The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-09
Continued from last week.l
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
Address OF PRESIDENT ABBOT, or
THE MICHIGAN STATE AGRI-
CULTURAL COLLEGE,
before the House of Representatives Of
the Michigan Legislature, March
4, 1875.

before the House of Representatives Of
the Michigan Legislature, March
a, 1875.
COMBINING LABOR AND STUDY.
Il seems TO me that there 10 little hope OF re-
In any considerable numbers, If they are per-
mtted to pass their college years without manual
labor. think / SEQ In the retaining OF habits Of
daily manual labor, ia the interest which studies
and labor may be made to shed upon each other,
the beginning OF the remedy for this abandon
ment OF the farm by young educated men. 1t
certainly does not lie in the fact that the occupa
ton OF farmer does not afford scope for thought
and field for the employment OF the largest
fund Of knowledge. Except in the more constant
contact with other men, ordinary trades and
manufactures and commerce offer no such de-
lights for the man OF taste AZ those that the
farmer 10 privileged to enjoy the labor Is not
harder, and ia more varied and the profits COM
pare well with the average returns for any kind
Of labor. But labor hs. not received due honor
Man III the creature Of habit, and the customs
OF the world are against receiving an education
and then farming. The college has tried to
Withstand these tendencies, and one OF its bess
means ia ts labor system.
The following are the principle features Of the
labor system as existing at the Michigan State
Agricultural College:
/. All the students labor, except when exempt
on account of physical disability. This s the
requirement OF the law OF the State, which also
,prescribes the time-three hours daly-as gem
eral rule / attach much Importance to this rule
The agricultural colleges Of Maine and Iowa have
nearly similar provisions. Massachusetts requires
six hours manual labor week, excepting however
ope-third Of each year, and still one other third
OF the senior year, when no labor is required.
The other colleges require no labor, but sew
eral Of them furnish IT when applied for. 1t
is sometimes asked why 1t 10 not as well to lot
students labor or not as they may choose. 80
far as labor Is requisite In order that they should
Laos tka,p ~, 40 fhnu rtnht ho
excused from the practice OF surveying and Of
chemical analysis as OF farm and garden work.
Very much they can indeed learn at home, il
they come from farms-some do not come from
farms-and many things are done here that may
not be done on ordinary FARMS
But there is much In the atmosphere Of peace
that determines the habits OF those that resort to
M. Certain colleges are noted for certain char.
acteristics Of its students. Hastudent goes into
q college where almost none work, he will be apt
to do % others do, IL he can. II the general as.
poet OF the institution lie one that looks toward
the professions and literature, the ordinary
youpg man will turn his face and bend his steps
In the same directions.
An agricultural college should exert q different
tendency. For this reason it should be se parate
from other schools whore labor is not required
Labor should bs demanded Of all. that it's goot
influences in maintaining habits of daily labor
taste for rural pursuits, and impartipg skill
should be general. and create the proper feelings
toward 1t, In ell who are connected with 1T.
/ believe this object has been accomplished a.
che college, listen to the orations OF seniors anG
they advocate. l mingle with them at theil
work, and have never known students study
books in any institution with greater genera
faithfulness than they labor here. and the way Of
speaking Of labor is appreciative, and honorable
alike to students and the institution.
a. The regular hours Of labor are from / to 4
O'Clock each afternoon, except Saturdays. when
1t ID furnished only on request. AS matter Of
- - ExVn a,vth G1fth I'm trAh tn H.
This arrangement leaves the entire forenoon for
study and classes, and gives time for complete
rest after labor before the study OF the evening
Some years ago the students were divided into
three divisions, the first division going to their
work Immediately after breakfast, second divi.
sion at the end OF three hours, and third in the
afternoon.
The present plan gives better part OF the day
TO study, when the mind is fresh. Three hours
work, which mature man would not mind, is a
tax on the vital energies Of an immature, grow
ing boy, that ia apt to make him sleepy or inert
afterward. The plan enables US to work the boys
more In groups under proper leaders and officers.
some OF the students are unaccustomed to work,
many are young, and it is essential to their good
habits, US general rule, here, as In everything
else. that they do their work under the lead oil
some one who knows how to do IL. The arrange
ment OF lectures and work under this system ID
more readily made.
The change was made years ago. It was ex
planned to committee Of the House Of Repre-
sentetives, and the additional COST Of the plan
shown. 1t was approved by them, and by many
succeeding committees, and has worked with vi
much better than the other plan.
5. The officers OF the college work with the stu'
dents, and personally superintend the work. l.
lie matter OF my personal knowledge that the
professor Of agriculture and the professor of hor
ticulture 60 out to the three hours daily worl
with quite the same regularity az the students
and stay through the three hours. There are
besides, two foremen on the farm, both excellent
ForY nd r6a
and the foreman of the greenhouse, when no,
needed in the house, always works with the stu.
dents outside. All Of these are part of the edu
rational force Of the institution. It is in this
overnight and Leadership that the pupil fluids
is to his educational advantage to work
TO one who looks upon the college
chiefly az farm, and the students as so many
hired men, this may seem waste Of force, bu
TO any one acquainted with the demands of edu
cation it will not appear So. Efficient schools are
those that are well supplied with competent
teachers. The university has four professors
rand instructors in chemistry. and has, / am GER
tain, none too many. Our farm is large facto
h ~ where the students are scattered out OF sight
OF each other, and busted with more various pro-
uesses than 60 on within the chemical laboratory
and we, too, have none too many to look after the
working hauits and instruction OF our pupils.
a. The labor of students is intimately con-
nected with the subjects Of their lessons. Lee
lures are not infrequently given in the fields, OF
yards where the stock is kept. The inciples
learned from books find their illustrations in the
field or workshop; and on the other hand, what
students observe while at labor stimulates them
to the study OF principles.
While the freshmen and seniors alternate be-
tween the farm and horticultural departments,
the sophomores work the entire year on the farm
and the juniors on the garden. This gives the
superintendent opportunity for somewhat OF a
more systematic instruction in the two depart.
ments, and enables the students to keep informed
of whole years continuous plan in the two de.
partments.
The teamsters employed by the month do not
labor where their work will forward farming
operations most, but whore they will make best
prepare ton for the students labor and the labor
Of students is very varied. They help take care
of the STOCK they milk and feed the cattle, drive
the teams, run the machinery of different sorts,
tend plants and harvest crops. Scarcely any
thing Is regularly done by tie hired help, except
the main charge of cattle is with the herdsmen,
whom the students assist, and the care Of horses
is with hired men chiefly. The improving work
is done in good quantity by the students them
selves, aud especial care is taken to make the