found to work remarkably well. The
farm superintendent is absent now, purchas-
ing blooded stock, for which funds have been
appropriated by the trustees. The college
has recently had gift of a full-blOoded
Durham bull from Mr.. Pierce Of Ports
mouth, and fine Jersey bull from q. g.
Shaw of Milford Mr.. Sanborn's plan is to
keep enough stock to consume the hay raised
on the farm, instead Of selling it, as has
been done heretofore"
That is just the way to do it, and this op-
tional method Of work will draw towards
agriculture those who we're born for the oc.
cupaton, for it is as true of farming as Of
poetry, non 6,"-whie the
"literary lellers" and dullards will drift to
books and obscurity, as unerring nature de-
sigued. Then the various bloods Of stock
kept will give the young men a practical
knowledge of the kinds they will need OF
their farms, for butter, or cheese, or beef, q
thing which requires years of experimenting
by the farmer singe.handed and alone. The
plan Of consuming the hay on the premises
cannot be too highly commended to the far,
mers Of our own state as we'll as New Hamp
shire, as we cannOt rely upon artificial fer.
tilzers, and our meadows cannot be cropped
year after year without "running out" any
more than a man can 60 on consuming in
terest and principal without some day com
ing to want. One of the first things to bC
learned in farming is that you cannot chea
the soils, however numerous or skilllul thu
devices you may adopt. The law Of the
soils is that of old Shylock, the pound o
hesh'
We are anxious to see that farm, thu
managed and the picture Of young men go
ing out with brOnzed faces and callouseC
hands, to the plow, or the care Of stock, anc
J thence to their books is a one we hav
onged to behold This communing first witt
/ G cd and nature; this shifting the fresh al
of a crisp, frosty morning Petting the favor
/ it horse, or better still, both horses givinI
; that choice Jersey heifer "nubbin of corn,
! and the sleek bullock a brisk rubbing wit
card or comb not forgetting the white leg
/, horns or Brahmas, while your wife, thei
| guardian angel is busy with her hOuseWOrk
? and thence to an hour with the papers an
s books this getting inspiration from th
D fields aud Homer having the spirit stirre
' first by stirring the soils, aud then by turf
Q ing to Macaulay or Carlyle; reading pOetr
}, from field aud cloud and landscape, and the