Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-22
AGRICULTURAL. A
THE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
COURSE OF VETERINARY LECTUREs-ADDBEss
By DIR. II. d. HoLToN, OF BRATTLEBoRo.

ricultural College has engaged Prof n
Cressy. the distinguished Veterinary sur
| geon, for another series of lectures on Yeter
mary science, similar to those of last year
| to be delivered at farmers meetings in ever,
county in the State. Ore Of the first o
| the present series was delivered at Fay
| etteville Windham county, on the ith inst
1t was preceded by an interesting address by
DIR. ii. ID. Holton, OF Brattleboro, in whicl
he set forth in clear and succinct manner
some of the ways in which the University
and State Agricultural College is trying tt
benefit the farming interest of our State.
DR. HoLToS's ADDRESS
We give below the main portion of DR.
Holton's address
Born the son of a farmer, Injured to all the
services incident to the farm life of youth
fully approaching the high position the farm
er sustains to the commonwealth; in fact, be
lieving that the material prosperity of farmers
is the prosperity of the nation, my sympathies
lave gone out toward the tillers of the soil
and have long cherishad the hope that
might live to see the farmers of this State O
body of educated and scientific men. When
therefore, several years since, l was, without
my knowledge elected as one of the trustees
of the Agricultural College, entered upon
the duties of the position with q desire and q
determination that much should be accom-.
plished for the advancement of the farming
interests of our State. This, then, is my ex-
cuse for presuming to speak to you this after
noon.
Let us consider what advantages, if any,
would accrue to the farmer if he had a thor
ough scientific education. What is true in
other pursuits of life is also true in this, viz,
that competition is so great that only he who
knows how to produce the most with the least
expenditure of means is likely to succeed.
Only the artisan who most thoroughly under
stands his particular trade commands the
highest wages only the professional man
who has the most thorough knowledge of all
that pertains to his profession will ultimately
attain, not only the confidence of the COM
munity, but that eminence in his profession
which will make him one of its ornaments
This is particularly true of the New England
farmer, since the fertile prairies of the West
have been brought under cultivation, produc-
ing SO bounteously with the expenditure OF
comparatively little labor and an entire alb
sence of fertilizers. 1t becomes evident, then,
that if any one in Vermont would arrive at
anything more than simply earning iiveli-
hood-in fact, if he would become a success
ful farmer in the same sense that the mechan-
ic or the professional man is a success-he
must have some knowledge of the growth of
his crops, of their adaptability TO different
soils, etc. of the principles which govern
the successful breeding and rearing ofstock /;
of the diseases, and their cure, of the animals
OF which his stock may consist, as well as
clear ideas on the silver question or proper
estimate of the advantages to accrue from the
huIllIpu N his saPtInp of a railroad M
particular gauge. Where can this knowledge
be best obtained by the young man who de-
sires it? | answer at the Agricultural College
of Vermont. From one or two articles which
have recently appeared in one of our county
papers. suspect that the origin and purposes
of the State Agricultural College are not well
understood.
When the act of Congress endowing the
Agricultural OF Industrial College went into
effect, the Legislature Of this State incorpora-
ted the Vermont Agricultural College as "A sep
arate and Independent institution. The con-
gressional fund being wholly inadequate to
the endowment of such an institution, and
not dollar of it being available for buildings,
the legislature conditioned the appropriation
of fund to provide buildings and Increase
the endowment of the college uron the rais-
ing by subscription of 500, 900. The trus-
ltth VI bN
the legislature, addressed themselves to the
task OF raising this money. They organized
a canvass of the State by counties for sub
scriptions. They made prolonged and earnest
efforts TO raise the sum required, but without
success. few scattered subscriptions. each
conditioned on the location of the new college
i'll the subscribers own town OF vicinity, and
all amounting to less than $40, 600, were OBJ
tanned. Nearly four of the five years within
which, under the terms of the act of Con-
gress, the college must be put in operation
passed in this effort. resulting i'll securing only
so meagre II sum. The legislature of 1865
met and the trustees Of the Agricultural Col
lege reported the failure of their efforts. 1t
thus became apparent that the money for the
OF separate college could not
be piocured. and they then applied to the ex-
listing colleges TO see if, through them, the
fund could be made available.
They found that Norwich College was too
feeble to encourage such hope that Mid
dlebury College was disinclined TO enter into
any such arrangement ; but that the State
University Mt Burlington had been willing to
the subject, and that 10y its aid the
fund might perhaps yet be saved
to the State. Their report further shows that
the oveItures for the union of the University
and Agricultural College came from the trus-
tees of the Agricultural College and not from
the University, and were accepted by the
University in order to save the fund TO the
State The bill which was reported and rec
by the trustees of the Agricul-
tural College was passed by the legislature
without any division important enough 10 be
recorded in the journals either Of the House
Or Senate. In SO doing a new institution was
under the title of the University of
Vermont and State Agricultural College, TO
be founded by the union of the Agricultural
College, the University, Middlebury and Nor
wich Colleges, if they chose to unite there
with. That it did not become a union of all
the colleges in the State was because the last
two did not choose to unite with it. Thus it
was that the University and Agricultural
College became united i'll one institution,
under one board of trustees and under a
charter which prescribed the character and
purposes of the institution.
That the trustees have faithfully complied
with all the requirements of the charter, both
in letter and spirit, | need not assert when 1t
is borne in mind that our distinguished Sen
itor, Hon. Justin 5. Morrill,, the father of the
act creating the Agricultural
fund.- has been from tie first one OF the most
active, influential, and faithful members of
the board Of trustees as well as a member OF
the fine ncial committee. They have organ
lzed an industrial and scientific department
and added to the former board OF instruction
in the University competent professors III
chemistry, mining and metallurgy, civil en-
gineering. botany. zoology, modern languages,
and professorship of military tactics, in-
in which is required by the charter.
They have added laboratory. not excelled
by that of the Sheffield School at New Haven.
and have equipped the department OF civil
engineering these additions being mainly
provided for by subscription of SSO,OOO
rnised by the friends of the University to en-
able 1t to enlarge its scope and meet the de
nands of the new order of things. They
next organized special courses of lee
lures on agricultural chemistry, stock
breeding, dairying. fruit culture, ento-
moloGy, farm accounts, etc, for which they
engaged able lecturers. These lectures were
widely advertised but they failed to draw
the class for whose benefit they were espe
'ially intended. Therefore. last year another
enterprise was designed. and II lecturer was
sent into each county. thus trying to meet
YOU at your own doors Ms you declined to
knock at the doors of the college. A course
Of lectures on Veterinary Science was deter
mined upon. Some one was sought who was
conyersant with the diseases of
animals ana whose knowledge was based upon
|, thorough scientific study of them one
who by such scientific knowledge had gain
,d the success which we have spoken of ms
lnly obtained by such careful study. 1t did
not take long to determine that the man who
stood in the front rank of Veterinary Sur
;eons was Prof. Cressy. Hence the course of 1
lectures which he gave throughout the State
asst winter. and which were deservedly pop
mar. The trustees. feeling that their efforts
m this direction had been SO acceptable. de-
ermncd to send him forth agrin tins winter.
Hence the lectures of this day. Steps have
already been taken to establish experimental
stations on private farms in different parts OF
the State. Mr. Richards Bradley, of lirattle-
Doro, has kindly placed ut the disposal OF
he trustees such portion of his different
nrms as they may require Tor their eNperi-
nents in this portion of the State. Aud |
,esire to say here that the board will be most
happy to receive any suggestions relative to
he kind Of experiments Ia be conducted Mt
hese stations which IT shall please the farm |
FRS to make would further state that, ap- |
preciating the difficulties in the way OF Young |
iImers leaving their farms at all times, II Is |