Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-06-27
DIR. CreSSy at POmfret,
Editor of the Freeman:

Editor of the Freeman:
The people of Pomfret had made AZ
engagements with Prof. Cressy of Amherst
to give them lecture on The Highe
Education of Farmers" and met accord
ing to notice at the town hall on the IT
inst. The hall was well filled with tn
horny handed and their wives, sons an
daughters, Among the audience the Doc
tor could see two or three of his veterinar
students, and goodly number of tn
friends and acquaintance he had made il
his former visits to the State.
The Doctor held the attention and tn
profound interest of his audience for tw,
hours and l wish 1 could give you IN,
thing like a respectable report of what hi
said.
lie spoke of the necessity of better sys
tens of farming and better culture of tn
SOIL and showed how such results coult
only be reached through u higher educa
ton of the farmers and better culture o
the mind. He spoke of the waning pro
ductiveness of the soil and advised farm
ers 10 let barren pastures 90 back to for
ests as natures own restoration to soil
worn out by thriftlessness and short-sight
ed economy, and to enrich and fertilize the
most accessible portions of their farms.
THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
The chemist here comes In and the
Doc'or gave US SU'ne very 'n'eIestlnS U'lA
showing "naI cheInlSlry nau zone ahc
now a.nerenI experiments hau operated
sPe"AipS vi tlle V"lue Vi PlosPn"'es' super
PnoSPn".eS anu ooIe uuS,'
Ohe Vi tlle llnPolt"nC elolneh!S W SUCCESS
Is tle proper llcciiinlcal conu'''9n ol the
son. 10 he"Vy cay SolS nn iuo'tloh Oh
s"hu oiIeh ProNeu very peneuclii' WINE IL
S"u''' SiNo " iloei"i "ieS0inS Vi inuoA vi
lo'ih'
EDUCATION,
the Doctor said, should never be associated
with white hands and kid gloves.
70 knowledge there was no roval road
it was simply the reward of study.
Education should simplify, and he told
the anpcdote of Daniel Webster.-how m
old farmer and friend went to hear DAME
give one of his famous speeches in Boston
Daniel" said he, after the meeting, "
could understand every word YOU said
Webster was in the habit of speaking OF
this remark as the greatest compliment he
ever received.
We often hear sncers at silence. Science
is knowledge; to be scientific is to know
and the Doctor said Il large share of his
Dopularily AS n veterinary SURGEON had no,
come from any GOOD he had done or any
thing he had ACCOMPLISHED, but from ouack
cattle and horse doctors whipping him
through the newspapers with that word.
science. Farming demands more science
and knowledge and education on the part of
its followers to-day thad ever before
There is IL vast amount of knowledge hov.
cring over agriculture, waiting for the
farmers that will prepare themselves and
seize it.
He spoke of the agricultural college svs-
TEN of the country, and paid a HIGH com.
plinent TO Senator Merrill, the father OF
the enterprise.
In the time of our war, when the whole
nation was absorbed in that great struc.
Gle, Senator Merrill of Vermont took n
Step in advance of his dav. He brought
forth scheme whereby every state was
provided with the means of giving to her
people an agricultural education. and u
raw of glory was shed upon Vermont.
lie spoke of the GOOD work done in the
state by Collier, Perkins and others of orr
Agricultural College, and of Prof. Stock
bridge and many more of the Agricultural
College of Massachusetts, and made quite
an imposing showing of the additions to
Agricultural science emanating from these
two sources. But he said that although
the Agricultural College of Massachusetts,
made fine showing on paper, in many
respects it was failure. 1t had been nj
ficted with bad management
lie thought the course of study in our
common literary college not suitable for
specially fitting farmers for their work,
The higher mathematics and the Ian
guages were not important but he treated
at length of how Botany, GEOLOGY and
Physiology should be made a th0ronrh
study, and be taught in their elements in
all the common schools in the State. Prof
Huxley. in his lecture in New York strrcl
the keynote of what should be our nation
al school system, when he said, - that the
common schools should be the stenninp-
stone to our colleges and universities !. n
preparatory course with these hicher
Studies ALWAYS in view" Chemistry con
not be taught in the common schools.
But the common school can and must he
improved. Let teachers be selected for
what they know and what they can teach
The Improvement must begin with a de-
mand for better teachers.
He spoke the dairymen of the town. Of
the dairy COW us machine, u KNOWLEDGE
of the best way of feeding. rearing on5
caring for her rs belonging to that HIGHER
education towards which all progressive
farmers should aim. He would especiallv
impress the Importance of GUARDING ths
health of our animals.
He congratulated the farmers unon
their superior advantages of today. tho
aid which their interest receives from the
various institutions of the Stale.
The State Board of Agriculture is doinc
work for the farmers that the common
school does for the children.
The Dalrymen's Association in this State
is not excclled in its usefulness and imnor.
lance by any similar ORGANIZATION in Ri,
country.
Every town should have an aoricnltnr,
library, to be owned and taken care of hr
the town.
1t is important that the reports which