The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-09
Agricultural Department.
BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
The New Hampshire Agricultural
College.


the Board of Agriculture, and designed
for the discussion of such agricultural
topics as generally find place in meet
ings conducted in the interests of farm
ers. And the meeting was what it was
advertised. II was planned and direct
ed by the president and secretary of the
Board, and brought out some of the
best agricultural papers ever read in
the state.
But TO one who was present and kept
his ears open il soon became evident
that the leading subject of interest was
the Agricultural College, and that that
institution was to receive the most of
whatever benefit or harm may come of
the meeting. or the eleven trustees of
the college nine were present; and of
the other eminent friends of agriculture.
whose names appear, majority had il
uppermost in their minds. These men
spent much time in discussing the affairs
of the institution, and though it was not
the intention of those in charge to make
1t the leading subject of the public de-
bate, it so overshadowed all other ques-
tons that it called forth the most earnest
talk in the meetings, and more than
once cut them short to give time for its
private consideration. To state the
matter just as it is, which is, we sup
pose, reporters duty, the meeting has
been very much like consultation of
physicians over sick, a very sick pa
tent. The physicians have been emf
nent and have done their best; whether
the patient RECEIVERS is yet to be seen.
The public debates of which abstracts
have been given and the private discus
sions which have been still more earnest
and unrestrained, have all pointed to
one conclusion: that the Agricultural
College has thus far failed to meet the
expectations of its founders and friends.
AS presented at this meeting the facts
are that the college has the best build
ings for its purposes i'll the country. Ii
has access to all the libraries, laborato-
ries and other scientific appurtenances
of Dartmouth. 1t has cash fund of
more than SlOO,OOO. 1t has within its
gift about nifty valuable scholarships
ana can offer other pecuniary helps to
students. IL -has faculty OF fair abili-
ties. Its trustees are devoted and ear
nest, and willing to follow any course
which promises success. 1t has con-
nected with 1t one OF the most expensive
ana valuable farms IN Grafton county.
But It has only nine students, only one
OF whom entered this year.
Ihese facts are OF course not pleasant
ones Tor the friends of the college. for
whlle mere are lew who argue that
even II 1t has not student it might
exert an influence which would warrant
pronouncihg II success, the most of
those VINO are interested believe that to
MAINTAIN college which instrncts no
students Is rather too much like farce,
ana that some way must be devised to
Dring students mere or the institution
might as well be given up. We may
say, therefore, that the best and most
earnest iriends OF the college are sub
stahtiaiiy agreed mat II has been a
lmiure' they are by no means agreed
as 10 the cause OF II. few, OF whom
Dr. bartlett ana frof. Brewer are the
most conspicuous examples, believing
mat coileglate education should be on n
nfoad gauge plan, would tell us that
mere Is no demand 1or course OF study
designed 10 teach practical agriculture;
mat the delaiis OIL farming can be learn
ed better elsewhere, and that boy
when ne goes 10 college should aim at
something higher AMI better than a
KNOWLEDGE OF piowing. applying ma
hure ana harvesting crops. In other
WORDS, tnese men would give boy a
liberal education here without reference
10 ms probable ealing, and let him
study MS PROFESSION elsewhere. But
thls view Is by no means that OF the
FARMERS themselves. 1hcy tmnk an
agricultural college should teach agri-
culture; ana that wheil a boy graduates
III one ne should be qualified to farm
not ohlv sclehtlIically but probably.
these men, when asked why there are
no farmers Doys mere, are not slow i'll
deciariilg mat IL Is because those who
90 come are ostraclsed, rdlculed and
nespised by the students OF the academ-
icai department. inns Is not admitted
by tne professors III the college proper,
put there Is TOO much truth i'll it, never
theiess. The agricultural students, rs
an hour inquiry VIII convince any one,
are almost universally referred to as
muuhgies" by the other undergraduates.
They are not by them recognized as
members OF the college; and to such an
extent has this ostraclsm been carried,
that until this year the agricultural
students nave not been allowed to play
iootDall with others.
Ihese facts, which will scarcely be
nemed' are very significant There may
nc boys VINO nave the moral courage,
me pluck ana grit to tight their way
lhrongh college III the face of obloquy,
oerlsioh ana contempt, but there are
NOT many VINO VIII tight their way to
farm over such obstacles. We are
not going to keep the boys on the
farms ny putting them into places
where they VIII be made to feel that
thev are, III the eslimation OF others, the
Tag end OF creation.
There is another class of men who
think the course OF instruction adopted
Is 100 narrow and too short. They say
mat farmers son who is going to be
educated at college should be given
as thorough training and should give TO
II as much time as would student OF
any other class Ihey would extend
the coilege year to make 1t correspond