Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-11-29

on what constituents and combinations o
| these mineral and other elements plants feed
nor botany, which traces the successive step
of vegetable life ; nor meteorology, whlci
treats of the atmosphere, temperature, ram
fall and the various phenomena OF the weath
er nor physiology, which discusses th'
laws and operations of animal life, the con
ditions of health and disease, the perpetua
tion and improvement of breeds /; nor zoo
logy, which in its study of the varieties o
ANIMALS, passes down the long series iron
the huge OK to the parasite that feeds on him
the insect that annoys him, and the bug thai
disputes with him the possession OF that OF
which he feeds nor mechanics, whose prln
ciples are obeyed or violated in every furrov
plowed, in every burden lifted, in every force
applied; nor, lastly, political economy, which
discusses prices and markets, tariffs and tax
es, and those troublesome but very neal
questions of labor and money.
l do not assert that the farmer needs
to be profoundly versed in all these
sciences, or in any of them, but that
he ought TO have an intelligent ac-
qInintance with them, 80, at least, as
to be able to turn TO practical account the
labois of scientific experts. In the case OF
| chemistry, for instance, it is not necessary
that the farmer should set up laboratory
and analyze his own soil and the fertilizers he
| proposes to use. But he ought to have a good
| understanding of the chemistry of plant life,
and of animal life too, in order to adapt the
food OF the plant or animal to the demands
of the system which is to be nourished. For
example | heard, few days ago. farmer
describing a struggle he had just seen be-
tween some cattle for the possession of a
| bone which one OF them had secured. What
| do cattle want Of a bone? \ chemist who
was present gave the answer, The food of
those cattle is deficient in phosphates. Their
| system Graves what the bone furnishes. The
farmer needs to SOW phosphates over his
grass land" Similar illustrations might be
| drawn from all the sciences. They are all
the farmers allies and fellow-laborers. He
who WORKS without them, works at disad
vantage. He is like an engineer who knows
| how to open and shut a valve, but does not
understand his engine and would be help
less if it should get out of gear. l think
farmers are beginning to appreciate this far
mers in Vermont especially. They are not
content to be working with a machine whose
principles they do not understand. notice
that the agricultural papers are called on to
furnish scientific information, and that they
try to give it as well as they can to those who
are uninstructed in the elements OF all
science. Nov the College is prepared to
give, and does give SO TAR demanded, in
II
good laboratory, fair apparatus. all the neces-
ssry instruments for field work, ample col
lections, and, above all, men thoroughly
versed both in the theory and practice OF
their several branches. 1t should be under
stood, too, that the instruction furnished in
the sciences above mentioned differs from
that which belongs to goou general educa-
ton Ill being more special and practical.
SCme OF the professorships which have the
same name as in colleges OF arts and letters,
those OF chemistry and natural history, for
instance, are here more applied to their tech
nical uses. Young men intending to be far
mtrs should be pursuing these sciences in
large numbers II you have sons who are
going TO follow their fathers calling, yon
should encourage them TO get better outfit
for the business than you had. The man
who says, What was good enough for me is
good enough for my son, and who dispar-
ages science because he knows nothing of it,
and sneers at colleges and professors and
book-farming, Is rather out of place IN this
age OF the world, and is not likely to be found
in such an assemblsge as this But the man
who says Il was born little too early to
have all these advantages. but my son shall
have as many as | can afford him, and my
neighbor's sons shall have my encourage
ment and God-speed in endeavoring to Sc
ing to elevate and dignity this noble calling
Of ours, that man is doing something TO
carry forward the work which all farmers
clubs and oranges and agricultural colleges
have. or claim to have, at heart-the ad-
yapcement of the farmers IN material, intel
lectual and moral worth.
If low il should be said as il is said.
art is long and farmers are poor /; the boys |
must work for their living and leave the lux
ury of science, which We do not undervalue, |
to the wealthy, who can afford it, the Col |
lege makes answer to that Come then |
during the winter months when you can be |
spared from the farm the College will make |
a course IN science which you can pursue |
from November to May in successive seasons.
Ii you cannot study all the sciences you |
would be glad to know, you can in this way
make a satisfactory proficiency in some of
them. The fees shall be moderate. The ex-
penses of living need not be great. The in
cidental advantages OF living u few winters
where libraries. museums. lectures, cultiva-
ted society, would be open TO you, are things
not to be despised."
But am afraid that our friend, Col Frank
lin, was right when he said to me. "DO all
you may, you will probably, for the present
be obliged TO carry instruction round to the
doors OF the farmers If that is the present
mission of the College, that also We are try
ing to carry out. We have already done
something in this direction, more than We
have boosted of or had credit for. | do not
wish to detract from the merit of the work
performed by the Board of Agriculture,
which | think deserves to live without SO
many stranglings and resusctations by the
Legislature, but as the readers of the Reports
can see, large part of its best work has
come out of the College But we are doing
,f |
year, and the year before, as you know, We
sent out Prof Cressy to give instruction TO
farmers throughout the State on the care
and treatment of animals. To this work, |
and that performed by Prof. Perkins on the
subjects of insects and parasites, we have ar
ranged TO add, during the coming winter. II
conrse by Prof Atwater. the distinguished
Agricultural Chemist, on the principles of fer
tilization and the feeding of animals.
| have now answered the first question
which | suppose you wanted to ask me,
namely, What can the College do for the
education of the farmer, l now take up
briefly the second, What can the College do
for agriculture To this l answer, some
thing through the researches of the profess
sors in the field and in the laboratory and
on the farm and in the stock yard
with the cooperation Of farmers but not
very much in any department until our
means are increased. Agricultural expert
ment resulting in any reliable md valuable
discovery is a slow and costly process. Edi-
son may make a score of highly important in
ventions in mechanics and physics, before
the same genius and skill would bring out
one real improvement in agriculture Witness
the thousands and hundreds of thousands ex-
pended by the Department ut Washington, it
Is to be presumed, under the direction OF
and skillful expermenters, with
hardly single important result that can be
named. See the enthusiasm with which
Alderman Mechi and Mr.. Laws and other
wealthy Engiishmen pursue their inquiries,
lbundantly gratihed If years of trial ana
thousands expended yield some hopeful
return in an increased crop or an improved
soil Calculate the large outlays on the sugar
beet culture at Amherst, aud on I, eding
experiments at the Bussey Institute. with no
tangible results us yet. All this does not show
that progress in agriculture Is unattainable
or that experiment. even though COSTLY is
unwise and wasteiul- far from 1t 1t shows
only that expectation in this field must be
that impotence Is unreasonable,
and that ventures in agriculturul experiments
are costly and uncertain. 1t Is 10 be hoped
that by and by some rich patriotic farmer, or
the Legislature in some generous mood. will
equip the College with u farm and the means
Of conducting experiments on 1t, but very
sure am that the college will not escape the
sneers of farmers and the gibes Of the news
papers at college farming. In the absence
Of such means the College has been ceiling
Oh the farmers during the past year 10 CO.
operate with it IN making some simple ex-
periments with fertilizers. The response to
to our call was encouraging. We could have
had forty farms as well MS twenty but that
number WAS deemed enough for beginning.
On these fertilizers furnished by us were
used uuder careful instructions designed to
elicit information which may prove interest
ing Prof. Atwater will make the results AS
reported the text of his talks on fertlllzing.
Exactly what we shall do next season and IN
future seasons ! canno. say. Perhaps the
results of this trial will indicate what is need
ed next. AT all events We shall do something.
and keep doing more and more as our way
opens before us and our means increase.
In this work We shall continue to ask your